"
"But my joining her won't keep Margaret upstairs," objected Barbara.
"No, but you can call and warn me if she is on her way down, and
that will give me time to - to straighten father's papers," going
over to a large carved table littered with magazines, letters,
and silver ornaments. Her sister did not move, and she glanced at
her with an irritated air, very foreign to her customary manner.
"Go, Barbara."
The curt command brought a stare from Barbara, but it did not
accelerate her halting footsteps; instead she moved with even
greater slowness toward the hall door; her active brain tormented
with an unspoken and unanswered question. Why was Helen so anxious
for her departure? She had accepted her offer of assistance in her
search of the library with such marked reluctance that Barbara had
marveled at the time, and now...
"Are you quite sure, Helen, that father had the envelope in his
pocket this morning?" she asked for the third time since the search
began.
"He had an envelope - I caught a glimpse of the red seal," answered
Helen.
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