nd the
room was in its usual spotless order, but there was no sign of its
owner. And then he noticed a note pinned to the pillow with his name
on it. He tore it open in dismayed haste. Mark Falls had always had
the idea that Joanna would run away some day, perhaps because she was
always threatening to do it. His mind worked rather slowly and he had
scarcely time to formulate his fears when he had read the note.

"Dear Pa, There's mush on the back of the stove and you can warm it up
for yourself. Mitty will likely come over and get your meals till I
come back. I guess I will be back on Friday. Trooper and I are going
in to Algonquin to get married before he goes away. You don't need to
make a fuss for if you do there is no great cause for to stay home at
all, Joanna."

Mark Falls merely grunted. It was always what he expected of Joan, he
declared, she was flighty like her mother.

He sat down morosely to his breakfast. The mush was not very good when
it was warmed up. He felt sure that Mitty would never cook things as
he liked them. By the time he had finished his unpalatable breakfast
he decided that he would act upon Joanna's hint and make no fuss when
she returned. Whatever his daughter's temper, there was no doubt she
could make the kind of meals a man could eat.

CHAPTER X

CALLED TO THE COLOURS

For some time after the first stir of Burke's and Trooper's departure,
the war occupied all minds. The first shock of German brutality was
shaking civilisation, and people were trying to readjust themselves to
living back in the days of barbarity. Mr. Holmes was compelled each
day to contradict the prophecies he had made the day before until he
became quite discouraged, and the groups that met every day at the
store to wait for the daily papers which the Doctor and Mr. Sinclair
took, began to have their long-established faith in his opinions rather
disturbed.

For even if the Germans had not succeeded in persuading the postmaster
that he was wrong Dr. McGarry would have done so. The Doctor was a
tremendously loyal Briton and these disastrous days were hard on his
temper. People were afraid to ask him how the war was going, when he
opened the newspaper, for if it were bad woe betide the questioner.
The reverses of the Allies were nearly breaking his big heart and he
had to vent his grief and wrath on somebody. He railed at Britain for
being unprepared, he stormed at the United States for