"You!"

"Of course. I've a suspicion our girls have the right instinct, sir--the
tender, womanly instinct that makes us love them. At any rate, I'm going
to stand by them. It strikes me as the noblest and grandest idea a girl
ever conceived, and if anything could draw me closer to these three
young ladies, who had me pretty well snared before, it is this very
proposition."

"I don't see why," muttered Uncle John, wavering.

"I'll tell you why, sir. For themselves, they have all the good things
of life at their command. They could bask in luxury to the end of their
days, if they so desired. Yet their wonderful womanly sympathy goes out
to the helpless and suffering--the victims of the cruellest war the
world has ever known--and they promptly propose to sacrifice their ease
and brave whatever dangers may befall, that they may relieve to some
extent the pain and agony of those wounded and dying fellow creatures."

"Foreigners," said Uncle John weakly.

"Human beings," said the boy.

Patsy marched over to Ajo and gave him a sturdy whack upon the back that
nearly knocked him over.

"The spirit of John Paul Jones still goes marching on!" she cried. "My
boy, you're the right stuff, and I'm glad I doctored you."