verybody knows him."

"He's all wool and a yard wide, isn't he?"

"Yes, he's fine."

"Look out you don't trip on that rock.--He walked down the street with
me last night and talked about--about that Slade fellow."

"Tom, you mean?"

"Yes; he's a staunch believer in Tom, even yet."

She made no answer.

"I think you kind of liked that fellow," said Roscoe teasingly.

"I always said if he ever made up his mind to do a thing he'd do it."

"Well, I guess he went and done it, as my old school grammar used to
say."

"I don't like to hear you speak flippantly about him."

"How about me? Suppose I should make up my mind to do a thing----"

"Here we are at the bridge already," she said.

* * * * *

The new Y. M. C. A. Assembly Hall presented a gay scene, and they pushed
through the crowd, Roscoe opening a way for the girl to pass, greeted on
both hands by his friends and former companions. It seemed as if all the
young people of the town were on hand; scouts were conspicuously in
evidence, and among them all Mr. Ellsworth hustled genially about
attending to a hundred and one duties.

"There you are," said Roscoe; "take that seat. Reminds you of that
meeting on June fifth last when I wasn't with you--and Slade didn't
show up either. Now, don't forget to clap when I stand up, will you?"

He swung up onto the platform, where Roy and Pee-wee and Doc Carson and
Connie Bennett and the whole tribe of Silver Foxes clustered about him,
helping him out of his big military coat and hovering about the chair he
sat in. Even Dr. Wade, of the Y. M. C. A., and the gentlemen of the
Local Scout Council received less attention.

As he sat there waiting, one or two of the scouts noticed (for scouts
are nothing if not observant) that he craned his neck and looked far
back into the lobby. If they thought twice about it, however, they
probably attributed it to nervousness.

At last, after much impatient handclapping, all except the stage lights
were dimmed, and Roy noticed again how the soldier peered searchingly
into the back of the hall.

"Your mother and father coming?" he asked.

"They might stroll around."

"You look dandy," Roy whispered.

Roscoe grabbed him by the neck pleasantly and winked as he reached slyly
over and pulled Pee-wee's belt axe from its martial sheath, to the
amusement of some boys in the audience. But it was no matter for
laughing, for if the Germans should break throu