Chapter I: Foreword

This is the story of how three brave American girls sacrificed the comforts and luxuries of home to go abroad and nurse the wounded soldiers of a foreign war.

I wish I might have depicted more gently the scenes in hospital and on battlefield, but it is well that my girl readers should realize something of the horrors of war, that they may unite with heart and soul in earnest appeal for universal, lasting Peace and the future abolition of all deadly strife.

Except to locate the scenes of my heroines' labors, no attempt has been made to describe technically or historically any phase of the great European war.

The character of Doctor Gys is not greatly exaggerated but had its counterpart in real life. As for the little Belgian who had no room for scruples in his active brain, his story was related to me by an American war correspondent who vouched for its truth. The other persona in the story are known to those who have followed their adventures in other books of the "Aunt Jane's Nieces" series.

EDITH VAN DYNE

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I THE ARRIVAL OF THE BOY 9

II THE ARRIVAL OF THE GIRL 25

III THE DECISION OF DOCTOR GYS 37

IV THE HOSPITAL SHIP 48

V NEARING THE FRAY 58

VI LITTLE MAURIE 75

VII ON THE FIRING LINE 86

VIII THE COWARD 96

IX COURAGE, OR PHILOSOPHY? 108

X THE WAR'S VICTIMS 121

XI PATSY IS DEFIANT 135

XII THE OTHER SIDE 146

XIII TARDY JUSTICE 160

XIV FOUND AT LAST 182

XV DR. GYS SURPRISES HIMSELF 189

XVI CLARETTE 197

XVII PERPLEXING PROBLEMS 204

XVIII A QUESTION OF LOYALTY 217

XIX THE CAPTURE 225

XX THE DUNES 244