ction. "My dear Lightnut," his
hand upon my arm, "do you know I look upon you as so nearly one of
us--?"

"Thank you, judge!" I said feelingly. By Jove, it was devilish comfy to
have her father so jolly friendly about it!

"That I'm just going to ask you to excuse me from lunching with
you--know you'll understand, my boy!--so infernally busy, you see!"

I _didn't_ see, though he had been _saying_ this all morning. But as he
seemed to think he was busy, I wasn't going to make any dashed break
contradicting him, you know. So I pretended I _did_ see.

"Thank you--thank you, my boy!" He patted me on the back. "And as you'll
have an opportunity of seeing a little more of that charming girl, Miss
Kirkland--" Charming girl, indeed! I wondered what he would think, if he
knew of her designs on poor Jack! "I want you to go in for her a
bit--cultivate her a little; you may change your opinion--eh?" He
laughed softly and paused in our progress through the library to dig me
sharply in the side. "Go ahead--_flirt_ with her, my boy! She will like
it--all girls do--and it will do you good; do both of you good!" The old
boy beamed at me over his glasses as he vented a horrible chuckle;
didn't seem to notice how painfully shocked I was.

A flirtation, indeed! And with the frump, of all others! Of course he
was just having his little joke, and didn't seem to realize what
devilish poor taste he exhibited as the father of my darling.

"Thank you," I said rather coldly, "but I don't think that--er--sort of
thing would show much consideration for Frances and--"

"Rubbish!" And, by Jove, how he laughed! "Do you think Francis would
show any consideration for _you_?"--he snapped his fingers. "I think
you're a bit too quixotic, young man!"

I didn't know--don't know now; never was up on any of those legal
terms. _He_ knew what he meant!

"Pshaw, now!" he went on, "if _that's_ what's restraining you, you must
drop it! I want you to have a pleasant time while you are here with Miss
Kirkland--get along with you!"--then he pulled me back again--"You
needn't be thinking about the slightest obligation so far as Francis is
concerned. Why should you when the affair is all one-sided?"

"One--one-sided?" I repeated falteringly.

"Why, yes; the girl doesn't care for anybody in the whole word except
her old father--and he idolizes her!"

Oh, _did_ he!

"So you go on in there and loosen up--have a good time--and make her
have one; and keep it