ours without love,

SARAH PROSSER.

* * * * *

Illustration: _Genial Pedestrian._ "A BRIGHT MOON TO-NIGHT, CONSTABLE."

_Morbid P.C._ "YES, SIR. LET'S 'OPE IT DON'T DRAW THE FIRE OF 'OSTILE
AIR-CRAFT!"

* * * * *

THE WATCH DOGS.

IX.

DEAR Charles,--As the men, for reasons best known to themselves, will
suddenly chant on the march--"We're here because we're here, because
we're here, because we're here," goodness knows when (if ever) we shall
get to the Front; so this is yet another letter for you from the Back,
where we are, much against our will, kept to deal kindly but firmly with
the German invader as, home-sick and sea-sick, he alights gloomily on
our shores. If, by the way, I have given hints in this correspondence as
to the disposition of any part of our troops, it is a comfort to think
that the artful spy who gets hold of them will have the utmost
difficulty in making up his mind as to the real or fictitious existence
of (1) my Division; (2) my Brigade; (3) my Battalion; (4) my Company; or
even (5) me.

Meanwhile we are in a very difficult position, such as I believe few
soldiers have ever been called upon to face. You will remember how, four
months ago, we collected ourselves together in accordance with our
long-standing engagement to protect these islands against the foreign
trespasser, the condition of our contract being that our service should
begin (as charity should) and end (as charity often does) at home. In
the bad old days when I was at the Bar I should of course have known
that contracts are apt to turn round on those who make them; but now I
am only a plain soldier and I am unable to understand why I should be
made to stay at home when I desire to go and make a nuisance of myself
abroad. But the real trouble comes from this, that some six weeks ago I
received written and explicit orders to the effect that I was to sail
forthwith.

Suppose this had happened to you and you had been given special leave of
forty-eight hours to make all necessary preparations, would not you have
gone where your more impressionable acquaintances and friends were
gathered together in the greatest numbers, informing them of the
position and doing, on the strength of it, a quiet but irretrievable
swank? No ostentation, mark you, and nothing approaching a boast, but
just a suspicion of a brave careless laugh, a voice just slightly choked
with emotion a