EFFIE'S BUSINESS 211 



" Papa," said Effie, after a while. 



" What? " asked Mr French in a bothered voice. 



" How long does it take for a letter to go from 

 here home? " 



" Two days nearly," said French. " Wliy do 

 you want to know? " 



" I was only thinking." 



" Well, think to yourself," repHed her father. 

 "I'm busy, and don't want to be interrupted." 



Efl&e obeyed these instructions, making incredibly 

 small cocked hats out of the bill paper and pursing 

 up her Hps during the process. 



At last French, tearing up some calculations and 

 throwing the pieces in the waste-paper basket, 

 rose to his feet, lit a cigar and strolled out. 



" Won't you come out on the downs? " said he 

 as he left the room. 



" No, thank you," said Effie, " I'm busy." 



She waited till she heard his footsteps on the 

 verandah; then she rose from her cocked-hat 

 making and went to the writing-table. 



She got on the chair just vacated by her father, 

 took a sheet of note-paper and an envelope, dipped 

 a pen in ink, and began to address the envelope 

 in a sprawhng hand. 



Mr Giveen, 



The Bungalow, Drumboyne, 



Nr. Cloyne, Ireland, 

 wrote Effie. 



Then she dried the envelope and hid it in the 

 blotting-pad. 



