ls into his palms in a sort of castigation. "I am the same as a
soldier now--a soldier assigned to a definite duty for my flag. I should
break my word of honor--a soldier's word of honor! No, not that again!"

He snatched down the receiver to make sure that temptation did not
reappear in too luring a guise, and still another Gustave Feller was in
the ascendant.

"Didn't I say to trust it to me, Lanny?" he called merrily. "Miss
Galland consents!"

"She does? Good! Good for you, Gustave!"

"Her second thought," Feller rejoined. "And, Lanny," he proceeded in
boyish enthusiasm, using a slang word of military school days, "it was
bulludgeous the way we brought down their planes and dirigibles! How I
ache to be in it when the guns are so busy! With batteries back of the
house and an automatic in the yard, things seem very homelike. I--"

"Gustave," interrupted Lanstron, "we all have our weaknesses, and
perhaps yours is to play a part. So keep away from the fight and don't
think of the guns!"

"I will, I swear!" Feller answered fervently. "One thought, one duty!
I'll 'phone you when the house is taken, and if you don't hear from me
again, why, you'll know the plan has failed and I'm a prisoner. But,
trust me, Lanny! Trust me--for my flag and my country against the
invader!"

"Against the invader--that justifies all! And get Miss Galland out of
it. You seem to have influence with her. Get her out of it!"

"Trust me!"

"Bless you, and God with you!"

"One thought, one duty!" repeated Feller with the devoutness of a monk
trying to forget everything except his aves as he started toward the
stairway. "I wonder if we still hold the knoll!" he mused, extinguishing
the lantern. "We do! we do!" he cried when he was in the doorway. "Oh,
this is life!" he added after a deep-drawn breath, watching the little
clouds of shrapnel smoke here and there along the base of the range.

XXII

FLOWERS FOR THE WOUNDED

Was there nothing for Marta to do? Could she only look on in a fever of
restlessness while action roared around her? On the way from the tower
to the house the sight of several automobile ambulances in the road at
the foot of the garden stilled the throbs of distraction in her temples
with an answer. The wounded! They were already coming in from the field.
She hurried down the terrace steps. The major surgeon in charge,
surprised to find any woman in the vicinity, was about to tell her so
automatically; then, i