It was the day for Rosemary's music lesson and she went, at two o'clock, to her teacher's house. The lesson over, she took a book back to the Library for Aunt Trudy, bought some clothespins for Winnie and meeting Jack Welles, brown and freckled from his fishing trip, accepted his invitation to stop at the hardware store and see the prize trout his father had caught and which was mounted and on exhibition in the window. So it was nearly half past four when she reached home. "Rosemary!" a shrill whisper came down to her over the bannisters, as she went upstairs to leave the book she had selected for Aunt Trudy on the table in her room. "Rosemary, come up here, quick!" Rosemary, vaguely frightened, ran up to Sarah's room. Shirley was there and both little girls looked as though they had been crying. "What's the matter--did Shirley hurt herself?" asked Rosemary in alarm. Sarah shut the door and looked at her older sister queerly. "Promise you won't tell? Cross-your-heart-hope-to-die?" she urged. Rosemary sat down on the bed. "Is it good or bad?" she asked cautiously. "Bad!" cried Shirley in an awe-struck tone. "Awfully bad. Isn't it, Sarah?" Sarah nodded hopelessly. "It's so bad," she declared, "that you never heard anything as bad. And if you tell, Rosemary, I'll run away, as far off as I can run away, and never, never come back." Sarah's dark eyes were red-rimmed and she seemed so desperately unhappy that Rosemary's kind heart was touched. "Oh, Sarah darling, you know I won't tell!" she exclaimed. "I don't care what it is, I won't tell anyone. I promise." Sarah drew a long breath of relief. She sat down on the floor, her favorite resting place, and Shirley scrambled down beside her. "Well then," said Sarah more calmly, "I've lost Aunt Trudy's turquoise ring!" "You've lost Aunt Trudy's turquoise ring!" repeated Rosemary. "How on earth could you lose her ring?" "We were playing with the jewel case," murmured Sarah, a dark red flush rising under her brown skin. "Sarah Eaton Willis! And after what Hugh told you!" Rosemary stared at the culprit in astonishment. For Aunt Trudy's jewel case, containing numerous rings and pins of no inconsiderable value and for which she cared little beyond the pleasure of possession seldom, if ever, wearing any of the pieces, had delighted Sarah and Shirley from the first moment they discovered it. Their aunt had indulgently allowed them to deck themselves out and play "lady" and apparently the idea that anything could happen to a valuable brooch or ring or a string of pearls, or cut amber beads be lost, never occurred to her. It occurred to Doctor Hugh, however, when he came home unexpectedly one afternoon and met Sarah and Shirley arrayed in barbaric splendor. He had immediately forbidden further play with the jewelry and, at his orders, Aunt Trudy had placed the case among the list of things on her dresser which must not be touched.