Anita knew many of these soldiers' wives, honest and hard-working women, doing their duty as if they were themselves soldiers.

As Anita passed along many of them, standing in their doorways or carrying laundry baskets along the street, gave her a kindly greeting.

In one doorway stood Mrs.Lawrence, tall, young, darkly beautiful, and looking as if she might have been a C.O.'s daughter instead of being a private soldier's wife.

Mrs.Lawrence was so at odds with her surroundings that Anita, unconsciously, looked questioningly at her.

She stood, shading her eyes from the glare of the snow and the sun, gazing anxiously toward the aviation field.