She was lying on the lounge, when he announced himself, and she said, "Come in," and explained, "I just came off a moment, to give my sympathies a little rest. And then, being up late so many nights this week. What have you heard?" "Nothing, practically. Louise, how long did you expect to stay?" "I don't know. I hadn't thought. As long as I'm needed, I suppose. Why? Must you go back?" "No--not exactly." "Not exactly? What are you driving at?" "Why, there's nothing to be found out by telegraphing. Some one must go up to the place where the accident happened. She sees that, and she wants to go. She can't realize at all what it means to go there. Suppose she could manage the journey, going alone, and all that; what could she do after she got there? How could she go and look up the place of the accident, and satisfy herself whether her father was--" "Matt!" shrieked his sister. "If you go on, you will drive me wild. She mustn't go; that's all there is of it. You mustn't think of letting her go." She sat up on the lounge in expression of her resolution on this point. "She must send somebody--some of their men. She mustn't go. It's too hideous!" "No," said Matt, thoughtfully. "I shall go." "You!" "Why not? I can be at the place by four or five in the morning, and I can ascertain all the facts, and be able to relieve this terrible suspense for her." "For both of them," suggested Louise. "It must be quite as bad for that poor, sick old maid." "Why, of course," said Matt, and he felt so much ashamed of having left her out of the account that he added, "I dare say it's even worse for her. She's seen enough of life to realize it more." "Sue was his favorite, though," Louise returned. "Of course you must go, Matt. _You_ couldn't do _less_! It's magnificent of you. Have you told her, yet, that you would go?" "Not yet. I thought I would talk it over with you, first." "Oh, _I_ approve of it. It's the only thing to do. And I had better stay here till you come back--" "Why, no; I'm not sure." He came a little nearer and dropped his voice. "You'd better know the whole trouble, Louise. There's great trouble for them whether he's dead or alive. There's something wrong in his accounts with the company, and if he was on that train he was running away to Canada to escape arrest." He could see that only partial intelligence of the case reached her. "Then if he's killed, it will all be hushed up. I see! It makes you hope he's killed." Matt gave a despairing groan. "If he's killed it makes it just so much the worse. The defalcation has to come out, any way." "When must it come out?" "A good many people know of it; and such things are hard to keep. It may come out--some rumor of it--in the morning papers. The question is whether you want to stay till they know it here; whether it would be wise, or useful."