! The honor of our country is vindicated!"

War! Jeb felt suddenly sick and dizzy. The targets which had meant so
much to him, taking on a lustre as if they were jewels in his crown of
pride, and passports to a military future, became gray and sordid. He
hated them, he hated everything they stood for, and, seeing the eyes of
Marian and her father fixed upon the Colonel, he surreptitiously dropped
them to the floor, pushing them farther out of sight beneath the table
with his foot.

"War!" Marian gasped, as though she were struggling to take in the full
significance of this startling news. Then she flew to the editor and
wrapped him in her arms, saying excitedly: "Oh, Daddy, remember your
promise! I'm going!--I'm going! You _said_ I could if it ever came!--and
I'm all ready, Daddy dear, for the very first boat that leaves!"

The Colonel could not have told why, but suddenly he burst into tears,
coughed, made a great fuss pulling himself together, and thundered:

"War! War on the damnedest hierachy of fiends--if I may use the
term--the world has ever known! And we're going to thrash 'em if it
takes the last drop of blood in Hillsdale; yes, sir, the very last drop!
You, Jeb, will now lead your company into the thick of it! Lord, boy,
but I envy you!"

Marian left her father and ran to Jeb.

"Oh, just think!--maybe we can go on the same----" She stopped short,
frightened at the appearance of his face. She tried to finish the
sentence, but stammered over it as though her eyes, dilated with horror,
were holding her tongue captive by what she saw.

Amos Strong had turned and was looking out of the window, overcome by
the far-reaching consequences of his promise made half thoughtlessly two
years before, and he therefore did not see the mute tragedy being played
behind him; but the Colonel missed none of it, although his faith in Jeb
was too deeply rooted to be shaken. He merely believed that his young
friend had been shocked--for the moment shocked--and nothing more; a
belief which he considered justified when Jeb, calling upon every ounce
of the Tumpson pride, forced his knees to stiffen and his lips to smile.

Marian approached him.

"Jeb," she said, laughing a little hysterically, "you frightened me."

"How?" he turned to her slowly, still hammering himself into better
control.

"Never mind now! Some day I'll offer you an apology."

Although she was still laughing, the Colonel saw at once what had been
passing