Donelson," and seated himself, while the
attache, partly by force and partly by coaxing, succeeded in dragging
the foolish fellow from the room without further display.
"What was the matter with that young sprout of an attache?" asked the
captain later in the evening, as he and his daughters met for a quiet
little visit in the library. "Too much champagne?"
Hope looked quickly at her sister, whose face was turned away, and as
she did not respond, answered lightly, "I believe so. He was
quarrelsome, and Mr. Donelson wanted to get him away before he--before
he made trouble."
"H'm! With whom was he quarreling?"
Faith, back in the shadow, was still unresponsive, and Hope thinking
she ought to be the one to answer, let some indignation creep into her
own voice as she said,
"Oh, that Mr. Carnegie."
"What, Carnegie? I had taken him for a decent, modest sort of fellow.
But any one who will get into a drunken brawl before ladies--"
Faith turned quickly. She was quite white.
"Father, Mr. Carnegie had not been drinking. He did not touch the wine
and--and I'm the only one to blame." She burst into tears and, hiding
her face in both hands, started to run into her own stateroom, but her
father caught her and, with a tender arm about her waist, drew her down
upon his knee.
"I don't understand you, daughter," he said in a voice of yearning
tenderness, for whenever his children were in trouble, it always seemed
to him that his fair young wife stood at his elbow inciting him to
gentleness.
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