rom the
United States to do Red Cross work among the Allies, Eugenia should
be the first to marry! She, a New England old maid, disapproving of
matrimony and, above all, of international marriages!

Yet the wedding had taken place in the previous spring at the little
French "Farmhouse with the Blue Front Door," where the four girls had
spent the most cheerful months since their arrival in Europe for the
war nursing.

Only once had Nona and Mildred deserted their posts in Belgium, where
they had continued Eugenia's work of caring for the homeless Belgian
children. Then they had gone to attend her wedding, but had returned
to Belgium as soon as possible.

But Eugenia and Captain Castaigne had taken scarcely more time for
their own honeymoon.

Soon after the ceremony Captain Castaigne had gone to rejoin his
regiment and three days after Eugenia had become a member of the
staff of a French hospital near her husband's line of trenches.

So it turned out that Barbara Meade was left at the Chateau d'Amelie,
as Madame Castaigne's friend and companion. Dick Thornton boarded in
the village near by, so that he and Barbara had a number of happy
months together.

But Dick had finally decided that he must return to America and had
urged Barbara and his sister Mildred to return with him. Of course,
Nona had been invited to accompany them, but no special pressure had
been brought upon her.

However, Mildred did not feel that her Red Cross work in Europe was
finished, while Barbara refused to desert her friends.

But Barbara had another reason for her decision: she desired Dick to
be alone when he confessed their engagement to his mother and father.
Barbara had little fear of Judge Thornton's disapproval, but felt
reasonably convinced that Mrs. Thornton would be both disappointed
and aggrieved. Certainly she had never hesitated to announce that
she expected her son Dick to make a brilliant match. How could she
then be satisfied with a western girl of no wealth or distinction?

It happened that Dick Thornton also had a private reason for finally
agreeing to Barbara's wish. His experiences in the past two years had
given him a new point of view toward life. No longer was he willing to
be known only as his father's son and to continue being supported by
him. Before Dick married he intended making a position for himself, so
as to be able to take care of his own wife.

Nona also recalled that she was really responsible for their