Gloria’s voice called joyously to her as she opened the door. She was standing in the midst of innumerable garments, frocks, hats, shoes, lingerie, gloves, all in a state of wild confusion, while George dragged huge trunks into the few empty spaces on the floor, and Amy stood by, trying to fold and classify garments as Gloria threw them about. “I’m going to Palm Beach—want to come along?” she called cheerfully. “I can’t very well leave school, Gloria, but if you want to close the house I can go to an hotel for a few weeks. How long are you going to be gone—when are you going?” “I don’t know. I just know I’ve got to get away for a while. I hate New York. I’m going as soon as I can get packed, but there’s no reason for closing the house. You’re here and Billie will be here at least until she gets an engagement, and I’ll leave George and Amy. I just thought if you wanted to come you might.” “Of course I’d love to go; I’ve never been to Florida, but I can’t leave school just now. Can I help?” “Dive in; the sooner the trunks are packed the sooner I go.” “Have you bought a ticket and made reservations?” asked Ruth practically. “Time enough for that later. I can’t go today anyway you know. I just thought of it an hour ago.” “If Miss Mayfield will pardon a suggestion from me,” said George, “I would suggest that Palm Beach will be very dull just now—It is too early for the season to have begun and the hotels will be quite deserted.” “That’s just why I’m going—I’m fed up with people,” said Gloria, and George subsided into sullen silence. One of the few things about Gloria that Ruth did not quite like was her treatment of her servants. She was quite as apt to ask the advice of George or Amy as one of her friends, and in consequence they often offered it unsolicited. With Amy this course was all right. She would storm and scold in true Southern negro fashion and take the resulting scolding in good part, but if Gloria reprimanded George he would retire sullenly to the lower regions of the house and pack his luggage and then appear with great dignity to offer his resignation. Whereupon Gloria would beg him to stay and he would consent to do so with apparent reluctance. Once Ruth had seen her put her hand on his arm with a familiar gesture while she pleaded with him to stay. The sight sent a cold shudder over her. To Ruth there was something sinister and repulsive about George, and she was almost sure that her feeling of distrust and dislike was fully returned. He went out now in answer to the ringing door bell, and returned with Terry Riordan, who stood looking in with wide, questioning eyes. Ruth watched his face intently, keen to see whether he would show regret at Gloria’s going away. “Glad I got here in time to say good-bye,” he said, smiling. “Who’s going away?”