had been
transferred to the American front; in fact was right then only a few
miles away from where we stood and talked."

"You never said a word to me about it, Jack! Nor has Nellie
written--unless her letter was lost."

"Meant to tell you, Tom, several times, but something always butted in;
and finally it slipped my mind. And, really, I supposed you knew. But
what do you think of my scheme?"

"Perfectly lovely. It's about the only way I see that we can get Jeanne
into proper hands. Nellie has a heart of gold, and will manage somehow
to see that the little thing is properly cared for."

"Especially when she learns that you've constituted yourself Jeanne's
guardian and protector," chuckled Jack.

"Let up on that, I tell you!"

"Well, this child seems to be thrown in my way for a purpose, and, Tom,
I'm going to try my level best to save her twin sister from that
scoundrel of an uncle," announced Jack, with returning seriousness.

"Hear! hear!" chuckled Tom. "All the knights haven't cashed in yet, it
seems. You ought to have a Sancho Panza around, Jack, because you're out
to rescue beauty in distress; even if in this case the little lady is
only about six years old. But tell me again what the name of the arch
villain is. At the time you mentioned it before, I thought it seemed
sort of familiar to me."

Jack referred again to the crumpled slip of paper to make certain, after
which he announced:

"A regular German name, it seems, though he may of course be a
Lorrainer, as Jeanne's mother was. Anton von Berthold."

"H'm! Thought so!" Tom burst out. "Don't you remember there's a General
von Berthold on the other side, a particularly smart military man, too,
who they say originated this machine-gun-nest business as a means for
delaying the pursuit of a retreating army?"

"Tom, you're right!" exclaimed Jack, evidently annoyed, thinking that
that circumstance might make his self-assumed task the more difficult.
"Wouldn't it be queer if he should prove to be the very one? It doesn't
seem reasonable to me."

"Why not?" demanded his companion quickly. "Couldn't a German general
conspire to lay hands on the property of a relative just as easily as
any ordinary person? Haven't they been accused of stealing most of the
valuables in Belgium and Northern France as spoils of war, from
priceless paintings and works of art to family plate and jewelry?"

"I reckon you're about right, Tom, so far as that goes," agreed Jack,