"Who was he with?" asked Perry, stupidly, "anyone we know?"
"Why—yes. Hazel Morton."
Frankie's question was not answered; but now she did not care to have it answered. She had been in Mt. Alban three days, therefore she had heard all about the Morton girl leaving a nice home to "be in a city where she can act as she likes,"—which, Mt. Alban females ruled, was wickedly.
It takes a girl, and especially one of Sadie Hall's stamp, to notice embarrassment or disappointment in another girl. Frankie was rather silent and downcast. She never talked much at any time, but even to Perry, with whom she was sometimes quite speechless, she seemed more than commonly quiet during the remainder of the evening. Of course, Porter may have been considerably on the alert.
"Is she related to him or anything?" Sadie asked Perry, on the side.
"Well—no," he hesitated; "their families are old friends, though."
"I could tell her something very interesting about him," replied Sadie; "he's been dismissed from the bank."
"What!"
"Sh-sh! Alfred wrote me about it. And that's not the worst of it—he's suspected of being a crook."
"For G—'s sake!" murmured Perry; and thought a while.