ery bad, after all," declared Mrs. Overton,
viewing her erect, stalwart young son with an approval which she made no
effort to hide.

Then they talked on until at last Lieutenant Noll glanced at his watch.

"I must be going," he said, rising. "I've overstayed my leave. Mother
allowed me to leave her only long enough to run over and tell Hal the
news. I've violated my parole already."

"What time is it?" inquired Mrs. Overton.

"A quarter to six!"

"And, good gracious!" cried the little woman, jumping up from her chair.
"Hal, in a few minutes more your father will be home, and not a blessed
move has been made toward supper. There's no time to get anything ready
now. Hal, I shall have to send you around the corner to the delicatessen
shop, although I hate such ready-made meals."

"Mother," demanded Hal, with a pretense at mild astonishment, "would you
think of sending a commissioned officer in the United States Army around
on errands, with packages to bring home?"

"I--I guess that wouldn't be just right, would it?" agreed Mrs. Overton.
"Never mind, my boy. I'll run right around myself. It will take me some
time to get used to all the dignity that goes with your new position."

"You needn't bother to go, Mother," laughed Hal. "An officer who would
let his mother run errands to save his own dignity would be sure to come
to a bad end in the Army. I was only joking, of course. This is a day to
celebrate, so I propose to ask you and father to dine out this evening.
There are several good places in town."

"Which one do you prefer?" broke in Lieutenant Noll quickly.

"Ralston's," Hal replied. "There's music there, and the food and service
are fine."

"Then I'll hurry home now and bring my folks up there, too, if I can,"
proposed Noll.

"Good!" agreed Hal.

"What hour, Mrs. Overton?" asked Noll, turning to that good woman.

"Ask Hal."

"In the Army it is customary to ask the ladies, Mother," Hal explained.

"Seven o'clock, then," said Mrs. Overton.

"Seven it shall be," nodded Noll. "That is, if I don't fail in coaxing
Father and Mother out to dine."

"You won't fail," Mrs. Overton assured him. "They'll be proud enough to
go out with you to-night."

Hal's father came home soon after. For years a clerk in one of the local
stores, Mr. Overton had lately been promoted to be manager of the store.
He was a quiet, thoughtful, studious man, and would probably have gone
much higher in the world had not years of