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 far less did Alice dream that Fidelia had departed to go to another man. No; Alice had to allow her first exultation to be complete, so she imagined Fidelia going away because she had found that she had come to her end with David; and Alice had to allow herself to believe that she had much to do with this.

How closely upon the heels of David's presence with her at Myra's wedding had come the departure of Fidelia! But what now was to follow the departure? Where was Fidelia gone? What was David doing in regard to her? When would Alice hear from him?

Fidelia was gone from the hotel, where David had remained; that, after all, was the total which Alice knew; and when Alice went home, she did not tell her news to her family. They might question it too much or question too much that it would result in anything happy to her; and she would let no doubt or suspicion destroy her dream to-day.

She hovered about home on following days to be sure of keeping her happiness; she feared to meet some one who might know more about Fidelia and David and who would tell her some event which would dash her dream; but when one of the Tau Gamma girls, who had been at the luncheon, called her, it was to report that beyond any doubt David and Fidelia had had trouble.

This girl had taken it upon herself to telephone David and had asked about Fidelia, saying that Tau Gamma was trying to get every alumna out for the Christmas meeting and would Fidelia be back in town then? The girl reported, "Alice, I talked to him and he doesn't expect her back by Christmas or any