I don't like to waken you," he said, "but word has come in of
suspicious movements at Baxter and Friendship, and one or two other
places. It looks like concerted action of some sort."

"What sort of concerted action?"

"They still have one card to play. The foreign element outside hasn't
been heard from. It looks as though the fellows who left town to-night
have been getting busy up the river."

"They wouldn't be such fools as to come to the city."

"They've been made a lot of promises. They may be out of hand, you
know."

While Howard was hastily dressing, Willy Cameron waited below. He caught
a glimpse of himself in the big mirror and looked away. His face was
drawn and haggard, his eyes hollow and his collar a wilted string. He
was dusty and shabby, too, and to Lily, coming down the staircase, he
looked almost ill.

Lily was in a soft negligee garment, her bare feet thrust into slippers,
but she was too anxious to be self-conscious.

"Willy," she said, "there is trouble after all?"

"Not in the city. Things are not so quiet up the river."

She placed a hand on his arm.

"Are you and father going up the river?"

He explained, after a momentary hesitation. "It may crystallize into
something, or it may not," he finished.

"You think it will, don't you?"

"It will be nothing more, at the worst, than rioting."

"But you may be hurt!"

"I may have one chance to fight for my country," he said, rather grimly.
"Don't begrudge me that." But he added: "I'll not be hurt. The thing
will blow up as soon as it starts."

"You don't really believe that, do you?"

"I know they'll never get into the city."

But as he moved away she called him back, more breathlessly than ever,
and quite white.

"I don't want you to go without knowing--Willy, do you remember once
that you said you cared for me?"

"I remember." He stared straight ahead.

"Are you--all over that?"

"You know better than that, don't you?"

"But I've done so many things," she said, wistfully. "You ought to hate
me." And when he said nothing, for the simple reason that he could not
speak: "I've ruined us both, haven't I?"

Suddenly he caught up her hand and, bending over it, held it to his
lips.

"Always," he said, huskily, "I love you, Lily. I shall always love you."

CHAPTER XLIX

Howard went back to the municipal building, driving furiously through
the empty streets. The news was ominous. Small bodies of men, avoiding
the highway