tes Embassy and they gave us your address. Then they left me
here. I am dreadfully hungry; can't we have something to eat before I
finish my story?"

"Certainly not," Barbara insisted, "or not until you have answered two
or three more questions. For I am much more apt to die of curiosity than
you are to perish of starvation. How long did you remain at Grovno, and
did the Germans ever capture you? I suppose your general didn't die, if
he escorted you to our humble door. But if he wasn't desperately ill,
why did he have you stay so long in a position of such danger?" And
Barbara ceased to ask more questions simply because her breath had given
out.

At the same instant Nona signaled a warning glance. Mildred was almost
fainting with exhaustion. In these last few weeks she must have passed
through difficult experiences and naturally she could not tell them
everything at once.

"Please go downstairs and ask that dinner be sent up, Barbara," Nona
demanded. "And get soup or milk or something special; if not I'll make
some beef tea for Mildred on the alcohol lamp. Mildred, suppose you put
on my wrapper and lie down until after you have eaten, then we can talk
as long as you have strength for."

And the girls did talk until nearly midnight in spite of Mildred's
fatigue. She was perfectly well, only tired, she insisted, and greatly
excited at seeing Nona and Barbara again.

She had passed through events in these past few weeks such as few women
have ever known. But of course Mildred related what had taken place in a
simple, almost matter of fact fashion. She was so little given to
heroics, or to thinking of herself as a conspicuous personage.

"Yes, they had stayed on at Grovno until almost the hour when the
Germans entered the old fortress. General Alexis had been wounded,
but had not considered his wound serious and would not desert his
post until he had finally accomplished his purpose. For the last
hour virtually only six persons had kept the German army from
entering the fortifications: General Alexis, Colonel Feodorovitch,
two lieutenants and two private soldiers, although the Russian
physician, who had remained with his commander, had turned soldier
toward the last."

"But you don't mean that you continued inside the fort to the very end?"
Barbara demanded almost angrily. "I suppose you were forgotten."

"I think I was at the last," Mildred returned. "You see, at first when
General Alexis discovered that I was th