me way or other," added Hanky
Panky. "You can see her hug and kiss the little girl, and then read her
letter again. Now she looks around as if wondering where she can find a
friend. Say, Rod, you can speak French right well; what's to hinder our
finding out what the matter is? Everybody in Antwerp is too excited
about the war to bother over a little thing like a poor French woman's
troubles."

Thus appealed to Rod laughed good-naturedly, and then led the way
straight toward the spot where the owner of the dog team stood.
Evidently she was on her rounds delivering fresh milk, when overtaken by
bad news.

When Rod addressed her in her native tongue she looked up appealingly.
Evidently she must have liked the appearance of the three frank-looking
American boys, for she quickly commenced to talk volubly, all the while
shrugging her shoulders, and emphasizing her words with gestures and
face expressions.

The other boys could see that she was comparatively young, and not bad
looking. As for the child, they were greatly smitten with her pink
cheeks and big black eyes, as well as the coy glances the little thing
gave them.

Presently Rod was seen to be reading a letter she handed him, and which
she may have taken from the mail while on her milk route. Again Rod
conversed with her, greatly to the mystification of his comrades, who
thought he would never stop.

Finally Rod turned toward them.

"For goodness' sake tell us what it all means, Rod!" urged Hanky Panky.

"Yes; has her landlord threatened to turn her out unless she can pay the
rent, and ought we put up our spare cash to help settle the bill?"
demanded Josh.

"Oh! it's a thousand times more serious than that," said Rod, which
remark, of course, aroused the curiosity of his chums more than ever.

"Get some speed on then, Rod, and give us the gist of the business,"
said Hanky Panky appealingly; "of course there's a heap of trouble in
the old city just now, but when a case pokes right out in front of you
it's hard to pass by. If we could help the little French woman and her
pretty child, why, we ought to wake up and do something."

"Wait till you hear how the thing stands before you get so rash," warned
Rod, who knew only too well the hasty ways of his two chums. "This
little woman's name is Jeanne D'Aubrey. Her husband is a French
reservist named Andre. He was called to the colors as soon as the war
broke out, leaving her here in Antwerp with her little daugh