Then, just as Betty was about to broach the subject of the boys to Mrs. Watson, the unexpected happened. A khaki-clad figure, cutting across their path at a dead run, almost collided with them, paused to gasp an apology, stopped still and stared. It was Allen! "Betty!" he cried, with eyes for only one of them. "Wh--what are you doing here?" "Just what you're doing," said Betty with spirit, though she was blushing furiously. "Helping Uncle Sam!" CHAPTER XVIII THE EVENING GUN "But wh-what?" stammered Allen, while Mrs. Watson looked on in amazement. "Wh-why didn't you let a fellow know?" "We wanted to surprise you," said Betty gleefully, noting with pride how splendid he looked in his uniform. "You don't seem at all glad to see us. Mrs. Watson," remembering her manners in the nick of time, "this is a friend of ours from Deepdale--Allen Washburn. He didn't know we were coming." "So I see," smiled Mrs. Watson, shaking hands warmly with Allen. "I'm very glad to know you, Mr. Washburn, and I hope we shall see you often at the Hostess House." "It's very good of you," said Allen, still very much in the dark, and totally unable to keep his eyes from Betty's face. "Did you say the Hostess House?" "Yes. That's what we came down for," said Mollie, who had been quiet just about as long as she could. "To help run it, you know--and everything." "Especially 'everything,'" drawled Grace. "Say, that's great!" cried Allen, beginning to see light. "You mean you're going to stay here--maybe for weeks--and see that everybody has a good time--us included? Gee, what luck!" "I'm glad you think so," said Betty demurely, while Allen wished desperately to have her alone. "What were you in such a hurry about, when you nearly ran into us?" she asked, with interest. "I was going to look up Frank and Roy, to tell them we'd been granted our five-day furlough. We were going to make a bee line home to Deepdale. Now," he added, eyes still on Betty's averted face, "we won't have to!" Mrs. Watson smiled sympathetically, and, being an ardent matchmaker, looked forward to having even more of an interesting season than she had expected. "And it's the greatest luck ever," Allen continued enthusiastically, as they walked slowly across the parade ground, "that we happened to get our furlough just now. What are you girls doing this afternoon?" "Seeing the sights," said Mollie. "We're taking a half-holiday." "Gee!" cried Allen, fairly capering in his delight. "This is altogether too good to be true. Wait till I tell the fellows." "Oh, but we want to surprise them," said Grace, stopping short and looking abused. "When we've come all this distance to do it, it isn't fair for you to have all the fun." "All right, you stay here then," said Allen, conducting them around the corner of one of the low wooden buildings, which the girls afterward learned was the mess hall. "I'll look up the fellows, and lead the poor unsuspecting----"