“Oh, I don’t believe the end will come so quickly as all that!” cried Buster. “I think it will probably keep on until the middle of next summer. By that time Germany will have come to the end of her resources, and she will have to sue for peace.”
“I believe the Central Powers are worse off than we imagine,” said Dave. “They are simply putting on a bold front, hoping by some manner of means to bring us to terms.”
“Say, maybe they’ll come to terms like the girl did when the fellow wanted to marry her!” cried Shadow. “At first she declared that she wouldn’t marry him until he earned at least fifty dollars a week. He was then getting twelve. A few weeks later he came to her and announced that the boss had raised his wages to fifteen dollars. ‘All right, Jack,’ said the girl. ‘Now that you’ve got your raise I suppose we had better get married. Fifteen dollars is pretty near to fifty anyhow.’” And at this there was a general laugh.
Two days later came word to Dave that thrilled him greatly. He received a commission as a lieutenant of the engineers, while Roger and Phil became sergeants and Ben was made a corporal.
“Allow me to congratulate you, Lieutenant Porter,” said Captain Obray, grasping Dave’s hand warmly. “I think this gives me almost as much pleasure as it does you.”
“It certainly makes me feel good, I won’t deny it,” returned Dave, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “I thought I was going some to become a sergeant. But to be a lieutenant of the engineers! I never dreamed I would get that far when I joined.”
“I hope to see you get farther yet before this war is over,” said the captain encouragingly, and then he went down the line congratulating Roger and the others on their promotions.
“Well, I suppose we’ve got to bid you farewell now, Dave,” said Ben. “As a commissioned officer, you won’t want to herd with us common fellows any more.”
“Don’t you believe it for a minute, Ben,” was Dave’s quick reply. “Of course, when we are on duty I’ve got to be your lieutenant, but when I’m not on duty you can take it from me that we are going to be the old chums we have always been,” and he caught his first boy friend by both hands and looked at Ben in a manner that meant a great deal.
Of course, all of the engineers who had been promoted had to send the glad tidings to those at home. Dave wrote a long letter to his father and another to Jessie, while Roger penned like communications to his folks in Washington and to Laura, and Phil did not forget his own people and Belle Endicott, who was now visiting the Porters.