my room after I am in bed, and tucks me up,
just as she used to do when I was a little boy.

"It's a great rush, for what I have so longed for is going to
happen, so you must not be surprised if you do not have
another letter from me for some time. But you will know, my
darling love, that I am thinking of you all the time. I am so
happy, Rose--I feel as if God has given me everything I ever
wanted all at once.

"Your own devoted

"JERVIS."

And then there was a funny little postscript, which made her smile
through her tears: "You will think this letter all my--'I.' But that
doesn't really matter now, as you and I are one!"

Rose soon learnt her first love-letter by heart. She made a little silk
envelope for it, and wore it on her heart. It was like a bit of Jervis
himself--direct, simple, telling her all she wanted to know, yet leaving
much unsaid. Rose had once been shown a love-letter in which the word
"kiss" occurred thirty-four times. She was glad that there was nothing
of that sort in Jervis's letter, and yet she longed with a piteous,
aching longing to feel once more his arms clasping her close, his lips
trembling on hers....

At last her mother asked her casually, "Has Jervis Blake written to you,
my darling?" And she said, "Yes, mother; once. I think he's busy,
getting his outfit."

"Ah, well, they won't think of sending out a boy as young as that, even
if Major Guthrie was right in thinking our Army is going to France." And
Rose to that had made no answer. She was convinced that Jervis was going
on active service. There was one sentence in his letter which could mean
nothing else.

* * * * *

Life in Witanbury, after that first week of war, settled down much as
before. There was a general impression that everything was going very
well. The brave little Belgians were defending their country with skill
and tenacity, and the German Army was being "held up."

The Close was full of mild amateur strategists, headed by the Dean
himself. Great as had been, and was still, his admiration for Germany,
Dr. Haworth was of course an Englishman first; and every day, when
opening his morning paper, he expected to learn that there had been
another Trafalgar. He felt certain that the German Fleet was sure to
make, as he expressed it, "a dash for it." Germany was too gallant a
nation, and the Germans were too proud of their fleet, to keep th