Page:The Rejuvenation Of Miss Semaphore.pdf/134

 Augusta's room, and listened for a reply. There was none. She repeated the knock, and then tried the handle; the door was locked from the inside, and the key, sticking in it, prevented anything like a satisfactory view of the interior.

"My dear Miss Semaphore, it is only me," she murmured ungrammatically; "I have come to enquire for you. May I not come in?"

Miss Semaphore naturally did not answer. The medical woman stood straight up and reflected for half-a-second.

"It is my duty," she said aloud, and, thus braced to the task, marched to the door of Prudence's room, opened it, passed in, and entered the sleeping apartment of the elder Miss Semaphore. Mrs. Whitley by this time had come forward, and paused as she passed the threshold. The medical woman was just emerging with a bewildered face, when she saw her, and exclaimed,

"She has gone!"

"Gone!" ejaculated Mrs. Whitley.

"Yes, gone! There is no one there! The room is empty!"

"What an ex-tra-or-dinary thing! Why where on earth can she have gone to, and at this time of night too?"