"Well, you needn't think you can hold hands with Will and smooth his
fevered brow all the time," said Grace unexpectedly. "Because I really
have some share in him myself, you know. Remember, mine was one of the
three pictures he kept under his pillow."

Readers of previous volumes in this series may recall that joyful
letter written to Betty not so long ago in which Sergeant Allen
Washburn-- now Lieutenant Allen Washburn-- had spoken of the three
pictures which Will Ford had kept under his pillow during his long
convalescence in one of the army hospitals over there. These readers
may also remember that one of the pictures was of the boy's mother,
another of his sister, Grace, and the third of shy little Amy
Blackford, who now was blushing so furiously at the mere mention of
it.

"How about poor Frank and Roy?" asked Mollie, mentioning the other two
boys who made up the quartette of the girls' boy chums. "Who will
attend to their fevered brows?"

"Oh, you and Grace can take turns at that," said Betty, lightly
adding, with a little sigh: "Try as we can, Amy and I never know quite
how to pair you four off. We can't for the life of us find out which
of you likes Frank best and which inclines to Roy."

"That's right, kid-- keep 'em guessing," said Mollie slangily, as she
turned on power and challenged a steep grade. "Grace and I believe in
scattering our favors-- as 'twere. See that hill just ahead of us?
What do you bet I make it without changing gears?"

"If you make it without changing our looks, I'll be happy," said Grace