the detestation of the average healthy being
for invalid ways. Moreover, he longed to be up and doing. With his
growing strength, the orderly, noiseless routine of the hospital
came upon his nerves. One of the nurses always walked on the points
of her toes; and he was conscious of a wild longing to throw a
pillow at her, as she went diddling to and fro past him, a dozen
times a day. The doctor, a man of iron nerve and velvet hand, was a
daily delight to him. And there was always Alice, frank, friendly
and altogether enjoyable. During the past three days, their liking
had grown apace. Absolutely feminine, yet with the healthy
impersonality of a growing boy, Alice Mellen was a born comrade, and
Weldon enjoyed her just as, in her place, he would have enjoyed
Carew.

She came down the ward, that morning, and paused beside his chair.

"You look like your old self at last," she said, as she held out her
hand in congratulation.

"I might echo your words," he answered, while he looked up into her
eyes, shining with merriment and with something that yet seemed to
him closely akin to annoyance. "Granted the apron, you might be
pouring tea at home."

"Not tea; but malted milk, in these latter days," she said,
laughing. "But I am about to retire from your case. May I introduce
your new nurse, Mr. Weldon?"

His reluctant assent was changed to eager greeting. Light, swift
steps came down the room; a tall figure stopped at his side in the
full glare of a sunshiny window which all at once seemed focussing
its light upon waving strands and heaped-up coils of vivid yellow
hair.

"Cooee!" Then, too late, he bethought himself of his manners and
tried to bite the word off short.

Linking her arm in that of her cousin, the girl stood looking down
at him with merry, mocking blue eyes.

"Invalids are supposed to have privileges denied to well men," she
answered demurely. "It might perhaps be Cooee here, to-day; but it
will have to be Miss Dent, to-morrow, when you are back in the field
again. After all, it is hardly worth while to make the change,
Trooper Weldon."

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Upon one side, at least, the meeting between the two cousins on the
previous night had been wholly unexpected.

Late that afternoon, an ambulance train had come in, loaded with men
from the over-crowded field hospital at Krugersdorp, and for hours
Alice had been in ceaseless attendance upon the surgeon in charge.
Little by little, the girl h