He smiled--her "us" meant to him that Keineth had found at last the true joy of friends.
"Divide them as you wish, my dear," he answered. Thereupon the two girls sat down, cross-legged upon the floor and commenced assorting the gifts into little piles--for "Aunt Nellie," for "Barbara," the Japanese dolls for Alice, and, of course, the carved dagger from Petrograd, for Billy! "Oh, were ever girls as happy as we are?" Peggy cried.
Later Mr. Lee broke in upon this pleasant occupation. "If we are here to see Washington we'd better start out! Keineth--after luncheon your father wants to take you for a little walk--Peggy and I will go to the National Museum."
So it was that Keineth, trim in her new hat and coat, found herself early in the afternoon walking slowly down the "Avenue of the Presidents," holding her father's hand. They said little, each felt too happy to talk much, time enough for the stories later.
Suddenly through the trees of Lafayette Park, all a-quiver with their new spring leaves, Keineth glimpsed the stately lines of the White House.
She stopped short. "Daddy, is that where the President lives?"
Mr. Randolph smiled. "Yes, my dear! And we are going there now to call--at his request!"
So Keineth was really going to see Mr. President!
She felt very excited as she walked past the policeman guarding the gates and up the winding avenue leading to the great columns before the door. Through the branches of the trees the sun was shining slant-wise against the square-paned windows, making tiny sparks of fire. Another policeman at the door halted them. Keineth thought it too bad that the President of the United States should have to be guarded in this manner--for who could want to harm him? Then they were ushered into the entrance hall, where a servant took the card Mr. Randolph offered.
For Keineth the simple stateliness of the place had an atmosphere of romance. Staring curiously about her she went slowly through the spacious corridors to an oval-shaped room whose walls and windows were hung in heavy blue silk. The sunlight streamed through the windows across the highly polished floor and glinted through the crystals of the great chandelier hanging from the ceiling. From between the heavy blue curtains Keineth caught a glimpse of the green lawn outside, sloping down to the stretches of the Park--all adot with dandelions.