The little French farmhouse with the peach orchard could be reached by strenuous walking in half an hour, although frequently Nona and Philip Dawson had taken an hour to arrive there. This would leave half an hour for their talk and nearly anything may be said in half an hour.
Besides, there really was no nearer place where one could feel safe from interruption. For anywhere in the neighborhood of the camp soldiers were apt to turn up at any moment.
“You look worried; I hope nothing has happened to annoy you,” Nona began, as soon as they had found their favorite resting place and she could recover her breath.
Philip Dawson stopped frowning and laughed.
“I am afraid I have tired you out; I did not think of it. But then so few girls really know how to walk. You did not at first, Miss Davis, but you are learning.”
Nona shook her head. “Don’t be tiresome, I am not going to argue that question with you now since we have discussed it so many times before. Besides, you scarcely ran me all the way out here to give me that valuable information.”
Nona laid her hand lightly on her companion’s.
“Don’t worry over what you must tell me and please don’t break it to me gently, I hate that method. Are you going away?”
“Not now. Would you care?” Philip Dawson answered, and then as if he wished to disregard both their speeches:
“No, I am not going to waste time and I am not going to talk of either of us this afternoon, fond as we are of talking about ourselves. I hope we may have a great many other chances. But today I want to talk to you about something in which, thank heaven, neither of us has any part, except as it may affect our friends. You know I told you some time ago that every effort was being quietly made to find out the soldier in camp who tried to get rid of Lieutenant Martin and just what his reason was for wishing to have him away from camp for a time. Well, the reason has been discovered. There was spying going on and it was reasonable to suppose that Martin, who was watching pretty closely, would have soon made the discovery. The man who is suspected is pretty close to him.”