When Alora had to her bedroom that night Mary Louise told to her grandfather, who was her trusted confidant, all that the unhappy girl had related.  
"Of course," she added, "Alora's explanations my half formed suspicion that there is some mystery about Jason Jones. I now see that you were right, Gran'pa Jim, to laugh at me when I suggested such a thing, for in truth the man is easily understood once you become acquainted with his history. However, I now dislike him more than ever."
 
"In justice to Jason Jones," remarked the old Colonel, "we must him of being a hypocrite. He doesn't attempt to mask his nature and a stranger is bound to see him at his worst. Doubtless Antoinette Seaver understood the man better than we are able to and sixteen years ago, or so, when he had youth, talent and ambition, his disagreeable characteristics were probably not so marked. As for Alora, she is strongly prejudiced against her father and we must make due allowance for her bitterness. The feeling probably arose through her sudden transfer from the care of a generous and loving mother to that of an ungracious father—a parent she had never before known. A child of eleven is likely to form strong affections and dislikes."
 
"Do you know," said Mary Louise, "it shocks me, this of her father. It seems so . I wish we could bring them to understand one another better, Gran'pa Jim."
 
"That might prove a difficult task, my dear," he replied with a smile, gently stroking her hair the while, "and I do not think we are in it. How many times during our travels, Mary Louise, has your and tender heart urged you to assume the burdens of other people? You seem to pick up a trail of sorrow or unhappiness with the eagerness of a bloodhound and I have all I can do to call you off the . One small girl can't regulate the world, you know, and in this case we are likely to see very little of Alora Jones and her artist father. We will be nice to them during the few days we are here, but we must soon move on or we'll never get home for your birthday, as we have planned."
 
Mary Louise sighed.
 
"You're almost always right, Gran'pa Jim," she admitted; "but in all our European travels I've not met so interesting a person as Alora, and she's an American girl, which draws us still closer together. I'm going to make her promise that when she's of age and her own mistress she will let me know, and come to us for a visit. Wouldn't that be all right, Gran'pa?"
 
He assured her it would be quite proper and that he also admired Alora and was sorry for her.
 
On Sunday forenoon they went to the cathedral and in the afternoon took a boat to the blue grottoes. In the evening there was a concert in the hotel. All that day the two girls were arm in arm and chatting together, developing their , while the old Colonel along in their wake and was generally ignored in the conversation. On Monday they planned an excursion to Capri, "For you won't mind if we don't get you home until after dinner, will you?" asked Mary Louise.
 
"Not at all," said Alora. "I want to make the most of this vacation."
 
"Her father may mind, however," suggested the Colonel.
 
"I don't care whether he does or not," retorted the girl, tossing her head. "He has no consideration for me, so why should I consider him?"
 
"I don't like that attitude, dear," said Mary Louise . "I—I don't wish to be snippy, you know, but you should not forget that he is your father."
 
"That," replied Alora , "is merely my misfortune, and I'm not going to allow it to ruin all my life."
 
On Monday morning they had scarcely finished breakfast when Jason Jones appeared at the hotel, having driven over from the in his little automobile—a tiny foreign contrivance that reminded one of a child's cart but could cover the ground with considerable speed. They were sitting on the big when Alora's father came striding up to them with a white, fear-struck face. In his trembling hands he held the morning Naples newspaper and without a word of greeting he said :
 
"Have you heard the news?"
 
Colonel Hathaway rose and bowed.
 
"Good morning, Mr. Jones," said he. "I do not read the local newspapers, for my knowledge of Italian is indifferent."
 
"So is mine," responded the artist, "but I know enough of their to make out that Italy has entered this fool war. She's going to fight the Austrians," he continued, his voice shaking , "and do you know what that will mean, sir?"
 
"I can't imagine," replied the Colonel calmly.
 
"It means that presently we'll have all that of Germans overrunning Italy. They'll conquer this helpless land as sure as fate, and we'll all be burned out and tortured and mutilated in the fiendish German way!"
 
"My dear sir, you are frightened without warrant," declared Colonel Hathaway. "It will take some time to c............