〃Carley；　you　are　getting　a　little　beyond　me；〃　declared　Eleanor；　dubiously。
  〃What　are　you　going　to　do？　It　all　comes　home　to　each　individual　woman。　Her　attitude　toward　life。〃
  〃I'll　drift　along　with　the　current；　Carley；　and　be　a　good　sport；〃　replied　Eleanor；　smiling。
  〃You　don't　care　about　the　women　and　children　of　the　future？　You'll　not　deny　yourself　now；　and　think　and　work；　and　suffer　a　little；　in　the　interest　of　future　humanity？〃
  〃How　you　put　things；　Carley！〃　exclaimed　Eleanor；　wearily。　〃Of　course　I　carewhen　you　make　me　think　of　such　things。　But　what　have　I　to　do　with　the　lives　of　people　in　the　years　to　come？〃
  〃Everything。　America　for　Americans！　While　you　dawdle；　the　life　blood　is　being　sucked　out　of　our　great　nation。　It　is　a　man's　job　to　fight；　it　is　a　woman's　to　save。　。　。　。　I　think　you've　made　your　choice；　though　you　don't　realize　it。　I'm　praying　to　God　that　I'll　rise　to　mine。〃
  Carley　had　a　visitor　one　morning　earlier　than　the　usual　or　conventional　time　for　calls。
  〃He　wouldn't　give　no　name；〃　said　the　maid。　〃He　wears　soldier　clothes；　ma'am；　and　he's　pale；　and　walks　with　a　cane。〃
  〃Tell　him　I'll　be　right　down；〃　replied　Carley。
  Her　hands　trembled　while　she　hurriedly　dressed。　Could　this　caller　be　Virgil　Rust？　She　hoped　so；　but　she　doubted。
  As　she　entered　the　parlor　a　tall　young　man　in　worn　khaki　rose　to　meet　her。　At　first　glance　she　could　not　name　him；　though　she　recognized　the　pale　face　and　light…blue　eyes；　direct　and　steady。
  〃Good　morning；　Miss　Burch；〃　he　said。　〃I　hope　you'll　excuse　so　early　a　call。　You　remember　me；　don't　you？　I'm　George　Burton；　who　had　the　bunk　next　to　Rust's。〃
  〃Surely　I　remember　you；　Mr。　Burton；　and　I'm　glad　to　see　you；〃　replied　Carley；　shaking　hands　with　him。　〃Please　sit　down。　Your　being　here　must　mean　you're　discharged　from　the　hospital。〃
  〃Yes；　I　was　discharged；　all　right；〃　he　said。
  〃Which　means　you're　well　again。　That　is　fine。　I'm　very　glad。〃
  〃I　was　put　out　to　make　room　for　a　fellow　in　bad　shape。　I'm　still　shaky　and　weak；〃　he　replied。　〃But　I'm　glad　to　go。　I've　pulled　through　pretty　good；　and　it'll　not　be　long　until　I'm　strong　again。　It　was　the　'flu'　that　kept　me　down。〃
  〃You　must　be　careful。　May　I　ask　where　you're　going　and　what　you　expect　to　do？〃
  〃Yes；　that's　what　I　came　to　tell　you；〃　he　replied；　frankly。　〃I　want　you　to　help　me　a　little。　I'm　from　Illinois　and　my　people　aren't　so　badly　off。　But　I　don't　want　to　go　back　to　my　home　town　down　and　out；　you　know。　Besides；　the　winters　are　cold　there。　The　doctor　advises　me　to　go　to　a　little　milder　climate。　You　see；　I　was　gassed；　and　got　the　'flu'　afterward。　But　I　know　I'll　be　all　right　if　I'm　careful。　。　。　。　Well；　I've　always　had　a　leaning　toward　agriculture；　and　I　want　to　go　to　Kansas。　Southern　Kansas。　I　want　to　travel　around　till　I　find　a　place　I　like；　and　there　I'll　get　a　job。　Not　too　hard　a　job　at　firstthat's　why　I'll　need　a　little　money。　I　know　what　to　do。　I　want　to　lose　myself　in　the　wheat　country　and　forget　thethe　war。　I'll　not　be　afraid　of　work；　presently。　。　。　。　Now；　Miss　Burch；　you've　been　so　kindI'm　going　to　ask　you　to　lend　me　a　little　money。　I'll　pay　it　back。　I　can't　promise　just　when。　But　some　day。　Will　you？〃
  〃Assuredly　I　will；〃　she　replied；　heartily。　〃I'm　happy　to　have　the　opportunity　to　help　you。　How　much　will　you　need　for　immediate　use？　Five　hundred　dollars？〃
  〃Oh　no；　not　so　much　as　that；〃　he　replied。　〃Just　railroad　fare　home；　and　then　to　Kansas；　and　to　pay　board　while　I　get　well；　you　know；　and　look　around。〃
  〃We'll　make　it　five　hundred；　anyway；〃　she　replied；　and；　rising；　she　went　toward　the　library。　〃Excuse　me　a　moment。〃　She　wrote　the　check　and；　returning；　gave　it　to　him。
  〃You're　very　good；〃　he　said；　rather　low。
  〃Not　at　all；〃　replied　Carley。　〃You　have　no　idea　how　much　it　means　to　me　to　be　permitted　to　help　you。　Before　I　forget；　I　must　ask　you；　can　you　cash　that　check　here　in　New　York？〃
  〃Not　unless　you　identify　me；〃　he　said；　ruefully；　〃I　don't　know　anyone　I　could　ask。〃
  〃Well；　when　you　leave　here　go　at　once　to　my　bankit's　on　Thirty…fourth　Streetand　I'll　telephone　the　cashier。　So　you'll　not　have　any　difficulty。　Will　you　leave　New　York　at　once？〃
  〃I　surely　will。　It's　an　awful　place。　Two　years　ago　when　I　came　here　with　my　company　I　thought　it　was　grand。　But　I　guess　I　lost　something　over　there。　。　。　。　I　want　to　be　where　it's　quiet。　Where　I　won't　see　many　people。〃
  〃I　think　I　understand；〃　returned　Carley。　〃Then　I　suppose　you're　in　a　hurry　to　get　home？　Of　course　you　have　a　girl　you're　just　dying　to　see？〃
  〃No；　I'm　sorry　to　say　I　haven't；〃　he　replied；　simply。　〃I　was　glad　I　didn't　have　to　leave　a　sweetheart　behind；　when　I　went　to　France。　But　it　wouldn't　be　so　bad　to　have　one　to　go　back　to　now。〃
  〃Don't　you　worry！〃　exclaimed　Carley。　〃You　can　take　your　choice　presently。　You　have　the　open　sesame　to　every　real　American　girl's　heart。〃
  〃And　what　is　that？〃　he　asked；　with　a　blush。
  〃Your　service　to　your　country；〃　she　said；　gravely。
  〃Well；〃　he　said；　with　a　singular　bluntness；　〃considering　I　didn't　get　any　medals　or　bonuses；　I'd　like　to　draw　a　nice　girl。〃
  〃You　will；〃　replied　Carley；　and　made　haste　to　change　the　subject。　〃By　the　way；　did　you　meet　Glenn　Kilbourne　in　France？〃
  〃Not　that　I　remember；〃　rejoined　Burton；　as　he　got　up；　rising　rather　stiffly　by　aid　of　his　cane。　〃I　must　go；　Miss　Burch。　Really　I　can't　thank　you　enough。　And　I'll　never　forget　it。〃
  〃Will　you　write　me　how　you　are　getting　along？〃　asked　Carley；　offering　her　hand。
  〃Yes。〃
  Carley　moved　with　him　out　into　the　hall　and　to　the　door。　There　was　a　question　she　wanted　to　ask；　but　found　it　strangely　difficult　of　utterance。　At　the　door　Burton　fixed　a　rather　penetrating　gaze　upon　her。
  〃You　didn't　ask　me　about　Rust；〃　he　said。
  〃No；　II　didn't　think　of　himuntil　now；　in　fact；〃　Carley　lied。
  〃Of　course　then　you　couldn't　have　heard　about　him。　I　was　wondering。〃
  〃I　have　heard　nothing。〃
  〃It　was　Rust　who　told　me　to　come　to　you；〃　said　Burton。　〃We　were　talking　one　day；　and　hewell；　he　thought　you　were　true　blue。　He　said　he　knew　you'd　trust　me　and　lend　me　money。　I　couldn't　have　asked　you　but　for　him。〃
  〃True　blue！　He　believed　that。　I'm　glad。　。　。　。　Has　he　spoken　of　me　to　you　since　I　was　last　at　the　hospital？〃
  〃Hardly；〃　replied　Burton；　with　the　straight；　strange　glance　on　her　again。
  Carley　met　this　glance　and　suddenly　a　coldness　seemed　to　envelop　her。　It　did　not　seem　to　come　from　within　though　her　heart　stopped　beating。　Burton　had　not　changedthe　warmth；　the　gratitude　still　lingered　about　him。　But　the　light　of　his　eyes！　Carley　had　seen　it　in　Glenn's；　in　Rust'sa　strange；　questioning；　far…off　light；　infinitely　aloof　and　unutterably　sad。　Then　there　came　a　lift　of　her　heart　that　released　a　pang。　She　whispered　with　dread；　with　a　tremor；　with　an　instinct　of　calamity。
  〃How　aboutRust？〃
  〃He's　dead。〃
  The　winter　came；　with　its　bleak　sea　winds　and　cold　rains　and　blizzards　of　snow。　Carley　did　not　go　South。　She　read　and　brooded；　and　gradually　avoided　all　save　those　true　friends　who　tolerated　her。
  She　went　to　the　theater　a　good　deal；　showing　preference　for　the　drama　of　strife；　and　she　did　not　go　anywhere　for　amusement。　Distraction　and　amusement　seemed　to　be　dead　issues　for　her。　But　she　could　become　absorbed　in　any　argument　on　the　good　or　evil　of　the　present　day。　Socialism　reached　into　her　mind；　to　be　rejected。　She　had　never　understood　it　clearly；　but　it　seemed　to　her　a　state　of　mind　where　dissatisfied　men　and　women　wanted　to　share　what　harder　working　or　more　gifted　people　possessed。　There　were　a　few　who　had　too　much　of　the　world's　goods　and　many　who　had　too　little。　A　readjustment　of　such　inequality　and　injustice　must　come；　but　Carley　did　not　see　the　remedy　in　Socialism。
  She　devoured　books　on　the　war　with　a　morbid　curiosity　and　hope　that　she　would　find　some　illuminating　truth　as　to　the　uselessness　of　sacrificing　young　men　in　the　glory　and　prime　of　their　lives。　To　her　war　appeared　a　matter　of　human　nature　rather　than　politics。　Hate　really　was　an　effect　of　war。　In　her　judgment　future　wars　could　be　avoided　only　in　two　waysby　men　becoming　honest　and　just　or　by　women　refusing　to　have　children　to　be　sacrificed。　As　there　seemed　no　indication　whatever　of　the　former；　she　wondered　how　soon　all　women　of　all　races　would　meet　on　a　common　height；　with　the　mounting　spirit　that　consumed　her　own　heart。　Such　time　must　come。　She　granted　every　argument　for　war　and　flung　against　it　one　ringing　passionate　truthagony　of　mangled　soldiers　and　agony　of　women　and　children。　There　was　no　justification　for　offensive　war。　It　was　monstrous　and　hideous。　If　nature　and　evolution　proved　the　absolute　need　of　strife；　war；　blood；　and　death　in　the　progress　of　animal　and　man　toward　perfection；　then　it　would　be　better　to　abandon　this　Christless　code　and　let　the　race　of　man　die　out。
  All　through　these　weeks　she　longed　for　a　letter　from　Glenn。　But　it　did　not　come。　Had　he　finally　roused　to　the　sweetness　and　worth　and　love　of　the　western　girl；　Flo　Hutter？　Carley　knew　absolutely；　through　both　intelligence　and　intuition；　that　Glenn　Kilbourne　would　never　love　Flo。　Yet　such　was　her　intensity　and　stress　at　times；　especially　in　the　darkness　of　waking　hours；　that　jealousy　overcame　her　and　insidiously　worked　its　havoc。　Peace　and　a　strange　kind　of　joy　came　to　her　in　dreams　of