a neat maid in immaculate cap and
apron. She was so neat and respectful as to appear almost passionless.
She had the high complexion of a Country girl, good gray eyes, a slim,
attractive figure and dark, wavy hair which escaped rebelliously from
beneath her cap. One wondered how she looked in her off-duty moments,
when she wasn't saying, "Yes, your Lordship" and "No, your Lordship."
Tabs mustered a smile and called to her, "Thank you, Ann. I'll be with
you in a moment."

As he paid the fare, he let his eyes wander. The outside of the house
had been painted white, evidently in honor of his home-coming. The work
had been only recently completed, for the chalked warning on the
pavement was not yet obliterated, "Wet Paint Beware." He had given no
orders; it was Ann's doing--her accustomed, tactful thoughtfulness. The
steps were speckless as a newly laundered shirt, the brasses polished to
the brilliancy of precious metal. His window-boxes---- He glanced along
the fronts of his neighbors' houses; they hadn't put theirs out yet. His
were ahead of everybody's; they made a cheerful splash of red, with
their soldierly upstanding tulips, above the long serried line of
area-railings. Again Ann's doing! And the snow-white curtains behind
each row of panes were also Ann's.

The driver clicked his "For Hire" sign into the upright position and
chugged away to join the flow of traffic which thumped orchestrally past
the end of the Square. Tabs climbed the three low steps separately; he
had been used to take them at a bound. He tried to climb them slowly as
though from choice, and not from necessity. He was very conscious that
Ann was watching. As she closed the door behind him he said, "So you
knew I was coming? You received my telegram?"

"Yes, your Lordship."

"I was sorry I couldn't tell you the exact hour. I didn't know it
myself. I hope you didn't trouble to prepare lunch."

"It was no trouble, your Lordship."

"Then you've managed to get some one in the kitchen? They tell me that
all the cooks have become bus-conductresses or lady-secretaries."

"I did, your Lordship. My sister--the one who lost her husband at Mons.
I thought you wouldn't object----"

He cut her short. "Ann, you know I never object; you never need to go
into details. Whatever you've done is right. From what I've seen already
you've done splendidly."

Under his praise she flushed and became a little less the servant. "I
was afraid you might think I'd t