But he wished he could.

She had asked him to consider her a real friend, and to Jed, who had so few, a friend was a possession holy and precious.
Meanwhile the war was tightening its grip upon Orham as upon every city, town and hamlet in the land.

At first it had been a thing to read about in the papers, to cheer for, to keep the flags flying.
But it had been far off, unreal.

Then came the volunteering, and after that the draft, and the reality drew a little nearer.

Work upon the aviation camp at East Harniss had actually begun.