But Helen's gayety did not communicate itself to Sadie. That shy miss trembled apprehensively as she sought to picture herself in Helen's place--on the verge of an elopement. Not that such a prospect did not have its alluring thrill even to such a shrinking maiden as the violet-eyed Sadie, but her fear of her aunt seemed to crush and obliterate these titillating sensations. As the car shot through Seventy-second street and headed for the entrance to the West Drive of Central Park, she ventured another word of caution. "Wouldn't it be better to send a messenger to Mr. Gladwin's house, Helen? Suppose we should run into somebody there who knew auntie?" "You ridiculously little fraid-cat," Helen caught her up. "Of course there'll be nobody there but Travers, or perhaps his man or some of the other servants. He has good reason for keeping very quiet now and sees absolutely nobody, not even--not even--not even his grandmother, if he has one." "And didn't he tell you whether or not he had a grandmother, Helen?" gasped Sadie. But Helen disdained to reply, her heart suddenly filling with rapture at the prospect of an immediate meeting with her betrothed. CHAPTER VIII. TRAVERS GLADWIN GETS A THRILL. A ring at the door bell should suggest to the ordinary mind that some person or persons clamored for admission, but Whitney Barnes's announcement seemed to have difficulty in hammering its way into Travers Gladwin's gray matter and thence downward into the white matter of his brain cells. "What is some one at the door for?" he asked vacuously. "To see you, of course," snapped Barnes. "Nonsense!" exclaimed the other with annoyance. "The house has been closed for ages and you are the only one who knows I am home. Why I"---- Bateato skimmed in, grinning like a full moon. "Well, what is it?" his master asked, shortly, "Two ladies, sair!" "Two--that's good!" chimed in Barnes. "They must have got a wireless that I was here." "What do they want?" Gladwin addressed Bateato. "You, sair," replied the Jap. "They say you come to door one minute." "Two ladies to see me? Are you sure?" Travers Gladwin was both bewildered and embarrassed. "Ees, sair!" Bateato assured him. "Did you tell them that I was here?" "They no ask. They say, 'Please, Mr. Gladwin come to door!'" "Well, you tell them Mr. Gladwin is not at home--that I'm out, away--in Egypt." "Ees, sair," and Bateato was about to skim out into the hallway again when Barnes stopped him. "Wait a minute, Bateato--what do they look like?" "Look nice, sair," and Bateato's moon-like grin returned in full beam. "You're sure?" asked Barnes, gravely. "Oh, fine," uttered the Jap, enthusiastically. "Young?" inquired Barnes. "Ees, sair--much young--come in autbile. I tell them you no home?" turning to Gladwin. "No, wait," responded Gladwin, his curiosity taking fire. "You tell them to come in." "They say you come door." "Very well," but Whitney Barnes stopped him.