"Abercrombie, Abercrombie," repeated Mr. Kirkby. "What Abercrombie?"
"I don't know where they are from, but I believe the uncle is named Bruce." Then she told of their interest in the two, an account to which Mr. Kirkby listened with interest.
"I know some Abercrombies myself," he told her. "I must look them up. Perhaps this boy belongs to the same family." Then the subject was dropped and they began to speak of Pepé. Investigations in his direction had not been very energetic of late, Mr. Kirkby confessed. There was so much else. Everyone was on the watch for German spies, but he meant to prod up the laggards and perhaps there would be news. Indeed there might be any day.
It was while they were waiting in London that word came from Mrs. Manning which hurried them back to Sussex. "Don't waste your time up there," she wrote, "when you are needed here. Mrs. Teaness is opening her house as a home for convalescent soldiers. She has two or three already and more coming. She wants you to help—says you promised."
"That is a relief," declared Mrs. Beltrán. "I do want to be of use, but the exactly right thing does not seem to offer here without delay and red tape. This means immediate need."
"I am glad," Anita said. "I would like to help, too, and perhaps I can in some way. London is so dreary and I dreaded having you go away from me. I couldn't bear the idea of your being up here alone, yet what was there I could do?"
"I should have sent you back to Aunt Manning," Mrs. Beltrán assured her.
"Oh, no, I should have stayed, so as to be near you, but this way is much the best."
So back they went to Aunt Manning's satisfaction and Lillian's joy. "They have turned the whole house into a hospital, there at The Beeches," Lillian informed them. "Mrs. Teaness and the girls all sleep in one room and they have put up cots for the servants in the garage."
"And what are the girls doing?"