her shapely little head in the on-coming throng of travellers, Roger saw by
her set steady smile and the strained expression on her face that he had
guessed right. With a quick surge of compassion he pressed forward, kissed
her awkwardly, squeezed her arm, then hastily greeted the children and
hurried away to see to the trunks. That much of it was over. And to his
relief, when they reached the house, Edith busied herself at once in
helping the nurse put the children to bed. Later he came up and told her
that he had had a light supper prepared.

"Thank you, dear," she answered, "it was so thoughtful in you. But I'm too
tired to eat anything." And then with a little assuring smile, "I'll be all
right--I'm going to bed."

"Good-night, child, get a fine long sleep."

And Roger went down to his study, feeling they had made a good start.

* * * * *

"What has become of Martha?" Edith asked her father at breakfast the next
morning.

"She left last month to be married," he said.

"And Deborah hasn't replaced her yet?" In her voice was such a readiness
for hostility toward her sister, that Roger shot an uneasy glance from
under his thick grayish brows.

"Has Deborah left the house?" he asked, to gain time for his answer.
Edith's small lip slightly curled.

"Oh, yes, long ago," she replied. "She had just a moment to see the
children and then she had to be off to school--to her office, I mean. With
so many schools on her hands these days, I don't wonder she hasn't had time
for the servants."

"No, no, you're mistaken," he said. "That isn't the trouble, it's not her
fault. In fact it was all my idea."

"_Your_ idea," she retorted, in an amused affectionate tone. And Roger
grimly gathered himself. It would he extremely difficult breaking his
unpleasant news.

"Yes," he answered. "You see this damnable war abroad has hit me in my
business."

"Oh, father! How?" she asked him. In an instant she was all alert. "You
don't mean seriously?" she said.

"Yes, I do," he answered, and he began to tell her why. But she soon grew
impatient. Business details meant nothing to Edith. "I see," she kept
saying, "yes, yes, I see." She wanted him to come to the point.

"So I've had to mortgage the house," he concluded. "And for very little
money, my dear. And a good deal of that--" he cleared his throat--"had to
go back into the business."

"I see," said Edith mechanically. Her mind was already far awa