She was alone , the rest of the performers being in the larger room on the other side . Suddenly she felt two soft bare arms slipping round her waist , then Irene Howard dropped a light kiss on her cheek . `` Rilla , you sweet thing , you 're looking simply angelic to-night . You have spunk -- I thought you would feel so badly over Walter 's enlisting that you 'd hardly be able to bear up at all , and here you are as cool as a cucumber . I wish I had half your nerve . '' Rilla stood perfectly still . She felt no emotion whatever -- she felt nothing . The world of feeling had just gone blank . `` Walter -- enlisting '' -- she heard herself saying -- then she heard Irene 's affected little laugh . `` Why , did n't you know ? I thought you did of course , or I would n't have mentioned it . I am always putting my foot in it , are n't I ? Yes , that is what he went to town for to-day -- he told me coming out on the train to-night , I was the first person he told . He is n't in khaki yet -- they were out of uniforms -- but he will be in a day or two . I always said Walter had as much pluck as anybody . I assure you I felt proud of him , Rilla , when he told me what he 'd done . Oh , there 's an end of Rick MacAllister 's reading . I must fly . I promised I 'd play for the next chorus -- Alice Clow has such a headache . '' She was gone -- oh , thank God , she was gone !
XXXXX was alone again , staring out at the unchanged , dream-like beauty of moonlit Four Winds .
Howard Irene MacAllister Rilla Walter cucumber day first spunk to-night