urt and a drying ground--as a place of rest for Territorials off duty.
Mrs. Dawburn-Jones promptly enlisted her husband as a special constable
and had squads drilled on her tennis lawn.

So the fight went on--with slight successes on both sides, but nothing
decisive--till one day when Mrs. Dawburn-Jones went to town in a taxi
and returned with a family of negroes from the Congo. It was a splendid
sight to see her leading them through the grounds and discoursing to
them in her best Boulognese. Mrs. Studholm-Brown wriggled with
mortification.

Then her chance of a counter-attack arrived. She had, or her husband
had, or her husband's brother-in-law had, a second cousin who was an
officer, and, what was more, a wounded officer. He was persuaded to
spend a week-end of his convalescence at "The Hollies." His hostess
walked him proudly up and down all the paths which were in full view of
"Dulce Domum." It was magnificent to see her adjust his sling. At that
moment I dare not have trusted Mrs. Dawburn-Jones with a gun or the
officer would have been in as great peril as in the trenches. How it
will end I can scarcely imagine. I like to picture a great day of
victory. Then, if the CROWN PRINCE be allowed to take up his abode on
_parole_, in some quiet suburban home, I am sure "The Hollies" will snap
him up. And if "The Hollies" secures the CROWN PRINCE no power in this
world can prevent Mrs. Dawburn-Jones from securing the KAISER.

* * * * *

THE HELPMEET.

"May I come in?" said Cecily, knocking at my study door.

"If you insist," said I.

"I only want to use the telephone," she explained, as if that made it
any better.

"You couldn't take it away and use it somewhere else?" I asked.

She was unmoved. "It needn't disturb you," she said. "I'll be as quiet
as a mouse."

"Won't that be rather dull for the people at the other end of the
line?" I ventured.

"Now, you go on with your writing," she said severely. So I went on.

_Herbert closed the door softly behind him and went out, leaving
Ermyntrude alone. She had let him go. He had gone. He had left her
alone. Her--Ermyntrude--alone. It has been truly said that women are
queer creatures. They do not like being left alone._

_CHAPTER LVII._

_Herbert picked up his hat and stick and passed out of the spacious hall
into the street, closing the door softly behind him. It was his habit
when angry to close doors softly behind him. He was fr