officer,
whose loyalty she doubted, have to do with Tom Cameron, whose loyalty
she never for a moment doubted?

Ruth went on ahead of the wondering Dolge, vastly troubled. At every
turn she was meeting incidents or surprising discoveries that entangled
her mind more and more deeply in a web of doubt and mystery.

Where was Tom? Where did the major fly to? Where was he coming from
when she had seen him walking down that country road where Aunt Abelard
was having her unfortunate argument with the American soldiers?

The twists and turns of this mystery were enough to drive the girl
distracted. And each incident which rose seemed to be dovetailed to
some other part of the mystery.

Now she was suddenly sorry that she had not opened her heart entirely
to Monsieur Lafrane. She wished she had told him about Tom Cameron,
and the fears she felt for him, and what was said about him by his
comrades. He might at least have been able to advise her.

She came to the chateau, therefore, in a most uncertain frame of mind.
She was really in no mood for a social call.

But there was the countess walking on the paved court before the main
door of the chateau. It was a fine day, and she walked up and down,
with a shawl about her shoulders, humming a cheerful little song.

"Dear Mademoiselle Ruth!" she said, giving the girl her hands--soft and
white, with a network of blue veins on their backs. "I am charmed. If
it were not for you and our little Hetty I should scarcely feel I had a
social life at all."

She spoke to Dolge as he hobbled away.

"Tell them to make tea," she said.

"Yes, Madame la Countess," he mumbled.

She took the arm of the strong young girl and walked with her up and
down the portico.

"Henri will be disappointed in not seeing you, Mademoiselle. He went
yesterday--called back to his duties."

"And by aeroplane, they tell me," answered the girl.

"Think!" exclaimed the countess, shrugging her shoulders. "A few
months ago the thought of one of my boys mounting into the air would
have kept me awake all of the night. And I slept like a child!"

"We grow used to almost everything, do we not?" Ruth said.

"War changes our outlook on life. Of course, I am not assured that he
safely landed yesterday----"

"I can assure you of that, Madame, myself," said Ruth, without thinking
far ahead when she said it.

"_You_, Mademoiselle?"

"Yes. I saw him--on the ground. He was all right," the girl ad