"Darling Folks: Julius and I just got into this town from a month of
hard marching, ditch-digging and fighting. I am all right, and so is
Julius. Ran across Frank, who is on duty at our Commissary. Lucky guy!
Lots of food always around! Paul is growing fat. Looks mighty good. Oh,
how all of us do miss you and good old Branton Hills! I can't find a
solitary suit in this town that I would put on to go to a dog fight!
_Such fashion!_" and so on; just a natural outpouring from a boy, away
on his first trip from his Dad's kindly roof.
"Ha, ha!" said Gadsby, laughing jovially; "That's our Bill, all right!
Always thinking of dolling up!" and Lady Gadsby, rising quickly, said:--
"Oh, I must call up Nancy, Kathlyn and Sarah!" and, in a trio of small
bungalows, joy, _wild_ joy, found its way into girlish minds!
As Gadsby sat, going through this good word again and again, a mirthful
chuckling had Lady Gadsby asking:--
"What's so funny about it?"
"Nothing; only if I didn't know that Frank is such a grand, good
lad, I'd think Bill was hiding a bit from us; for that 'on duty at
Commissary' _might_ amount only to potato paring!"