"Please excuse the writing, etc., and believe me,
"Yours ever,
"Jim,"
When Mrs. Jex brought in these two letters, as they lingered lazily over the tea-table, Grace laughed merrily.
"What are those boys up to now? It must be some unusually good joke to set old Jim writing letters."
But her brother's face lacked its usual quick response. He had been very thoughtful all day, sombre almost; and when Grace had chaffed him lightly as to his exertions of the previous night, instead of tackling her in kind, he had said quietly:
"Yes, you see, we old people don't take things so lightly as you youngsters."
"You are thinking of this war?"
"Yes--partly."
"And----?"