s from
here," the sergeant explained, when at last the girls had realized that if
they ever hoped to learn anything at all they must give the man a chance
to speak. "And he makes most of his money by skinning the rookies."

"You mean," cried Betty, translating camp slang into intelligible English,
"that he gets the newly enlisted men to play with him before they have a
chance to learn his reputation, and of course gets all their money,
because his game is crooked?"

"Exactly," agreed Sergeant Mullins, his grave face clouding angrily. "And
equally, of course, it's the week following pay day when he makes his big
haul. I hope you succeed in getting him," he said, turning earnestly to
Betty. "And if there's anything I can do to help, you can count on me."

Betty thanked him, and the girls watched the Sergeant's straight,
retreating back with thoughtful eyes.

"Well, it's a comfort anyway," said Mollie, as they turned and went into
the house, "to know that he's as bad as we thought he was. And perhaps,"
she added hopefully, "Sergeant Mullins will be able to help us."

It was more than a week later when the first eagerly looked for letters
began to arrive from overseas. It was one day when the promised rush of
soldiers into the camp had been fulfilled and the girls were particularly
busy entertaining and finding comfortable quarters for their relatives and
friends that Mollie whispered the joyful news into Betty's ear.

"Letters!" she cried. "Letters, honey! Here are yours, two of them, and
each one of us others got one apiece. We've decided not to open them until
to-night, when we'll have time to read them in comfort. If you'll wait,
too--"

"Of course," promised Betty, eagerly accepting her portion of the precious
correspondence. "And they're thick ones, Mollie, and--"

"Both from Allen," Mollie finished mischievously, looking back over her
shoulder to enjoy Betty's blush.

And that night, when they should have been tired out with the day's
unusually hard work, the girls assembled in their one big room, feeling
more wide awake than ever before in all their lives.

"Oh, hasn't it been perfectly awful," cried Mollie, facing them with
shining eyes, "to have to go around calmly for hours and hours as if
nothing had happened?"

"With a letter just begging to be read, too!" put in Betty, two fever
spots of excitement on her cheeks. "I don't think I could ever do it
again."

"Well, it's all over now," said Amy, taki