Dangerous Days

He went back to her rooms with her, and she made him tea, while he

built the fire in the open fireplace and nursed it tenderly to a healthy

strength. Overnursed it, she insisted. They were rather gay, indeed,

and the danger-point passed by safely. There was so much to discuss,

she pretended. The President's unfortunate phrase of "peace without

victory"; the deportation of the Belgians, the recent leak in Washington

to certain stock-brokers, and more and more imminent, the possibility of

a state of war being recognized by the government.

"If it comes," she said, gayly, "I shall go, of course. I shall go to

France and sing them into battle. My shorthand looks like a music score,

as it is. What will you do?"

"I can't let you outshine me," he said. "And I don't want to think of

your going over there without me. My dear! My dear!"

She ignored that, and gave him his tea, gravely.