“Speak for yourself,” Grace murmured.

But this time Betty would not yield, and insisted upon being heard.

“Please listen a minute, girls,” she begged.  “You know we’ve got a reputation, deserved or not, of being respectable—­”

“Oh, what a mistake,” interpolated Mollie.

“I said it might be a mistake,” Betty continued patiently, although her eyes twinkled.  “Anyway, we’ve got to live up to it—­Goodness! just look at the boys.  I guess the whole camp must be in the drill.”

“Yes, I guess Sergeant Mullins was right when he said it was to be an exhibition drill,” agreed Mollie, all fun temporarily swallowed up in a very real admiration of the spectacle before them.

“It’s no wonder that Sergeant Mullins is considered a very important personage around here,” added Amy.

“Oh, look!” cried Grace, as they sat down upon a convenient bench.  “They’ve started.  Oh, girls, I’m glad I came!”

Mutely the girls echoed the sentiment, and for the next hour they sat motionless, eyes and attention glued upon the magnificent spectacle of a thousand men, running, advancing, retreating, attacking, all in obedience to one great plan.

They forgot it was only a sham attack, an imitation battle, an exhibition drill.  For the moment a curtain had been lifted and they were permitted to see something of the glory, the passion, the horror of democracy’s struggle against the armed autocracy of the world.

When it was over they sighed and came back to the present almost with a shock; so greatly had they been engrossed in the scene.

“Well, Sergeant Mullins may not be much of a talker,” were Mollie’s first words as they rose to go back, “but he certainly knows how to act!”

“It was wonderful!” breathed Betty, her eyes gleaming.  “Just think what it must be to be a man in these times!  To be able to fight for one’s country!”

“Well, I don’t know,” said Amy, with a little shudder.  “That part of it’s all right.  But when it comes to being maimed and crippled for life it isn’t so much fun.”

“Oh, Amy, don’t!” cried Grace, clapping her hands to her ears, while Betty continued spiritedly: 

“I didn’t say it was fun,” she cried.  “Naturally the boys have to take into consideration the possibility of all that you said, Amy.  But there’s no glory in the world like giving yourself for a great cause—­”

“Hear, hear!” came a masculine voice in applause, and they turned to find Allen and Frank close behind them.

“Well, what will you have?” asked Mollie, eyeing them hostilely.  “We thought you were lost and gone forever like Clementine—­”

“And were quite reconciled,” finished Betty primly, her eyes twinkling.

“Oh, you did, did you?” cried Frank, regarding Mollie’s haughtily tip-tilt little nose with mingled fear and admiration.  “Well, I’ll have you know, young lady, that you can’t get rid of us as easily as all that.  May I be permitted to walk beside you, mam’selle?”