The young man shook his head mournfully. “I know nothing of importance yet,” he returned with such emphasis that Mildred was the more impressed. Above all things she admired determination of character.
Then for a few moments neither the girl nor the young man spoke.
Mildred was trying to locate in a vague fashion certain positions of the army which her companion had just described. Two miles farther to the north Mildred could see a low range of hills which seemed deeply curtained by trees. In the midst of those trees Brooks insisted the British army had stationed long-range guns. They were guns of a new character and no one yet knew what their power of destruction might be. Behind the artillery there were telephone connections with the trenches miles away.
Really Mildred Thornton was too interested in the information imparted by her new friend to pay any special attention to what he might be doing.
However, he had taken off his glasses, gotten out a note book and was now writing as rapidly as possible.
By and by he got out an envelope and put the papers inside it, together with some others that were there previously.
At this minute Mildred looked around.
“Oh, dear, it is late; we must be going back as quickly as possible!” she exclaimed, and then got up without allowing her companion opportunity to assist her.
Nevertheless, the young man did not follow her for a moment.
“I wish you would stay just an instant longer,” he asked instead.