"Oh, is he badly hurt?" Willa caught at her surprised informant's arm in sudden dread. "Is Mr. Thode——"
"Hello! What's the tragic idea? Of course he's not; but you ought to see Starr! The fellows say it was all over in about two seconds, but it must have been great while it lasted!"
"Where—where did it occur?" she asked faintly.
"Right in the club, of all places in the world! The board of governors got together this morning like ducks in a thunderstorm and held a special meeting. Of course, they're both suspended until the board can get hold of the facts, but it's a pretty general opinion that Starr will be asked for his resignation. Nobody seems to know what the row was about, or else they are all keeping mum, but Starr must have said something rather average awful. The only name he called Thode, though, as far as I can make out, was 'knight-errant'."
Willa turned away to hide a sudden trembling.
"That isn't so terrible, is it?" she stammered.
"Silly word to start anything! But you never can tell what's back of it with Starr——"
"Excuse me, Miss. Note for you by messenger." Welsh stood in the doorway.
Willa took the envelope from the salver the butler presented. The superscription was in an unknown hand, but a swift intuition came to her as she broke the seal.
"My dear Miss Murdaugh," she read silently.