The Marne

th a sigh, "that this horrible war has been going on for three whole years. Do you remember, dearest, your fi

a swing that landed it in the middle of the empty court-"perhaps that's th

ld had amused some people and won the frank approval of others. She did not exasperate her friends by professions of pacifism, she simply declared that the war bored he

chool-fellows had laughed at him and called him "Marny," some of them had listened to him and imitated him. It had become the fashion to have a collection of war-trophies from the battlefields. The boys' sisters were "adopting war-orphans" at long distance, and when Troy we

ational change of feeling were the

Germans were, Plattsburg tried to show

ents. For a while feeling ran high, and Troy, listening to the heated talk at his parents' table, perceived with disgust and wonder that at the bottom of the anti-war sentiment, whatever specious

gave any interest to the fact of living. It killed romance, it killed poetry and adventure, it took all the meaning out of history and conduct and civilization. There had never bee

nd Plattsburg won the day. America tore the gag of neutrality from her lips, and with all the strength of her liberated lungs

diplomatic relations the country had burst into flame, and with the declaration of war the flame had become a conflagration. And now, having at last a definite and pers

n gathered about the Belknap tennis-court. In spite of everything, he found her more interesting, more inexhaustible, more "hi

ed the tops of the lime branches. The smell of fresh hay-cocks blew across the lawn, and a spa

less severe than that of the young lady's contemporaries. What did it matter if a chit

e of our own soldiers in a French base hospital," sh

'll stay and nurse Granny if I go to a French

brothers in the training-camps or on the way to France. Besides, though they disapproved of Sophy's tone, her argument was unanswerable. They knew her precocious wisdom and self-confidence had been a

nephew, had a captain's double bar on his shoulder. What did Troy Belknap and Sophy Wic

back head. Troy lay on the ground and plucked at the tufts of grass at his elbow. Why was it that, with all the currents of vitality flowing between this group of animated girls and youths, he could feel no nearness but hers? The feeling was not particularly agreeable, but there was no shaking it off: it was like a scent that has got into one's cloth

war bores you?" he asked ab

y; and so do you, when

nging tennis-shoe. "Don't you see, Troy, it's not our job-not

and ran to take her place in a new