e of one
who waits patiently.

Mr. Linton hesitated.

"I don't know that I have anything very brilliant now," he said. "But
I was thinking--do you remember Garrett, the fellow you boys used to
tell us about? who never cared to get leave because he hadn't any
home."

"Rather!" said the boys. "Fellow from Jamaica."

"He was an awfully sociable chap," Wally added, "and he didn't like
cities. So London bored him stiff when he was alone. He said the
trenches were much more homelike."

"Well, there must be plenty of people like that," said Mr. Linton.
"Especially, of course, among the Australians. Fellows to whom leave
can't mean what it should, for want of a home: and without any ties
it's easy for them to get into all sorts of mischief. And they should
get all they can out of leave, for the sake of the War, if for nothing
else: they need a thorough mental re-fitting, to go back fresh and
keen, so that they can give the very best of themselves when the work
begins again."

"So you think of making Sir John's place into a Home for Tired
people?" said Norah, excitedly. "Dad, it's a lovely plan!"

"What do you think, Jim?" asked Mr. Linton.

"Yes, I think it's a great idea," Jim said slowly. "Even the little
bit of France we had showed us what I told you--that you've got to
give your mind a spring-cleaning whenever you can, if you want to keep
fit. I suppose if people are a bit older they can stick it
better--some of them, at least. But when you're in the line for any
time, you sometimes feel you've just _got_ to forget things--smells
and pain, and--things you see."

"Well, you'd forget pretty soon at a place like the one you've been
reading about," said Wally. "Do you remember, Jim, how old poor old
Garrett used to look? He was always cheery and ragging, and all that
sort of thing, but often he used to look like his own grandfather, and
his eyes gave you the creeps. And he couldn't sleep."

"'M!" said Jim. "I remember. If Garrett's still going, will you have
him for your first patient, Nor? What will you call them, by the
way--guests? patients? cases?"

"Inmates," grinned Wally.

"Sounds like a lunatic asylum," rejoined Jim. "How about lodgers? Or
patrons?"

"They'll be neither, donkey," said Norah pleasantly. "Just Tired
People, I think. Oh, Dad, I want to begin!"

"You shouldn't call your superiors names, especially when I have more
ideas coming to me," said Jim severely. "Look here-