"Will you pardon me, Provost, for a few minutes?"
Father and daughter slipped into a small room adjoining and after Bet had closed the door she said:
"Daddy, I have to make a confession."
"What have you done now, broken a window?"
"No, no, Daddy, be serious. I've had an awful time." She unfastened something from her neck and to her father's surprise put the fan in his hand.
"Why Bet, I told you to put the fan away."
"Listen Dad. When your message came the fan was gone! Isn't that terrible? It was stolen and we got it back only yesterday. It was after the bank closed. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be disobedient."
"Who stole it?"
"No one knows yet."
Suddenly the Colonel jumped to his feet. "Well, one bit of good luck has come out of this. After a while I'll hear the whole story. Now I must see Provost. You're a brave little girl."