"But Virginia said nothing _about_ going on a bus! Oh!! _How_ could that child vanish so?" Naturally, all that that patrolman could do was to call his station; and Nina, almost all in, lay down, until, just about dawn a jangling ringing brought this half wild woman to a front hall, shouting:-- "This is Nina Adams talking! Who? _What?_ Virginia, is that you? What's wrong? What! You and Harold Thompson? Our aviator? You did what? Took his aircraft to _what_ city? Why, that's so far you can't----" but Virginia had hung up. So Nina also hung up, and sat down with a big, long sigh:-- "My Virginia, not _running_ away, but _flying_ away, to marry! Oh, this Youth of today!" * * * * * Around six o'clock that night, Virginia and Harold stood arm in arm in Nina's parlor, as a big bus was groaning noisily away. "But, Mama," said Virginia, sobbing pitifully, "I didn't think you would----" "That's just it, Virginia, you _didn't_ think!! But you _should!_ How could I know what was going on? That's just you young folks of today. You think of nothing but your own silly, foolish doings, and you allow us old _good-for-nothings_ to go crazy with worry!!" and Nina sank in a gasping swoon onto a sofa. But old Doc Wilkins, arriving at Virginia's frantic call, knowing Nina's iron constitution from childhood, soon had that limp form back to normal; and, with a dark, disapproving scowl at Virginia, said:-- "Bring in a good batch of hot food, and your Ma will turn out all right," and going out, with a snort of disgust, and banging viciously that big front door! XXVIII Awful tidings in our Branton Hills' "Post," had so wrought up our ordinarily happy, laughing Sarah, who, with Paul abroad, was back, living again with old Tom Young, that Sarah, sitting on a low stool by old Tom's rocking chair was so still that Tom put down his "Post," saying:-- "Gift of gab all run out, kid?" But Sarah had an odd, thoughtful look. Sarah's bosom was rising and falling abnormally; but, finally, looking quickly up at old Tom, Sarah said:-- "Daddy, I want to go to war." "_Do what?_" If Sarah had said anything about jumping out of a balloon, or of buying a gorilla to play with, Tom Young wouldn't know any such astounding doubt as brought his rocking chair to a quick standstill. "_War?_ What kind of talk is this? A girl going to war? What for? How? _Say!!_ Who _put_ this crazy stunt into your brain, anyway?" As you know, Sarah was not only charming in ways, but also in build; and, with that glorious crown of brownish-gold hair, that always smiling mouth and that soft, plump girlishly-girlish form, no man, Tom Young nor anybody, could think of Sarah and war in a solitary thought. So Sarah said, softly:--