Betty behind the others.

"What about Allen, honey?" she asked, her blue eyes honestly worried. "We
all missed him so, but we didn't like to say too much for fear--for fear--"

"He's all right," said Betty, her heart glowing again at thought of the
little note hidden away in her pocket. "He has only been delayed a little,
that's all. Will says he will probably be over on the next transport."

"Oh, I am relieved," said Grace with such fervor that Betty looked at her
quickly. Could it be, she wondered, that what she had half sensed before
could be really true? Was Grace fond of Allen? But because the idea made
her unhappy, she decided that she was just trying to think up trouble and
dismissed it from her mind. All the girls loved Allen of course--who could
help it?--but they couldn't any of them, she told herself fiercely, care
for him the way she did.

"Well, what are you thinking about? You needn't look so fierce," she heard
Grace saying, and she forced a smile to her face.

"I'm not looking fierce," Betty answered gayly. "Don't you know that that
is just my natural expression, Gracie dear? That's the way I make little
girls like you afraid of me."

"Well, I'm not afraid of you, not one little bit," asserted Grace,
squeezing Betty's arm fondly. "Oh, Betty dear, isn't it wonderful having
the boys back and don't they look fine--especially Will?"

"Don't they? Especially Will," agreed Betty with a sly little glance. "If
you don't look out you will give the impression that you're rather fond of