The ancient perplexity of a man over the sex selections of his friends

puckered his forehead.

"Damned if I understand it," he repeated.

A great wave of pity for Audrey Valentine surged in Clayton Spencer's

heart. She had known it, of course; that was why Chris had gone away.

How long had she known it? She was protecting Chris's name, even now.

For all her frivolity, there was something rather big in Audrey. The way

she had held up at her dinner, for instance--and he rather fancied

that the idea of his going into the army had come from her, directly or

indirectly. So Chris, from being a fugitive, was already by way of being

Advertisement..

a hero to his friends.

Poor Audrey!

He made a mental note to send her some flowers in the morning.

He ordered them on his way down-town, and for some curious reason she

was in his mind most of the day. Chris had been a fool to throw away a

thing so worth having. Not every man had behind him a woman of Audrey's

sort.