That was too much for Cora. She stepped to the door of the tea-room with dismissal in her manner. He knew she intended him to leave at once. "But what I want to know," he said, deliberately following her, "is just who this Thayer girl is. It is important that we should know, to go on with the--" "We!" interrupted Cora. "Pray, who are 'we'?" "Why, my father's firm, the lawyers, you know," he stammered. "Some day, Miss Kimball, I expect to represent the firm of Roland, Reed & Company." Cora turned and looked at him. It was on that very spot that she had turned to Ed--Ed was so like this young man, the same dark, handsome youth, and just about his age. But Ed was, after all, so different--so very different. Cora was gaining time as she strove to hold him by her magnetic glance. Any youth would accept it; he did not despise it. "Mr. Roland," she said, in her own inimitable velvet tones, "you are making a very great mistake. If you really believe that Cecilia Thayer had anything to do with the loss of that child's book, you are wrong; if you think she had any other than humane motives in visiting the child, you are wrong again. Cecilia Thayer--" "Oh, now come, Cora," he interrupted. "You don't mind me calling you Cora? I know the whole scheme. Your brother Jack is--well, he is quite clever, but not clever enough to cover up his tracks." He grasped Cora's arm and actually dragged her to him. "Don't you know that Cissy Thayer and Jack Kimball are suspected of abduction? That Wren Salvey has been stolen-stolen, do you hear?" CHAPTER XVI A STRANGE MESSAGE Uproarious laughter from the girls with the wild flowers aroused Cora. Rob Roland was gone. Had she fainted? Was that roaring in her ears just awakened nerves? "Cora! Oh, Cora! We had the most darling time," Bess was bubbling. "You should have been along. Such a dear old farmer. He showed us the queerest tables. And he had the nicest son. Cora-- What is the matter?" "Oh," lisped Ray, "another Co-Ed message over the telephone." "Cora, dear," exclaimed Gertrude, "we should not have left you all alone. Are you ill?" "Cora! Cora!" gasped Adele. "Cora, dear!" sighed Tillie. "Oh, Cora!" moaned Belle. "What has happened?" "Cora, darling," cried Maud, "who has frightened you?" "Cora Kimball," called Daisy, "have you been drinking too much tea?" "Too little," murmured Cora. "Will some of you girls leave off biting the air, and make a good cup of tea?" There was a wild rush for the alcohol lamp; every one wanted to make the good cup of tea. "I saw a runabout moving away as we came up," said Ray. "I hope, Cora, your caller was not obnoxious." "Oh, just an autoist," replied Cora indifferently. "I did not take the trouble to brew tea for one solitary man." The color was coming back into her cheeks now, and with the return of animation her scattered senses attempted to seize upon the strange situation. Jack and Clip to be arrested for abduction!