glad he didn't look at me as he
rattled on--"and, by the way, the governor told me to tell _you_ not to
say a _word_ to Francis--I suppose you'll understand."

Understand? Oh, yes, _I_ understood!

"And he said he wanted to see you."

"Is--is he here?" I stammered, pulling back.

"Thank goodness, no. Gone to meet Colonel Francis Kirkland--say, don't
say anything about it--wants to surprise his daughter, you know. On his
way to London via San Francisco--arrived at Washington a few days ago."

Oh, the frump's father! Much I cared! But knowing how interested _he_
was in her, I tried to show an interest.

"Colonel Francis--er--isn't his daughter named after him?" And I felt
myself grow jolly red, for I remembered that _she_ had told me that
about her friend as she sat on the arm of the Morris chair and in the
black pajamas.

"Hanged if _I_ know," said Billings carelessly. "I don't know what her
name is--don't remember that I ever heard." He whistled. "Say, but did
you ever see anything as stunningly pretty in your life?"

I balked. By Jove, I had been doing some mild lying within the past
twenty-four hours, but this was asking _too_ much! Dash me if I just
could go it, that's all. But he didn't seem to notice.

He slapped me on the back. "By George, Dicky, there's just the girl cut
out for you, old chap--take my tip. I think she likes you, too--could
see it just now when I was talking about you."

So that was it, I reflected gloomily. The frump now was to be worked off
on me, and I was expected to stand for it. I was to be a sort of
what-you-call-it offering on the altar of friendship. _That_ was the
condition upon which he was patching up things!

Billings laughed suddenly. "But, oh, I tell you it would be hard on
Francis--a regular knockout, by George!"

Devilish brutal for him to say so, I thought.

"Do you think so?" I questioned dismally. "Would Frances really care?"

"Oh, yes," he said lightly. "Soon get over it, though--puppy love, you
know."

Puppy love, indeed! By Jove, how I hated Billings!

He went on: "Suppose you never heard anything of the professor and the
pajamas?"

I had not, and I was devilish sick of pajamas, anyway.

"And say, Dicky, I don't remember that I ever thanked you properly, old
man, for putting up my kid brother the other night. He says you treated
him like a brick and that you and he got to be great pals. So much
obliged, old chap, because he wanted to go running around,