where Professor Dempsey had his cottage, and it would be easy for him to
wander this far."

Here Frank broke in on behalf of the very much mystified boys.

"Before you stage the hair-pulling contest," he said, "would you mind
telling us poor benighted males what it is all about?"

So the girls told them all about Professor Dempsey, and while they talked
the boys became more and more excited. Finally Will could keep quiet no
longer.

"Say," he asked, leaning forward, "did the two sons of the cracked old
professor happen to bear the names of James and Arnold?"

The girls gaped at him. "Yes," they breathed. "How did you know?"

"Because," said Will, "those very same fellows were in our regiment. In
fact, I was beside Arnold when he was wounded in that last engagement.
Strange thing that James was wounded at the same time."

"Wounded?" repeated Betty, who like all the girls was feeling rather dazed
at this new development. "Then they weren't killed?"

"Not a bit of it," Will replied vehemently. "Why, even their wounds
weren't serious enough to lay them up for long. The last I heard of them
they were coming over on a hospital ship and expected to be here almost as
soon as we were. For all I know, they may have landed by this time."

"Oh," said Amy, still too dazed to take it all in. "Then all this time we