r a toy ship?"

"But it's a battle-flag. He'll have none but battle-flags. There, I'm up
to the stars."

"You're never far from them. Let me make a stretching-frame of my
fingers and square this end."

"Do. Not quite so tight. And now--those new States come in so fast!--how
many now?"

"Forty-six."

"M-m--four eights and two sevens?"

"Four eights and two sevens."

She sewed rapidly, and without looking up, until she had completed the
first row. "There--there's one of the eights. Now you can breathe again,
Andie."

Balfe sat back. "What did you make of Mr. Necker, Marie?"

She, too, sat back. "I wonder what I did make of him. He was very
curious about you."

"That's interesting."

"Yes. He asked questions and I couldn't quite fib to him, and yet I
couldn't see why he should expect me to tell him all about you. And
so"--she paused and the little half-smile was hovering around again.

"And so?"

"And so I did not attempt to check his imagination." She repeated the
conversation of the afternoon. "I meant to speak of it at dinner, Andie,
to you and Greg, but I forgot."

"Here's a far traveller--" He paused. She looked up, and quickly looked
down.

"--who gives thanks that you forgot, Marie, in that first glad hour, Mr.
Necker and his--well, his possible mission."

"You know something of him, then, Andie?"

"I'm still guessing. But I'm wondering now if you said to yourself when
he had gone: 'After all, what will Greg get out of this government work?
Is it fair to himself to refuse those great offers and stick down here?
And what will it mean to young Greg?'"

Marie Welkie let the ensign drop onto the table. "My very thoughts in
words, Andie. And while we're speaking of it, will Greg ever get the
recognition due him, Andie?"

"Surely--some day."

"Dear me, that some day! After he is dead, I suppose. You men are the
idealists! But being only a woman, Andie Balfe, I don't want to wait
that long to see my brother rewarded."

"And being only a man, Marie Welkie, I also want to see my friend
rewarded before he's laid away."

"But will he ever?"

"Who could answer that? But I stopped off in Washington on my way,
Marie, and had a long talk with a man who is fine enough to appreciate
the dreams of idealists and yet sufficiently human to allow for most
human weaknesses. We discussed Greg and his work. The Construction
people were mentioned. He asked me if I thought Greg would go with them.
'And if he