lf had been built like
the three sides of a square, with the yard as the center. Along the
fourth side ran a cement wall with a single iron gate.

Evidently the three girls were engaged in Red Cross work, for they wore
the familiar service uniforms. One of them had on a heavy coat and cap,
but the other two must have just come out of doors for a few moments.

Indeed, their first words revealed this fact.

"I really don't feel that you should be starting upon this expedition
alone, Nona," Mildred Thornton argued. She was a tall girl, with heavy,
flaxen hair and quiet, steel-gray eyes. She was gazing anxiously about
her, for Russia was a new and strange world to the three American Red
Cross nurses, who had arrived at their present headquarters only a few
weeks before.

Nearly a year had passed since the four friends separated in Belgium.
Then Mildred and Nona Davis had remained at their posts to care for the
homeless Belgian children, while Barbara Meade and Eugenia Peabody
returned to southern France.

Now at the close of Mildred Thornton's speech to Nona, Barbara Meade
frowned. She was poised on one foot as if expecting to flee at any
moment.

"I quite agree with you, Mildred," she protested. "Nona's message was
far too mysterious and vague to consider answering. We must not forget
that we are now in a country and among a people whom we don't understand
in the least. Besides, I promised both Dick and Eugenia that we would be
more careful. How I wish one or the other of them were here to advise
us!"

Shivering, Barbara, who was the youngest and smallest of the girls,
slipped her arm through Mildred's.

A few yards before them sentries were marching slowly up and down, with
their rifles resting on their shoulders, while a double row guarded a
single wide gate. Every now and then a common soldier passed on his way
to the performance of some special duty. Gray and colorless, the
afternoon had a peculiar dampness as if the wind had blown across acres
of melting snow.

Nevertheless in reply to her friends' objections Nona Davis shook her
head.

"Yes, I realize you may both be right, and yet so urgent was my message
that I feel compelled to do what was asked of me. But don't worry about
me, I have the letter with the directions safe in my pocket. Good-by."

Then before either of the other girls could find time to argue the point
a second time, the young southern girl had kissed each of them and
turned away. Late