“You wait until the Huns see Uncle Sam with his sleeves rolled up. Wouldn’t surprise me any if they quit.” Carter shifted his seat to a place near Barclay and Newell, who were leading a group in three cheers for the President. And on his way downtown that day he stopped to buy a flag and pole to be sent to the house. Before he reached his office these flags of red and white and blue had begun to appear in numbers on the tops of buildings and from windows, brightening the dull gray backgrounds as with flowers. It made him want to cheer. It made him walk more erect. The whole downtown atmosphere became vibrant. The declaration of war was the sole topic of conversation in the office, and one of the first things he did was to ring up Kitty and tell her about it. “Well, old girl, we’ve done it!” he exclaimed. “Done what?” she asked anxiously. “Declared war,” he announced, as though in some way he had been personally concerned in the act. “Guess that will make the Huns rub their eyes.” “War?” trembled Kitty. “You bet! Fritzie waited a little too long with his apologies that last time.” In the succeeding days Carter followed the nation’s preparations for the task ahead with a feeling of reflected glory. His favorite phrase was: “We’re going at it man-fashion.” He was keen for conscription and liked to speak of a possible army of two million. When the First Liberty Loan came along he subscribed for a thousand dollars. He would have taken more, but he found that his personal expenses had taken in the last few months a decided jump. It was costing him more than twice as much to maintain his new house as it had his old. Besides that, Ben’s expenses at college were a considerable item. His car, too, was costing more than he had anticipated, and he had added unconsciously a lot to his everyday expenditures. He was smoking better cigars, eating better lunches and wearing better clothes. At the same time each one of these items was costing more. However, his new position in a way called for these things, and, besides, he was entitled to them. He had worked hard for them and they were the fair reward of attainment. Carter had hoped to do better on the Second Liberty Loan, but when the time came he found it difficult to take out even another thousand. He rather resented the way Newell, the overzealous member of the local committee, harried him about it. When Newell suggested that he double the amount the man was presuming to know Carter’s circumstances better than he himself knew them. He had answered rather tartly: “I’m capable of deciding my investments for myself.” In the interval between the two loans both the servants had asked for an increase in wages, and Carter had been forced to pay it or see them go. Kitty had suggested that she be allowed to get along with one and undertake some of the housework herself, but he had set his foot down on that.