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In the pleasant shadiness of Dr. Archibald’s office, rising from a delightful mahogany arm-chair, Susanna presently asked if Mrs. Thayer could be told that Mrs. Fairfax was there.

“I think Mrs. Thayer is gone,” said the attendant pleasantly. “I’m not sure, but I’ll see.”

In a few minutes she returned to inform Mrs. Fairfax that Mrs. Thayer had just come in to have a bridge replaced, and was gone.

“You don’t know where?” Susanna’s voice was a trifle husky with repressed emotion. She realized that she was getting a headache.

No, the attendant didn’t know where.

So there was nothing for it but to go back to Jim’s office, and back Susanna accordingly went. She walked as fast as she could, conscious of every separate hot step, and was nervous and headachy when she entered Miss Perry’s presence again.

Mr. Fairfax and Mrs. Thayer had not come in; no, but Miss Perry reported that Mr. Fairfax had telephoned not ten minutes ago, and seemed very anxious to get hold of his wife.

“Oh, dear, dear!” lamented Susanna. “And where is he now?”

Miss Perry couldn’t say. “I wrote his message down,” she said, with sympathetic amusement at Susanna’s crushed dismay. And, referring to her notes, she repeated it:

“Mr. Fairfax said that Mrs. Thayer had had an appointment to see a sick friend in a hospital this afternoon. But she has gone right out there now instead, so that you and she can go shopping after lunch. You are, please, to meet Mr. Fairfax and the Thayers at the Palace for luncheon at half-past one; there’ll be a table reserved. Mr. Fairfax has a little business to attend to just now, but if you don’t mind waiting in the office, he thinks it’s the coolest place you could be. He wanted to know if you had the whole afternoon free–“

“Oh, absolutely!” Susanna assented eagerly. This was not the time to speak or think of the bridge club.

“And that was all,” finished Miss Perry, “except he said perhaps you would like to look at the plans of the orphanage. Mr. Fairfax got them out to show to Mr. Thayer this afternoon. I can get them for you.”

“Oh, thank you! I do want to see them!” said Susanna, gratefully. And she established herself comfortably by the open window, the orphanage plans, a stiff roll of blue paper, in her lap, her idle eyes following the noonday traffic in the street below.

What a shame to have to sit here doing nothing, to-day of all days, for nearly two hours! Susanna thought. Why, she could have met her luncheon guests, seen that the meal was at least under way, apologized in person, and then started for town. As it was, they might be angry, and no wonder! And these were her neighbors and very good friends, after all, the women upon whose good feeling half the joy of her country home and garden depended. It was too bad!

She glanced at the blue-prints, but one of her sudden inspirations turned the page blank. What time was it? Ten minutes of twelve. She referred to her new timetable. Ten minutes of–why, she could just catch the noon train, rush home, meet her guests, explain, and come back easily on the one o’clock. But would it be wise? Why not?

Her thoughts in a jumble, Susanna hastily gathered her small possessions together, moved to a decision by the always imperative argument that in a few minutes it would be too late to decide.

“Heavens! I’m glad I thought of that!” she ejaculated, seating herself in the train as the noon whistles shrilled all over the city. A moment later she was a trifle disconcerted to find the orphanage plans still in her hand.

“Well, this is surely one of my crazy days!” Susanna strapped the stiff sheets firmly to her handbag. “I must not forget to take those back,” she told herself. “Jim will ask for them the very first thing.”