and it’s on the table.”

“I never thought of her like that,” Gwen said slowly. “I thought there were always a lot of—you know—a lot of attractive men hanging around her. I guess why I didn’t recognize her was because there weren’t any men hanging around her. Go on, daddy; tell me—at least, was she attractive—like mummy was?”

“She wasn’t like mummy, but she was very nice—I hope you didn’t catch cold.”

“I don’t think so.” She sniffed experimentally, “No, I’m sure I didn’t. Isn’t it funny I went out and the blizzard came? I wish I’d stayed here where it was safe and warm——” On her way to her room she ruminated aloud:

“I guess most important things happen inside the house, don’t they, daddy?”

“You go to bed.”

“All right, daddy.”

Her door closed gently. What went on behind it he would never know. He wrote her a short note saying:

“Peppy Velance and Mr. Harrison are coming to dinner tomorrow night.” He stood it up against the English-history book on the table. Then he moved it to rest against the little tin satchel that the maid would fill with sandwiches for school in the morning.