“Well, it’s good to know I’m bringing happiness into some dark life,” retorted Betty good-naturedly.  “At least I have not lived in vain.”

“And they were just mad,” Mollie continued, as though talking to herself, “when they found we were going off this afternoon without them.”

“Yes, and isn’t it funny?” agreed Grace lazily.  “They think they’re so important.”

“Well, they are,” announced Amy suddenly, and even Mollie turned an amazed eye upon her.

“I think they’re the most important people in the world,” Amy continued stoutly.  “I guess if we were going to give up our lives for somebody else we might think we were important, too.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean that way,” Mollie returned, her eyes once more turning to the ribbon of road ahead while the girls’ bright faces sobered thoughtfully.  “Because when it comes to a thing like giving up their lives—­well, I think they’re the bravest—­” Her voice broke, and in an effort to hide her emotion she nearly sent the car over the side of the road and into a six-foot ditch.

“Brave,” repeated Betty, turning her eyes to the far horizon to hide the mist that suddenly gathered in them.  “I don’t think that’s any word for our boys at all—­”

“They don’t seem to realize what they’re going into,” Amy broke in eagerly.  “Or, if they do, they won’t talk about it, or let any one else—­”

“Oh, I guess it isn’t that they don’t realize it,” Grace interrupted thoughtfully.  “You know my father always used to say that a man who never knew what it was to be afraid wasn’t really brave at all.  He said it was the man who was scared to death in his heart, that gritted his teeth and went ahead and faced things anyway, that deserves all the credit.”

“I presume that’s right,” said the Little Captain, leaning forward earnestly.  “I don’t suppose there is any one in the world who really enjoys the thought of losing an arm or a leg, or being broken in health for the rest of his life.  I think what our boys are doing is just to take the fear of that with a smile and go ahead gayly to face whatever may come.  Brave—­” Her voice trailed off, and for a long time there was silence while the big car hummed rhythmically along the road and the miles swept by uncounted.

“Of course, there are lots of people,” Betty resumed after a while, “who say the boys just enlisted for the love of adventure, the love of a good fight, and I suppose that had something to do with it.”

“Of course it had,” Mollie agreed.  “And that’s one thing that makes it harder for us who have to stay at home and can’t have any of the thrill and excitement that helps to carry the boys through.  But it’s only one of a dozen reasons, after all.”

“I wish we knew when they were going,” said Grace, irrelevantly.  “The suspense is worse than anything else.  It’s like cutting a dog’s tail off an inch at a time.”

“Goodness, isn’t she complimentary?” flung back Mollie, laughing.  “You can compare yourself to a four-footed dog, Grace, but please leave me out of it.”