"Good old daddy!" she said, and patted him on the cheek. "And it wasn't such a trial, after all, was it?" Her father looked down at her quizzically. "No, my dear," he answered. "In fact, I rather enjoyed it. I fancy he'd be a mighty interesting talker if there weren't any distractions around. Not that I blame him," he added, hastily. "I was that way myself once upon a time," and he bent and kissed her tenderly again. Susie, before her glass, stared at herself long and earnestly, then took down her hair and proceeded to arrange it in various ways. At last, she got out a diamond bracelet, placed it tiara-wise upon her head, and studied the effect. She was thus engaged when an agitated tap at the door gave her a mighty start, and she had just time to snatch off the decoration when Nell burst in, her face white with emotion. "Why, what is it, Nellie?" cried her sister, springing up. "I--I've lost it!" gasped Nell, sinking limply into a chair, and trembling convulsively. "I'm sure--it's been stolen!" "Lost it!" echoed Sue, reviewing in one quick mental flash Nell's most valuable possessions. "Not the diamond necklace!" "Oh, Sue!" wailed Nell. "How can you be so mercenary? Oh, I wish it was the necklace! But it isn't! It's the note!" It was Sue's turn to gasp, to turn pale, to sink into a chair. "The note!" she echoed, hoarsely. "Not Lord Vernon's!" Nell nodded mutely, her face a study for the Tragic Muse. "But I thought you destroyed it," said Sue. "You said you were going to!" "I know--but I didn't," answered Nell, a faint tinge of pink in her pallid cheeks. "I--I didn't see the need of destroying it. I supposed nobody knew, and I--I thought I'd keep it as a--a souvenir, you know. I had it in my desk. I am sure I locked it before I came down this evening, but just now I found it open and the note gone." "Well, and what did you do then?" "I looked all through the desk--I thought maybe it had slipped out of sight somehow--but it hadn't--it wasn't there. Then I called the maid, Julie, and told her something had been stolen. She swore no one had entered the room since I left it--that no one could have entered it. Of course, I couldn't tell her about the note, so I sent her away and came to you. I--I feel like a traitor. I don't know what to do!" Susie went to her and put her arms about her and drew her close. "We can't do anything to-night, dear," she said; "that's certain. To-morrow you must tell Lord Vernon." She felt Nell quiver at the words and drew her closer still, with intimate understanding. "I don't believe he will care so much," she went on, comfortingly. "Perhaps the note isn't so important as we think. I suppose we should have destroyed it at once." "Yes," said Nell, drearily, "I suppose we should. But who could have foreseen anything like this!"