Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: He nodded, looking again at the dignified faces of Their Majesties. " You are good, Pippin," he sighed, " and it's rippin' to see Their Majesties 'ome again." He bit at the toast. Then he added slyly, " It '11 not be long till old Sol's got 'em back! " Pippin sighed too. "' Be patient with your dad,' was Mar's last words," she again recalled musingly. " My word, wasn't she patient with 'im! "E's got the true instincts of a gentleman and can't 'elp it,' she always said. Mar thort Dad a gentleman." Pippin brushed savagely at her sudden tears. " I gave me solemn word I 'd look after 'im same as she did. I gave me word I 'd keep Their Majesties 'ome. It was n't 'ome without 'em to Mar." The recalling of her mother's words and her own promise was like a quick prayer to still the inward tumult of rebellion. " Yer does awright, Pippin. I 've even 'card Dad s'y so!" comforted little Hal. Then at the sound of shuffling footsteps on the stairs, he hunched his shoulders, his head hung sullenly. Pippin quickly brought another chair to the table. "Evenin', children." A thin little man with beady eyes came in. Pippin's father had a manner of feeling his way cautiously; he practised a turtle-like movement ofthe head and neck. Upon the table he placed several small packages, then drew a dark bottle from his pocket. This was his evening meal purchased from what Pippin gave him. He sat down, poured the fluid from the bottle into a tumbler, filled it with water, helped himself from the packages, and ate. With audible enjoyment, his head tipped backward, he drank deeply, when suddenly over the rim of his glass his eye met His Majesty's. " Ah," he said, " you 've got 'em back, Pippin! " Pippin nodded. "What's 'e starin' at, Pippin? Why ain't 'e a-bed ? " fretted ...