"but the red deer
in Glascae air no' sae plentifu' as they used to be--A'm thinkin' the
shipyard bummer hae scairt 'em away."

She shot a sharp glance at him, then, it seemed for the first time,
noticed his stripes.

"Oh, you're a sergeant," she said. "I thought--I thought by your 'wings'
you were an officer. I didn't know that sergeants--"

Tam smiled at her confusion and when he smiled there was an infinite
sweetness in the action.

"Ye're right, Mistress. A'm a sairgeant, an' A' thocht a' the time ye
were mistakin' me for an officer, an' A'd no' the heart to stop ye, for
it's a verra lang time since A' spoke wi' a lady, an' it was verra,
verra fine."

He rose slowly and walked to his cycle--she ran after him and laid her
hand on his arm.

"I've been a low snob," she said frankly. "I beg your pardon--and you're
not to go, because I wanted to ask you about a sergeant of your
corps--you know the man that everybody is talking about. He bombed the
Kaiser's staff the other day. You've heard about it, haven't you?"

Tam kept his eyes on the distant horizon.

"Oh, he's no sae much o' a fellow--a wee chap wi' an' awfu' conceit o'
himsel'."

"Nonsense!" she scoffed, "why, Captain Blackie told me--"

Suddenly, she stepped back and gazed at him wide-eyed. "Why! You're
Tam!"

Tam went red.

"Of course you're Tam--you never wear your medal ribbons, do you? You're
called--"

"Mistress," said Tam as he saluted awkwardly and started to push his
machine, "they ca' me 'sairgeant,' an' it's no' such a bad rank."

He left her standing with heightened color blaming herself bitterly for
her _gaucherie_.

So it made that difference, too!

For some reason he did not feel hurt or unhappy. He was in his most
philosophical mood when he reached his aerodrome. He had a cause for
gratification in that she knew his name. Evidently, it was something to
be a sergeant if by so being you stand out from the ruck of men. As to
her name he had neither thought it opportune nor proper to advance
inquiries.

He smiled as he changed into his working clothes and wondered why.

* * * * *

A dozen girl drivers were waiting on the broad road before the 131st
General Hospital the next morning, exchanging views on the big things
which were happening in their little world, when one spied an airplane.

"Gracious--isn't it high! I wonder if it's a German--they're bombing
hospitals--it's British, silly--no, it