"My Dear Mr. Vaughan:
"Certainly, as soon as you can call.
Betty Winter."
And then she sat down by her window and listened to the splash of the rain against the glass, counting the minutes until he should ring her door bell.
And when at last he came, she had to stand before her clock and count the seconds off for five minutes lest she should disgrace herself by rushing down stairs.
Their hands met in a moment of awkward silence. The play of mind on mind had set each heart pounding. The man of easy speech found for the first time that words were difficult.
"You've heard the black news, of course," he stammered.
"Yes——"
Her eyes caught the haggard drawn look of his face with a start.
"You saw it all?" she asked.