Mrs.Breen heaved a deep sigh.

Neither she nor Breen had been invited to the Portmans', nor had Corinne (the Scribe has often wondered whether the second scoop in Mukton was the cause)--and yet Ruth MacFarlane, and Jack and Miss Felicia Grayson, and a lot more out-of-town people--so that insufferable Mrs.Bennett had told her--had come long distances to be present, the insufferable adding significantly that "Miss MacFarlane looked too lovely and was by all odds the prettiest girl in the room, and as for young Breen, really she could have fallen in love with him herself!" Jack tucked his uncle's letter in his pocket, skipped over to read it to Ruth and MacFarlane, in explanation of his enforced absence for the day, and kept on his way to the station.

The missive referred to the Morfordsburg contract, of course, and was evidently an attempt to gain information regarding the proposed work, Arthur Breen & Co.

being the financial agents of many similar properties.
"I will take care of him, sir," Jack had said as he left his Chief.

"My uncle, no doubt, means all right, and it is just as well to hear what he says--besides he has been good enough to write to me, and of course I must go, but I shall not commit myself one way or the other--" and with a whispered word in Ruth's ear, a kiss and a laugh, he left the house.
As he turned down the short street leading to the station, he caught sight of Garry forging ahead on his way to the train.