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We had fallen into the habit of drifting into the living-room, where the piano stood, every morning immediately after breakfast, to hear Azalea play. In the evenings she sang to us; but one does not sing directly after breakfast, and only second in delight to hearing Azalea's superb voice was listening to her matchless touch upon the keyboard.
Both were addressed in Azalea's handwriting and the two who took them felt a sudden foreboding as to the contents. Nor were their fears ill-founded. With an exclamation of dismay, Patty handed hers over to Farnsworth, who read it quickly, and looked at his wife with a serious face. "Poor little Azalea," he said, "what can it all mean?"
I arrived at Azalea's home early next morning, having been earnestly asked to come in time to see the babies take their bath. There is nothing I like better than to see a baby take a bath, and to see two at once was a bribe indeed. Azalea met me at the door of her suburban home, the larger of her two children the two-year-old on her arm.
Oh, my gracious, Mona, what's she doing now?" "She'll kill herself with that wild horse! She never can get on his back!" In a state of great excitement, they watched Azalea's skilful management of the pony and clutched each other's hands in speechless fear as she tore through the gale to rescue her brother's child.
"Hush, Elise," Patty returned, "better stop before you make a goose of yourself! Phil is aspiring to Azalea's favour, is the truer way to put it!" "Oh, no, I can't believe that," laughed Elise, "Phil has too much self-respect!" At breakfast next morning Azalea's place was vacant. "I didn't disturb her," said Patty, "for I want her to sleep late, if she can.
All the morning they searched the grounds and the neighbourhood; they ransacked Azalea's belongings in hope of some old letter or clue of some sort. But nothing gave so much as a hint of anything that could have happened to her, that made her go away. "I believe it's all your fault, Elise," said Van Reypen, angrily, for his alarm and sorrow made him forget his usual courtesy.
Plenty of sugar, though." Patty gave the order to Janet, who had appeared to look after the visitor, and turned back at the sound of Azalea's loud, strident laughter. "Kimono! At six P.M. That's good. Why, Cousin, I use my kim for a dressing gown, I ain't going to bed, am I?" "No, dear. But we'll have a more cosy time, I think, if you get off your travel things and have a refreshing bath."
Patty listened thoughtfully, feeling no hesitation in doing so, for she had only Azalea's good at heart and wanted to know anything that might help her understand the mystery that was certainly attached to the girl. In the first place to whom could Azalea possibly be talking in that fashion? Moreover, her voice was troubled, and her tone was one of nervous apprehension and anxiety.
But what broke Elise's heart was the knowledge of Azalea's wilful deception. She thanked Mr. Greatorex for his explanations and, again asking him not to mention the matter to any one at all, she put the sampler back in the drawer and locked it up. "Sold my sampler yet, Elise?" Azalea asked, when next they met. "Yes; I bought it in myself," Elise replied. "I wanted it, so I bought it.
Some family trees branch widely." "Well, give me Azalea's address, I'm going to open a correspondence, at least." "No address, that I know of, except Miss Azalea Thorpe, Horner's Corners, Arizona." "I'll write, if only for the fun of addressing a letter there. I never heard such a funny name for a place!" Patty tore up two or three letters before she finally composed one that suited her.
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