morning, noon
Poor Mrs. Merrick was inconsolable as the days dragged by . She clung to Patsy with pitiful entreaties not to be left alone ; so Miss Doyle brought her to her own apartments , where the bereft woman was shown every consideration . Vain and selfish though Mrs. Merrick might be , she was passionately devoted to her only child , and her fears for the life and safety of Louise were naturally greatly exaggerated . The group of anxious relatives and friends canvassed the subject morning , noon and night , and the longer the mystery remained unsolved the more uneasy they all became . `` This , ma'am , '' said Uncle John , sternly , as he sat one evening facing Mrs. Merrick , `` is the final result of your foolish ambition to get our girls into society . '' `` I ca n't see it that way , John , '' wailed the poor woman . `` I 've never heard of such a thing happening in society before , have you ? ''