at
least confess the truth. I presume it is your idea to leave me to look
after the group of girls you undertook to chaperon in France?"

In spite of the fact that by this time, Mrs. Burton, whose amiability
was never her strong point, was in as bad a temper as her antagonist,
she had to confess to herself that in Miss Patricia's last speech the
scales dropped in her favor.

"Why, yes, Aunt Patricia, that is what I wish you to do. But will it be
such a serious responsibility? The work at the farm is so splendidly
organized now and the girls are so deeply interested, I don't see why
you should have any especial difficulty if you will just allow things to
go on as they are at present."

Of her own free will Miss Patricia at this moment rose from her stiff
chair and came and sat on the edge of the bed facing the younger woman.
She showed no sign of relaxing either physically or mentally, or of any
softening in her rigid point of view.

"I wonder, Polly Burton, if you have any reason for believing that
things usually go on in exactly the same fashion in this world, after
one has carefully arranged that they should? Of course I shall do my
best to look after the Camp Fire girls, although they do not like me and
I do not understand them. There is no telling what may occur in your
absence," Miss Patricia ended so gloomily that Mrs. Burton's eyes shone
with merriment, although she carefully lowered her lids.

At the same instant, to her surprise, she felt Miss Patricia lean over
and seize her by both shoulders. For a second she wondered if Aunt
Patricia had made up her mind to shake her because of her rebellion.
Instead Miss Patricia added unexpectedly:

"Polly, my dear child, I really don't wish you to go on this wild goose
chase, partly for the reasons I have given you, but also because I am
afraid for you. You know the world is expecting another great German
offensive this spring and no one understands why it has been delayed so
long. Well, you must realize that as you travel farther south in France
the line between the German and the French armies grows narrower and
narrower. Only a few miles of victory and the Germans will again occupy
their old line! It is possible you might arrive at some district at a
crucial moment when a battle was beginning. Then the saints alone could
preserve you!"

With the last few words of her long speech Miss Patricia reverted to her
Irish brogue and her Irish faith.

Afterwards Mrs.