ng but
confident. "Allenby--I don't know much about managing things; do you
think it's too much for the house?"

"No, miss, it isn't," Allenby said firmly. "Just you leave it all to
me, and don't worry. Nature made some people bad-tempered, and they
can't 'elp it. I'll see that things are all right; and as for dinner,
all that worries Miss de Lisle, as a rule, is, that she ain't got
enough cooking to do!"

He bent the same fatherly glance on her that evening as she came into
the hall when the hoot of the motor told that her father and his
consignment of Tired People were arriving. Norah had managed to
forget her troubles during the afternoon. A long ride had been
followed by a very cheerful tea at Mrs. Hunt's, from which she and
Garrett had returned only in time for Norah to slip into a white frock
and race downstairs to meet her guests. She hoped, vaguely, that she
looked less nervous than she felt.

The hall door opened, letting in a breath of the cold night air.

"Ah, Norah--this is my daughter, Mrs. West," she heard her father's
voice; and then she was greeting a stout lady and a grey-haired
officer.

"Dear me!" said the lady. "I expected some one grown up. How brave!
Fancy you, only--what is it--a flapper! And don't you hate us all
very much? _I_ should, I'm sure!"

Over her shoulder Norah caught a glimpse of her father's face, set in
grim lines. She checked a sudden wild desire to laugh, and murmured
something civil.

"Our hostess, Algernon," said the stout lady, and Norah shook hands
with Colonel West, who was short and stout and pompous, and said
explosively, "Haw! Delighted! Cold night, what?"--which had the
effect of making his hostess absolutely speechless. Somehow with the
assistance of Allenby and Sarah, the newcomers were "drafted" to their
rooms, and Norah and her father sought cover in the morning-room.

"You look worn, Daddy," said his daughter, regarding him critically.

"I feel it," said David Linton. He sank into an armchair and felt
hurriedly for his pipe. "Haven't had a chance of a smoke for hours.
They're a little trying, I think, Norah."

"Where did you get them?" Norah asked, perching on the arm of his
chair, and dropping a kiss on the top of his head.

"From the hospital where the boys were. Colonel West has been ill
there. Brain-fever, Mrs. West says, but he doesn't look like it.
Anyhow, they're hard up, I believe; their home is broken up and they
have five or