ting. Mr. Mann
took Dicky by the hand, however, and said, "God bless you, son,"
in a way that made Dicky feel closer to his father than he had ever
been before. Jimmy Hill's mother was away from home.

Mr. Hill took the information as a matter of course. "I thought
they would take you in one of these days," he remarked. "You boys
ought to prove a credit to us all. I would give a lot to be as
young as you are and have your chance, Jimmy. You will have to
represent the family, though, I guess. They won't take men of my
age, at least yet." Jimmy made up his mind then and there that he
would represent his father, of whom he was intensely proud and very
fond, and represent him to the very best of his ability.

Harry Corwin's folks seemed little surprised. Grace kissed him very
tenderly, and his mother drew his head down and pressed his cheek
close to hers. "That will take both of my boys," she said quietly.
In the conversation that followed at the dinner table Harry was
struck with the familiarity with which they all spoke of the
possibility that the boys would be taken into the service at once.
They had not discussed the matter in such detail before in his
presence. Grace mentioned more than once something that "the major
said," and Harry finally came to the conclusion that his people
had been closer in touch with the matter than he had been. Major
Phelps saw a good deal of Grace. Perhaps that had much to do
with it.

The Bensons and the Foxes took the news less seriously. "I guess
it will be a long time before you boys see France," said Mr. Fox.
"It is the right thing, though, and if you get a chance, take it."

Louis Deschamps was to receive a bigger piece of news from his mother
than he gave to her.

"Next week we leave for France, both of us," said Mrs. Deschamps.
"I have not told you, Louis, for you were so happy with your work
at the airdrome I wanted you to enjoy it while you could do so.
You are French, my son, and thank God you are becoming old enough
to take a hand in the war. When we get home I will see what can
be done to place you at once in our own flying service. If you
have learned much here, as I think you have, it will all come in
well when you are fighting for France."

Louis was overjoyed. He liked his comrades of the school, but he
was, after all, a French boy and had a French boy's heart. More,
he had a French mother, with a French mother's devotion to her country
and her cou