Wilmot Hall was practically deserted, for the scattering which takes place after graduation is hard to understand unless one is upon the scene to witness it.

Mr. and Mrs. Harold, with Mr. Stewart, Peggy, Mrs. Howland, Constance, Snap, Polly, Shortie, Wheedles and Happy were gathered in Middies’ Haven, and Neil Stewart had the floor.  Since his return to Severndale he had spent more than half the time at Wilmot where his lodestar, Peggy, was staying with those she had grown to love so dearly, and where she was so entirely happy.  Mr. Stewart had taken a room for June week in order to be near her, feeling reluctant to take her away from the friends who had done so much for her; more, a vast deal, he felt, than he could ever repay.  It did not take him long to see the change which nine months had made in this little girl of his.

Always lovable and exceptionally capable, there was now the added charm which association with a girl of her own age had developed in spontaneity, and her attitude toward Mrs. Harold—­the pretty little affectionate demonstrations so unconsciously made—­revealed to her father what Peggy had lacked for nearly nine years, and he began to waken to the fact to which Mrs. Harold had been alive for some time:  that without meaning to be selfish in his sorrow for Peggy’s mother, he had been wholly self-absorbed, leaving Peggy to live her life in a little world of her own creation.

During the past two weeks he had been put through a pretty severe scrutiny by Mrs. Harold, and in spite of her prejudices she began to see how circumstances had conspired to evolve the unusual order of things for both father and daughter, and her heart softened toward the big man who, while so complete a master of every situation on board his own ship, was so helpless to cope with this domestic problem.  Nor could she see her way clear to remedy it further than she had already done.  It seemed to be one of life’s handicaps.  But we can not understand the “why” of all things in this world, and must leave a great deal of it to the Father of all.  Just now it seemed as though Neil Stewart was the instrument of that ordering.

Mr. Harold looked up at him and joined in the laugh.

“Maybe you think I’m going to give these fellows a demonstration of insubordination the very first clip.  Not on your life.  Fire away.  You have the deck.”

“Well, I’ve got my cottage up there in New London—­a good one too, if I can judge by all the hot air that has escaped concerning it.  Jerome and Mammy are packed off to open it up and make it habitable against our arrival, and everything’s all skee and shipshape so far as that part of the plan is blocked out.  The ship’s in commission but now comes the question of her personnel.  You, Harold, and your wife have been good enough to act as second and third in command but we must have junior officers.  Thus far the detail foots up only five; just a trifle shy on numbers, and I want it to number, let me see, at least eleven,” and he nodded toward the others seated about the room.  Some looked at him in doubt.  Then Happy said: