of your world and your people--mark you, lad, I
do not admit that an alliance with my girl could ever dishonor you in
your own eyes--Nan will not be weak enough to permit it."

"I have argued all that out with myself," Donald confessed miserably,
"without having arrived at a conclusion. I have made up my mind to
wait patiently and see what the future may bring forth."

"It may be a long wait."

"It will be worth while. And when you have sailed, I'll finance her to
leave Port Agnew and develop her glorious voice."

"You haven't the right, Mr. Donald. My girl has some pride."

"I'll gamble a sizable sum on her artistic future. The matter will be
arranged on a business basis. I shall lend her the money, and she
shall pay me back with interest."

"Nan has a woman's pride. The obligation would remain always, even
though the money should be repaid."

"I think we'll manage to adjust that," Donald countered confidently.

"Ah, well," the old fellow answered; "we've always been your debtors.
And it's a debt that grows."

He loaded his pipe and was silent, for, after the fashion of the aged,
he dared assume that his youthful auditor would understand just how
the Brents regarded him.

"Well, my heart's lighter for our talk, lad," he declared presently.
"If you don't mind, I'll have a little nap."

Donald, grateful for the dismissal, returned to the kitchen, where Nan
was preparing the vegetables. Her child at once clamored for
recognition, and, almost before he knew it, Donald had the tyke in his
lap and was saying,

"Once upon a time there was a king and he had three sons----"

"He isn't interested in kings and princes, dear," Nan interrupted.
"Tell him the story of the bad little rabbit."

"But I don't know it, Nan."

"Then you'll fail as a daddy to my boy. I'm surprised. If Don were
your own flesh and blood, you would know intuitively that there is
always a bad little rabbit and a good little rabbit. They dwell in a
hollow tree with mother Rabbit and father Rabbit."

"Thanks for the hint. I shall not fail in this job of dadding. Well
then, bub, once upon a time there was a certain Mr. Johnny Rabbit who
married a very beautiful lady rabbit whose name was Miss Molly
Cottontail. After they were married and had gone to keep house under a
lumber-pile, Mr. Hezekiah Coon came along and offered to rent them
some beautifully furnished apartments in the burned-out stump of a
hemlock tree. The rent was to be one nice ea