"I thought,--oh, I do not know what I thought. Well, we can shunt Mr.
Hiltze off a little, if you wish. But you should not dislike him. He is
greatly interested in you, and so full of enthusiasm and eagerness for
this Americanization idea. He has been a great help to me, and he is very
clever. And since he brought us together we should love him a little. Any
one who struggles with Americanization deserves my patriotic and
sympathetic interest, at least."

"Yes, I know." And she added slowly: "One can show enthusiasm for the
things one hates worst in the world,--if there is a secret reason."

"You do not mean Mr. Hiltze, do you?" asked Eveley, with quiet loyalty.

"No, to be sure not. I only said one could."

"Mr. Hiltze is nothing to us. Toss him away. Come now, let's doll up for
our party."

They were two radiantly lovely girls who stood in the little garden on
the roof of the sun parlor, waiting for the men who ran up the wavering
rustic stairs to join them.

"Oh, girls," cried Nolan plaintively, as he saw them in their beauty. "It
is not fair of you to look like this. Marie, you are exquisite. Eveley,
you ought to be ashamed of yourself."

"Yes, we are," said Eveley pleasantly. "Jimmy, I want you to meet my
darling and adorable little friend, Marie Ledesma. This is Lieutenant
Ames, Marie."

Lieutenant Ames stood very tall and slim and straight as he looked into
Marie's face. Then he saw the soft appeal in her eyes.

"Be good to me," they seemed to beg, "be generous, and kind."

It was in answer to this plea of the limpid eyes that he held out his
hand with sudden impulse, and said:

"Miss Ledesma, when Eveley speaks like that, I know your friendship is a
priceless boon, and I want my share of it. I am receiving a sort of
psychic message that you and I are destined to be good comrades."

A sudden wave of light swept over her lovely face, and her lips parted in
a happy smile.

"Lieutenant Ames," she whispered in her soft voice, "do you really feel
so? And then you also are my friend?"

"Jimmy Ames, you stop that," cried Eveley. "Marie belongs to me, and you
must not even try to supplant me. I won't have it. Come on in, everybody,
and let's play, play, play to our heart's content."

Marie went through the window first, with a light slender swing of her
feet. But Eveley, as always plunging impulsively, lost her balance and
fell among the cushions. Nolan and the lieutenant followed laughing.

"We must