“That’s a chance every soldier takes when he goes to the front, Martha. But let us hope that dad will escape—and let us hope that Uncle Sam will escape, too.”
Jack and Fred had come over early in the morning and had asked permission of Miss Garwood to see the girls on an important errand. They had left the school building under the curious eyes of Ruth and a number of their other chums.
“Well, in one way, I’m glad of this,” declared Mary, her pride showing in her face. “It’s exactly what I thought dad would do the minute we got into the war. I knew he wouldn’t want to be thought a slacker.”
“But, Mary! suppose they got killed—or even wounded?” murmured Martha.
“Martha Rover! do you want your father to hang back when he thinks it’s his duty to go to the front?” demanded Mary, her eyes snapping questioningly.
“No, no!” answered her cousin quickly. “I know it’s the right thing to do. Just the same, it worries me a great deal; and I know it will worry mamma, too.”
“You mustn’t say anything about being a slacker,” admonished Jack. “If it should get to the ears of Uncle Tom, it might make him feel very bad.”
“Oh, I don’t put Uncle Tom down as a slacker,” returned Mary quickly. “I think he is making a great sacrifice, by staying behind to keep the business together, and to serve on that Loan Committee and the Red Cross Committee.”
The young folks talked it over for some time, and decided to wait until they got further word from home. Then the two girls went back into the school to tell Miss Garwood and their chums the news, while the boys hurried to Colby Hall, arriving there during the morning recess.
“Say, but we’ve had some fun since you went away!” cried Andy gaily, when they appeared. “Pud Hicks, the janitor’s assistant, got the surprise of his life.”