I know. I keep on telling myself it's foolish to worry. I felt quite
happy this morning. I had a letter from him, and somehow when I read
it things didn't seem half so bad; but----"

"And you'll have another to-morrow, I expect." Miss Mason insisted.
"And another the next day, and one every day while he's away. There!
That's better," she added cheerily as Esther laughed.

"I don't like to see you look so sad. I'm going to cheer you up. I
shan't allow you to be miserable. And anyway," she added, with a
sudden softening, "you've got some one who loves you, and that's worth
everything else in the world."

"Yes," said Esther. Her eyes shone and she thought of the letter which
was even then lying against her heart. Somehow she had never realised
how much he really cared for her till to-day.

"And what are you going to do till he comes home?" Miss Mason asked
interestedly. "If you had something to do you'd find the time pass
ever so much more quickly."

"It's a question of having to do something rather than how to pass the
time," Esther said. "I haven't any money except what I can make. My
aunt left me a little when she died, but it was only a very little,
and I spent most of it at first while I was looking for work. So I'm
going back to Eldred's--if they will have me, and I think they will."

Miss Mason said "Humph!"

"I think you're too good for a petticoat shop," she said bluntly.
"You're wasted there! Nobody sees you, and you're so pretty----"

"Oh, what nonsense!" Esther exclaimed. She laughed in sheer amusement.
To her it seemed absurd for this girl to call her pretty; she
considered June Mason such a personality--so attractive!

She really did make a picturesque figure as she sat there with her
mauve cushions all around her. Her yellow blouse and dark hair and
wonderful rose-leaf skin reminded one of some brilliant portrait
painted by a master-hand.

Esther would have been surprised could she have known the thought in
June's mind at that moment.

"She's just sweet! I don't know when I've seen a face I admire more.
Micky would adore her! She's just the sort of woman he always raves
about. I must ask him to tea to meet her one day."

"There are heaps of other berths going besides Eldred's, you know,"
she said earnestly. "However, you must do as you like, of course." She
threw away another unfinished cigarette. "Do you think we are going to
be friends?" she asked.

"I am sure we are," Esther said. She real