The new school superintendent called up again while the minister was there, and seemed quite upset that Joyce had not returned, and when she finally got rid of the minister and went out to the kitchen to consider the possibility of having to get dinner without Joyce’s help, she was called back three times to the telephone. First, Susie Bassett wanted to know if Joyce couldn’t come over and spend the night with her, she wanted to ask her advice about something. Then Mr. Elkins called from the store and said his wife was all alone and not feeling very well, and he would be so grateful if Joyce would run down and sit with her a little while till he could get away from the store. Then Patty Bryson from up in the country called to ask Joyce to come up and spend a week with her and the children while her husband was away, she thought it would be a nice little change for Joyce. With flashing eyes and sullen mouth Nannette turned back to her kitchen only to find Mrs. Pierce her next door neighbor standing on the doorstep just entering with a warning tap to borrow a cup of sugar--hers hadn’t come yet--and ask if Joyce was sick, she hadn’t seen her about all day. Nannette was almost reduced to tears when she finally got rid of the woman who was a regular village gossip and had the real vulture smile on her face. But it was almost time for Eugene’s train and he was not noted for being patient at meal times. She flew around preparing what she could briefly, a can of soup, improvised salad out of odds and ends, a hastily concocted custard poured over some stale sponge cake she had hidden from the children a week ago and forgotten till necessity brought it to light. None of the articles were particular favorites of Eugene. He would miss Joyce’s tasty cooking, but it could not be helped. Meantime, where were the children? Six o’clock and they hadn’t returned since school time! What would Eugene say if they were not here when he got home? She hastened to the telephone to call up their familiar spirits and get track of them, and almost every house she called either had some message for Joyce or wanted to know how she was bearing her trouble, and had some good word of sympathy for her. It was maddening to Nannette in her frantic haste, with one eye on the clock, and the smell of the soup burning. Now she would have to open another can. There was only a vegetable can left and Eugene hated that. Then just as she was looking up the number of the last place where she might hope to find her missing family, they trooped in.