e government is equal to the country's
needs, I'm sure, but the government has never taken any too good care
of its soldiers and they'll lack a lot of things besides knitted goods
when they get to the front."

"Exactly," agreed Mary Louise. "Seems to me it's the girls' chief duty
to look after the boys, and a lot of the drafted ones are marching away
from Dorfield each day, looking pretty glum, even if loyally submitting
to the inevitable. I tell you, girls, these young and green soldiers
need encouraging, so they'll become enthusiastic and make the best sort
of fighters, and we ought to bend our efforts to cheering them up."

Irene laughed merrily.

"Good!" she cried; "you're like a flock of sheep: all you need is a
hint to trail away in the very direction I wanted to lead you. There
are a lot of things we can do to add to our soldiers' comfort. They
need chocolate--sweets are good for them--and 'comfort-kits' of the
real sort, not those useless, dowdy ones so many well-intentioned women
are wasting time and money to send them; and they'll be grateful for
lots and lots of cigarettes, and--"

"Oh, Irene! Do you think that would be right?" from Edna Barlow.

"Of course it would. The government approves cigarettes and the French
girls are supplying our boys across the pond with them even now. Surely
we can do as much for our own brave laddies who are still learning the
art of war. Not all smoke, of course, and some prefer pipes and
tobacco, which we can also send them. Another thing, nearly every
soldier needs a good pocket knife, and a razor, and they need games of
all sorts, such as dominoes and checkers and cribbage-boards; and good
honest trench mirrors, and--"

"Goodness me, Irene," interrupted Jane Donovan, "how do you think we
could supply all those things? To equip a regiment with the articles
you mention would cost a mint of money, and where's the money coming
from, and how are we to get it?"

"There you go again, helping me out!" smiled Irene. "In your question,
my dear, lies the crux of my suggestion. We Liberty Girls must raise
the money."

"How, Irene?"

"I object to begging."

"The people are tired of subscribing to all sorts of schemes."

"We certainly are not female Croesuses!"

"Perhaps you expect us to turn bandits and sandbag the good citizens on
dark nights."

Irene's smile did not fade; she simply glowed with glee at these
characteristic protestations.

"I can't blame you, girls, fo