mily or friends. She was going
to him.

With trembling fingers she packed a small basket with some apples, a jar
of jelly and a slice of cake. There was no time for her own lunch, so
she hurriedly put on her coat and twisting a faded scarf about her neck
trudged out into the blustery afternoon.

The blizzard of the day before had almost suspended traffic, and when
she finally succeeded in getting a car, it was only to find that it ran
no farther than the city limits.

"How much farther is it to the Camp?" Miss Mink asked desperately.

"About a mile," said the conductor. "I wouldn't try it if I was you, the
walking's fierce."

But Miss Mink was not to be turned back. Gathering her skirts as high as
her sense of propriety would permit, and grasping her basket she set
bravely forth. The trip alone to the Camp, under the most auspicious
circumstances, would have been a trying ordeal for her, but under the
existing conditions it required nothing less than heroism. The snow had
drifted in places as high as her knees, and again and again she stumbled
and almost lost her footing as she staggered forward against the force
of the icy wind.

Before she had gone half a mile she was ready to collapse with
nervousness and exhaustion.

"Looks like I just can't make it," she whimpered, "and yet I'm going
to!"

The honk of an automobile sent her shying into a snowdrift, and when she
caught her breath and turned around she saw that the machine had stopped
and a hand was beckoning to her from the window.

"May I give you a lift?" asked a girl's high sweet voice and, looking
up, she saw a sparkling face smiling down at her over an upturned fur
collar.

Without waiting to be urged she climbed into the machine, stumbled over
the rug, and sank exhausted on the cushions.

"Give me your basket," commanded the young lady. "Now put your feet on
the heater. Sure you have room?"

Miss Mink, still breathless, nodded emphatically.

"It's a shame to ask anyone to ride when I'm so cluttered up," continued
the girl gaily. "I'm taking these things out to my sick soldier boys."

Miss Mink, looking down, saw that the floor of the machine was covered
with boxes and baskets.

"I'm going to the Hospital, too," she said.

"That's good!" exclaimed the girl. "I can take you all the way. Perhaps
you have a son or a grandson out there?"

Miss Mink winced. "No, he ain't any kin to me," she said, "but I been
sort of looking after him."

"How