Farnsworth had left Patty about two o’clock, and it was only a few moments later that her telephone rang.

Her response was answered by a tearful, wailing voice, that said, “Oh, Miss Patty, oh, can’t you come here at once? Come right away!”

“Come where? Who are you?” said Patty, bewildered, for she did not recognise the voice, and it sounded like some one in deep distress.

“Oh, don’t wait a minute! Every moment is precious! Just come at once!”

“But how can I come, if I don’t know who you are? I can help you better, if you’ll control yourself and tell me something about yourself and your trouble. First of all, who are you?”

“I’m Anne, Miss Galbraith’s maid. You know me, Miss Patty. Oh, come quick; Miss Mona has gone!”

“Gone! Where? Now, listen to me, Anne! Stop your crying, and tell me what you mean, 317 and then I will go to you at once. Where are you? And where has Miss Mona gone?”

“I’m in her apartment, and I don’t like to tell you over the telephone where she’s gone. But,—Miss Patty,—I think,—Oh, I fear,—she has eloped with Mr. Lansing!”

The last sentence came in an explosive burst, as if the girl could keep her secret no longer.

“What!” exclaimed Patty. And then, suddenly realising that it was a desperate situation, she said, “Don’t say another word, Anne! I will go right straight to you. Stay there till I come.”

She knew the excitable character of the girl, and feared she might get hysterical if she talked further over the telephone. Patty hung up the receiver, and sat still for a moment, thinking deeply.

“I won’t tell Mrs. Allen,” she finally decided, “but I must have some one to help me,—to go with me. I believe I’ll call up Roger.”

But she couldn’t bear to do that. It seemed too dreadful to tell Roger what had happened. She thought next of Kenneth, who was a standby as a loyal friend, but he was far downtown in his office, and might be busy with an important case. 318

“Philip, of course,” she said to herself; but even with her hand on the receiver, another thought flashed through her mind. “No one could help me to save Mona like Big Bill!” she thought, and on a sudden impulse she called up his hotel.

“Bill,—it’s Patty,” she said, her voice trembling.

“Yes, dear; what is it? What is the matter?”

The kind, quiet voice, with its deep tones of sympathy and capability, made Patty realise that she had appealed to the right one. “Oh, Bill,” she went on, “there’s awful trouble, and you must help me.”

“Of course I will, Little Girl! Steady now; tell me what it’s all about. Do you want me to come there?”

“But you’re just starting for the West,” cried Patty, as she remembered this for the first time.

“That doesn’t matter, if you want me. I’ll be right over.”

“And wait a minute; tell me what you think we ought to do. I’ve heard from Anne that Mona is eloping with that awful Lansing man!”

“Then there’s no time to be lost! Take your 319 little car, and go to The Plaza as fast as you can spin! I’ll meet you there, in the Galbraiths’ apartment.”

Bill hung up the receiver, without even a good-bye, and Patty gave a little sigh of relief, for it seemed as if he had taken the responsibility from her shoulders, and would manage the matter himself. She ordered her car, flung on her hat and coat, and with a hasty word to Mrs. Allen that she was going out, she drove her little electric herself down to the hotel.

When she entered the Galbraiths’ apartment, she found Farnsworth already there.

“It’s true,” he said, looking at her with a grave face. “That is, I think it must be. Mona went away half an hour ago, and took a suit case with her. She went in a motor with Mr. Lansing. Anne is worried, because this morning she overheard the two telephoning.”

“I wasn’t listening, Miss Patty,” said the tearful maid. “That is, I didn’t mean to, but Miss Mona was excited like, and her voice was so loud I couldn’t help hearing.”

“I’m glad you did, Anne,” said Patty, “it may help us to save Miss Mona yet. What else can you tell us?” 320

“Nothing, except that Miss Mona left a note on her father’s desk, and I thought maybe it might be to tell him she had gone.”

Big Bill strode over to the desk, and there, under a paperweight, lay a note, addressed to Mr. Galbraith. He picked it up, and looked at it, thoughtfully.

“Patty,” he said, “this isn’t sealed. Considering all things, I think it is our duty to read it, but you know more about such matters than I do. What do you think?”

Patty hesitated. She had always thought it little less than a crime to read a note addressed to another, but the circumstances made this case seem an exception. “We might telephone to Mr. Galbraith and ask his permission,” she suggested.

But Big Bill seemed suddenly to have made up his mind.

“No!” he declared, “I’ll take the responsibility of this thing. To telephone would frighten Mr. Galbraith, and would delay matters too much, beside. I shall read this note, and if I can’t square my action with Mr. Galbraith afterward, I’ll accept the consequences.”

The impressive manner of the big man, his 321 stern, set face, and honest, determined blue eyes convinced Patty that he was right, and together they read the note.

In it, as they had feared, Mona told her father that she was going away to marry Mr. Lansing, because her father would not allow her to marry him otherwise. She expressed regret at the sorrow she knew this would bring to her father, but she said she was old enough to decide for herself whom she wished to marry, and she felt sure that after it was over he would forgive her, and call his two children back to him.

“Mona never wrote that note of her own accord,” exclaimed Patty, indignantly. “That man made her do it!”

“Of course he did!” agreed Bill, in a stern voice. “I know Lansing,—and, Patty, the man is a scoundrel.”

“You know him? I didn’t know you did.”

“Yes, I do! And I ought to have warned Mona more against him. I did tell her what his real nature is, but she wouldn’t listen, and I never dreamed she was so deeply infatuated with him. But we mustn’t blame her, Patty. She was simply under the influence of that man, and he persuaded her to go with him against 322 her better judgment. But we must go after them and bring them back.”

“But you’re going West to-night.”

“Not unless we rescue Mona first! Why, Patty, she mustn’t be allowed to marry that man! I tell you he’s a scoundrel, and I never say that about a man unless I know it to be true. But this is no time to discuss Lansing. We must simply fly after them.”

“But how do you know where they’ve gone?”

“I don’t know! But we must find out, somehow. Perhaps the men at the door can tell us. Perhaps Anne can.”

“I only know this, sir,” said Anne, who was wringing her hands and weeping; “when Miss Mona was telephoning, she said something about Greenwich.”

“Of course!” cried Bill. “That’s exactly where they’d go! But wait, they would have to go for a license first.”

“Telephone the license man,” said Patty, inspired by Bill’s manner and tones.

“Right-O!” and after some rather troublesome telephoning, Bill announced, “They did! they got a license, and they started in a motor for Greenwich about half an hour ago! Come on, Patty! Anne, you stay right here, in case 323 we telephone. If Mr. Galbraith comes home, don’t tell him a word about it. Leave it to me. I’ll be responsible for this note.” Bill put the note in his pocket, and almost pushing Patty out of the door, he had her in the elevator and downstairs almost before she knew it.

“Shall we take my little car?” she asked, as Bill strode through the lobby, and Patty hurried to keep up with him.

“Good Heavens, no! We want a racer. I’ll drive it myself.”

By the power of sheer determination, the big Western man procured a fast car in an incredibly short time, and in a few moments he and Patty were flying up Broadway.

“Now if you want to talk you may,” said Bill, and his voice was quiet and composed, though he was alertly threading his swift way through the traffic. “I had to be a little short with you while we were hurrying off, because I didn’t want to lose a minute. But now, all I have to do is to keep just inside the speed limit while we’re in the city, and then I rather guess there’ll be one big chase!”

“Oh, Bill, you are just splendid!” exclaimed Patty, with shining eyes, unable to repress her admiration of his capability and strength. 324

“But we haven’t accomplished anything yet, Patty; we’re only starting out to try. You know, it’s a hundred to one shot that we miss them,—for we’ve very little idea where they’ve gone.”

“But it’s a straight road to Greenwich.”

“Yes, but they may have turned off anywhere. They may change their minds a dozen times about their destination.”

“No, they won’t,” said Patty, positively; “not unless they think they’re pursued, and of course they’ve no idea of that. Speed her up, Bill; the way is clear now! I don&rsqu............