Little Lost Sister Part 24

"Harvey," she said.

Harvey turned and hurried to her side.

"I saw you come in here, Harvey," the woman went on, "so I followed. I hope we're not intruding Miss--"

"Masters is my name," responded the stenographer quickly.

"This is the girl's mother," said Harvey. "This is Mrs. Martha Welcome."

Miss Masters hastened to bring another chair.

"And your daughter," she asked quickly, "have you--"

"I--I don't think there was anything wrong in Elsie's going away,"

interrupted Mrs. Welcome. "She wasn't happy and her father--"

"Her father beat her," said Harvey wrathfully.

"Harvey," chided Mrs. Welcome, "Tom's dead. He wasn't a bad man, Miss Masters. He lost his courage when he lost his invention."

"I understand," said Miss Masters sympathetically. "You haven't heard anything from your lost girl?"

"No," replied Mrs; Welcome sadly, "not a word. Patience and I and Harvey came to the city hoping to find her--"

"Patience?"

"She's my other daughter," replied Mrs. Welcome, "two years older. Elsie was my baby." Her voice broke.

"I'm wondering," she went on in subdued tones, "if she's all right. I've prayed, too. Seems as though I've prayed every minute that G.o.d would bring my baby back to me. You don't think it makes any difference, do you, Miss Masters, even if we are in a great, noisy city? G.o.d is here, too, isn't he?"

She put out her hand impulsively and Miss Masters took it into her own cool palm.

"Yes, G.o.d is here," she replied reverently, "though sometimes it is hard to have faith and believe it."

Harvey had walked away and stood looking out at the door.

"Here's Patience," he said suddenly.

Patience Welcome entered almost immediately. She was dressed in the same somber black as her mother. She wore a heavy veil pushed back from the brim of her hat. Harvey presented her to Miss Masters.

"I've good news for you, mother," exclaimed Patience after acknowledging the introduction. "I've got a place in that office I went into when I left you. I begin work tomorrow. Then when I came out and missed you I was terribly frightened, but the elevator man told me you had come in here. And so I found you."

"Your mother has been telling me something about the search for your sister," said Miss Masters. "Perhaps I may be able to help you. Could you tell me something about it?"

"Thank you," replied Patience, "we need help. It seems as if we had exhausted all our own resources. But we mustn't stop now. Mother is worn out."

"Perhaps," said Miss Masters, "it would be better if this young man should take your mother home. You and I may be able to talk the situation over more confidentially if we are alone."

"You think you can help us?" inquired Patience eagerly.

Miss Masters was thoughtful. "Yes," she said, "I believe I have unusual facilities for helping you. I know a great deal about Chicago--"

"Then," said Patience, "I'll put our case in your hands. I know I can trust you. Somehow, I feel better already."

She took Miss Masters' hands in her own, confidently.

"Yes," returned Miss Masters, a little tremulously, "you can trust me."

Harvey in the meantime had helped Mrs. Welcome with her wraps and was leading her toward the door.

"I'll follow in a little while," said Patience, as the two pa.s.sed out the door. "I'll be home in time for supper."

"Now," said Miss Masters, after Harvey and Mrs. Welcome were gone, "first tell me if you have any money."

Patience hesitated. Such a question coming from a stranger embarra.s.sed her.

"Yes," she said slowly, "I think we have enough money. Harvey brought fifty dollars with him and Mother was given some money by a man who came to our aid, in Millville--"

"Millville?" interrupted Miss Masters.

"Yes," continued Patience, "that is the town we live in. The man's name was Dudley--"

"Dudley!"

Patience looked at Miss Masters in surprise. "You know him?" she asked.

Miss Masters hesitated. "The name seems familiar," she said.

"He was a stranger in Millville," Patience went on. "My mother wired to her sister, Sarah, for money after Elsie left us and my father died. My aunt sent us forty dollars."

There was a pause after this explanation, then Miss Masters went on hesitatingly.

"Forgive me, Miss Welcome," she said, "if I speak plainly to you. Were there any strangers in Millville about the time your sister went away?"

"Strangers?" repeated Patience.

"Any attractive young men," pursued Miss Masters.

"Why--why--I--" stammered Patience in confusion.

"There were, I see."

"You don't think my sister--" burst out Patience.

"Forgive me," interrupted Miss Masters, "but when an innocent country girl leaves her home suddenly it is a good rule to look for--the man."

"You think some one lured Elsie away?" said Patience stifled by the thought. "That some man is to blame?"

"It isn't an easy thing to say, my dear, but I do."