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"Sure!" said Ca up stairs with a sudden realization that he had been granted a streak of good luck Yet somehow he did not see the rows of sleeping forms, removed from it a pair of shoes, three books, some newspapers and a mess kit which some lazy comrades had left there, and threw hireat calah when he tried to reason it out he could not understand how things were sobefore he received the letter Ruth Macdonald had never been anything in his life but a lovely picture There was no slightest possibility that she would ever be more She was like a distant star to be adh to have his head turned by her writing that kind letter to hi nearer to hiive a bright smile or do a kindness? Well, if he had, he needed this knockdown blow

Itthat it caination; but oh, if it had but come a bit sooner! If it had only been on the way over to the YMCA hut instead of on the way back that letter would never have been written! She would have set him down as a boor perhaps, but what matter? What was she to him, or he to her? Well--perhaps he would have written a letter briefly to thank her for her offer of knitting, but it would have been an entirely different letter froht out the letter he should have written: MY DEAR MISS MACDONALD: (No "friend" about that) It certainly was kind of you to think of me as a possible recipient of a sweater But I feel that there are other boys who perhaps need things more than I do I am well supplied with all necessities I appreciate your interest in an old school friend The life of a soldier is not so bad, and I iine we shall have no end of novel experiences before the war is over I hope we shall be able to put an end to this terrible struggle very soon e get over and make the world a safe and happy place for you and your friends Here's hoping the men who are your special friends will all come home safe and sound and soon