llection.

Another blew away a cloud of cigar smoke. "It was a jolly little
beggar," he said. "It doubled its fists and landed His High
Mightiness one in the eye; and then its shoe dropped off, and
we all rushed to pick it up, and it was muddy and generally
dilapidated, and old Wooly went red slowly up to his ear-tips as
he tried to put it on."

A little figure stepped into the middle of the group--a little
figure with an impossibly short and shabby ulster, thin
black-stockinged legs, and a big hat crushed over a tangle of
curls.

"It is my father you are speaking of," she said, her head very
high, her tone haughty, "and I cannot tell where your amusement is.
Is my father here, or did I hear you say he had gone away?"

Two of the men looked foolish, the third took off his cap.

"I am sorry you should have overheard us, Miss Woolcot," he
said pleasantly. "Still, there is no irreparable harm done, is
there? Yes, your father has gone away in a cab. He couldn't
imagine how the little boy came on his bed, and, as he couldn't
keep him here very well, I suppose he has taken him home."

Something like a look of shame came into Judy's bright eyes,

"I am afraid I must have put my father to some inconvenience,"
she said quietly. "It was I who left the Gen--my brother here,
because I didn't know what to do with him for an hour or two.
But I quite meant to take him home myself. Has he been gone
long?"

"About half an hour," the officer said, and tried not to look
amused at the little girl's old-fashioned manner.

"Ah, thank you. Perhaps we can catch him up. Come on, Pip,"
and, nodding in a grave, distant manner, she turned away, and
went down the veranda and through the gate with her brother.

"A nice hole we're in," he said.

Judy nodded.

"It's about the very awfullest thing we've ever done in our lives.
Fancy the governor carting that child all the way from here! Oh,
lor'!"

Judy nodded again.

"Can't you speak?" he said irritably. "You've got us into this--I
didn't want to do it; but I'll stand by you, of course. Only
you'll have to think of something quick."

Judy bit three finger-tips off her right-hand glove, and looked
melancholy.

"There's absolutely nothing to do, Pip," she said slowly. "I
didn't think it would turn out like this. I suppose we'd better
just go straight back and hand ourselves over for punishment.
He'll be too angry to hear any sort of an excuse, so we'd better
just g