vanished into the outdoors.

It was Frieda's plan merely to walk about in the gardens until she could persuade herself into a calmer frame of mind. She was sure, of course, that she cared nothing for her husband and yet all afternoon she had found herself wondering if he were not worn out by his journey. Ordinarily he was not a good traveler and he must also have suffered through being compelled to desert his summer classes at the University in order to seek her.

Frieda discovered one of the gardeners at work in the flower beds and, as he persisted in talking with her, she started down one of the shaded avenues along the edge of the park in order to be alone. She did not often walk for any distance, since she had never been so fond of exercise as the other girls.

But Frieda felt unexplainably restless and out of sorts. This was foolish because, having[72] made up her mind that she wanted her freedom and being determined to gain it, there was no point in worrying.

[72]

Frieda kept walking hurriedly on. It was a beautiful, soft afternoon, with the first hint of twilight in the sky and in the atmosphere.

Kent Park covered several acres and Frieda wandered further from the house than she knew. After a time the road which she had taken curved into a path leading into the woods. There was a fairly heavy forest near by, which was a part of the Kent estate and she strolled into this.

Later, Frieda sat down for a few minutes. She was in no hurry to return home, except in time for dinner which was at a late hour, according to the English custom. Not that she meant to appear at dinner, but that Jack or Olive would be sure to seek her at that time.

Frieda made rather a charming picture amid the scene she had unconsciously chosen for herself. She was sitting on the trunk of a tree which had fallen from the weight of years and infirmities. There was a little clearing behind her and, as she had taken off her hat, the sun shone on her bowed head and shoulders. She wished very much that[73] she could stop thinking about a number of things, for Frieda was one of the people who resent having to grow up and there are more of them in this world than we realize.

[73]

Then, suddenly, Frieda heard an odd noise, which at least startled her sufficiently to bring the result she had been wishing for, since it made 

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