door girls who have never known what
it was to take dictation from any one!"

"Except our Daddies," Betty broke in, her eyes twinkling. "I've seen even
you stand at attention, Gracie dear, when Mr. Ford spoke."

"Oh well, of course," said Grace, dismissing the interruption with a wave
of her hand. "We've got to obey our parents, till we're twenty-one
anyway."

"Then I guess we've got to go on obeying all the rest of our lives," said
Mollie, with a sigh.

They looked at her curiously.

"For who," she went on to explain reasonably, "in her right senses is
going to admit to being twenty-one?"

"To finish what I was saying," Grace continued, while Betty and Amy
chuckled and Mollie looked wide-eyed and innocent: "I, for one, will never
take dictation from any one outside the home folks--especially mere boys
our own age,"

"Well, no one asked you to," said Mollie calmly. "I really don't see what
all the speech-making's about," she added.

"It was about the boys," said Amy, mumbling over her third piece of
chicken.

"And by the way they take it for granted we've got to do what they say,"
finished Grace.

"Well," said Betty, plucking a piece of grass and rolling it thoughtfully
between her fingers, "don't you think perhaps they act that way because
they're going 'across' so soon?"

"I don't see what that's got to do with it," returned Mollie, puzzled. "I
should think that would make them want to be especially nice to us--leave
a good impression, you know."

"Just the same I can't help thinking," Betty persisted, "that that was why
they acted so queerly about Sergeant Mullins. Maybe they think that when
they're several thousand miles away the other boys will have their
chance."

"But that's silly," objected Mollie. "As if we wouldn't think a good deal
more of them when they get over there."

"Distance lends enchantment?" queried Grace, with lifted eyebrows.

"Goose," commented Mollie.

"Goodness," cried Grace plaintively, "that's the second time I've been
called a goose in the last five minutes. Pretty soon I'll be a whole flock
of them!"

The girls laughed, and Mollie said with aggravating condescension:

"It's hard sometimes to tell the truth, Grace dear, but we only do it for
your own good. That's what friendship is for, you know."

"Then give me enemies!" cried Grace. "I don't care how many faults I have
if people just won't tell me about them."

"Which reminds me of something," said Mollie with a