"But I'm sure it's something!" Alice insisted. "Is it bad news? Ruth, make him tell!"
The three were in Mr. DeVere's room, where they had gone to look over the mail.
"Oh, it isn't anything!" declared the actor, and he tried to slip into his coat pocket the letter in the large envelope that Alice had handed to him.
"I'm sure it is," she insisted. "Please tell me, Daddy."
The letter fell to the floor, and Alice could not help seeing that it was from a firm of New York lawyers.
"Oh, is it the trouble about the five hundred dollars?" the girl cried. "Is Dan Merley making more trouble?"
"Yes," answered Mr. DeVere. "He has brought suit against me, it seems. This is a notice from the lawyers that if I do not pay within a certain time I will be brought to court, and compelled to hand over the money."
"Can they make you do that, Daddy?" asked Ruth, anxiously.
"I'm afraid they can, my dear. As I told you, I have no proof, except my own word, that I paid Merley. He still holds my note, and that is legal evidence against me. Oh, if I had only been more business-like!"
"Never mind, Daddy!" Alice comforted him, putting her arms about his neck. "Perhaps there will be a way out."