y case, the matter could safely have been left to
Norah--she would have been more than equal to it."

"I trust so," said Norah pleasantly. "_You_ with long hair, Jimmy!"

"It's amazing--and painful--to see the number of fellows who take long
hair into khaki with them," said Major Hunt. "The old Army custom was
to get your hair cut over the comb for home service and under the comb
for active service. Jolly good rule, too. But the subaltern of the
New Army goes into the trenches with locks like a musician's. At
least, too many of him does."

"Never could understand any one caring for the bother of long hair,"
said Jim, running his hand over his dark, close-cropped poll. "I say,
isn't it time we made a move, if we're going to a show?" He looked
half-shyly at Mrs. Hunt. "Won't you and the Major come with us? It's
been so jolly meeting you."

"Good idea!" said Mr. Linton, cutting across Mrs. Hunt's protest. "Do
come--I know Norah is longing to be asked to meet the family, and that
will give you time to fix it up." He over-ruled any further
objections by the simple process of ignoring them, whereupon the Hunts
wisely gave up manufacturing any more: and presently they had
discovered two taxis, Norah and her father taking Mrs. Hunt in the
first, leaving the three soldiers to follow in the second. They slid
off through the traffic of Fleet Street.

"We really shouldn't let you take possession of us like this," said
Mrs. Hunt a little helplessly. "But it has been so lovely to see
Douglas cheerful again. He has not laughed so much for months."

"You are anxious about his hand?" David Linton asked.

"Yes, very. He has had several kinds of treatment for it, but it
doesn't seem to get better; and the pain is wearing. The doctors say
his best chance is a thorough change, as well as treatment, but we
can't manage it--the three babies are expensive atoms. Now there is a
probability of another operation to his hand, and he has been so
depressed about it, that I dragged him out to dinner in the hope of
cheering him up. But I don't think I should have succeeded if we
hadn't met you."

"It was great luck for us," Norah said. "The boys have always told us
so much of Major Hunt. He was ever so good to them."

"He told me about them, too," said Mrs. Hunt. "He liked them because
he said he never succeeded in boring them!"

"Why, you couldn't bore Jim and Wally!" said Norah, laughing. Then a
great idea fell upon