Ruth, Helen, and Jennie "Heavy" Stone attend Ardmore College together. Ruth continues to write moving picture scenarios and achieves even greater success. The girls leave college when the Great War begins and travel to Europe to help with the war effort. In time, the war ends, and Jennie Stone marries a French soldier. Tom Cameron suggests that he and Ruth make plans for their future, but Ruth wants a career and feels that marriage would be an obstacle. Ruth also feels that Tom is lazy and wants him to prove himself before they make a commitment.

"Oh! Not Tom?" Ruth Fielding looked up from the box she was packing for the local Red Cross chapter, and, almost horrified, gazed into the black eyes of the girl who confronted her. Helen Cameron's face was tragic in its expression. She had been crying. The closely written sheets of the letter in her hand were shaken, as were her shoulders, with the sobs she tried to suppress.

" It was a midwinter day, yet the air was balmy. The trees were bare-limbed but with a haze clothing them in the distance that seemed almost that of returning verdure. The grass, even in mid-winter, showed green. A bird sang lustily in the hedge. Up the grassy lane walked a girl in the costume of the active Red Cross worker—an intelligent looking girl with a face that, although perhaps not perfect in form, was possessed of an expression that was alluring. Neither observant man nor woman would have passed her, even in a crowd, without a second glance. There was a cheerful light in her eye and a humorous curve to her not too-full lips that promised an uplifting spirit within her even in serious mood. It seemed as though this day and its apparent peace must breed happiness, although it was but a respite in the middle of winter. The balmy air, the chirrup of the bird, the far flung reaches of the valley which she could see from this mounting lane, all delighted the senses and soothed the spirit. Suddenly, with an unexpectedness that was shocking, there was a tremor in the air and the echo of a rumbling sound beneath the girl's feet. The crack of a distant explosion followed. Then another, and another, until the sound became a continual grumble of angry explosions, resonant and threatening. The girl did not stop, but the expression of her face lost its cheerfulness. The song of the bird was cut off sharply. It seemed as though the sun itself began drawing a veil over his face. The peaceful mood of nature was shattered."

In 'Ruth Fielding at the War Front; or, The Hunt for the Lost Soldier' by Alice B. Emerson, readers are immersed in a thrilling tale set against the backdrop of World War I. Written in the early 20th century, this book combines elements of adventure and mystery as Ruth Fielding, a young and courageous protagonist, embarks on a mission to find a missing soldier on the war front. Emerson's vivid descriptions and engaging storytelling style transport readers to the harsh realities of wartime Europe, making this book a compelling read for fans of early 20th-century fiction. The plot unfolds with unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. Alice B. Emerson, a pseudonymous author known for her popular girls' series books, brings a unique perspective to the war narrative through the eyes of a strong female character like Ruth Fielding. Emerson's background in writing children's literature shines through in her ability to capture the imagination of young readers while also addressing important themes of loyalty, courage, and sacrifice. I highly recommend 'Ruth Fielding at the War Front; or, The Hunt for the Lost Soldier' to those interested in historical fiction, particularly stories that explore the impact of war on individuals. Emerson's portrayal of Ruth Fielding's journey is both poignant and inspiring, making this book a must-read for fans of early 20th-century literature.

During World War I, the first American war in which women were mobilized on a mass scale by the armed services, more than sixteen thousand women served overseas with the American Expeditionary Force. Although wealthy women volunteers—members of the so-called'heiress corps'—monopolized public attention, Susan Zeiger reveals that the majority of AEF women were wage-earners. Their motives for enlistment ranged from patriotism to economic self-interest, from a sense of adventure to a desire to challenge gender boundaries. Zeiger uses diaries, letters, questionnaires, oral histories, and memoirs to explore the women's experience of war. She draws upon insights from labor history, political history, popular culture, and the study of gender and war to analyze the ways in which women's wartime service heightened and made visible the contradictions in the prevailing gender relations. Zeiger argues that the interests of AEF women clashed with those of the wartime state at a crucial historical moment. Women sought to expand their personal opportunities for mobility and professional success and lay claim to equal citizenship. The government, determined to contain the disruption to the status quo, created a separate, subordinate status for women in the military,'domesticating'women's service and reinscribing it within conventional limits.

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