The girl appeared in the doorway wiping a plate, slip-shod and awkward. Henrietta blushed, the general was painfully confused and the other three turned their attention hastily to their food. "Want anything?" asked the girl. "No, thank you," replied Henrietta gently, feeling that in judging the stable-boy she had somehow injured the girl. The girl lingered a moment, glanced significantly at the clock, and went out. "Who could it be?" asked Billy, pleasantly excited. "Why, this is terrible," said Henrietta. "If the boy didn’t do it, there is no one else who could have, but the family." "It looks that way," admitted the Watermelon. "What shall we do?" gasped Billy. "What shall we pay them with?" The slatternly girl again appeared in the doorway much to the general’s nervousness. "Want anything?" she asked, and glanced again at the clock. "No," said Henrietta. "No, thank you." "I will speak to Parker," declared the general as the girl left. "I wish you didn’t have to," sighed Henrietta. "It’s horrid to lose your money, but it must be so much worse to need money so that you would steal it." "But that’s the test of honesty," declared the general. "To need money and not steal." "I know," admitted Henrietta, pushing aside her coffee cup. "I do admire strong people who can resist, but I’m so much sorrier for the weak who can’t. It’s pitiful, that’s what it is." "Yes," cried Billy, as usual carried away by her feelings. "Let’s not say a thing." The door opened for the third time, but instead of the ineffective maid-servant, the farmer’s wife, fat, red-cheeked, good-natured, entered. She approached the table and smiled jovially from one to the other. "I hope you liked everything," she said with a gentle hint in her tones that they had lingered around the breakfast table long enough. "Have you had plenty, General? Can’t I get you some more coffee, Miss Crossman?" "No, thank you," said the general, confused and unhappy. Mrs. Parker smiled still. "I am glad you liked everything. Your man should be back soon. He hasn’t had any breakfast yet." "Where’d he go?" asked the general, feeling that that was safe enough ground. "My husband thinks that he went out in one of the automobiles very early, for he found one of them gone." "Did your husband see him go?" asked Bartlett. "Oh, no, but he thinks he must have gone because there is only one automobile—" "Oh, yes," said Henrietta, and stared at the others, fearful of reading her own crushing suspicion in their eyes.