It turned out so. Cathalina telephoned around to the different relatives and to Judge and Mrs. North, asking them to call after dinner. Philip, however, had driven Lilian home, after delivering Hilary at the Stuarts, and was warmly welcomed by the Judge and his wife.
“Dick is at camp,” announced Philip, “and will get off in the morning.”
“I will go home with you tonight, Mother,” said Lilian, “and help you get dinner for Dick tomorrow morning. I want you to have a chance to visit with him while he can be here.”
“I shall have dinner nearly prepared tonight, Lilian, and there will be little to do tomorrow, but you are a good child and I will let you finish it up. Can’t you come over and help her, Philip?”
“If I only could! But Mother would be disappointed if I were not at home. I’ll come over for Lilian right after dinner if you don’t mind.”
It took a great deal of planning for every one to see the soldier lads, but the time was precious for memories. At Camp Merritt, Philip pointed out a little hut where food was sold to the soldiers.
“See that sign?” he asked. “‘No Pies.’ That never comes down, because the boys know when the pies come in, and go at once to buy them out!”
At the little station in Dumont, out from which town the camp was located, troop trains were being unloaded. Processions of worn, dusty men were marching away toward the camp and were carrying immense packs that looked heavy for any one not a giant. The girls watched them and the great loaded trucks that sped away to take all kinds of supplies to Camp Merritt. “I grow more and more indignant,” said Hilary. “All this hardship and risk and worse, and what for?—Just because it happens to be our job to help defeat some murderers. But it has to be done.”
Those were sober days, and when several days later it was evidently their last visit to the boys in camp it was hard to say the farewells. Not far from where Philip and Lilian stood talking, sat a young soldier and his wife, the latter a frail little woman with a patient, sad look upon her face. They were not saying a word, only sat with clasped hands till such time as he would have to go back to quarters. But Philip and Lilian said goodbye with a brave smile, each to the other, and Lilian stood watching Philip till he had disappeared within the barracks.