her
eyes, staring into that stream as one might into a walking wood, to
isolate a single tree. Her head reeled with the strain of it, and the
effort to catch his voice among the hubbub of all those cheery, common,
happy-go-lucky sounds. Some who saw her clucked their tongues, some went
by silent, others seemed to scan her as though she might be what they
were looking for. And ever the stream and the hubbub melted into the
train, and yet came pouring on. And still she waited motionless, with an
awful fear. How could he ever find her, or she him? Then she saw that
others of those waiting had found their men. And the longing to rush up
and down the platform almost overcame her; but still she waited. And
suddenly she saw him with two other officer boys, close to the carriages,
coming slowly down towards her. She stood with her eyes fixed on his
face; they passed, and she nearly cried out. Then he turned, broke away
from the other two, and came straight to her. He had seen her before she
had seen him. He was very flushed, had a little fixed frown between his
blue eyes and a set jaw. They stood looking at each other, their hands
hard gripped; all the emotion of last night welling up within them, so
that to speak would have been to break down. The milk-cans formed a kind
of shelter, and they stood so close together that none could see their
faces. Noel was the first to master her power of speech; her words came
out, dainty as ever, through trembling lips:

"Write to me as much as ever you can, Cyril. I'm going to be a nurse at
once. And the first leave you get, I shall come to you--don't forget."

"Forget! Move a little back, darling; they can't see us here. Kiss me!"
She moved back, thrust her face forward so that he need not stoop, and
put her lips up to his. Then, feeling that she might swoon and fall over
among the cans, she withdrew her mouth, leaving her forehead against his
lips. He murmured:

"Was it all right when you got in last night?"

"Yes; I said good-bye for you."

"Oh! Noel--I've been afraid--I oughtn't--I oughtn't--"

"Yes, yes; nothing can take you from me now."

"You have got pluck. More than!"

Along whistle sounded. Morland grasped her hands convulsively:

"Good-bye, my little wife! Don't fret. Goodbye! I must go. God bless
you, Noel!"

"I love you."

They looked at each other, just another moment, then she took her hands
from his and stood back in the shadow of the