fighting qualities were combined with great tenderness of heart and a
most loving disposition, and she could not avoid putting an echo of it
in her letter to his mother.

Later on Pen developed symptoms of pneumonia, a disease that follows
so often on an injury to the structure of the lungs.

When the _medecin-chef_ came and noted the increase in temperature and
the decrease in vitality, he looked grave. Every day, with true French
courtesy, he had congratulated Miss Byron on her remarkable success in
nursing the young American back to life. But now, perhaps, after all,
the efforts of both of them would be wasted. Pneumonia is a hard foe
to fight when it attacks wounded lungs. So an English physician was
called in and joined with the French surgeon and the American nurse to
combat the dreaded enemy. It seemed, somehow, as if each of them felt
that the honor of his or her country was at stake in this battle with
disease and death across that hospital bed in the old factory near
Rouen.

It was late in February when Pen's mother and his Aunt Millicent
reached Havre, and took the next available train up to Rouen. They had
not heard from Pen since sailing, and they were almost beside
themselves with anxiety and apprehension. But the telephone service
between the city and its faubourgs is excellent, Aunt Millicent could
speak French with comparative fluency, and it was not many minutes
after their arrival before they had obtained connection with the
hospital and were talking with Miss Byron.

"He is very ill," she said, "but we feel that the crisis of his
disease has passed, and we hope for his recovery."

So, then, he was still living, and there was hope. In the early
twilight of the winter evening the two women rode out to the suburban
town and went up to the hospital to see him. He did not open his eyes,
nor recognize them in any way, he did not even know that they were
with him.

"There have been many complications of the illness from his wound,"
said the nurse; "double pneumonia, typhoid symptoms, and what not; we
dared not hope for him for a while, but we feel now that perhaps the
worst is over. He has made a splendid fight for his life," she added;
"he deserves to win. And he is the favorite of the hospital. Every one
loves him. The first question all my patients ask me when I make my
first round for the day is 'How is the young American lieutenant this
morning?' Oh, if good wishes and genuine affection can ke