e place, before St. Quentin," said the
doctor, as he hung up the receiver, "and the British troops are
retreating in good order. That's not so bad. As for the shells that are
falling on Paris, they are coming from a distance of seventy
miles--from some amazing long-range gun the Germans have invented and
sprung with the opening offensive. That is all the news to date, and
Dr. Holland says it is reliable."

"It would have been dreadful news yesterday," said Gertrude, "but
compared to what we heard this morning it is almost like good news. But
still," she added, trying to smile, "I am afraid I will not sleep much
tonight."

"There is one thing to be thankful for at any rate, Miss Oliver, dear,"
said Susan, "and that is that Cousin Sophia did not come in today. I
really could not have endured her on top of all the rest."

CHAPTER XXIX

"WOUNDED AND MISSING"

"Battered but Not Broken" was the headline in Monday's paper, and Susan
repeated it over and over to herself as she went about her work. The
gap caused by the St. Quentin disaster had been patched up in time, but
the Allied line was being pushed relentlessly back from the territory
they had purchased in 1917 with half a million lives. On Wednesday the
headline was "British and French Check Germans"; but still the retreat
went on. Back--and back--and back! Where would it end? Would the line
break again--this time disastrously?

On Saturday the headline was "Even Berlin Admits Offensive Checked,"
and for the first time in that terrible week the Ingleside folk dared
to draw a long breath.

"Well, we have got one week over--now for the next," said Susan
staunchly.

"I feel like a prisoner on the rack when they stopped turning it," Miss
Oliver said to Rilla, as they went to church on Easter morning. "But I
am not off the rack. The torture may begin again at any time."

"I doubted God last Sunday," said Rilla, "but I don't doubt him today.
Evil cannot win. Spirit is on our side and it is bound to outlast
flesh."

Nevertheless her faith was often tried in the dark spring that
followed. Armageddon was not, as they had hoped, a matter of a few
days. It stretched out into weeks and months. Again and again
Hindenburg struck his savage, sudden blows, with alarming, though
futile success. Again and again the military critics declared the
situation extremely perilous. Again and again Cousin Sophia agreed with
the military critics.

"If the Allies go back three mi