s not to be
daunted. She opened fire immediately.

"It's simply _dear_ of you, Una, to take so much interest in the work.
I'm sure Jerry must have frightful difficulties in managing to spend
his income. But to have his _oldest friend_ to help him must relieve
him of a tremendous burden of responsibility."

The outposts withdrew to the main line of skirmirshers and there
opened fire again, from cover.

"It isn't so much a matter of friendship as of real interest in the
needs of the community, you know. Anyone else would do quite as well
as I; for instance, you, Marcia."

"But you see," Marcia countered coolly, "I haven't known Jerry
_nearly_ so long as you have."

"Haven't you?"

"I don't think so. Have I, Jerry?"

Jerry evaded the issue with some skill.

"Friendships aren't reckoned in terms of time," he put in with a short
laugh. "If they were I'd be the most solitary person under the sun."

Marcia merely smiled, saying nothing, and when she joined the talk of
another group I saw Una's gaze following her curiously.

She seemed to be able to understand Marcia little better than I did.
But in a moment from my seat in the corner just beside them I saw Una
look about the room and give a little gasp of pleasure.

"This cabin! Do you remember, Jerry?" she said quietly. "You gave me a
cup of tea here and we decided just what you and I were going to do
with the wicked world?"

"Oh, don't I? And you told me all about the plague spots?"

"Yes." She gazed out of the window. "You were interesting that day,
Jerry."

"Was! I like that."

"So elephantine in your seriousness--"

"Elephantine! Oh, I say--"

"But you _were_ nice. I don't think I've ever liked you so much as
then. I think you're really much more interesting when you're
elephantine. It was quite glorious the way you were planning to go
galumphing over all vice and wickedness."

He shook his head soberly.

"I haven't made good, Una."

"Oh, there's still time. The jungle is still there, but it's an
awfully big jungle, Jerry, bigger than you thought."

"Yes--bigger and swampier," he said slowly.

"I think if I could see more of you, Una, I might be better."

"I don't know that I've ever denied you the house," she laughed.

"I--I'm coming soon. But I want you to see my place here--the house,
I mean. Couldn't you come with your mother and--and sisters and spend
a few days up here?"

"Perhaps it would be time enough for me to answer that questi