s night-shirt.
He'll never get to the war anyway. The British Navy'll have Germany
chased out of Europe long before he'll get there and he'll jist have a
free trip to the Old Country and a chance to see all his old friends
and visit his mother. Why, you ought to be glad!"

"Now that's jist right, Mitty," declared Mrs. Holmes cheeringly. "Pa
says the war can't last any time. Business can't stand it, and there
ain't so much to worry about after all."

Mrs. Lindsay came in with a cup of tea and cream for Granny, and the
old lady was much refreshed and sat up and scolded Mitty well for
crying so much. And Mitty pulled herself together and began to feel
that perhaps life could go on even if Burke were away for a time.
Granny's scolding did her more good than all the neighbours' sympathy.
It was the atmosphere of normal times, and set her back into the sanity
of every day surroundings.

And Mrs. Lindsay made a cup of tea for everybody and they all sat
around Granny's bed and sewed for Burke and mended everything and
talked about the war in familiar terms, feeling that it had really come
right home to them, and that Orchard Glen, with Trooper and Burke as
representatives, had no small part to play.

They talked about Belgium and Austria and Turkey just as though they
were Dalton, Silver Creek and Algonquin. It made them feel quite grand
and important and gave something of a thrill as they spoke familiarly
of those places and at the same time helped to get Burke Wright's
clothes ready to go away and fight the Germans.

"And how was it you and Joanna let Trooper go?" asked Mrs. Holmes of
Mrs. Johnnie Dunn who had dropped in on her way from town, whither she
had followed her impetuous warrior.

"He didn't wait to ask neither of us, I guess," said The Woman. "Tom
ain't the fellow to ask anybody's leave when there's any fightin' to
do." It appeared that though she would have died rather than admit it,
Mrs. Johnnie Dunn was secretly proud of the way Trooper had gone off to
the war, and would hear no adverse comments upon his conduct. Joanna
made no reply to the raillery. These days were harder upon Joanna than
upon Mitty, for she was denied even the luxury of grieving. But
Trooper had not gone. He was still in Algonquin and would perhaps be
home yet. And though her pride was badly hurt, Joanna had not at all
given up hope.

CHAPTER IX

THE DREAM KNIGHT

Trooper came tearing back to Orchard Glen, the fi