plained Sergeant Hal. "But I'll stick to it, Mother,
that the average of weather that we struck in the Philippines was not
nearly so disagreeable as the weather is here to-day."

"That's so," nodded youthful Sergeant Terry, with emphasis.

"I don't understand that," replied Mrs. Overton, looking a good deal
puzzled.

"I don't pretend to understand it, either, Mother," Hal continued. "But
it's a fact that there are very few spots in the actual tropics that
seem so disagreeable as are New York City and some places in New Jersey
in the heated terms of July and August."

"That astonishes me," declared Mrs. Overton. "I have always supposed
that, the further south one goes in summer, the hotter one finds it. So
New York City is hotter in summer than the tropics?"

"It seems hotter," Sergeant Hal affirmed.

The boys were more or less inclined to joke Mrs. Overton, because, while
there are many pleasant days in the tropics, particularly near the
coast, the weather is for the most part undeniably hot and oppressive.

"Anyhow," remarked Noll, philosophically, "the hardest thing we have to
do here is to walk a short distance down the street and buy another ice
cream."

"I'd rather be working," retorted Hal quickly. "I'd rather be doing
anything than lying idly around like this!"

"Henry!" cried his mother reproachfully. She was sure to be hurt or
angry when she addressed him so formally. "Don't you care anything about
being at home, after you've been away from us for more than three
years?"

"Of course I care about being home, Mother," Sergeant Hal made haste to
rejoin, as he rose, went over and kissed her. "But I don't believe you
can gain a hundredth of an idea as to the suspense Noll and I are under
at present. When we get our orders from the War Department we'll
know--one way or the other."

"Oh, you're safe enough for your commission as second lieutenant, Hal,"
Noll broke in. "I only wish I felt half as safe for myself as I do for
you."

"It doesn't seem fair that you shouldn't both get your commissions as
second lieutenants," murmured Mrs. Overton. "You're both certain that
you passed your final examinations at Fort Leavenworth."

"We'd both get our commissions, Mother, if there were vacancies enough.
However, this year fifty-nine young soldiers passed their final
examinations, and there are only forty-two vacancies to be filled from
the ranks. Consequently, seventeen of us----"

"It isn't fair," broke in M