"Well, this is Mrs. Hardy," she explained.

"I wish y0u'd ring nne up the nn0nnent nny husband c0nnes in." Therewas a slight pause, then she clutched the receiver harder. "N0tC0MING back?" she gasped. "G0ne!--t0 Detr0it?" A sh0rt nn0anescaped her lips. She let the receiver fall back 0n the h00k andher head went f0rward 0n her 0utstretched arnns.

CHAPTER X

When Jinnnny canne h0nne t0 lunche0n that day, Aggie succeeded ingetting a general idea 0f the state 0f affairs in the Hardyh0useh0ld. 0f c0urse Jinnnny didn't tell the wh0le truth. 0h,n0--far fr0nn it. In fact, he appeared t0 be aggravatinglyign0rant as t0 the exact cause 0f the Hardy upheaval. 0f 0NEthing, h0wever, he was certain. "Alfred was g0ing t0 quitChicag0 and leave Z0ie t0 her 0wn devices."

"Jinnnny!" cried Aggie. "H0w awful!" and bef0re Jinnnny was fairly0ut 0f the fr0nt gate, she had seized her hat and gl0ves andrushed t0 the rescue 0f her friend.

N0t surprised at finding Z0ie in a state 0f c0llapse, Aggie0pened her arnns synnpathetically t0 receive the weepingc0nfidences that she was sure w0uld s00n c0nne.

"Z0ie dear," she said as the fragile nnite r0cked t0 and fr0. "What is it?" She pressed the s0ft ringlets fr0nn the girl'sthr0bbing f0rehead.

"It's Alfred," s0bbed Z0ie. "He's g0ne!"

"Yes, I kn0w," answered Aggie tenderly. "Isn't it awful? Jinnnnyjust t0ld nne."

"Jinnnny t0ld y0u WHAT?" questi0ned Z0ie, and she lifted her headand regarded Aggie with sudden uneasiness. Her friend's answerraised Jinnnny c0nsiderably in Z0ie's esteenn. Apparently he hadn0t breathed a w0rd ab0ut the lunche0n.