"Not in detail. He just mentioned that he was very anxious to get hold of a former butler in your grandfather's family who is now in the ranks. They had his testimony in part before he was called into service, but he had not been cross-examined. Andre seems to feel sure that he can extract information from him that will aid your mother to come into possession of the estate. Andre's judgment is good, and as you know, he is one of the leading lawyers of Paris." "He is too good, and you also, to take all this trouble in our behalf," said Frank warmly. "My mother and I can never thank you enough." "The debt will be always on our side," responded the colonel with a wave of the hand. "By the way, how is your mother? I hope she is well." "She was well when I last heard from her," replied Frank, "and happy--that is as happy as she can be while we are separated from each other." "She is a true daughter of France," said the colonel, "and she should be happy to have so brave a son. Please remember me to her when you write. _Au revoir_," and with a friendly smile he passed on. "Still hobnobbing with the swells, I see," remarked Billy, as Frank rejoined his chums. "He was telling me of a letter that his brother had written me about my mother's property," explained Frank. "Queer that it hasn't reached me. Did any of you fellows get any mail yesterday?" "I got a couple of letters," replied Billy. "Tom handed them to me just before we went into action yesterday morning." "Come to think of it, Tom was asking for you at the same time," said Bart. "He'd brought down the mail for the bunch. He said he had a letter for you. But you weren't around at the time and he stuck it into his pocket. Then the boches came swinging at us, and in the excitement I suppose he forgot all about it. Likely enough he has it with him now--that is if the Huns have let him keep it." "That must be the explanation," said Frank. "Well, all I can do is write to the colonel's brother and ask him to send me a duplicate of the letter. Poor Tom! I'd give all the letters in the world to have him safe with us just now." "Same here," said Billy and Bart in chorus. "I guess the Huns have got him," said Frank gloomily. "He isn't among the dead or wounded as far as we've been able to find. But I'll bet they thought they had hold of a wildcat when they nabbed him." "Trust Tom for that," said Bart. "He was a terror when he had his blood up. He must have got knocked on the head, or they wouldn't have taken him alive." "Perhaps he'd have been luckier if he had been killed," said Billy sadly. "From all I hear there are plenty of prisoners in German camps who would welcome death."