Mollie was not engaged to Guy Ellis. She had insisted upon this both to Barbara and Nona. But she had confessed there was a kind of understanding between them, and when the war was over, if she and Guy had both played their parts faithfully, and his parents did not object to a poor girl, then Mollie was willing to concede there might be an engagement.
Nevertheless, as soon as he had received permission from his superior officer, Captain John Martin, Guy came straight to her.
Mollie also reported the news of Lieutenant Martin’s promotion to a captaincy, which he had been awarded only a few days before.
It was shortly before luncheon when Guy arrived at the hospital and Nona could not help wondering, after Mollie had imparted the information of the withdrawal of a number of the American troops, whether Captain Martin would make an effort to see her before he left camp. For his desire had been granted and he was to be one of the officers in charge of the first corps of American troops in the fighting area in France.
She kept the thought at the back of her mind all during the day, no matter in what occupation she chanced to be engaged. Nona felt she would like to see Captain Martin before he left for the front, if for no other reason than to congratulate him on his promotion.
It was after dinner that evening when Captain Martin, accompanied by Lieutenant Kelley, came to the hospital.
But to Nona’s secret surprise Captain Martin made no effort to see her alone. He and Lieutenant Kelley asked for Madame Castaigne, for Miss Thornton and Mrs. Thornton, as well as for Miss Davis and two or three other Red Cross nurses who were also their friends.
Nona was interested in watching the meeting between Lieutenant Kelley and Richard Thornton.
Dick was to leave the next day to continue his ambulance work. Whether Barbara asked him to meet Lieutenant Kelley, or whether he chose to make the best of the opportunity Nona did not, of course, know.
She only saw that Barbara introduced the two men in as matter-of-fact a fashion as she could manage and that, after looking at each other steadily for a barely perceptible moment, they instinctively shook hands.