t's sort of cheating the
government, do you?" he added.

Mr. Burton laughed. "I don't think the government will object to that
sort of cheating," he said.

"I read about a feller that joined in France, so I know you can do it.
You see, it cuts out a lot of red tape, and I'd kind of like hiking it
alone--ever since I was a scout I've felt that way."

"Once a scout, always a scout," smiled Mr. Burton, using a phrase of
which he was very fond and which Tom had learned from him; "and it
wouldn't be Tom Slade if he didn't go about things in a way of his own,
eh, Tom? Well, good luck to you."

Tom went out and in his exuberance he showed Mr. Conne's letter to
Margaret Ellison, who also worked in Temple Camp office.

"It's splendid," she said, "and as soon as you _know_ you're going I'm
going to hang a service flag in the window."

"You can't hang out a service flag for a feller that's working on a
transport," Tom said. "He isn't in regular military service. When I'm
enlisted I'll let you know."

"You must be sure to write."

Tom promised and was delighted. So great was his elation, indeed, that
on his way home to his room that evening he went through Terrace Avenue
again, to see how the Red Cross women were getting on in their new
quarters.

Mary Temple received him in a regular nurse's costume, which made Tom
almost wish that he were lying wounded on some battle-field. She was
delighted at his good news, and, "Oh, we had such a funny man here just
after you left," she said. "Mother thinks he must have been insane. He
said he came to read the gas-meter, so I took him down into the cellar
and the gas-meter had been taken away. Wouldn't you think the gas
company would have known that? Then he said he would stay in the cellar
and inspect the pipes."

"Did you let him?" Tom asked.

"I certainly did _not_! With all our stuff down there? When he saw I
intended to stay down as long as he did, he went right up. Do you think
he wanted to steal some of our membership buttons?"

Tom shrugged his shoulders thoughtfully. He was glad the next day was
Saturday.

CHAPTER IV

HE GETS A JOB AND MEETS "FRENCHY"

Tom found Mr. Conne poring over a scrapbook filled with cards containing
finger-prints. His unlighted cigar was cocked up in the corner of his
mouth like a flag-pole from a window, just the same as when Tom had seen
him last. It almost seemed as if it must be the very same cigar. He
greeted Tom cordially.