No, she had left no message.
Ruth, arriving a few moments later, was met by Kirk with the card in
his hand.
"Can you throw any light on this?" he said. "Who is Miss Wilbur, who
has what you might call a lively manner and appears disappointed when
she does not find us at home?"
Ruth looked at the card.
"Sybil Wilbur? I wonder what she wants."
"Who is she? Let's get that settled first."
"Oh, she's a girl I used to know. I haven't seen her for two years. I
thought she had forgotten my existence."
"Call her up on the phone. If we don't solve this mystery we shan't
sleep to-night. It's like _Robinson Crusoe_ and the footprint."
Ruth went to the telephone. After a short conversation she turned to
Kirk with sparkling eyes and the air of one with news to impart.
"Kirk! She wants you to paint her portrait!"
"What!"
"She's engaged to Bailey! Just got engaged! And the first thing she
does is to insist on his letting her come to you for her portrait,"
Ruth bubbled with laughter. "It's to be a birthday present for Bailey,
and Bailey has got to pay for it. That's so exactly like Sybil."
"I hope the portrait will be. She's taking chances."
"I think it's simply sweet of her. She's a real friend."
"At fairly long intervals, apparently. Did you say you had not seen her
for two years?"
"She is an erratic little thing with an awfully good heart.
Pages:
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160