“Yes,” replied Gladys, “and do you remember the time you predicted I was going to flunk math at midyears and I took the prize?”

“And do you remember the light man that came into your life, Hinpoha?” said Sahwah slily.

Hinpoha turned fiery red at this reference to Professor Knoblock and looked out of the window in confused silence.  Sahwah realized that she was figure-skating on thin ice when she mentioned that subject and forebore to make any further remarks.  A strained silence fell upon the four.  Migwan cast about in her mind for a topic of conversation that would relieve the tension.

“Has anyone heard from Veronica lately?” she asked.

“I haven’t heard from her for several months,” replied Sahwah, “but I suppose she’s still in New York.  She must be doing great things with her music.  She’s given a concert already.”

“It’s queer about Veronica,” continued Sahwah musingly.  “Although she wasn’t with us so much I seem to miss her more and more as time goes on.  I often dream I hear her playing her violin.”  Sahwah’s admiration for Veronica had never waned, although Veronica had never had what Sahwah described as a “real emotional case” on her.

“Veronica’s an alien enemy now,” said Gladys in an awed tone.

“Do you think she’ll be interred?” asked Hinpoha anxiously.

Sahwah gave a little scream of laughter. “In-terned, not interred,” she corrected.  “I hope Veronica isn’t ready to be buried yet.”

“Well, interned, then,” answered Hinpoha, a little piqued at Sahwah’s raillery.  “You don’t need to call the attention of the whole car to the fact that I made a little mistake.  Did you see that officer over there turn around and look when you laughed?  He’s looking yet, and he probably heard what you said, and is laughing at me in his mind.”

Sahwah involuntarily turned around and her eyes met those of the slim, fair-haired youth in the uniform of a lieutenant of aviation, sitting several seats beyond them on the other side of the car.  For some unaccountable reason she again felt suddenly shy and dropped her eyes, while a little feeling of wonder stole over her at her own embarrassment.  Up until that moment, unexplained feelings had been totally unknown in Sahwah’s wholesome and vigorous young life.  There had been nothing bold or offensive about the stranger’s glance, yet there was a certain curious intentness about it that filled Sahwah with a strange confusion, a vague stirring within her of something unfamiliar, something unknown.  Outwardly there was nothing remarkable about him, nothing to distinguish him from the thousands of other lads in khaki that were to be seen everywhere one went, erect, trim, lovably conceited.  Why, then, should the heart of Sahwah the Sunfish suddenly flutter at this casual meeting of the eyes with the man across the way, and why did she turn sharply around and look out of the window?