g girl
who was ill in our temporary hospital in Luxemburg. I thought of course
she would write me, as she promised to write when we said goodby. But I
have never had a line from her and neither has Sonya although Sonya and
I have both written her since our arrival in Coblenz. I am afraid
something must have occurred to prevent her writing and so I have been
uneasy."

Bianca's speech was not especially clear, nevertheless Carlo listened
sympathetically and asked no embarrassing questions.

A little time after they entered the famous Coblenzhof where Bianca had
been invited to have tea.

It was crowded with people and looked like Sherry's on a Saturday
afternoon.

Both Carlo and Bianca gazed around them in amazement.

The people were all comfortably, some of them almost handsomely dressed,
even if with little taste, but this was usual in Germany. They were
drinking coffee and eating little oatmeal cakes and appeared contented
and serene, even without their famous "Deutsche kuchen."

"I sometimes wonder, Carlo," Bianca whispered, when they were seated at
a small table in a corner, "if some of these people are not glad after
all that the Kaiser has been defeated and that they are to have a new
form of government and more personal freedom? They certainly seem to be
glad the fighting is over. I suppose they had grown deadly tired of it
and of being deceived by their leaders."

Carlo shook his head warningly.

"Be careful, Bianca. In spite of what you think there are still
thousands of people in Coblenz faithful both to the Kaiser and his
principles. Some of them may seem friendly to us, but the greater number
are sullen and suspicious, regardless of the order that they are to
appear as friendly as possible to our American troops. Yet somehow one
can't help feeling as if there were plots against us of which we know
nothing, just as there was in every allied country before the beginning
of the war."

Carlo smiled.

"Here I am saying the very character of thing I asked you not to speak
of, Bianca! By the way, do you suppose we know any people here? Let us
look around and see."

CHAPTER XIV

_Major James Hersey_

ARRANGEMENTS had been made in Coblenz for the quartering of the officers
of the American Army of Occupation in certain German homes, payment
being made in an ordinary business fashion.

On arriving in Coblenz, after his illness in Luxemburg, Major Jimmie
Hersey discovered that especially comfo