y arter day."

"Dear heart alive," groaned his mother, "a body 'ud think they mid
manage a bit better! Lard, to think on't! Tis all along o' the poor
dear Queen bein' dead, ye mid be sure! There needs to be a woman at
the head o' things! I reckon the Government be all made up o' men
folks now, and men never has any notion o' doin' for theirselves.
There, I did use to say to father many a time, 'If I was to leave 'ee
to yourself I d' 'low ye'd go eatin' any kind o' rubbish.' There wants
to be a sensible woman or two i' th' Government--no woman 'ud ever
think o' sendin' out the poor chaps' bit o' food raw. There bain't a
hedger or ditcher but has his bit o' dinner put ready for en, and I
reckon soldiers have got stummicks much same as other folks."

Dick had only half attended to this speech; he had been standing by
the door intently gazing up the village street, and shading his eyes
with his hand.

"Why, I'm blowed!" he exclaimed. "Here's a mate o' mine ridin' this
way! Yes, so it be. I thought he was goin' a-coortin'. Hullo, Billy!"

A bicycle wheeled round abruptly, and the rider alighted at the
cottage door. A big young man, with the bronzed face which would have
announced his recent return from the front, even had not his khaki
uniform proclaimed the fact.

"I thought I'd look 'ee up," he explained, shaking hands with his
friend with a somewhat sheepish air. "You and me bein' mates, d'ye
see, and me feelin' a bit dull over yonder."

"Why, what's become o' she?" interrupted Dick, with a grin.

"Don't talk about her! She be just like the rest--'Out o' sight out o'
mind'--took up wi' a civilian soon as my back were turned. I reckoned
I'd come and have a look at _your_ maid."

"Yes, to be sure!" cried Dick jovially. "My sweetheart han't a-took up
wi' anybody else--she've a-been faithful and true."

"What's that?" inquired Mrs. Baverstock, coming forward, her little
black eyes looking ready to start from her head.

"Tis a kind of a little joke what me and Billy have a-got between us
about my sweetheart. There, he can tell 'ee the tale while we're
eatin'. This 'ere be my mother, Billy. This be Mr. Billy Caines--a
Darset man same as myself. Him and me was reg'lar pals out there,
wasn't we, Bill?"

"I d' 'low we was," responded Private Caines, after ceremoniously
pumping Mrs. Baverstock's hand up and down. "We did fight side by
side, and we was wounded side by side, and we was a-layin' side by
side for weeks in