added Betty plaintively. "All the time we've just been holding our breath
to listen--"

"We've been doing our best to tell you those nice things, every minute of
every day since then," said Allen in a low voice. "If you haven't heard,
it's because you wouldn't listen."

Betty colored adorably--to quote Allen again--and resumed her packing with
great fervor.

"All of which," Frank finished his self-justification, "shows that we're
far from anxious to leave you girls when we say we're eager for action. I
guess," he added, thoughtfully, "it's just because we're so crazy to be
with you that we're eager to go across."

"That sounds rather--" began Grace, but Frank would not let her finish.

"I know it does," he admitted. "Sounds like a contradiction. But I think
you know what I'm trying to get at, just the same."

"Why, sure," Will backed him up eagerly.

"Frank means that we've got a confounded, disagreeable job to do before we
can settle down and be happy on good old United States soil again--"

"And the sooner we get it done, the better," finished Roy.

Allen nodded.

"I guess that's about the size of it," he said. "The sooner we get there,