spine as she
questioned. "Is it Red Cross?"

"Not this time. An investigation for the government. It may, probably
will, take months. The government wants a thorough job done. Uncle
Samuel thinks your ancient parent competent to hold up one end of the
thing."

"Stop!" Elliott's soft order commandeered all her dimples.

"I won't have you maligning my father, you naughty man! Ancient
parent, indeed! That's splendid, isn't it?"

"I rather like it. I was hoping it would strike you the same way."

"When do you go?"

"As soon as I can get my affairs in shape--I could leave to-morrow, if
I had to. Probably I shall be off in a week or ten days."

"I suppose the government didn't say anything about my investigating
something, too?"

"Now you mention it, I do not recollect that the subject came up."

She shook her head reprovingly, "That _was_ an omission! However, I
think I'll go as your secretary."

Mr. Cameron smiled across the table. How pretty she was, how
daintily arch in her sweetness! "That arrangement would be entirely
satisfactory to me, my dear, but I am not taking a secretary. I
shall get one over there, when I need one."

"But what can I go as?" pursued the girl. "I'd like to go as
something."

Heavens! she looked as though she meant it! "I'm afraid you can't go,
Lot, this time."

She lifted cajoling eyes. "But I want to. Oh, _I_ know! I can go to
school in Paris."

Her little air of having settled the matter left him smiling but
serious. "France has mouths enough to feed without one extra
school-girl's, chicken."

"I don't eat much. Are you afraid of submarines?"

"For you, yes."

"I'm not. Daddies dear, _mayn't_ I go? I'd love to be near you."

"Positively, my love, you may not."

She drew down the corners of her mouth and went through a bewitching
imitation of wiping tears out of her eyes. But she wasn't really
disappointed. She had been fairly certain in advance of what the
verdict would be. There had been a bare chance, of something
different--that was all, and it didn't pay to let chances, even the
barest, go by default. So she crumbled her warbread and remarked
thoughtfully, "I suppose I can stay at home, but it won't be very
exciting."

Her father seemed to find his next words hard to say. "I had a notion
we might close the house. It is rather expensive to keep up; not much
point in doing so just for one, is there? In going to France I shall
give my services."

"Of course. But t