litary age. He gave me his
promise--you heard him--and then he desert----"

"Oh, don't say that," said Mrs. Ellsworth; "that's a dreadful word!"

The young man in uniform bit his lip and started to move his chair back;
then, as if uncertain what to do, remained where he was.

"A promise is a promise," said the scoutmaster. "You can't build up
anything good on the foundation of a broken promise."

"Don't you think a person _might_ be justified in breaking a promise?"
said the soldier diffidently.

"No, sir; not if it is humanly possible to keep it.--Besides, Tom must
have had to lie to get into the army."

There was a moment's pause.

"It was dreadful to think of his pawning his Gold Cross," said Mrs.
Ellsworth; "if he had only kept his word and waited a little while----"

"He would never have had that Cross to pawn if he hadn't been brave,"
said Roy, flushing slightly.

"Good for you, Roy!" said the young soldier.

Mr. Ellsworth laughed pleasantly at Roy's unshakable faith in his absent
friend.

"That's right, Roy," said Mrs. Ellsworth, with a very sweet smile. "You
stand up for him."

"If I can't stand up for him, I'll keep still," said Roy.

"Well, then, I guess you'll have to keep still," laughed Mr. Ellsworth,
"for there isn't much defense. I did all I could for Tom," he added,
more soberly. "If his three years of scouting didn't teach him to keep
his word with me as I always kept mine with him, it must have been to no
purpose. He might have waited a little, kept his solemn promise, and
gone into the army under the same honorable conditions as you did," he
said, turning to the soldier; "and we should all have----"

"What's the matter?" exclaimed Roy.

[Illustration: THE LAST THEY SAW OF TOM, HE WAS CLINGING TO ONE OF THE
FLAPPING DOORS, HIS FOOT BRACED AGAINST A CABLE CLEAT. Page 174]

Roscoe Bent had thrown his chair back and without so much as excusing
himself had stridden over to the bay window, where he stood holding the
curtain aside and looking out.

"What is it--reveille?" the scoutmaster laughed.

"May I smoke a cigarette?" Roscoe asked nervously.

"Uncle Sam hasn't cured you of that, has he?" Mr. Ellsworth laughed.
"Sure; go ahead."

The soldier's abrupt movement seemed to terminate the little
after-dinner chat, and Mrs. Ellsworth, bent on other duties perhaps, or
possibly foreseeing that her husband wished to "talk business," arose
also and left the three to themselves.

"I--er--