Nona smiled. Lieutenant Kelley was just a charming, well-bred boy; it was small wonder Barbara liked and enjoyed him. Only Nona wondered a little if Barbara were making the young man more contented or less so.
“Do you think you ought to walk about like this alone?” he inquired. “You see, most of our soldiers are well behaved, but there are a whole lot of us and you cannot expect us all to be alike. Lieutenant Martin and I were out together a few hours ago trying to round up a few who have fallen from grace. I’m not much on discipline, I’m too easy; but Martin is a great fellow for discipline. I must say, though, he is equally hard on himself; but then he thinks and dreams of nothing but this war, does not seem to have another wish, not even an affection outside of it. Do you mind my confiding in you? He has just been raking me over the coals for what he says is my too great familiarity with the men. But you see, I thought we were fighting to make the world safe for democracy and I’ve an idea the men will do as much for me as for him. Martin is not popular; I worry over the fact sometimes since he really is a fine fellow once you know him. But at present he is worked up over the idea that there may even be spies here among our own men, has had some such suggestion made to him from those higher up. So he keeps on the lookout and if the soldiers find out he is watching them they won’t like it.
“To me the idea of a traitor in our own camp is incredible, but this whole German spy business always has been. I don’t know whether I ought to speak of this even to you.”
Nona shook her head. “No, I suppose not, although it is the thing we all think about, even if we do not speak of it. To have the Germans find where our camp is, or how many men we have over here, or when the great moment of real work comes, these things must never happen! Yet I agree with you I simply cannot believe there is anyone who would, or who could betray us for that matter. But I won’t walk far and I am not alone.” Nona still held her hand on Duke’s silver-gray head, the dog quiet as the Proverbial sentinel.
“Wish I could go along with you,” Lieutenant Kelley answered. “But I must be back in camp as I’ve important work to do before taps.”
Then, vaulting over the fence, he went on toward camp.
After their conversation Nona naturally thought nothing more of his having had a companion with him before she came on the scene. There was nothing in what he had said to indicate it and nothing in his appearance or manner to suggest deception. Besides, why should he have wished to deceive her?
She did think, however, of what he had said and of how universal this fear he had expressed had become. The whole world seemed obsessed by it. In almost every one of her Red Cross experiences, since the present war began, Nona had come in contact either with the actual business of spying, or with the suspicion of it. Here in France, guarded as they all were, they must be safe. Nona was sorry that the idea had again been presented to her. She hoped never to be brought into touch with anything or person connected with the business of spying again. For one thing, their recent Italian experience with Nannina was too fresh in her mind. No news had, so far, been heard of what had become of the Italian woman.
Naturally, Nona walked on farther than she realized, thinking of these things.
Then somewhat sharply she suddenly came upon some barbed wire entanglements, making further progress impossible.