Then Mrs. Burton disappeared into her bedroom which adjoined their hotel sitting-room. Their hotel was not in the center of the city but in a suburb a few miles out.
A few moments later she returned wearing a lavender crepe dressing gown and looking younger and more attractive.
For some reason she sat down next to Sally and put her arm about Sally's shoulders.
"I hope my information may interest you," she began with a slight suggestion of appeal in her voice, glancing from one of the girls to the other.
"Two days ago I received a letter from Mr. Morris telling me that Felipe had been arrested by the United States authorities. He had crossed over into California for the day in order to attend to some private business. I believe he wished to get some money from his father. He trusted, of course, in not being discovered, but was arrested within an hour."
"I suppose I ought to say I am sorry, if that is what you wish, Tante? But really I cannot. It seems to me exactly the fate that Felipe Morris deserves," Bettina Graham answered coldly.
"What will be done to Felipe as a punishment for having tried to escape the draft?" asked Alice Ashton. "I believe the punishment is very severe, is it not?"
"His father is afraid he will receive three years' imprisonment," Mrs. Burton replied without comment.
Then she heard a little horrified exclamation from the girl nearest her and Sally's face had whitened and her expression changed.
"But Gerry! What is to become of Gerry?" she demanded. "I know that she behaved very badly and that she ought to have persuaded Felipe to do his duty, instead of helping him to run away from it. But Gerry was dreadfully under Felipe's influence, and, anyhow, I don't care, I am terribly sorry for her," Sally ended incoherently, hiding her brown eyes behind her hand.