"It's a rather doubtful experiment hunting up a person of middle age whom you haven't seen since she was a young woman. With all respect to the lady we just interviewed I'm glad she proves to be not my sister. But I can depend on your affection, Marion, to meet Louise with love no matter what sort of person she proves to be."
"You may, indeed. And I know she'll call out all my love. In the first place she's the sister of the best possible husband and the finest sort of brother-in-law, and in the next place she deserves love for the sake of the hardships she has been through."
"I saw Brother Roger for an hour just before I left Vera Cruz and he said that I could depend on you to be just as true to his as you were to him."
As they passed along the streets they stopped at two or three houses where Mrs. Morton remembered that she had met Smiths or where she could make inquiries about Smiths, but every call was fruitless.
"I believe we shall have to start a house to house search after dinner. Helen and Roger can help."
"We might stop here at the art store again as we pass," suggested Mrs. Morton.
Just at that moment Dorothy's mother came down the steps of the Arcade. She nodded pleasantly to Mrs. Morton, and then glanced at her companion.
"Richard!" she gasped. "Oh, Richard!"
"Louise! Is it Louise? Your hair! It's white!"
Mrs. Morton slipped an arm around Mrs. Smith's waist and drew her across the lawn to the shelter of the cottage.