“But, father, I’d be willing to stay alone if I could only see you once in a while,” cried Ruth with quivering lips.  “Or you could get me a German governess, and——­”

“Darling, I’ve thought over every possible plan, and it still seems to me better for you not to go over during my first year,” answered Mr. Shirley soberly.

“Oh, papa, I can’t bear it,” sobbed Ruth, burying her face on her father’s shoulder.  “We’ve been such chums for the last year, and I can’t get along without you.  Besides,” she said, checking her tears and looking at him with a pitiful attempt at a smile, “when mamma died she told me I must try to take her place and always take care of you, and how can I if you go so far away?”

There was another burst of sobs, and all Mr. Shirley could do was to hold her close and stroke the soft curls with a remorseful hand.  At last when it seemed to him that he could bear it no longer she raised her tear-stained face, and said as she used to say when she was a little girl, “I’m going to be good now, papa.”

“That’s my brave girl,” said Mr. Shirley much relieved.  “Here, let me help you wipe your eyes, darling.  You need something bigger than that scrap of a handkerchief after such a shower.”

Ruth laughed weakly as papa sopped her eyes in an unskilful but efficacious manner.  Then as she lay back in his arms quite tired out after her storm of tears she said soberly, “Tell me all the rest now, papa, please.  What do you mean to do with me?”

“That is the hardest question of all to decide,” answered Mr. Shirley gravely.  “I never realized before quite how hard it would be to find a suitable home for such an attractive young person as you are.  If Uncle Jerry would only find a wife and settle down within the next month you could go to him, but I’m afraid we can’t manage that.”

“Within a month, papa?  Must it be so soon as that?” asked Ruth, looking at him with eyes that threatened to overflow again.

“I’m afraid it must, dear,” answered Mr. Shirley.  “You see the sooner I get to Germany the better it will be for the business, and if you and I have a hard thing to do we may as well get it over as soon as possible.”

Ruth shut her eyes for a moment and clenched her hands.  She was determined not to cry again, at least not when she was with her father.

“You must have some plan for me in your mind, papa,” she said at last very quietly; “please tell me what it is.”

“Well, dear, there are three ways out of it.  You must either go to school, have some one come and live with you here, or go to live in the family of some one we know.”

“I’ve always thought I should just love to go to boarding-school,” said Ruth thoughtfully, “but now it seems to me I should hate it.  And I should simply die if you left me in this house, for I should miss you and mamma every minute.”

“That’s just what I feared,” said Mr. Shirley, “and as to the boarding-school plan, there are several reasons why I should prefer to give that up for this year.  That leaves plan number three to be considered, and today I’ve had what I think is a brilliant idea regarding it.”