and my father died soon after when I was a few years old.
Afterwards I was brought up by a very unpleasant old uncle of the story
book variety, who disliked me and everything about me.

"I never had any friends except Ruth Carroll, who is an angel and has
always been good to me. People in little towns are still suspicious of
an ancestry like mine. I want to be a dancer myself, but I have never
had the opportunity. So I studied nursing because Ruth was studying and
because I wanted to help in the war and most of all, to get away from
Cloverport, Kentucky.

"There is my history in a nutshell, but what is really interesting in
life isn't the chapters one has already read, it is the chapters to
come. I hope we may soon go on to Coblenz. I am sure we will have an
interesting time there. Only of course I am sorry, Countess Charlotta,
that you will not be with us."

Older than her companions, Theodosia's dramatic Irish instinct was
somewhat overwhelming. Even the little Luxemburg countess felt her own
story of less interest and importance by comparison.

Fortunately Theodosia had also an Irish sense of humor and observing the
awestruck expressions of her companions, suddenly she laughed a gay
little laugh which was one of the attractions of her odd and not always
pleasing personality.

"Oh, you must not take what I have just told you too seriously. Ruth
Carroll, who understands me better than any one else, says I get more
pleasure than sorrow out of my queer history. As for the dancing I only
wish to do folk dancing and Mrs. Clark tells me the soldiers are
beginning to be interested in folk dancing as one of the methods of
amusing themselves. I told her how much I was interested and she told me
there might be a chance to help entertain the soldiers as well as nurse
them, after the army of occupation settles down for a long watch upon
the Rhine. Goodnight," and even more quickly than she had appeared,
Thea, as her friends called her, slipped out of the big chair and
disappeared.

A few minutes later Bianca went her way to bed. She was wearing a small
pin which the Countess Charlotta had given her, not only as a mark of
her friendship, but for a secret reason which only the two girls were to
know.

So it chanced that the group of Red Cross girls and the little Luxemburg
countess became fairly well acquainted with each other's past histories
because of the natural fondness of girls for confiding in one another.
Only Nora