It gets to be a kind of habit in the army to swear every other word like."
"Don't mind me," said Alexina dryly. "After I was put out of my hotel I
managed to get a room in one of the hotels on the Rue de Rivoli for two
nights before I found my pension in Passy. The walls were thin. The room
next to mine was occupied by two American officers and the one beyond by
two more. They talked back and forth with apparently no thought of
the possibility of being overheard. Such language! And not only swear
words--although one of these to two of any. Such adventures as they
related! Such frankness! Such plain undiluted Anglo-Saxon! Fancy a girl
with all her illusions fresh, and worshiping some heroic figure in khaki,
listening to such a revelation of the nether side of man's life!"
"Men are hogs, all right. I don't like the idea of your having heard such
things." Kirkpatrick scowled heavily.
"Nor did I. But I had no cotton to put in my ears. I couldn't sleep in the
street. Nor could I ask them to keep quiet and admit I had heard them."
"Well, I guess you can forget anything you have a mind to. You couldn't
look like you do--a kind of princess out of a fairy tale and an angel
mixed, if you couldn't."
"A black-haired angel! And all the princesses of legend had golden hair."
"Well, that's just another way you're different." He changed the subject
abruptly. "What you goin' to do now!"
"I wish I knew.
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