ot come." Gretchen sighed, although beginning already to feel more
comfortable.

It was warmer in her Major's room than in any portion of their large
house; a small wood fire was burning in his grate. The little girl grew
disposed toward further confidences.

"People come to our home all the time to see my brother, but Freia and I
are never allowed in the room, only my father. Then they whisper
together so we may not hear."

Major Hersey smiled; Gretchen was a born gossip, even in her babyhood,
already he had observed that she deeply enjoyed recounting the histories
of her family and friends, more especially what Gretchen unconsciously
must have regarded as their weaknesses.

"But your brother, Captain Liedermann, is ill, perhaps it is natural
that he does not wish a little chatterbox about him all the time. If I
had been confined to my bed for as many months as he has, why I should
have turned into a great bear. One day you would have come in to speak
to me, Gretchen, and then you would have heard a low growl and two arms
would have gone around you and hugged you like this," and Major Hersey
suited his action to his words.

After a little squeak half of delight and half of fear, Gretchen settled
herself more comfortably in her companion's lap.

However, she was not to be deterred from continuing her own line of
conversation.

In the years to come, Major Jimmie had a vision of this same little
German girl, grown older and stouter, her yellow pigtails bound round
her wide head, sitting beside just such a fireside as his own and
talking on and on of her own little interests and concerns, forever
contented if her hearer would only pretend to listen.

For the sake of the listener of the future Jimmie hoped that the small
Gretchen would continue to have the same soothing effect that she was at
present producing upon him.

"My brother is not always in bed," Gretchen protested. "Now and then
when he thinks he is alone, and I am only peeping in at the door, he
climbs out of bed and walks about his room. One day one of his friends
was in the room with him and when he got up and stamped about they both
laughed."

"Oh, well, any fellow would laugh if he was growing strong again after a
long illness," Major Hersey answered a little sleepily, realizing that
Gretchen really required no comment on his part.

"Besides, you must be mistaken, your mother told me that Captain
Liedermann had not been so well of late, nothing