t answer me! How did you
get your passports viseed for such a distance from Paris?"

"Forget not," said Jennie, "that Mr. Cameron was over here on
Government business. Helen can do almost anything she likes with these
French officials."

"Humph!" was all that came from Ruth in answer to this.

"You don't seem glad to see us at all, Ruthie Fielding!" cried Helen,
as they crossed the courtyard and mounted the steps to the hospital.

But Ruth was frankly considering how she could make the best use of her
two college chums, now that they were here. In less than twenty-four
hours she expected to leave Clair for an extended absence. She had
been troubled regarding her duty to the Red Cross.

Circumstances had played into her hands. She could trust Helen and
Jennie to do her work here at the Clair Hospital while she was absent.

She found the matron and took her aside before introducing her to the
newcomers. She did not explain her reason for wishing to absent
herself from duty for some days, nor did the tactful Frenchwoman ask
after she was told that the Countess Marchand approved. But she told
the matron about her two girl friends who had arrived so unexpectedly.

"They are good girls, and capable girls, and I can show them very
briefly my ordinary duties, Madame."

"It is well, Mademoiselle Fielding," the woman said with cordiality.
"Let me now greet your friends."

So Helen and Jennie were introduced, and the matron said she would find
two rooms in the nurses' quarters for the visitors. But first the
three girls must go to Ruth's little cell and have tea while they
talked.

"First of all," Helen began. "How is Tommy-boy?"

"He is perfectly well as far as I know," Ruth said gravely.

"Goodness! You are not _mad_ with him?"

"Of course not. How silly," her chum returned.

"Well, but don't you see him every day or two?"

Ruth Fielding stared at her chum, not alone with gravity, but with
scorn.

"I think it is well you have come up here to visit," she said. "Don't
you know yet that we are in this war, Helen Cameron?"

"I don't know what you mean," returned Helen, pouting. "If we were not
at war with Germany, do you think I would be away from Ardmore College
at this time of year?"

"Tom is on active service," Ruth said quietly. "I am rather busily
engaged myself. I have seen him just twice since I have been at Clair.
But I happened to learn to-day that--beyond peradventure--he is in
health.