Good Lord, if ever a woman needed a man around
the house, she does. She--"
"I will tell her what you say," said Mrs. Strong calmly.
"Don't you do anything of the kind," he exclaimed hastily. "I was
speaking to you as a friend, Mrs. Strong. She means a great deal
to both of us. You understand how it stands with Alix and me, don't
you? I--I would cheerfully lay down my life for her. More than
that, I cannot say or do."
"She will be up by tomorrow," said Mrs. Strong, impressed in spite
of herself by this simple, direct appeal. (All that day she caught
herself wondering if he had cast his spell over her!)
"Please give her my love,--and say that I am thinking about her
every second of the day," said he gravely, and went away.
Alix had received another letter from Addison Blythe. Enclosed with
it was a communication from an official formerly connected with
the American Ambulance. It was brief and to the point:
Courtney Thane volunteered for service in the American Ambulance
in Paris in November, 1915. He was accepted and ordered to appear
at the hospital at Neuilly-sur-Seine for instructions. His conduct
was such that he was dismissed from the service before the expiration
of a week, his uniform taken away from him, and a request made to
the French Military authorities to see that he was ordered to leave
the country at once. Our records show that he left hurriedly for
Spain.
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