their
homes in the United States. Barbara would be married in a short time
and Mildred would not wish to remain longer away from her mother and
father. But Nona had no home and no people to whom she might return.

The girl was glad at this moment that there were no lights in their
sitting room save the two candles which were directly behind Barbara's
book. She did not wish the younger girl to guess the extent of her
depression.

Yet it was Nona who first heard the knock at their sitting room door.
Quickly as possible she got up and walked forward to open it, not even
attempting to smooth her hair or to wipe the traces of tears from her
face. Barbara did not glance from the page of her book, both girls were
so convinced that it was only the woman who usually brought them their
dinner at this hour.

When Nona opened the door, Mildred took her by both shoulders and
quietly kissed her.

"Mildred!" It was Nona's exclamation that finally aroused Barbara Meade.
But even then, although Barbara rose to her feet, dropping her book on
the floor, she did not move forward. She let Mildred come and put her
arms around her and kiss her on both cheeks. Then Mildred stood still in
the center of the room and smiled at her two friends.

"Won't either one of you say she is glad to see me?" she asked, with a
mixture of gayety and wistfulness.

By this time Barbara and Nona were both embracing the newcomer at once,
and at the same time attempting to remove her wraps. Under her nursing
coat Mildred was wearing a long sable coat, suitable for a princess, but
neither of the girls noticed it in the excitement of her arrival.

"Where did you come from? Oh, Mildred, what have you been doing all this
time? I have nearly died of anxiety." Barbara protested. "Surely you
could have gotten us some word, if only to say you were alive."

Mildred shook her head. "I couldn't, dear. I have come back to you the
very first moment it was possible. But it is a long story. I can't tell
you all at once. May I sit down?"

At last Nona and Barbara had the grace to observe that Mildred looked
white and tired.

"I arrived in Petrograd about half an hour ago with General Alexis and
his staff and the Russian maid who has been with us ever since we were
left behind at Grovno," she explained, when her friends had thrust her
unceremoniously into their only comfortable chair.

"I told General Alexis that I must find you at once, so we drove to the
United Sta