the room.

"Hello, Betty," Mollie cried, her voice high with excitement. "I guess you
were right after all--only it's five whole days sooner than we expected."

"I--I wish they'd stop the old war," sighed Amy, who had come in in time
to share the wonderful news. "I just can't bear the thought of it."

"Gee, that would be a nice note," broke in Will boyishly. "After all these
weeks of training, to have the war stop just as we got ready to have a
hand in it!"

"We'll be lucky if we don't leave a couple of hands in it," said Roy,
again trying to be witty and again finding himself the battery for a score
of indignant glances.

"If you think that's funny," Grace was beginning when Betty, color high,
heart still beating suffocatingly from that brief little battle with
Allen and her own inclination, interceded in his behalf.

"Oh, do leave him alone," she cried, patting Roy's scorned shoulder
soothingly. "I, for one, would forgive him for anything he said or did
just now without even being asked."

Roy gave her a grateful glance and Allen whispered close in her ear.

"You can be kind to every one but the one who loves you, Betty. Is that
it?"

His voice was so low that no one but Betty could hear. And Betty felt an
added rush of color sting her cheeks, and turned her eyes away to hide the
confusion, the sudden fright in them.

If they had been alone no one knows what might have happened. But, even as
it was, Allen, watching the flaming color and the downcast eyes, felt his
heart leap joyfully and was almost--almost--satisfied.

CHAPTER XV

THE FATEFUL DAY

The rain that had been pouring down steadily all night stopped about dawn.
Betty raised herself on one elbow to look out the window and was greeted
by a dazzling burst of sunshine, as the glorious disc dispersed the fog
and took possession of the world.

"A good omen," she murmured to herself, rubbing the sleepiness from her
eyes. "Perhaps that's how the Huns will melt away before our boys!"

"What are you talking to yourself about?" queried Grace, irritably. "A
person has a fine chance to sleep--"

"Sleep!" cried Betty, indignantly. "What on earth do you want to sleep
for? Do you know what day this is?"

"Friday," Grace answered mechanically, then seeing the point of the
question, sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes.

"Oh, I--forgot," she stammered. "They're--they're going away, aren't
they?"

"Yes; unless, they've changed their minds since last