r. Dona and Marjorie were
crammed in between a stout woman, who nursed a basket containing a
mewing kitten, and a wizened little man with an irritating cough.
Opposite sat three Tommies, and an elderly lady with a long thin nose
and prominent teeth, who entered into conversation with the soldiers,
and proffered them much good advice, with an epitome of her ideas on the
conduct of the war. The distance from Silverwood to Rosebury was only
thirty miles, and the train was due to arrive at the junction with
twenty-five minutes to spare for the London express. On all ordinary
occasions it jogged along in a commonplace fashion, and turned up up to
time. To-day, however, it behaved with unusual eccentricity, and,
instead of passing the signals at Meriton, it slowed up and whistled,
and finally stood still upon the bridge.

"Must be something blocking the line," observed one of the Tommies,
looking out of the window.

"I do hope it's not an accident. The Company is so terribly understaffed
at present, and the signal-men work far too long hours, and are ready to
drop with fatigue at their posts," began the thin lady nervously. "I've
always had a horror of railway accidents. I wish I'd taken an insurance
ticket before I started. Can you see anything on the line, my good man?
Is there any danger?"

The Tommy drew in his head and smiled. It was a particularly
good-looking head, with twinkling brown eyes, and a very humorous smile.

"Not so long as the train is standing still," he replied. "I think
they'll get us back to the front this time. We'll probably have to wait
till something passes us. It's just a matter of patience."

His words were justified, for in about ten minutes an express roared
by, after which event their train once more started, and jogged along to
Rosebury.

"We're horribly late!" whispered Marjorie to Dona, consulting her watch.
"I hope to goodness there'll be no more stops. It's running the thing
very fine, I can tell you. I'm glad we've only to cross the platform.
I'll get a porter as fast as I can."

But, when they reached Rosebury, the stout woman and the basket with the
kitten got in the way, and the elderly lady jammed up the door with her
hold-all, so that, by the time Dona and Marjorie managed to get
themselves and their belongings out of the carriage, the very few
porters available had already been commandeered by other people. The
girls ran to the van at the back of the train, where the guard w