some
entertainment," suggested Tom to Bessie and her mother. "We can have
supper afterward--not much of a celebration, for these are war times and
it won't do to rejoice too much. But we ought to commemorate this
meeting somehow."

"That's right!" agreed Jack.

So they went to a little play and had supper afterward in a quiet
restaurant. That is, it was quiet until a sudden explosion a few blocks
away announced the arrival of another German shell from the big gun, and
then there was excitement enough.

Fortunately, however, the shots did little beyond material damage, no
one being killed. At the same time, however, there appeared some German
planes over Paris, doubtless to observe the effect of the dropping of
the long-distance shells, and naturally the French airmen went up to
give them combat.

The great searchlights began to play, picking out the hostile craft, and
making them targets for the machine guns of the intrepid Frenchmen, and
more than one Boche never got back over his lines again, while several
Frenchmen found heroes' graves on the soil they had died to defend.

"Oh, if we were only up there helping," said Tom, as he and his friends
watched.

"We shall be there very soon," murmured Jack. "And it can't be any too
soon for me."

The tide of battle turned in favor of the French, the Hun planes
withdrawing as the fire got too hot for them. And soon after that the
long-range gun ceased firing.

It was rather a "pull" for Tom and Jack to say good-bye to Bessie and
her mother in Paris, but they knew they had to do their duty. Nor would
Mrs. Gleason and her daughter have kept the boys back for the world.
They realized that the Air Service boys were helping to make the world
safe for democracy, as they themselves were doing in their way.

And so Tom and Jack, their mission to Paris, which was the discovery of
Mr. Raymond, having failed, went back to the hangars, there to be
welcomed by their comrades in arms.

They arrived one morning, just after some planes from a bombing
expedition over the German lines returned.

"What luck?" asked Tom of a pilot with whom he had often flown.

"The best, as regards the damage we did," was the answer. "We blew up
several ammunition dumps, and put one railroad center out of business
for a time. But Louis didn't come back," and the man turned aside for a
moment.

"You mean your brother?" asked Jack, softly.

"Yes."

"Perhaps he is only captured," suggested Tom.