But a few moments later, when Nita waved a good-by to her mother from the car, she was seated between the soldier lad and Nathalie, with the children crowding upon their laps, and the doctor in front with the chauffeur. As the car whizzed away from the hotel Nita gave Nathalie’s sleeve a sudden twitch as she cried, “Oh, look, Nathalie; there’s the _Count_!” “The _Count_,” repeated her friend in mystified wonder, as she bent forward to gaze after a young man who had just flashed by in an automobile. But suddenly, with a curious gleam in her eyes, the girl drew back, a slight flush on her cheeks. “Oh, no, he’s not a _real Count_,” informed Nita with some amusement in her eyes; “but every one calls him that because they think he’s so Frenchy-looking, with his dark skin and big black eyes. The girls seem quite wild about him, for he takes them riding in his car. Some one told mother that he was from Chicago, and was quite wealthy.” But Nathalie manifested no further interest in the gentleman whom Nita had dubbed the Count, although she immediately recognized the young man as the one who had repaired her car the day she had gone after the children. But, alas, she felt that he was no gentleman, for had he not stared at her rudely in the post-office, and then accosted her near the cemetery a short time later? CHAPTER XVIII THE LIBERTY CHEER After Nita’s arrival the two Pioneer-Liberty girls were so occupied with things to see and do, that at the week’s end it was hard to realize it was not a month since her coming. In the order of events had been the anxious moments waiting to know the doctor’s decision as to the condition of the young English soldier. This had been followed by Nathalie’s deep joy when she realized that her “drop in the bucket” was doing its bit. Yes, the doctor announced that the young man’s condition was serious, induced by his gangrenous wound and the life he had lived for the last two years. Still, as he had a good constitution, and youth is a ready up-builder, with proper care and food,—emphasizing the word “food,”—he would be all right in a short time. Yes, Janet had sensed the situation when she had proclaimed that she believed the man was more than half starved. Under the care of the skillful surgeon, with Janet’s good nursing, assisted by Nathalie and Nita, who had begged hard to be allowed to help, the patient soon began to improve. Possibly the atmosphere created by having three young nurses, the soldier-boy as orderly, Danny as handy man, with the other children as servitors, with nourishing food, had done as much as medicine and skill in giving renewed ambition to a man who had been dragging out his life on half-rations, in the solitude of a friendless existence.