"If they are they're very silly," said Miss Cornelia practically. "No, they may have heard of a better place, though it would seem as if when one pays the present extortionate wages and asks as little as we do here--but it doesn't matter. If they want to go, they may. Am I ready, Lizzie?"
"You look like an angel, ma'am," said Lizzie, clasping her hands.
"Well, I feel very little like one," said Miss Cornelia, rising. "As cook and housemaid may discover before I'm through with them. Send them into the livingroom, Lizzie, when I've gone down. I'll talk to them there."
An hour or so later, Miss Cornelia sat in a deep chintz chair in the comfortable living-room of the Fleming house going through the pile of letters which Lizzie's news of domestic revolt had prevented her reading earlier. Cook and housemaid had come and gone--civil enough, but so obviously determined upon leaving the house at once that Miss Cornelia had sighed and let them go, though not without caustic comment. Since then, she had devoted herself to calling up various employment agencies without entirely satisfactory results. A new cook and housemaid were promised for the end of the week--but for the next three days the Japanese butler, Billy, and Lizzie between them would have to bear the brunt of the service. Oh, yes--and then there's Dale's gardener, if she gets one, thought Miss, Cornelia. "I wish he could cook--but I don't suppose gardeners can--and Billy's a treasure. Still, its inconvenient--now, stop--Cornelia Van Gorder--you were asking for an adventure only this morning and the moment the littlest sort of one comes along, you want to crawl out of it."
She had reached the bottom of her pile of letters--these to be thrown away, these to be answered--ah, here was one she had overlooked somehow. She took it up. It must be the one Lizzie had wanted to throw away--she smiled at Lizzie's fears. The address was badly typed, on cheap paper--she tore the envelope open and drew out a single unsigned sheet.
If you stay in this house any longer--DEATH. Go back to the city at once and save your life.
Her fingers trembled a little as she turned the missive over but her face remained calm. She looked at the envelope--at the postmark--while her heart thudded uncomfortably for a moment and then resumed its normal beat. It had come at last--the adventure--and she was not afraid!