"You know, as far as I'm concerned I rather envy Herb," said Frank, while the girls stared at him in surprise. "Not for being called away without having time to say good-bye to his folks, of course, but for receiving his orders. Waiting and expecting them every day is mighty hard on your nerves, I can tell you." "Gee, it's time we were moving, Grace," said Will, jumping up. He had been silent for the greater part of the evening. "It's getting late and you've done enough knitting for one day." This was the signal for a general breaking up, and as the young folks rose to say good-bye they stole furtive glances at Will. What was the matter with him? they wondered. Will, who had always been the life of a party before, and so intensely patriotic and thoroughly American! Yet he was the only one among them who was not shouldering his share of the nation's responsibility. As Allen lingered after he and Betty had reached her home she spoke her wonderment and worry. "Allen," she said, a little troubled line between her brows, "do you know what's the matter with Will? Is he, can he be--a slacker?" "I don't know," said Allen, shoving his hands deep into his pockets as he always did when anything was, as he expressed it, "too deep for him." "I can't make him out at all, Betty. We'll just have to hope for the best." "That's all we can do," she answered, and gave a long-drawn sigh. CHAPTER XII HONOR FLAGS "Yes, yes, this is Betty.--Oh, Allen!--When?--To-morrow morning! Oh, isn't that terribly short notice?--Oh, I can't, I can't believe it!--Roy and Frank, too?--No, I didn't hear about it--Listen, Allen.--No, I'm _not_ crying.--What's that?--Well, I'm trying not to!--Please listen to me.--Bring the boys around here to-night, will you? I'll get the girls and we'll have a p-party.--No, I'm _not_ crying.--G-good-bye!" With a little jerk Betty hung up the receiver, and sat staring out of the window with the tears streaming down her cheeks. She brushed them away impatiently and felt feverishly for her pocket handkerchief. "Oh, I h-hate the old Kaiser, and I hate the old war, and I h-hate everything!" she wailed, rolling the handkerchief up into a miserable little ball. "Wh-what will we do when the b-boys are gone and we haven't anything to do, but just think of the time they'll be sent over to France to get k-killed? Oh, Betty, don't act so f-foolish," she scolded, putting away the handkerchief with an air of decision. "You know you wouldn't have had them do anything else anyway---- "Oh, there's that old telephone again. "Yes, hello, Mollie.--Isn't it terrible?--Oh, do come around--and stay for supper.--I--can't bear to be left alone.--Good-bye." "Well, what are we going to do?" The four girls had gathered once more on Betty's porch and were regarding each other mournfully. "Do?" echoed Grace. "Why, we can't do anything, of course, but let them go." "But it won't seem at all like Deepdale!" mourned Amy.