Ted glanced guiltily round. There was no one in the room save Colonel Woodburn, and he was sleeping, undisturbed by their whispering. Seizing the girl’s hand he kissed it, awkwardly and nervously, then hastily dropping it blushed furiously.
“There!” exclaimed the ensign jerkily. “I knew I should do it some day. I’m sure Jim never did that.”
“Oh—?”
Ethel’s face was also flushed, and she looked radiantly charming as she gave utterance to the long-drawn, quizzing exclamation, and a new light broke in upon Ted.
“What! Old Jim?” he asked. “Well, who’d have thought it? Lucky beggar! It’s a dainty little hand.”
“Silence, sir! I must ask you to leave the room.”
“Good-bye, then, little sister!”