detained in his office beyond his regular hour, had been more than
usually hurried in his round of morning calls, and hence was more than
ordinarily tired with his morning's work. At his door the little girl
met him.

"Come in, Papa, I know you're hot," she said, love and reproach in her
face, "because I was hot myself, and you will need a nice, cool drink.
I had one and yours is in here." She led him into the study, hovering
about him with little touches and pushes. "You ought not to have taken
so long a round this morning," she said with gentle severity. "I know
you went out to St. James to see Mrs. Kale, and you know quite well she
doesn't need you. It would do in the afternoon. And it was awful hot in
school."

"Awful?" said the doctor.

"Well, very exceedingly then--and the kids were very tired and Miss
Mutton was as cross as anything."

"It was no wonder. How many kids were there for her to watch?"

"Oh, Papa, you said 'kids!'"

"I was just quoting my young daughter."

"And she said we were to get out this afternoon an hour earlier,"
continued Jane, ignoring his criticism, "and so I am going to take my
bicycle and go with Nora and the girls down to the freight sheds."

"The freight sheds?"