"If your surly mood doesn't change," she whispered, "you will not add
much to the enjoyment of our coasting party."
"I shall neither add to, nor detract from it," answered Hedin, meeting
her gaze squarely. "Please don't wait for me. I find that I shall not
be able to attend."
V
The United States Government formally entered the world war in April,
and the following month Ross Wentworth had been graduated from a
technical college, and through the auspices of an influential relative
was commissioned a captain of engineers, and assigned to duty in one of
the larger cantonments. In due course of events he was sent overseas,
and was attached to the forces operating in northern Russia. During
the sixteen months of his service in the land of the erstwhile Czar, he
acquired a fund of military terms, both official and slang. Also he
built and maintained in a state of inutility, nine and one-half miles
of military swamp road, over which no gun nor detachment of troops ever
passed. The abrupt termination of hostilities caught him with a
formidable and inexplicable discrepancy of company funds--which
discrepancy was promptly and liberally met by the aforementioned
relative. Whereupon, Captain Wentworth was honorably discharged from
the service of his country.
For many months after his discharge he lived by his wits and looks, but
when this grew unproductive of ready cash, he decided to seek
employment in his accredited vocation.
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