She stamped her foot with sudden passion.

“Oh! tell me⁠—tell me⁠—” She turned suddenly on Ronny. “ You’ll tell me.”

Jimmy felt a pang of jealousy, and in that moment he knew what up to now he had hesitated to admit to himself. He knew why Helen and Nancy and Socks were just “girls” to him and nothing more.

He only half heard Ronny’s voice saying gravely:

“Yes, Miss Wade, I’ll tell you. Gerry is dead.”

She had plenty of pluck. She gasped and drew back, but in a minute or two she was asking eager, searching questions. How? When?

Ronny answered her as gently as he could.