ly due to the long
separation from Carlo Navara, which Bianca must see was inevitable. With
his regiment Carlo was moving toward the Rhine and nothing was apt to be
less in his mind for the time being than his friendship for the young
girl whom he undoubtedly regarded only in a semi-brotherly spirit
composed of indifference and affection.

Since the greater part of the nursing at the temporary hospital in
Luxemburg was the care of the soldiers who were ill with influenza, and
feeling that Bianca was not altogether in the right state of health to
battle with the contagion, Sonya requested Miss Blackstone to permit her
to have a half holiday, doing no work that was not voluntary.

But with Nona Davis and Mildred Thornton, the two Red Cross nurses who
had given the most valuable personal service, since the outbreak of the
war, the situation was more serious and far more difficult to meet.

They did not neglect their duties, this would have been impossible to
either of them, and yet in a way it was plain that they were no longer
wholly absorbed by them and to use an old expression, their hearts were
no longer in what they were doing.

Yet Sonya understood; both girls were engaged to be married to young
American officers who were at present in the United States. With the
signing of the armistice they had hoped to return home. It was possible
they had made a mistake in agreeing to Dr. Clark's request that they
remain for a time longer in Europe, forming a part of his Red Cross
unit, who were to care for the soldiers of the American Army of
Occupation.

With Mildred Thornton the engagement was comparatively recent. During
the latter part of July she had nursed through a dangerous illness,
following a wound, an American lieutenant[A] who, together with Carlo
Navara, had crossed into the German lines, securing important secret
information, afterwards invaluable to Marshal Foch.

Of longer standing was Nona Davis's romance, which had not been of such
plain sailing. In the early months after the entry of the United States
into the world war, in an American camp in France, she had met and
renewed an acquaintance with Lieutenant John Martin which had begun as
children years before in the old city of Charleston, South Carolina.
Soon after Lieutenant Martin had declared his affection, but believing
him arrogant and domineering, Nona had not at that time returned his
love.

Later, meeting again upon a United States hospital shi