“And please, please, both of you be careful, and don’t get hurt!” murmured Martha.
“Oh, say, Martha! don’t put a wet blanket on things that way,” whispered her brother. “Don’t you know you have to send them away with a smile?”
“And I’m going to,” she answered quickly, and then began to smile, even though the tears were forming in her pretty eyes.
“I know you will take good care of things while we are away, Tom,” said Dick Rover to his brother.
“You can rest assured of that,” answered Tom Rover. “Just the same, I wish I were going along.”
“So do I, now that the time has come.”
“We may never have to go to France,” put in Sam Rover. “The war may be over before that time.” Yet, as he spoke, he knew in his heart that such was not likely to be the case. But he wanted to say something to ease the minds of his wife and the other womenfolks.
There were quite a number of volunteers to entrain, and friends and relatives were hurrying this way and that to see them off. Among the Rovers there was much handshaking and not a few kisses, and then Dick Rover and Sam entered the train, which, a few seconds later, glided from the station.
It was a sober crowd that returned to the Rover homes, even Andy and Randy being subdued. No one felt like talking. Poor Martha seemed to be the most affected, and had she attempted to speak she would certainly have broken out crying.
“Well, I suppose we’ve got to get back to Colby Hall to finish out the term,” remarked Jack, after Tom Rover had departed for the offices in Wall Street.