Cablegram!  
Mimi dropped her packages and ran for the office. She almost fell over a workman who was busy replacing the glass she had shattered last night.
 
“You have a cablegram for me?” she asked Dr. Barnes’ secretary.
 
“One has come for you, but Dr. Barnes has it. He is out now. He said tell you no one was ill and for you not to be frightened. That it was about a matter you and he had discussed . That is why he wished to deliver the message; he wants to talk to you.”
 
“Shall I wait?”
 
“I wouldn’t. Dr. Barnes is with the college seniors. In spite of all that has happened, we hope to carry through our Commencement as planned. He is in the watching the for Baccalaureate tomorrow. Come back by.”
 
“How long?”
 
“I’d say thirty minutes, but your guess is as good as mine.”
 
Thirty minutes was an ! No use to try to do anything else. Might as well sit here.
 
“Coming back next year?” the secretary asked Mimi. She had completed reservations for three girls since Mimi had been waiting.
 
“Not next year. I can’t. I don’t graduate. I’m just a second year Prep.” Not because she wanted to be but because she was on the of exploding she added: “If Dr. Barnes doesn’t come in pretty soon I won’t be in any school. I’ll be ‘dead and buried behind the old church door.’”
 
“Don’t you have something you could be doing?”
 
“No ma’am.”
 
That wasn’t quite true but near enough.
 
“Here, then, fold these programs. That’s right. Like this one on top that I folded.”
 
Being busy helped but at every footstep in the hall she jerked upright and craned her neck. She folded and had done a pile as high as the big dictionary on the library desk when Dr. Barnes arrived.
 
“Well, well. How are you, Miss Mimi? I was for fear you would be ill after so much excitement last night, or I should say this morning early.”
 
“I am fine, thank you, sir.”
 
Please, Dr. Barnes. Please! Hurry!
 
“You were a brave girl, Miss Mimi. Now I hope that this news will not prove too much excitement for you, coming as it does right on top of the fire.”
 
He had the message in his hand. If he didn’t read it or let her have it at once, she would have to jerk it from him. Slower than a , a , molasses in January—slower than all the slow things in the world put together, Dr. Barnes adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.
 
“The message is from your father in Leipzig. But here—you may read it for yourself.”
 
Her breath bated, her eyes dancing, Mimi took the paper.
 
“PATIENT PROVED TO BE YOUR FRITZ. FULL DEATH-BED . I KNOW WHO CHLOE IS. FINE FAMILY NOW DECEASED. KEEP SECRET. MOTHER AND JUNIOR DOCK JUNE FIFTH. LOVE DADDY.”
 
Chloe was somebody! As if she hadn’t known! “Mother and Junior are coming home! Oh, D-d-doctor Barnes!”
 
“There, there, child,” He rose from his desk and came around and patted her head. What a dear he was! “I was afraid it would be too much for one little girl to save her schoolmates from fire and to solve a mystery all in one short day’s span.”
 
“That smoke nearly p-p-put my eyes out—I’m all right.”
 
“You certainly are. You are one of our finest girls. Shall we send for Chloe and let her hear the things I have to say?”
 
“Please, sir.”
 
Dr. Barnes picked up his telephone and asked that Chloe be sent down.
 
“Dr. Barnes, Betsy and Sue know that Chloe is adopted and that she was kidnaped. They are the only other girls in school who do. They will be so happy to know who Chloe is, could we send for them, too? I’d rather they knew it all now and get it correctly than have to tell them later—because I would tell them—and maybe, get it twisted. Chloe wouldn’t care.”
 
“Perhaps you are right, Mimi.”
 
He lifted the receiver again. As it clicked back in place, his secretary entered.
 
“Excuse me, Dr. Barnes. Miss Marcia Madison is here and I thought you would wish to see her at once.”
 
“By all means. Invite her in.”
 
He moved toward the door to welcome her. Mimi’s eyes followed his every move.
 
Mimi had not pictured her like this. The few snapshots Chloe had showed her were very misleading. Aunt Marcia was attractive! She was tall, , stately. Mimi liked her tailored sheer navy blue . She wore her clothes with that air of assurance well-groomed people have. She was so much more alive and than Mimi had expected. Her voice, as she talked to Dr. Barnes, was low and refined. Only her face showed that she had known great sorrow and loneliness.
 
“George! It’s lovely to see you! You look quite fit I was afraid this terrible fire would have you dreadfully upset and you’d have no time for visitors.”
 
“You look charming yourself, Marcia. You timed your arrival . I have sent for your niece. She will be here any moment.”
 
It’s like a play Mimi thought. All the characters rushing on for the finale.
 
“Since I wrote asking your permission to send Dr. Hammond certain information, many things have developed. If you will read this,”—he held out the cablegram—“you will be prepared for what is coming.”
 
She had barely skimmed it when Chloe, Sue and Betsy entered.
 
“You funny little tramps!”
 
Aunt Marcia was laughing at their borrowed clothes. She kissed her own little tramp and hugged the others in turn, Sue first because she knew her. Mimi, who had risen from her chair and stood quietly by it ever since Aunt Marcia entered, went over for her hug, too.
 
! Aunt Marcia smelled sweet! She was sweet Mimi knew for sure before the conference ended.
 
“Chloe!” Mimi burst out. “Daddy did it! He has found out who you are! He found the kidnaper!”
 
“Who—am—I?”
 
Chloe’s dark eyes burned with questions. Her face went white with fear, then flushed red with hope. A Mother? A Daddy like the other girls!
 
“Your mother and father are dead, and as far as we know you have no brothers or sisters; but Daddy says you are from a fine old family!—And girls! My very own Mother Dear and Junior are coming home! They’ll dock June fifth.”
 
Strange, how even grown people stood back and let Mimi do all the talking. But she put her whole heart and soul into every word she and that made people like to hear her.
 
“My—parents—dead! Then I’ve waited too long to find them? Oh, Mimi—oh, Aunt Marcia——!”
 
“You still have me, dear!”
 
Aunt Marcia crushed the forlorn little girl in her arms—this beautiful girl who this morning in her ill-fitting clothes looked much more like a neglected little than tha............