“Mrs. Wilson rather blames you, Barbara,” Harriet continued.  “She says she did not succeed in her joke, after all, because you came down stairs at the wrong time and foiled the whole thing.  She could not find the silly old paper she needed.  But do please be quiet as mice about the whole affair.  Don’t mention it before the servants.  Father will be home to-night.  Will you girls mind excusing me for the day, and finding some way of amusing yourselves?  I have promised Mrs. Wilson to go home with her.”

“Of course we can get along, Harriet,” Grace replied.  “I hope you will have a good time.”

Bab made no answer to Harriet’s report of Mrs. Wilson’s attitude toward her.  But she was convinced that Mrs. Wilson knew she had discovered the stolen paper and returned it to its rightful place.

The “Automobile Girls” did not see Harriet again that morning.

At noon a message was sent upstairs.  Mr. William Hamlin had returned and wished to see his daughter at once.  When he learned that Harriet was not at home, he immediately sent for Ruth.

“Ruth, I have come home sooner than I had planned,” he declared, “And I wish to have a talk with you.  Now, please keep your self-control.  Girls and women have such a fashion of flying into a rage at the first word one says, that it is perfectly impossible to have any reasonable conversation with them.  I wish to talk with you quite quietly and calmly.”

“Very well, Uncle,” Ruth replied, meekly enough, though she was far from feeling meek.  She could readily understand why Harriet had found it impossible to make a confidant of her father.

“I am glad you are so sensible, Ruth,” Mr. Hamlin went on.  “For I have reason to believe that your friend, Barbara Thurston, has proved herself an undesirable guest, since her arrival in Washington, which I very much deplore.  She is dishonorable, for she has secretly entered my study and been seen handling my papers, and she has contracted a debt; for I saw the check by means of which she returned the borrowed money to Mrs. Wilson.  I cannot understand how you and your father have managed to be so deceived by the young woman.”

“Stop, Uncle William,” Ruth interrupted hotly.  “I cannot, of course, tell you that the things which you say are untrue.  But at least I have the right to say that I positively know you are wrong.  I shall ask Barbara to come down to your study, at once, to deny these charges.  Then we shall go home immediately.”

“There, Ruth, I expected it,” Mr. Hamlin answered testily.  “Just as I said.  You have gone off the handle at once.  Of course your young friend may have some plausible explanation for her actions.  But I will not be guilty of making any accusations against a guest in my own house under any circumstances.  I have only mentioned these facts to you because I feel that it is my positive duty to warn you against this girl, whom you have chosen for your most intimate friend.  It is impossible that I have been deceived in regard to her.  I have positive proof of what I say, and I sadly fear she is a very headstrong and misguided girl.”