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"No, I haven't."

"That's too bad! I haven't either, yet, and I wanted you to tell me about her. All I can get out of Jock is that she has promised to marry him, that she has red hair, and that, to quote him, 'they broke the mould after they made her.' Having said which he appears to believe that I'm well enough informed."

"He sure is dippy about her," Bones contributed.

"He must be! Last night from home he talked to her on the telephone for one hour, and I——"

"Is that where he's been? He's been home?"

"Why, yes. Where else?"

"I—I didn't know. He went without saying anything to anybody——"

"Sit down," directed Mrs. Hamill gently. "I want to talk to you a little before Jock comes back—he's over at the Dean's office just at present. He's leaving college, you know. I drove down with him today ostensibly to pack up his things, but really I'm here for a different reason. In fact, Bones," she smiled deliciously at him, "you see in me a lioness fighting to protect her cub, because the cub, though well equipped to protect himself, declines resolutely to do so!"

She quashed out her cigarette and sat very straight, holding one crossed knee in the cup of her hands. "I need your help. Briefly, here's what's happened: Jock got home at three o'clock yesterday morning, having left that Mrs. Hathaway's house in the early evening in such a state of mind that—well, he was almost beside himself, poor lamb. To my surprise, for he's usually very reticent as you no doubt know, he was anxious to confide in me. And did. He told me the whole story of his connection with the Hathaways, of the man's death, and of the slander that