off before more could be said. This was an old topic of
Aunt Rhoda's and had been most fully discussed during the young years of
Ruth's life, so that she did not care to enter into it further.

But Ruth was not fully satisfied with just helping her Italians. The very
week she came back from camp she had gone to their old family physician
who held a high and responsible position in the medical world, and made
her plea:

"Daddy-Doctor," she said, using her old childish name for him, "you've
got to find a way for me to go over there and help the war. I know I
don't know much about nursing, but I'm sure I could learn. I've taken
care of Grandpa and Auntie a great many times and watched the trained
nurses, and I'm sure if Lalla Farrington and Bernice Brooks could get
into the Red Cross and go over in such a short time I'm as bright as
they."

"Brighter!" said the old doctor eyeing her approvingly. "But what will
your people say?"

"They'll have to let me, Daddy-Doctor. Besides, everybody else is doing
it, and you know that has great weight with Aunt Rhoda."

"It's a hard life, child! You never saw much of pain and suffering and
horror."

"Well, it's time, then."

"But those men over there you would have to care for will not be like
your grandfather and aunt. They will be dirty and bloody, and covered
with filth and vermin."

"Well, what of that!"

"Could you stand it?"

"So you think I'm a butterfly, too, do you, Daddy-Doctor? Well, I want to
prove to you that I'm not. I've been doing my best to get used to dirt
and distress. I washed a little sick Italian baby yesterday and helped
it's mother scrub her floor and make the house clean."

"The dickens you did!" beamed the doctor proudly. "I always knew you had
a lot of grit. I guess you've got the right stuff in you. But say, if I
help you you've got to tell me the real reason why you want to go, or
else--nothing doing! Understand? I know you aren't like the rest, just
wanting to get into the excitement and meet a lot of officers and have a
good time so you can say afterward you were there. You aren't that kind
of a girl. What's the real reason you want to go? Have you got somebody
over there you're interested in?"

He looked at her keenly, with loving, anxious eyes as her father's friend
who had known her from birth might look.

Ruth's face grew rosy, and her eyes dropped, but lifted again undaunted:

"And if I have, Daddy-Doctor, is there anything wrong abo