was satisfactory," said Noll, in a
queer, half-choking voice.

"A letter from Mr. Ad Interim?" asked Mrs. Overton, making a little
face.

"Why, that's the only sort of an appointment that a fellow can get in
summer, when there's no Senate in session, Mrs. Overton," Noll replied.
"But it's all right. The Senate never heard of either of us, and so the
Senators won't have anything against us. We'll get our commissions, all
right, soon after the next Congress convenes. Our commissions are safe
enough."

"Quite," agreed Hal. "That's what I've been trying to tell Mother."

"A new second lieutenant is only a shave-tail, at best," smiled Noll.

"What does that mean?" demanded Mrs. Overton quickly.

"I don't know," Noll replied. "It's just an Army term of derision for a
very new young officer, I guess."

"And a second lieutenant soon becomes a 'goat,'" Hal added.

"That isn't a nice word," retorted Mrs. Overton. "It's slang!"

"It's worse than slang in the Army," laughed Hal. "The army 'goat' is
the very new officer who has a lot of extra duties thrust upon him that
the older officers don't want. Those duties of the 'goat' are generally
both very trifling and very annoying."

"Then it isn't right," declared Hal's mother, with an air of conviction.
"No one ought to annoy a young man who has been smart enough to make an
officer of himself. What are a second lieutenant's duties?"

"Well," replied Noll quizzically, "for one thing he must see that every
one of his colonel's eight pairs of boots are kept polished."

"Oliver Terry!" remonstrated Mrs. Overton.

"And see to it that the grass is kept mowed on the colonel's lawn,"
added Hal.

"A new second lieutenant is expected to relieve the colonel's wife's
nurse-girl in taking care of headquarters' kids on Wednesday and
Saturday afternoons----" continued Noll.

"Also groom the colonel's horses," added Hal.

"I don't believe a word of that," declared Mrs. Overton, whereat both
very new young officers laughed heartily.

"And you're starting in badly, too," continued Hal's mother accusingly.
"I happen to know this much--that an officer must have too much honor to
stoop to telling lies. And that he's court-martialed and driven out of
the service if he does. So be careful."

Hal soon excused himself, going to his own room, leaving Noll to
entertain his mother. When Lieutenant Overton came back he was in his
flannel undress, red sash and all.

"That doesn't look so v