ge,"
rumbled the kindly man, flopping his arms over Peggy's and Polly's
shoulders like an amiable sea lion.

Rosalie flew to snuggle beside Polly. Natalie by Peggy, the other girls
drawing as close as possible, Stella excepted, who laughed, blushed
prettily and said:

"I think Captain Stewart has more than his arms full now, so I'll hover
on the outskirts."

"I used to be scared to death of him," confessed Gail, "but those weeks
up in New London scared away my scare."

"Well, what is it to be this morning?" asked Peggy.

"Suppose we all go over and take a look around the yard. It may be
rather slow with just two old fogies like Harold and me for escorts, but
we'll leave the matrons at home and take Snap. That ensign's stripe on
his sleeve makes him seem a gay young bachelor even if he is a staid old
Benedic, and Constance can lend him to you girls for a little while,
anyway."

"I'm game! No telling which one will be responsible for an elopement,
Connie," cried Snap, bending over his pretty young wife to rest his dark
hair against hers for a second.

She laughed a happy little laugh as she answered:

"Go along, Sir Heartbreaker. People down here have not forgotten auld
lang syne and I dare say the rocking chair fleet will at once begin to
commiserate me. But you girls had better watch out; he is a hopeless
flirt. So beware!" Nevertheless, the light in her eyes as she raised
them to the handsome man whose hand rested upon her shoulders held
little of apprehension.

Ten minutes later the merry group had set forth. Mrs. Harold, Mrs.
Howland and Constance were only too glad to have their lively charges
out of the way for an hour or two, for a good bit must be attended to
before they could leave for Severndale that evening. Captain Stewart and
the girls would not return until twelve o'clock and the boys--who had
been invited out for luncheon rather than to dine, former experiences
having taught Mrs. Harold the folly of inviting dinner guests on a hop
night--would arrive immediately after formation.

At twelve o'clock the girls returned from the Yard, and when one bell
struck were watching in undisguised eagerness for their luncheon guests.
From Mrs. Harold's windows they could see the steady stream of men
rushing from Bancroft toward the main gate, and in less time than seemed
possible, footsteps were audible--yes, a trifle more than audible--as
"the bunch" came piling up Wilmot's stairway; for the promptitude wi