ded to marry you?"

"I hardly think there'll be any trouble on that score when I get ready to
propose," smiled the first lieutenant complacently, as he lolled back in
his seat. "You seem surprised," he added.

"Well, rather!" said the other officer dryly, still staring.

"What's there so surprising about that?" The first lieutenant was
enjoying the sensation he was creating. He knew that the second
lieutenant had always been "sweet" on Ruth Macdonald.

"Well, you know, Harry, you're pretty rotten!" said the second lieutenant
uneasily, a flush beginning to rise in his face. "I didn't think you'd
have the nerve. She's a mighty fine girl, you know. She's--_unusual_!"

"Exactly. Didn't you suppose I would want a fine girl when I marry?"

"I don't believe you're really going to do it!" burst forth the second
lieutenant. "In fact, I don't believe I'll _let_ you do it if you try!"

"You couldn't stop me, Bob!" with an amiable sneer. "One word from you,
young man, and I'd put your captain wise about where you were the last
time you overstayed your leave and got away with it. You know I've got a
pull with your captain. It never pays for the pot to call the kettle
black."

The second lieutenant sat back sullenly with a deep red streaking his
cheeks.

"You're no angel yourself, Bob, see?" went on the first lieutenant lying
back in his seat in satisfied triumph, "and I'm going to marry Ruth
Macdonald next week and get a ten days' leave! Put that in your pipe and
smoke it!"

There ensued a long and pregnant silence. One glance at the second
lieutenant showed that he was most effectually silenced.

The front door of the car slammed open and shut, and a tall slim officer
with touches of silver about the edges of his dark hair, and a look of
command in his keen eyes came crisply down the aisle. The two young
lieutenants sat up with a jerk, and an undertone of oaths, and prepared
to salute as he passed them. The captain gave them a quick searching
glance as he saluted and went on to the next car.

The two jerked out salutes and settled back uneasily.

"That man gives me a pain!" said Harry Wainwright preparing to soothe his
ruffled spirits by a fresh cigarette.

"He thinks he's so doggone good himself that he has to pry into other
people's business and get them in wrong. It beats me how he ever got to
be a captain--a prim old fossil like him!"

"It might puzzle some people to know how you got your commission, Harry.
Yo