attention were called to it.

He started upon his return without any definite intentions or for any
special reason, except that he had gone away for two years and that the
two years were up. He had carried on a desultory correspondence with his
father, who had replied occasionally, rather briefly, but on the whole
affectionately. He had noticed that during the latter part of his stay
abroad the replies had been more than usually irregular, but had
attributed no special significance to the fact. It was not until
afterward that it occurred to him that in all their correspondence his
father had never alluded in any way to his return.

On the passenger list of the Altruria John came upon the names of Mr.
and Mrs. Julius Carling and Miss Blake.

"Blake, Blake," he said to himself. "Carling--I seem to remember to have
known that name at some time. It must be little Mary Blake whom I knew
as a small girl years ago, and, yes, Carling was the name of the man her
sister married. Well, well, I wonder what she is like. Of course, I
shouldn't know her from Eve now, or she me from Adam. All I can remember
seems to be a pair of very slim and active legs, a lot of flying hair, a
pair of brownish-gray or grayish-brown eyes, and that I thought her a
very nice girl, as girls went. But it doesn't in the least follow that
I might think so now, and shipboard is pretty close quarters for seven
or eight days."

Dinner is by all odds the chief event of the day on board ship to those
who are able to dine, and they will leave all other attractions, even
the surpassingly interesting things which go on in the smoking-room, at
once on the sound of the gong of promise. On this first night of the