"Gracious goodness! Is it as serious as all that, Miss Clark?" I quizzed.
"Serious enough. You go in and hurry, anyway."
"I won't be two minutes," I cried, going into my bedroom and dressing as quickly as possible, puzzling all the while as to what the girl had on her mind. Something connected with Joe,—I hadn't a doubt.
"Well,—what's the trouble?" I asked, as I returned and sat down in a wicker chair opposite her.
She seemed more glum than ever.
"What did you want to go and scrap with Joe for?" she asked in a worried way.
"I'm very sorry, Miss Clark——"
"Oh!—call me Rita," she put in impatiently.
"Well,—I'm very sorry,—Rita,—but I did not quarrel with Joe. He quarrelled with me."
"It's all the same," she replied. "Takes two to do it. Couldn't you find another way than that?"