, dear." The old lady rose, and when she started for the door
Mollie ran before her and opened it.

When she had gone, the girls sat still, just looking at each other for a
few minutes. Then--

"Isn't she wonderful?" breathed Betty. "After all these years she would
give him up gladly for the sake of her country. That's real patriotism."

"She deserves to get him back," murmured Mollie, as though speaking to
herself.

"Well, that's just the reason she won't," said Grace, irritably struggling
with an unruly lock of hair. "Nobody ever gets what he deserves in this
awful world. What is the matter with my hair this morning? It looks just
exactly as I feel."

"Oh, come away from the mirror, Gracie," cried Betty, putting an arm about
her and dragging her, an unwilling victim, out into the hall. "You'll feel
better after you've had your breakfast. And remember," she added
diplomatically, "there's a brand new box of candy in your left-hand
dresser drawer."

The ruse worked, and a smile forced its way through Grace's discontent.
Then a sudden thought struck her and the smile flickered and went out
altogether.

"It was Roy's parting gift," she said, striving to speak lightly, though
her voice trembled ever so little. "You know, Betty," she said in a rare
burst of confidence, "I never had the slightest idea I could feel so
really b-bad--" her eyes filled and she brushed her hand across them
impatiently.

"Am I not a goose?" she asked plaintively, and Betty, trying to laugh,
choked, too, and abandoned the attempt.

Then they both smiled, an April sort of uncertain smile and went in to
breakfast.

"I guess," remarked Betty whimsically, just as Mollie and Amy ran down the
stairs and into the room, "that we're fast becoming what you said you were
the other day, Gracie--a regular flock of geese!"

CHAPTER XVI

SPARRING FOR TIME

The roads were muddy from the heavy rain that had fallen over night, but
Mollie demurred when the girls suggested that they walk to the station
rather than go in the automobile.

"It may be all very well for you," she declared, "but I certainly don't
feel in any mood for taking a two-mile walk this morning."

"Well, my knees do feel kind of weak and wobbly," agreed Amy plaintively.
"But you know how reckless you are, Mollie, and on these wet roads we're
very apt to skid."

"Well, but what's one skid more or less in a good cause?" interrupted
Betty merrily. "Besides, I guess we would