ants' wives has to buy rugs
off the bargain counter."

Mrs. McGillicuddy stood stiffly upon her rank as a sergeant's wife and
believed in keeping the soldiers' wives where they belonged.

"I don't fancy Mr. Broussard is living in luxury himself just now,"
said Mrs. Fortescue. And Mrs. McGillicuddy's kind heart, being touched
with remorse for having given Broussard a pin prick, hastened to say:

"No, indeed, mum, for McGillicuddy heard Major Harlow readin' a letter
from Mr. Broussard, and he says as how he lives on bananas and has got
only two shirts, and his striker has to wash one of 'em out every day
for Mr. Broussard to wear the next day. McGillicuddy says that Major
Harlow says that Mr. Broussard says that he don't mind it a bit, and
he's glad to see real service and proud to command the men that is with
him, and they behaves splendid."

Anita fixed her eyes on Mrs. McGillicuddy's honest, rubicund face, and
listened breathlessly as Mrs. McGillicuddy continued:

"And Mr. Broussard says the Philippines is one big hell full of little
hells, and nobody can get warm there in winter, or cool in summer, but
there's lots of life to be seen there, and he's a-seein' it. And
Blizzard is so far away, he can't sometimes believe there ever was such
a place."

Suddenly, without the least warning, a quick warm gush of tears fell on
Anita's cheeks. They were so far apart, the jungles and the icy peaks,
the palm tree on the burning sands, and the pine tree in the frozen
mountains! Anita walked quickly out of the room. Mrs. McGillicuddy,
soft-hearted as she was hard-handed, looked at Mrs. Fortescue. The
mother's eyes were moist; Anita was very unlike her, but Mrs. Fortescue
remembered a period in her own young life when she, too, felt that the
world was empty because of the absence of the Beloved. And suppose he
had never come back? Mrs. Fortescue, remembering the brimming cup of
happiness that had been hers merely because the man she loved came
back, felt a little frightened for Anita. The girl was so precocious,
so passionate--and how difficult and baffling are those women whose
loves are all passion!

Anita baffled her mother still more, by appearing an hour later in a
gay little gown, and taking the After-Clap from his crib and dancing
with him until he absolutely refused to go to sleep. Then, Anita was
in such high spirits at dinner that the Colonel told Mrs. Fortescue in
their nightly talk while the Colonel sm