“I'd much rather hear you say that than something really serious,” she cried, smiling divinely into his dazzled eyes. “You've had pneumonia,” he said sternly, after the moment it took to regain a temporarily lost air of authority. “Mighty sick you've been, darling,--and--” “And I'm not to get my feet wet, or sit in a draft, or--Very good, Captain! Orders is orders, sir.” She stood off and saluted him with mock solemnity. [Illustration: 0010] “I'm so glad you came early, Derrol,” she cried, abruptly abandoning her frivolous air. “I've--I've wanted you so much. This has been a long--oh, an age, dear. You knew that poor Hodges was killed by an automobile, didn't you? I never know what I put in my letters. And there is all this talk about Belgium being a nest of spies at the outset, and--oh, _that_ would be too much. Sit here with me, Derrol, and--you might hold me close to you,--just for a little while. It--yes, it does give me strength to feel your arms about me.” After a few moments, the troubled look that had been lurking in his eyes for a long time, reappeared. A light frown clouded his brow. He glanced over his shoulder, and, when he spoke, his voice was even lower than it had been before. “Louise dear, something very strange and mysterious has happened. Don't be alarmed, dear. It has turned out all right. But,--'gad, it might have resulted very seriously. Do you remember that I told you about ten days ago,--in this very room,--that I suspected a certain officer in our camp of being--well, crooked?” “Yes,--I remember quite well, Derrol. Is--is he?” He smiled grimly. “That remains to be seen. I had observed one or two things about him that excited my suspicions, but I mentioned the matter to no one. The next day after I spoke to you about it, I decided to go to headquarters with my fears. As a matter of fact, by that time I really had something tangible to report. I was received by the general himself. He was dumbfounded. Instantly an investigation was started. The officer I mentioned was missing from camp. It was found that he had gone to New York the night before, but was expected back in the morning--just as I was. That was ten days ago. He has never returned. It has been proved beyond all question that he was a spy. There is no doubt in my mind that he got a tip while in New York, and beat it for parts unknown. Now the infernal part of the business is that I never mentioned my suspicions to a soul except to you,--never even breathed them outside of this room until the next day.” She was staring at him in perplexity. “But--but, Derrol dear, what does it all mean? You--you certainly cannot think that I repeated--” “Of course not, dear,--certainly not. I--” “In the first place, I had not been outside the apartment,” she went on in suppressed excitement. “And I give you my word of honour that I did not mention the matter to a soul in this house. Not one word, Derrol. If you--”