ristina in distress. "Why, Mary, I haven't even
been asked to live at the Ford place yet, and it's positively shameless
to talk about, about anything, yet!"

"Nonsense!" laughed the practical Mary. "You know perfectly well that
Wallace is in love with you, and that you are as good as engaged."

"He is not! I am not!" denied Christina excitedly. "Don't you talk
like that, Mary, I--I can't bear it--"

"Why, Christine, why, mercy! I didn't mean anything!" cried Mary,
alarmed and amazed at the sight of tears in Christina's eyes. "Why,
what's the matter, dear? You haven't quarrelled with Wallace, have
you?"

"Oh, no, of course not," said Christina dolefully, regaining her
composure.

"And his mother's just lovely to you now, isn't she?"

"Yes."

"And, well, what's wrong? Why, any girl I know, even here in town,
would give anything for your prospects!"

But Christina could not explain her sudden outburst. It had astonished
herself as much as Mary. She knew that now was the great opportunity
to confess to Mary that Wallace had fallen far below her high standard,
but the memory of the Ford place and all it meant closed her lips. It
seemed too much to give up, and she went home with the battle between
her heart and her head still raging.

CHAPTER XIV

"OVER THE TOP"

The Lindsay boys had been about a month on the battle line when, beside
their weekly letters, there came a splendid big fat envelope to the
home people, containing a letter from each of the three.

There had been many letters from the boys, gay and bright and full of
cheer, but none that contained such comfort as these. And the
assurance they brought put new life into the mother and Christina's
loving eyes noted a new energy in all her movements.

She read Jimmie's letter first. It was headed "Back of the Front," and
was largely taken up with a list of the wonderful things they had had
to eat for their Christmas dinner. It was a bang-up spread, sure
enough, and with the boxes sent from home on top of it all, they ate so
much that they couldn't even have run away if Fritz had come over to
pay them a visit.

But the important part of the letter was the description of a Sunday
afternoon he and Neil and Sandy spent together behind the lines. It
was great having that day with Sandy. Of course he and Neil were
always together, for Jimmie wished to assure them all at home that he
couldn't blow his nose without Neil standing over him