help! Good gracious! _Darling!_ Oh! Whatever shall I do?" She
sprang for her scissors, and in a moment the helmet lay on the carpet
hopelessly mutilated.

"Thanks," he replied, smoothing his ruffled hair. "In another minute the
Germans would have missed their billet."

"Neither you nor Dick will be able to wear it now," she said, and her
lip trembled.

"Dick won't," he said, "and as a matter of fact I'm going to."

"How _can_ you?" And there was a catch in her voice.

"Not on my head perhaps, but on my heart--or rather," he added, slipping
a khaki arm round her, "on the place where my heart used to be."

Next morning, on parade, his chest measurement was the object of
universal envy.

* * * * *

THE TWO RECRUITING SERGEANTS.

Upstairs, Baby, after many false starts, had finally settled into sleep.
Downstairs, the little maid, alternately rattling knives against plates
and saying "S'sh" to herself, had cleared away dinner. John, who had
been strangely silent during the meal, was in his deep arm-chair,
smoking. It was Mary's peace-hour.

She lay on the sofa, for she was always tired by now, reading the
morning paper--her first chance at it. As she read, she made little
comments aloud, as that the Germans were beasts, or that it was splendid
about the Russians doing so well; and this was the signal for John to
join in with the latest strategic gossip from the City.

Only to-night he didn't. He just sat smoking and thinking ... thinking.

"I suppose the French," said Mary, lazily, "are going to---- John!" She
looked across at him suddenly, realizing all at once that he had
answered none of her questions, knowing all at once that something was
the matter.

"Yes?" he said, coming out of his thoughts with a start.

"John, you--," she sat up with a jerk and craned her head forward at
him--"you haven't been dismissed?" She clenched her hands tight for the
answer. Sometimes at night, when he was asleep and she wasn't, she would
wonder what they would do if he were dismissed.

"Silly, of course not," said John with a laugh.

She gave a sob of relief and went over and sat on his knee and put her
arms round his neck.

"Oh, John, I was so frightened. But what is it? There's _something_."

He smoked rapidly for a little. Then he put his pipe down, kissed her,
and lifted her off his knee.

"I want to tell you something," he said; "but you mustn't look at me or
I couldn't. Sit down