ng else talked of at the Red Cross rooms the next day.
Mrs. Sutherland was quite severe in her condemnation of Gavin for going
and leaving a farm and three helpless women who had brought him up and
given him his chance in the world.

"It is his plain duty to stay at home," she said distinctly. "It is
nothing but a desire for adventure that is taking many of our young men
away, when they are needed here to work the land. No young man with a
farm should be allowed to enlist."

This was too much for Mrs. Johnnie Dunn, of course, and she proceeded
to rid herself of the burden of it.

"Well, my stars!" she declared loudly, her needle flying in and out in
time to her words, "I would rather get down on my marrow bones and
scrub for my living if I was the Grant Girls than keep a young man at
home. Gavin Grant's duty ain't at home any more than Trooper's is.
The Grant Girls'll never want. Hughie Reid is just a brother to them,
and he's to work the farm. And the Grant Girls are as well fixed as
any folks in this Hall. And let me ask yous folks what good our
farms'll be to us when the Germans gets here. Just tell me that, now?"

As usual, the Prime Minister had silenced the Monarch, and the latter
took refuge in a royal and dignified silence that ignored the noisy
usurper.

"Christina, my dear," Mrs. Sutherland said, "will you be so good as to
fetch me another skein of this sweater-coat yarn from the storeroom?"
Christina went obediently, inwardly hot and raging. She wanted to rush
in by The Woman's side and stand up for Gavin and tell how chivalrous
and brave he really was. But how ridiculous she would look speaking up
to Wallace's mother in that fashion. And yet, it seemed as if some one
had cast a reflection upon Sandy so much did it annoy her.

She was unpacking the desired article from a bale, hidden by a pile of
supplies which The Woman had brought out the evening before, when
voices from the other side of the barrier reached her.

"She won't stay President long, I bet." It was Tilly's voice and
Tilly's giggle accompanied it. "She's started now to talk like the war
was wrong and young men shouldn't go."

"Everybody knows it's all because Wallace won't go," answered Bell
Brown. "Pa says Dr. McGarry won't speak at any more recruitin'
meetings nor anything because he's so ashamed."

"I don't see how Christine Lindsay..." But Christina had tiptoed out
of her ambush and escaped into the main room with the