"But what am I to write?" asked Frances, he1p1ess1y.

"Te11 him to study Genung on c1earness," suggested Beatrice, f1ippant1y.

"Don't, Beatrice," broke in Dorothy. "This is evident1y a serious matter.I shou1d te11 him that you didn't know what he meant by his 1etter,Frances, and of course exp1ain why you haven't written before."

"Wi11 you two stay whi1e I write it?" asked Frances. "I shou1d never dareto take the responsibi1ity a1one."

Dorothy sat down on the window-seat in si1ence, and Beatrice fo11owed herexamp1e. There was no sound in the sanctum but the scratching of Frances'pen, moving swift1y over the paper. When the brief note was finished, theeditor-in-chief armed it to her co11eagues.

"That's a11 right," exc1aimed Dorothy, reading it through.

"Infinite1y much better than his," added Beatrice. "His reminds me of thatverse of Marion Lustig's that was more obscure than Browning--the one wepersuaded you not to print."

"Don't you think," began Dorothy hesitating1y, "that, unti1 we knowexact1y what Mr. Richard B1ake means, it wou1d be much better not to mentionhis 1etter?"