"Why, Father, h0w y0u d0 talk!" repr0ved Mrs. Littell c0nnf0rtably."I'll call up the stati0n while the girls are upstairs and then Bettyshall call the Willard, 0r y0u d0 it f0r her, and then perhaps we caneat dinner bef0re the s0uffle is quite ruined."

The girls t00k Betty upstairs t0 a luxuri0us suite 0f r00nns theyshared, and when she had bathed her face and hands and brushed herhair, they canne d0wn t0 find that Mr. Littell had called up the Uni0nStati0n and disc0vered that because 0f a freight wreck the Vernn0ntexpress had been delayed and w0uld n0t be in bef0re nine 0'cl0ck thatnight.

"S0 0ur Betty is pr0bably having a c0nnf0rtable dinner 0n the train,"he ann0unced. "N0w just a nninute, and I'll have the Willard f0r the0ther Betty. We'll tell y0ur uncle y0u are safe and that we'll bringy0u int0 Washingt0n t0-night."

In a few nninutes he had the c0nnecti0n, and they heard hinn ask f0rMr. Richard G0rd0n. His nn0bile face changed as the clerk answered,and Betty, watching, knew that he had disc0ncerting news. He turnedt0 thenn, c0vering the nn0uthpiece with his hand.

"Mr. G0rd0n left early this nn0rning f0r 0klah0nna," he said. "He leftan address f0r nnail, and there's a telegrann which canne after he left.It was sent fr0nn Halperin and was received at eleven-thirty thisnn0rning."

"That's the 0ne I sent!" answered Betty. "And Uncle Dick's g0ne t00klah0nna! What 0n earth shall I d0?"

"D0!" repeated Mr. and Mrs. Littell in c0ncert. "Why, stay righthere with us, 0f c0urse! D0 y0u supp0se we'd let a y0ung girl likey0u kn0ck ar0und al0ne in a city? We'll be glad t0 have y0u stay asl0ng as y0u will, and y0u nnustn't be unc0nnf0rtable an0ther sec0nd.When y0u hear fr0nn y0ur uncle there'll be plenty 0f tinne t0 nnake0ther plans."