ugh at present and for me to say
nothing to Thea, which is what you rather had in mind to suggest.
Moreover, nothing has so far developed between them for which you need
have cause to worry! Thea told me the other day that she was happy here
in Coblenz because she has been able to have a relief from the constant
strain of the hospital work, which she confesses was becoming a little
hard to endure, by dancing with the soldiers at the Red Cross
headquarters in her free hours. She has been helping one of the Red
Cross managers, a Mrs. Adams, to teach some of the soldiers folk
dancing. I believe she has a gift for it and the soldiers are getting a
good deal of amusement out of their own efforts to learn. A good thing
for all of them! We must remember our years and realize that young
people need all kinds of relaxation."

"Thanks, Sonya, for including me along with your youthful self, even if
we are in a class apart," Dr. Clark returned. "I wonder if you will be
as severe with me concerning my other complaint. As a matter of fact I
am ashamed of this myself and do not honestly consider it gravely. But
you know we are in a curious position here in Coblenz. On the outside
apparently everything is going well. As comfortable a relation as one
could expect has been established between our former enemy and
ourselves. Yet Coblenz is full of rumors. There is a very strong
pro-Kaiser element in the city, which means there is a party deeply in
opposition to all American thought and feeling and to the establishment
of any new form of government in Germany which shall not include the
Kaiser.

"The point of all this is that I insist there be no display even of
conventional friendliness between any member of our Red Cross unit and
a single German resident of Coblenz. The information has been brought to
me that Nora Jamison, one of our own nurses, has been making friends
with a group of German children. They meet her and the little French
girl, Louisa, in one of the city parks every afternoon and there they
play together. Of course, this appears innocent, but knowing the
children in a too friendly fashion may mean knowing their families
later. The army officers tell me there has been this same problem among
our soldiers. No one seems to have been able to prevent their getting on
intimate terms with every little Hans and Gretel who makes their
acquaintance. But I do wish you would protest mildly to Miss Jamison. It
is true that we know li