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erman　ambition　a　menace　to　the　liberties　of　Europe。　　He　represented　a　large　and　intellectually　influential　class　of　men　in　the　city　and　throughout　the　country　generally。　　Graduates　of　the　great　universities；　men　high　in　the　leadership　of　the　financial　world；　the　editors　of　the　great　newspapers　almost　to　a　man；　magazine　editors　and　magazine　writers　untinged　by　racial　or　personal　affinity　with　Germany；　these　were　represented　by　Raeder；　and　were　strongly　and　enthusiastically　in　sympathy　with　the　aims　of　the　Allies；　and　as　the　war　advanced　became　increasingly　eager　to　have　their　country　assume　a　definite　stand　on　the　side　of　those　nations　whom　they　believed　to　be　fighting　for　the　liberties　and　rights　of　humanity。　　But　though　these　exceptions　were　a　source　of　unspeakable　comfort　to　him；　Larry　carried　day　by　day　a　growing　sense　of　isolation　and　an　increasing　burden　of　anxiety。

Then；　too；　there　was　the　question　of　his　duty。　　He　had　no　clear　conviction　as　to　what　his　duty　was。　　With　all　his　hatred　and　loathing　of　war；　he　had　come　to　the　conviction　that　should　he　see　it　to　be　the　right　thing　for　him；　he　would　take　his　place　in　the　fighting　line。　　There　appeared；　however；　to　be　no　great　need　for　men　in　Canada　just　now。　　In　response　to　the　call　for　twenty…five　thousand　men　for　the　First　Expeditionary　Force；　nearly　one　hundred　thousand　had　offered。　　And　yet　his　country　was　at　war；　his　friends　whether　enlisted　for　the　fighting　line　or　in　the　civilian　ranks　were　under　the　burden。　　Should　he　not　return　to　Canada　and　find　some　way　to　help　in　the　great　cause？　　But　again；　on　the　other　hand；　his　work　here　was　important；　he　had　been　treated　with　great　consideration　and　kindness；　he　had　made　a　place　for　himself　where　he　seemed　to　be　needed。　　The　lack　of　clear　vision　of　his　duty　added　greatly　to　his　distress。

A　wire　had　informed　him　in　the　first　days　of　the　war　that　his　brother…in…law　had　gone　to　rejoin　his　old　regiment　in　the　Coldstream　Guards。　　A　letter　from　Nora　did　not　help　much。　　〃Jack　has　gone；〃　she　wrote。　　〃We　all　felt　he　could　do　nothing　else。　　Even　poor；　dear　Mother　agreed　that　nothing　else　was　possible。　　Kathleen　amazes　us　all。　　The　very　day　after　the　awful　news　came；　without　a　word　from　Jack；　I　found　her　getting　his　things　together。　　'Are　you　going　to　let　him　go？'　I　asked　her；　perfectly　amazed　at　her　coolness。　　'Let　me　go？'　said　Jack；　who　was　muddling　about　her。　'Let　me　go？　　She　would　not　let　me　stay。　　Would　you；　Kathleen？'　'No；'　she　said；　'I　do　not　think　I　would　like　you　to　stay；　Jack。'　And　this　is　our　pacifist；　Kathleen；　mind　you！　　How　she　came　to　see　through　this　thing　so　rapidly　I　don't　know。　　But　sooner　than　any　of　us　Kathleen　saw　what　the　war　was　about　and　that　we　must　get　in。　She　goes　about　her　work　quietly；　cheerfully。　　She　has　no　illusions；　and　there　is　no　bravado。　　Oh；　Larry　dear；　I　do　not　believe　I　could　do　it。　　When　she　smiles　at　the　dear　wee　man　in　her　arms　I　have　to　run　away　or　I　should　howl。　　I　must　tell　you　about　Duckworth。　　You　know　what　a　dear　he　is。　　We　have　seen　a　good　deal　of　him　this　year。　He　has　quite　captivated　Mother。　　Well；　he　had　a　letter　from　his　father　saying；　'I　am　just　about　rejoining　my　regiment；　your　brother　has　enlisted；　your　sister　has　gone　to　the　Red　Cross。　　We　have　given　our　house　to　the　Government　for　a　hospital。　　Come　home　and　join　up。'　　What　a　man　he　must　be！　　The　dear　boy　came　to　see　us　and；　Larry；　he　wanted　me。　　Oh；　I　wish　I　could　have　said　yes；　but　somehow　I　couldn't。　　Dear　boy；　I　could　only　kiss　him　and　weep　over　him　till　he　forgot　himself　in　trying　to　comfort　me。　　He　went　with　the　Calgary　boys。　　Hec　Ross　is　off；　too；　and　Angus　Fraser　is　up　and　down　the　country　with　kilt　and　pipes　driving　Scotchmen　mad　to　be　at　the　war。　　He's　going；　too；　although　what　his　old　mother　will　do　without　him　I　do　not　know。　　But　she　will　hear　of　nothing　less。　Only　four　weeks　of　this　war　and　it　seems　like　a　year。　　Switzer　has　gone；　you　know；　the　wicked　devil。　　If　it　had　not　been　for　Sam；　who　had　been　working　around　the　mine；　the　whole　thing　would　have　been　blown　up　with　dynamite。　　Sam　discovered　the　thing　in　time。　　The　Germans　have　all　quit　work。　　Thank　God　for　that。　　So　the　mine　is　not　doing　much。　　Mother　is　worried　about　the　war；　I　can　see；　thinking　things　through。〃

A　letter　from　Jane　helped　him　some。　　It　was　very　unlike　Jane　and　evidently　written　under　the　stress　of　strong　emotion。　　She　gave　him　full　notes　of　the　Reverend　Andrew　McPherson's　sermons；　which　she　appeared　to　set　great　store　by。　　The　rapid　progress　of　recruiting　filled　her　with　delight。　　It　grieved　her　to　think　that　her　friends　were　going　to　the　war；　but　that　grief　was　as　nothing　compared　to　the　grief　and　indignation　against　those　who　seemed　to　treat　the　war　lightly。　　She　gave　a　page　of　enthusiastic　appreciation　to　Kellerman。　　Another　page　she　devoted　to　an　unsuccessful　attempt　to　repress　her　furious　contempt　for　Lloyd　Rushbrooke；　who　talked　largely　and　coolly　about　the　need　of　keeping　sane。　　The　ranks　of　the　first　contingent　were　all　filled　up。　　She　knew　there　were　two　million　Canadians　in　the　United　States　who　if　they　were　needed　would　flock　back　home。　　They　were　not　needed　yet；　and　so　it　would　be　very　foolish　for　them　to　leave　good　positions　in　the　meantime。

Larry　read　the　last　sentence　with　a　smile。　　〃Dear　old　Jane；〃　he　said　to　himself。　　〃She　wants　to　help　me　out；　and；　by　George；　she　does。〃　　Somehow　Jane's　letter　brought　healing　to　his　lacerated　nerves　and　heart；　and　steadied　him　to　bear　the　disastrous　reports　of　the　steady　drive　of　the　enemy　towards　Paris　that　were　released　by　the　censor　during　the　last　days　of　that　dreadful　August。　　With　each　day　of　that　appalling　retreat　Larry's　agony　deepened。　　The　reports　were　vague；　but　one　thing　was　clearthe　drive　was　going　relentlessly　forward；　and　the　French　and　the　British　armies　alike　were　powerless　to　stay　the　overwhelming　torrent。　　The　check　at　the　Marne　lifted　the　gloom　a　bit。　　But　the　reports　of　that　great　fight　were　meagre　and　as　yet　no　one　had　been　able　to　estimate　the　full　significance　of　that　mighty　victory　for　the　Allied　armies；　nor　the　part　played　therein　by　the　gallant　and　glorious　little　army　that　constituted　the　British　Expeditionary　Force。

Blacker　days　came　in　late　September；　when　the　news　arrived　of　the　disaster　to　the　Aboukir　and　her　sister　ships；　and　a　month　later　of　the　destruction　of　the　Good　Hope　and　the　Monmouth　in　the　South　Pacific　sea　fight。　　On　that　dreadful　morning　on　his　way　downtown　he　purchased　a　paper。　　After　the　first　glance　he　crushed　the　paper　together　till　he　reached　his　office；　where　he　sat　with　the　paper　spread　out　before　him　on　his　desk；　staring　at　the　headlines；　unable　to　see；　unable　to　think；　able　only　to　suffer。　　In　the　midst　of　his　misery　Professor　Schaefer　passed　through　the　office　on　his　way　to　consult　with　Mr。　Wakeham　and　threw　him　a　smile　of　cheery　triumph。　It　was　a　way　Schaefer　had　these　days。　　The　very　sight　of　him　was　enough　to　stir　Larry　to　a　kind　of　frenzied　madness。　　This　morning　the　German's　smile　was　the　filling　up　of　his　cup　of　misery。　　He　stuffed　the　paper　into　his　desk；　took　up　his　pen　and　began　to　make　figures　on　his　pad；　gnawing　his　lips　the　while。

An　hour　later　Hugo　Raeder　came　in　with　a　message　for　him。　　Raeder　after　one　look　at　his　face　took　Larry　away　with　him；　sick　with　rage　and　fear；　in　his　car；　and　for　an　hour　and　a　half　drove　through　the　Park　at　a　rate　that　defied　the　traffic　regulations；　talking　the　while　in　quiet；　hopeful　tones　of　the　prospects　of　the　Allies；　of　the　marvellous　recovery　of　the　French　and　British　armies　on　the　Marne　and　of　the　splendid　Russian　victories。　　He　touched　lightly　upon　the　recent　naval　disaster；　which　was　entirely　due　to　the　longer　range　of　the　enemy's　guns　and　to　a　few　extraordinarily　lucky　shots。　　The　clear；　crisp　air；　the　swift　motion；　the　bright　sun；　above　all　the　deep；　kindly　sympathy　of　this　strong；　clear…thinking　man　beside　him；　brought　back　to　Larry　his　courage　if　not　his　cheer。　As　they　were　nearly　back　to　the　office　again；　he　ventured　his　first　observation；　for　throughout　the　drive　he　had　confined　his　speech　to　monosyllabic　answers　to　Raeder's　stream　of　talk。

〃In　spite　of　it　all；　I　believe　the　navy　is　all　right；〃　he　said；　with　savage　emphasis。

〃My　dear　chap；〃　exclaimed　Raeder；　〃did　you　ever　doubt　it？　　Did　you　read　the　account　of　the　fight？〃

〃No；〃　said　Larry；　〃only　the　headlines。〃

〃Then　you　did　not　see　that　the　British　ships　were　distinctly　outclassed　in　guns　both　as　to　range　and　as　to　weight。　　Nothing　can　prevent　disaster　in　such　a　case。　　It　was　a　bit　of　British　stupidity　to　send　those　old　cruisers　on　such　an　expedition。　　The　British　navy　is　all　right。　　If　not；　then　God　help　America。〃

〃Say；　old　chap；〃　said　Larry　as　they　stepped　out　of　the　car；　〃you　have　done　me　a　mighty　good　turn　this　morning；　and　I　will　not　forget　it。〃

〃Oh；　that　is　all　right；〃　said　Raeder。　　〃We　have　got　to　stand　together　in　this　thing；　you　know。〃

〃Stand　together？〃　said　Larry。

〃Yes；　stand　together。　　Don't　you　forget　it。　　We　are　with　you　in　this。　　Deep　down　in　the　heart　America　is　utterly　sound；　she　knows　that　the　cause　of　the　Allies　is　the　cause　of　justice　and　humanity。　America　has　no　use　for　either　brutal　tyranny　or　slimy　treachery。　The　real　American　heart　is　with　you　now；　and　her　fighting　army　will　yet　be　at