.

"Bunny Hepburn? The son of that anarchist who spouts about man's rights
in beer-gardens?" questioned Hal. "Hepburn the man who is always trying
to start strikes and labor riots?"

"That's the man, and Bunny is a half-worthy son of the sire, I hear,"
replied Mr. Overton.

"Here comes Bunny now," announced Mr. Terry.

Bunny appeared, setting bread and butter on the table, distributing
knives, forks and spoons at the places and filling the water glasses.

"Will you bring the first course of our dinner right along now, waiter?"
Hal asked pleasantly.

"When I can," came the half surly reply. "You'll have to wait your turn
with the other customers."

"We expect to do that," Hal agreed, without resentment. "But we've been
waiting about forty minutes now, and many others have been served who
came in since we did."

"You needn't think you're running this restaurant," sneered the waiter.

"By no means," Hal agreed. "But we are at least paying for our food, for
attendance and civility."

"You'll get all the attendance you're entitled to," grumbled the waiter.
"Don't think you own the earth. Soldiers are no good."

"A lot of people entertain that opinion," Hal answered quietly, turning
his back on the impudent waiter.

All might still have gone well, had Bunny been content to drop it there.
But, as readers of the first volume in this series, "UNCLE SAM'S BOYS IN
THE RANKS," are aware, Bunny had been bred in contempt of the military
and of everything connected with it.

"You soldiers are nothing but just a lot of cheap skates," Bunny
muttered on bitterly. "You wear a uniform that is nothing but the cheap
livery of slavery to the wealthy, and march under a flag that stands for
nothing but tyranny to the poor and down-trodden of humanity."

This was almost word for word a copy from the anarchistic speeches of
Bunny's father.

Lieutenant Hal's face went white as he wheeled once more in his chair
and rose quickly.

Mrs. Overton had a momentary notion that her son was going to knock
Bunny down, and she wouldn't have blamed him if he had. But Bunny
quailed somewhat before the blazing light in the young Army officer's
eyes.

"Stand back, waiter," ordered Hal quietly. Then, looking very tall and
dignified, Lieutenant Hal stepped across the restaurant, going over to
the desk, where the proprietor stood chatting with the cashier.

"Are you being properly served?" inquired Mr. Ralston, who had learned
who this young