"I promise, Daddy."

Oh! the promises made for a day, and kept through the years, what a
lot of tangled lives they have to answer for!

Miss Lady put the Colonel's things back in his bag, and stooped to
kiss him good night.

"Sure you don't mind my going?", he asked, studying her face. "I'll be
back Saturday night."

"All right. Good-by, I won't be up in the morning when you start. Have
a good time, Daddy dear, and--and don't worry about me."

He lit her candle for her and carried it to the steps where he kissed
her again.

"My little girl," he whispered.

The house grew still. Out on the landing the tall clock ticked off the
hours to midnight; the fire died to an ember; from the porch without
came the drip, drip, drip of the gutter. Still the Colonel sat in his
split-bottom chair, his little eyes like watch fires in the gloom,
listening for the faintest sound of restlessness from the room above.




CHAPTER VI