A few minutes later Brad and Jimmy went off to play a game of pingpong with some of the girls and for the next hour Kitty was very busy at the bar. Later during a lull in their business she glanced down the hall and noticed that Lieutenant Cary was playing chess with someone in the south corner of the room. They were about the only two who had not patronized the Snack Bar during the evening. “What’s so interesting over there?” Brad’s teasing tone jolted Kitty out of her curious speculation. “Who’s that playing chess with Lieutenant Cary?” she asked in a low tone. Brad glanced to the south corner of the room and replied, “Krome.” “You mean the head cook up at the hospital?” “What’s so surprising about that?” “Somehow I thought Lieutenant Cary would be too snippity to play chess with the cook.” “Why Krome’s Chief Commissary Steward. Lieutenant Cary has no reason to be high-hat to him. He was in the service long before Cary ever thought of such a thing.” “Is that so?” “Sure.” “But Dr. Cary is a lieutenant.” “Just the same he’s only been in the service a few months. He’s one of the physicians recently recruited.” “Oh, I see,” murmured Kitty in a significant tone. Then she asked, “Do you know anything about the cook?” ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration: _“What’s So Interesting There?” Brad Asked_] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Brad laughed. “I know he can dish up some mighty good chow on occasion.” “He looks as though he didn’t object to good eating himself. He must weigh two hundred and twenty-five at least.” Kitty tried to make her tone seem trivial in case anyone else had overheard their conversation. “I’ll be trotting along,” Brad said. “I promised to make a fourth for bridge over yonder.” Kitty held his eyes a moment and lowered her voice to say, “There’s something I want to talk to you about when I have a chance.” “I’ll see you home if you can get through before eleven. We can talk on the way up.” “Fine,” she agreed. Brad had scarcely taken his seat with the other players when Lieutenant Cary and Chief Krome came toward the bar. Excitedly Kitty whispered to Judy, “Let me wait on them if they come here.” Judy sent her a surprised look. “You’re welcome to them. I wouldn’t be interested.” “Neither am I, in the way you think,” retorted Kitty with a laugh. She thought what an odd pair they made as they came toward the Snack Bar. Lieutenant Cary was as lean and alert as a bloodhound, while the square-rigged Krome was almost a head shorter. Kitty would have felt curious about any man who was friendly with Lieutenant Cary, even if her curiosity had not already been stirred by one of Krome’s assistants, so that the association brought the Chief Steward under suspicion also.