France."

"War! War! Germany!" exclaimed the men in awed, hushed voices, a
startled look upon their grave faces.

"What is it, James?" said Mrs. Murray.

Mr. Murray repeated the news to her.

"Germany at war?" she said. "I thought it was Austria and Servia. Isn't
it?"

"Yes, my dear," said Mr. Murray hastily, as if anxious to cover up his
wife's display of ignorance of the European situation. "Austria has
been at war with Servia for some days, but now Germany has declared war
apparently upon France and Russia."

"But what has Germany to do with it, or Russia either, or France?"

They moved off together from the docks toward the church, discussing the
ominous news.

"Oh, look, Jane," said Isabel once more. "There's Ramsay Dunn. Isn't he
looking funny?"

"Pickled, I guess," said Jim, with a glance at the young man who with
puffed and sodden face was gazing with dull and stupid eyes across the
lake. On catching sight of the approaching party Ramsay Dunn turned his
back sharply upon them and became intensely absorbed in the launch at
his side. But Jane would not have it thus.

"Ask him to come over this afternoon," she said to Ethel. "His mother
would like it."

"Good morning, Ramsay," said Ethel as they passed him.

Ramsay turned sharply, stood stiff and straight, then saluted with an
elaborate bow. "Good morning, Ethel. Why, good morning, Jane. You down
here? Delighted to see you."

"Ramsay, could you come over this afternoon to our island?" said Ethel.
"Jane is going back this week."

"Sure thing, Ethel. Nothing but scarlet fever, small-pox, or other
contectious or infagious, confagious or intexious--eh, disease will
prevent me. The afternoon or the evening?" he added with what he meant
to be a most ingratiating smile. "The late afternoon or the early
evening?"

The little girls, who had been staring at him with wide, wondering eyes,
began to giggle.

"I'll be there," continued Ramsay. "I'll be there, I'll be there, when
the early evening cometh, I'll be there." He bowed deeply to the young
ladies and winked solemnly at Isabel, who by this time was finding it
quite impossible to control her giggles.

"Isn't he awfully funny?" she said as they moved off. "I think he is
awfully funny."

"Funny!" said Ethel. "Disgusting, I think."

"Oh, Ethel, isn't it terribly sad?" said Jane. "Poor Mrs. Dunn, she
feels so awfully about it. They say he is going on these days in a
perfectly dreadful way."

The l