right again. They have not taken him away, have they?"

"They were going at noon to-day," answered Mrs. Sherman. "I don't
understand at all, Bill. How do you happen to have the money, and all
that?"

"I will tell you everything about it presently, mother," said Bill. "I
want you to take care of Ernest Breeze, if you will. It is his plane,
and he has a broken arm and could not manage to drive, so I had to do
it. We flew all night and all day yesterday. Gosh, we are about all in!"

"Don't say another word then!" cried Mrs. Sherman. "Dad isn't out yet,
but go get Ernest and I will make some coffee."

Bill took a quick step to her side.

"Coffee for three, please, mother," he said. "There is someone else with
us. Frank Anderson is here. He knows something about the theft."

Bill stumbled over his statement. Somehow he hated to tell his mother
the bald and awful truth about the boy who had been his friend and hers.

She did not wait for further explanations. Already she was moving
rapidly about the tiny kitchen, regulating the roaring fire that had
already been started by the janitor, and getting out the canister of
coffee.

Bill went back to the airplane. With the aid of the soldiers grouped
about, he assisted Ernest over to the quarters, and laid him down on the
Major's bed. That gentleman called a lathery greeting from the bathroom
where he was shaving.

Ernest was in bad condition. The exposure and the lack of proper care
had caused his arm to become terribly inflamed. Mrs. Sherman sent an
orderly with a side car over to the Hospital on a hurry call for the
doctor.

Then she braced the boy carefully with pillows and covered him with a
warm blanket. As soon as it was ready, she brought him a cup of hot
coffee and an egg, leaving Bill to care for himself and attend to Frank.

Frank had reached a state where he seemed numb. He was past caring what
happened. After a hot drink, however, he braced up a little and prepared
to face his ordeal. He did not know what it was to be. For all he knew,
he would be taken to Leavenworth. It was agony to think that soon
someone would go to his father and mother and tell them that their son
on whom they had built such hopes was a thief. He sat silent and
downcast and only answered in brief sentences when they addressed him.
Of course Major and Mrs. Sherman sensed something dreadful, but they
were too wise to press their questions until such time as the boys were
fed and reste