and streams, quite in the nature of old days.

Then at last came the day when the boys announced that they would have to
return to town and to the military camp to obtain their formal discharge
from the army.

"We may surprise you by coming back in 'civies' a week or two from now,"
Will laughed, as the girls prepared to spin them to the railroad station
in the cars. "So you had better be prepared for the shock."

"Maybe they won't care for us any more when they see us out of uniform,"
grinned Roy, as he shook hands with Mrs. Irving. "You know the old saying
that a uniform has made many a hero of a bootblack."

"Goodness, I hope you aren't a bootblack," said Mollie from her car, where
she was "doing things" with the engine.

"I'm not," answered Roy, adding with a grin, "Nothing half so honest."

Although the girls knew that they were only saying good-bye to the boys
for a few days, the parting was hard just the same, and half an hour later
they watched the train wind serpent-like down the shining track with a
sinking feeling at their hearts.

"Aren't we a lot of geese?" said Grace impatiently, as they climbed back
into the cars. "We have done without the boys for a couple of years, and
now when they have just gone as far as Deepdale for a couple of weeks, we
are almost crying about it."

"I suppose it is just because we have had so much separation that we can't