iend had become engaged to her only son. If she had spoken of the
matter to Mildred, Mildred had never referred to it, proving again that
any comment from Mrs. Thornton must have been unfavorable.

While she made these reflections following the rereading of her fiance's
letter, Barbara was lying on her cot-bed with an army blanket drawn
close up under her chin. Now she buried her curly head deeper in her
pillow and turned from Dick's to Eugenia's letter.

It was difficult to think of Eugenia Peabody as Madame Castaigne, indeed
as the Countess Castaigne, only neither she nor her husband would ever
be induced to use their titles. The old Countess might always remain in
safe possession of hers.

Barbara wondered if Eugenia was happier than she was. Then she felt
ashamed of herself. Eugenia's husband was every instant in danger of
losing his life, while Dick had only returned to the United States,
where he was now safe in his own home. Yet Eugenia's letter made no
complaints. She mentioned having seen Captain Castaigne once in the past
month, when he had received a leave of absence of twenty-four hours and
had hurried to her.

No, Eugenia's letter was chiefly devoted, as all her previous letters
had been, to her interest and concern in the three American Red Cross
girls. She wished them to return immediately to France and to the old
chateau, where the Countess Castaigne would be only too happy to shelter
them. Later, if they wished, they could find other Red Cross work to do
in France. But Russia was not a country where the girls should have
gone at this time, and certainly not without her to look after them.
Moreover, the news from the Russian lines grew more and more alarming.
Everywhere the Germans seemed to be conquering. It was disheartening
after the Russian triumphs at the beginning of the war. The letter
closed with a final plea: would Barbara do her best to persuade Nona and
Mildred that they should as soon as possible come back to France. There
would be no cowardice or desertion of duty in leaving Russia at present,
only discretion and good sense.

And upon this point of view Barbara was reflecting when Nona found her.

Personally Barbara agreed with Eugenia and wished that Nona and Mildred
would join her in withdrawing from Russia whenever they could best be
spared. But she could not decide whether she ought to thrust her point
of view upon her friends since she was uncertain whether her judgment or
her des