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diff --git a/44928-0.txt b/44928-0.txt index 8b54136..5c51a3d 100644 --- a/44928-0.txt +++ b/44928-0.txt @@ -1,36 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Liberty Girl, by Rena I. Halsey - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Liberty Girl - -Author: Rena I. Halsey - -Illustrator: Nana French Bickford - -Release Date: February 16, 2014 [EBook #44928] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIBERTY GIRL *** - - - - -Produced by Demian Katz, Roger Frank and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (Images -courtesy of the Digital Library@Villanova University -(http://digital.library.villanova.edu/)) - - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44928 *** [Illustration: “Ah there, girls! How are you?”—Page 11.] @@ -9591,361 +9559,4 @@ principles of patriotic service she wins great and deserved credit. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Liberty Girl, by Rena I. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Liberty Girl - -Author: Rena I. Halsey - -Illustrator: Nana French Bickford - -Release Date: February 16, 2014 [EBook #44928] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIBERTY GIRL *** - - - - -Produced by Demian Katz, Roger Frank and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (Images -courtesy of the Digital Library@Villanova University -(http://digital.library.villanova.edu/)) - - - - - -[Illustration: "Ah there, girls! How are you?"--Page 11.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - THE - LIBERTY GIRL - - BY - RENA I. HALSEY - - Author of "Blue Robin, the Girl Pioneer" - and "America's Daughter" - - - ILLUSTRATED BY NANA FRENCH BICKFORD - - - - - [Illustration] - - - BOSTON - LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Published, August, 1919 - - - - Copyright, 1919 - By Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. - - ------- - - All rights reserved - - ------- - - THE LIBERTY GIRL - - - - Norwood Press - - BERWICK & SMITH CO. - NORWOOD, MASS. - U. S. A. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - INSCRIBED, - WITH DEEP APPRECIATION, - - TO - - THE SONS OF LIBERTY,-- - - ALL THOSE SOLDIERS, SEAMEN, AND AIRMEN, - WHO HAVE HEROICALLY GIVEN OF - THEIR BEST FOR THE - BROTHERHOOD - OF MAN - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - CONTENTS - - CHAPTER PAGE - I "God Speed You" 11 - II Giving Her Best 28 - III The Liberty Girls 46 - IV The Liberty Garden 60 - V The Liberty Pageant 73 - VI The Strange Letter 89 - VII The Visit to Camp Mills 106 - VIII Seven Pillars 121 - IX The Little Old Lady in the Red House 133 - X The Sweet-Pea Ladies 147 - XI The Ride Through the Notch 164 - XII Nathalie's Liberty Boys 179 - XIII "The Mountains with the Snowy Foreheads" 194 - XIV "Sons of Liberty" 211 - XV The Gallery of the Gods 222 - XVI Butternut Lodge 238 - XVII The Cabin on the Mountain 256 - XVIII The Liberty Cheer 275 - XIX "The White Comrade" 288 - XX The Liberty Tea 302 - XXI The Funnies 322 - XXII The Man in the Woods 334 - XXIII A Mystery Solved 348 - XXIV The Winner of the Prize 362 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - ILLUSTRATIONS - - "Ah there, girls! How are you?" (Page 11) Frontispiece - - FACING PAGE - "My name is Liberty, - My throne is Law" 76 - - "Is that your dog? Oh, I love dogs!" 184 - - The girl found herself gazing into the - sun-tanned face of a young man in khaki 232 - - Nathalie bent over in anxious solicitude 260 - - "Oh, it is Philip, my son!" 476 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - THE LIBERTY GIRL - - - CHAPTER I - - "GOD SPEED YOU" - - -"Oh, Nathalie, I do believe there's Grace Tyson in her new motor-car," -exclaimed Helen Dame, suddenly laying her hand on her companion's arm as -the two girls were about to cross Main Street, the wide, tree-lined -thoroughfare of the old-fashioned town of Westport, Long Island. - -Nathalie Page halted, and, swinging about, peered intently at the -brown-uniformed figure of a young girl seated at the steering-wheel of -an automobile, which was speeding quickly towards them. - -Yes, it was Grace, who, in her sprightliest manner, her face aglow from -the invigorating breezes of an April afternoon, called out, "Ah there, -girls! How are you? Oh, my lucky star must have guided me, for I have -something thrilling to tell you!" As she spoke the girl guided the car -to the curb, and the next moment, with an airy spring, had landed on the -ground at their side. - -With a sudden movement the uniformed figure clicked her heels together -and bent stiffly forward as her arm swung up, while her forefinger -grazed her forehead in a military salute. "I salute you, comrades," she -said with grave formality, "at your service as a member of the Motor -Corps of America. - -"Yes, girls," she shrilled joyously, forgetting her assumed rle in her -eagerness to tell her news, "I'm on the job, for I'm to see active -service for the United States government. I've just returned from an -infantry drill of the Motor Corps at Central Park, New York. - -"No, I'll be honest," she added laughingly, in answer to the look of -amazed inquiry on the faces of her companions, "and 'fess' that I didn't -have the pleasure of drilling in public, for I'm a raw recruit as yet. -We recruits go through our manual of arms at one of the New York -armories, drilled by a regular army sergeant. Oh, I've been in training -some time, for you know I took out my chauffeur's and mechanician's -State licenses last winter. - -"One has to own her car at this sort of government work,"--Grace's voice -became inflated with importance,--"and be able to make her own repairs -on the road if necessary. But isn't my new car a Jim Dandy?" she asked, -glancing with keen pride at the big gray motor, purring contentedly at -the curb. "It was a belated Christmas gift from grandmother. - -"But I tell you what, girls," she rattled on, "I've been put through the -paces all right, but I've passed my exams with flying colors. Phew! -wasn't the physical exam stiff!--before a regular high official of the -army medical corps. I was inoculated for typhoid, and for paratyphoid. -I'll secretly confess that I don't know what the last word means. Yes, -and I took the oath of allegiance to the United States Government, -administered by another army swell,--and that's where my Pioneer work -proved O. K. And then we had the First Aid course, too, at St. Luke's. -The head nurse, who gave us special lessons in bandaging, said I was A -No. 1; and in wigwagging, oh, I did the two-flag business just dandy." - -"But what is your special work?" asked Nathalie, for the two girls were -somewhat surprised and bewildered by all these high-sounding, -official-like terms. To be sure, Grace had long been known as an expert -driver, but she had never shown her efficiency in any way but by giving -the girls joy-rides once in a while; yes, and once she had driven her -father to New York. - -But war work, thought Nathalie, for this aristocratic-looking, -sweet-faced young girl, whose eyes gleamed merrily at you from under the -peaked army cap--with its blue band and the insignia of the Corps, a -tire surmounted by Mercury's wings--set so jauntily on the fluffy hair. -To be sure the slim, trim figure in the army jacket, short skirt over -trousers, and high boots did have a warlike aspect, but it was -altogether too girlish and charming to be suggestive of anything but a -toy soldier, like one of the tiny painted tin things that Nathalie used -to play with when a wee tot. - -"Do? Why, I am a military chauffeur," returned Grace patronizingly, "and -in the business of war-relief work for the Government. At present I'm to -act as chauffeur to one of our four lieutenants, Miss Gladys Merrill. -Oh, she's a dear! I have to drive her all over the city when she is -engaged on some Government errand. You should see me studying the police -maps, and _then_ you would know what I do. Sometimes we are called to -transport some of the army officers from the railroad station to the -ferry, or to headquarters. Then we do errands for the Red Cross, too. - -"Why, the other day I helped to carry a lot of knitted things down on -the pier, to be packed in a ship bound for the other side; they were for -the soldiers at the front. We do work for the National Defense, and for -the Board of Exemption. I'm doing my 'bit,' even if it is a wee one, -towards winning the war," ended the girl, with a note of satisfaction in -her voice. - -"O dear, but wouldn't I like to drive an ambulance in France! But I've -got to be twenty-one to do that sort of work,"--the girl sighed. "But -did I tell you that brother Fred is doing American Field Service? I had -a letter from him yesterday, and he said that he and a lot of American -boys have established a little encampment of ambulances not far from the -front-line trench. They live in what was once a chteau belonging to -Count Somebody or Another, but now it is nothing but a shell. - -"Oh, Fred thinks it is glorious fun," cried the girl, with sparkling -eyes. "He has to answer roll-call at eight in the morning, and then he -eats his breakfast at a little caf near. He has just black -bread,--_think of that_, coffee, and, yes, sometimes he has an egg. Then -he has to drill, clean his car, and--oh, but he says it's a great sight -to see the aroplanes constantly flying over his head, like great -monsters of the air. And sometimes he goes wild with excitement when he -sees an arial battle between a Boche and a French airman. - -"Yes, he declares it is 'some' life over there," animatedly continued -Grace, "for even his rest periods are thrilling, for they have to dodge -shells, and sometimes they burst over one's head. Several times he -thought he was done for. And at night the road near the chteau is -packed with hundreds of _marching_ guns, trucks of ammunition, and war -supplies and cavalry, all on their way to the front. - -"But when he goes in his ambulance after the _blesss_--they are the -poor wounded soldiers--it is just like day, for the sky is filled with -star-shells shooting around him in all colors, and then there is a -constant cannonading of shells and shot of all kinds. When he hears a -purr he knows it's a Boche plane and dodges pretty lively, for if he -doesn't 'watch out' a machine-gun comes sputtering down at him. He's -awfully afraid of them because they drop bombs. - -"But he says it would make your heart ache to see him when he carries -the _blesss_. He has to drive them from the _postes de secours_--the -aid-stations--to the hospitals. He has to go _very_ slowly, and even -then you can hear the poor things groan and shriek with the agony of -being moved. And sometimes," Grace lowered her voice reverently, "when -he goes to take them out of the ambulance he finds a dead soldier. - -"But dear me," she continued in a more cheerful tone, "he seems to like -the life and is constantly hoping--I believe he dreams about it in his -sleep--that he'll soon have a shot at one of those German fiends. Yes, I -think it would be gloriously exciting," ended Grace with a half sigh of -envy. - -"Gloriously exciting?" repeated Nathalie with a shudder. "Oh, Grace, I -should think you would be frightfully worried. Suppose he should lose -his life some time in the darkness of the night, alone with those -wounded soldiers? O dear," she ended drearily, "I just wish some one -would shoot or kill the Kaiser! Sometimes I wish I could be a Charlotte -Corday. Don't you remember how she killed Murat for the sake of the -French?" - -"Why, Nathalie," cried Helen with amused eyes, "I thought you were a -pacifist, and here you are talking of shooting people." And the girl's -"Ha! ha!" rang out merrily. - -Nathalie's color rose in a wave as she cried decidedly, "Helen, I'm -_not_ a pacifist. Of course I want the Allies to win. I believe in the -war--only--only--I do not think it is necessary to send our boys across -the sea to fight." - -"But I do," insisted Helen, "for this is God's war, a war to give -liberty to everybody in the world, and that makes it _our_ war. We -should be willing to fight, to give the rights and privileges of -democracy to other people, and our American boys are not slackers who -let some one else do their work." - -"_Our_ boys! You mean _my boy_," said Nathalie, with sudden bitterness. -"It's all right for _you_ to talk, Helen, but _you_ haven't a brother to -go and stand up and be mercilessly bayoneted by those Boches. And that -is what Dick will have to do." Nathalie choked as she turned her head -away. - -"Yes, Nathalie dear," replied Helen in a softened tone, "I know it is a -terrible thing to have to give up your loved ones to be ruthlessly shot -down. But what are we going to do?" she pleaded desperately, "we must do -what is right and leave the rest to God, for, as mother says, 'God is in -his Heaven.' And Dick wants to go," she ended abruptly, "he told me so -the other day." - -"Yes, that is just it," cried Nathalie in a pitifully small voice, "and -he says that he is not going to wait to be drafted. Oh, Helen, mother -and I cannot sleep at night thinking about it!" Nathalie turned her face -away, her eyes dark and sorrowful. No, she did not mean to be a coward, -but it just rent her heart to picture Dick going about armless, or a -helpless cripple shuffling along, with either she or Dorothy leading -him. - -"Oh, I would like to be a Joan of Arc," interposed Grace at this point, -her blue eyes suddenly afire. "I think it would be great to ride in -front of an army on a white charger. And then, too," she added more -seriously, "I think it takes more bravery to fight than to do anything -else." - -"Perhaps it does, Grace," remarked Helen slowly, "but when it comes to -heroism, I think the mothers who give their boys to be slaughtered for -the good of their fellow-beings are the bravest--" The girl paused -quickly, for she had caught sight of Nathalie's face, and remorsefully -felt that what she had just said only added to her friend's distress. -"But, girls," she went on in a brighter tone, "I have _something_ to -tell you. I'm going to France to do my 'bit,' for I'm to be stenographer -to Aunt Dora. We expect to sail in a month or so. You know that she is -one of the officials in the Red Cross organization." - -There were sudden exclamations of surprise from the girl's two -companions, as they eagerly wanted to know all about her unexpected -piece of news. As Helen finished giving the details as to how it had all -come about, she exclaimed, with a sudden look at her wrist-watch: -"Goodness! Girls, do you know it is almost supper-time? I'm just about -starved." - -"Well, jump into the car, then," cried Grace Tyson, "and I'll have you -home in no time." Her companions, pleased at the prospect of a whirl in -the new car, gladly accepted her invitation, and a few minutes later -were speeding towards the lower end of the street where Helen and -Nathalie lived. - -After bidding her friends good-by, Nathalie, with a _tru-al-lee_, the -call-note of their Pioneer bird-group, ran lightly up the steps of the -veranda. Yes, Dick was home, for he was standing in the hall, lighting -the gas. With a happy little sigh she opened the door. - -"Hello, sis," called out Dick cheerily,--a tall well-formed youth, with -merry blue eyes,--as he caught sight of the girl in the door-way. "Have -you been on a hike?" - -"Oh, no, just an afternoon at Mrs. Van Vorst's. Nita had a lot of the -girls there--" Nathalie stopped, for an expression, a sudden gleam in -her brother's eyes, caused her heart to give a wild leap. She drew in -her breath sharply, but before the question that was forming could be -asked, Dick waved the still flaming match hilariously above his head as -he cried, "Well, sister mine, I've taken the plunge, and I've come off -on top, for I've joined the Flying Corps, and I'm going to be an army -eagle!" - -"Flying Corps?" repeated Nathalie dazedly. "What do you mean?" - -"I mean, Blue Robin, that I'm going to be an aviator, a sky pilot," -replied the boy jubilantly. "I made an application some time ago to the -chief signal officer at Washington. I was found an eligible applicant, -for, you know, my course in the technical school in New York did me up -fine. To-day I passed my physical examinations, and am now enlisted in -the Signal Corps of the Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps. I'm off next week -to the Military Aronautics School at Princeton University. It's an -eight-weeks' course. If I put it over,--and you bet your life I do," -Dick ground his teeth determinedly,--"I go into training at one of the -Flying Schools, and then I'll soon be a regular bird of the air; and if -I don't help Uncle Sam win the war, and manage to drop a few bombs on -those Fritzies, I'll go hang!" - -For one awful moment Nathalie stood silent, staring at her brother in -dumb despair. Then she turned, and with a blur in her eyes and a -tightening of her throat, blindly groped for the stairway. But no! -Dick's hand shot out, he caught the hurrying figure in his grasp, and -the next moment Nathalie was sobbing on his breast. - -"That's all right, little sis," exclaimed the boy with a break in his -voice, as he pressed the brown head closer. Then he cried, in an attempt -at jocularity, "Just get it all out of your system, every last drop of -that salted brine, Blue Robin, and then we'll talk business." - -This somewhat matter-of-fact declaration acted like a cold shower-bath -on the girl, as, with a convulsive shiver, she caught her breath, and -although she burrowed deeper into the snug of her brother's arm her -tears were stayed. - -"Dick, _how could you do it_? Think of mother!" Then she raised her -eyes, and went on, "Oh, I can't bear the thought of your getting ki--" -But the girl could not say the dreaded word, and again her head went -down against the rough gray of Dick's coat. - -"Well, Blue Robin, I'm afraid you have lost that cheery little -_tru-al-lee_ of yours," teased the boy humorously. "You've cried so hard -you're eye-twisted. In the first place, I don't intend getting killed if -I can help it. And I can't help leaving mother. You must remember I'm a -citizen of the United States--" the boy was thinking of his first vote -cast the fall before--"and I am bound by my oath of allegiance to the -country to uphold its principles, even if it means the breaking of my -mother's apron-strings," he added jokingly. - -"Oh, Dick, don't try to be funny," Nathalie managed to say somewhat -sharply, as she drew away from her brother's arm and dropped limply on -the steps of the stairs, in such an attitude of hopeless despair that -Dick was at the end of his tether to know what to say. He stared down at -the girl, unconsciously rubbing his hand through his hair, a trick the -boy had when perplexed. - -Suddenly a bit of a smile leaped into his eyes as he cried, in a -hopelessly resigned tone, "All right, sis, seeing that you feel this way -about it I'll just send in my resignation. It will let the boys know -I've laid down on my job, for if you and mother are going to howl like -two cats, a fellow can't do a thing but stay at home and be a sissy, a -baby-tender, a dish-washer-er-er--" - -"Oh, Dick, don't talk nonsense," broke in Nathalie sharply. "I didn't -say that you were not to go, but,--why--oh, I just can't help feeling -awfully bad when I read all those terrible things in the paper." Her -voice quivered pathetically as she finished. - -"Well, don't read them, then," coolly rejoined Dick. "Just steer clear -of all that hysterical gush and brace up. My job is to serve my -country,--she wants me. By Jove, before she gets out of this hole she'll -need every mother's son of us. And I've got to do it in the best way I -can, by enlisting before the draft comes. I'll not only have a chance to -do better work, a prospect of quicker promotion, but, if you want to -look at the sordid end of it, I'll get more pay. And as to being killed, -as you wailed, if you and mother will insist upon seeing it black, an -aviator's chance of life is ten to one better--if he's on to his -job--than that of the fellow on the ground. So cheer up, Blue Robin. I'm -all beat hollow, for I've been trying to cheer up mother for the last -hour." - -"Oh, what does mother say?" asked a very faint voice, just as if the -girl did not know how her mother felt, and had been feeling for some -time. - -"Say! Gee whiz! I don't know what she would have said if she had voiced -her sentiments," replied Dick resignedly. "But the worst of the whole -business was that she took it out in weeping about a tank of tears; all -over my best coat, too," he added ruefully. "You women are enough to -make a fellow go stiff. - -"Now see here, Blue Robin, don't disappoint me!" suddenly cried the lad, -as he stared appealingly into his sister's brown eyes. "Why, I thought -that you would be my right-hand man. I knew mother would make a time at -first, but _you_,--I _thought you had grit_; _you_, a Pioneer, too. -Don't you know, girl--" added Dick, rubbing the back of his hand quickly -across his eyes, "that I've got to go? Don't you forget that. I'm on the -job, every inch of it, but, thunderation, I'm no more keen to go 'over -there' and have those Hun devils cut me up like sausage, than you or -mother. But I'm a man and I've got to live up to the business of being a -man, and not a mollycoddle." - -But Nathalie had suddenly come to her senses. Perhaps it was the brush -of the boy's hand across his eyes, or the quivering note in his voice, -but she roused. She had been selfish; instead of crying like a ninny she -should have cheered. "Oh, Dick," she exclaimed contritely, standing up -and facing him suddenly, "I'm all wrong. I didn't mean to cry, and I -wouldn't have either," she explained excusingly, "if you had only let me -go up-stairs. - -"No, Dick, I would not have you be a slacker, or a mollycoddle, or wash -the dishes," she added with a faint attempt at a smile, "and we haven't -any babies to tend. Yes, old boy, I don't want you to lie down in the -traces, so let's shake on it, and I'll try to brace up mother, too," -added the girl, as she held out her hand to her brother. - -"Now that's the stuff, Nat, old girl," cried the boy with gleaming eyes, -as he took the girl's hand and held it tightly, "and while I'm fighting -to uphold the family honor and glory,--remember father was a Rough -Rider,--you stay with dear old mumsie. Keep her cheered up, and see that -everything is made easy for her. Do all you can to take my place here at -home. Yes, Blue Robin, you be the home soldier. Gee whiz, you be the -home guard!" added the boy in a sudden burst of inspiration. - -"The home guard! Yes, that's what I'll be," cried the girl, her eyes -lighting with a sudden glow. "And then I'll be doing my bit, won't I? -I'll cheer up mother, and do all I can," she added resolutely; "and -don't worry any more, Dick, for now,"--the girl drew a long breath, -"I'll be on the job as well as you." - -And then Nathalie, with a wave of her hand at the boy as he stood gazing -up at her with his eyes fired with loyal determination, hurried up the -stairs, straight on and up to the very top of the house to her usual -weeping-place, for, oh, those hateful tears would not be restrained, and -if she did not have her cry out she would strangle! - -Ah, here she was in her den, the attic. Dimly she reached out her hand -and pulled the little wooden rocker out from the wall and slumped into -it, and a minute later, with her face buried in the fold of her arm, as -it rested on the little sewing-table, she was weeping unrestrainedly. - -Presently she gave a sudden start, raised her head and listened, and -then was on her feet, for, oh, that was her mother's step,--she was -coming up after her. Oh, why hadn't she waited until she had a hold on -herself. The next moment the little wooden door with the padlock opened, -and Mrs. Page was standing in the doorway gazing down at her. - -"Why--oh, mother!" Nathalie cried in surprise and wonder, for her mother -was smiling. The girl's eyes bulged out from her tear-stained face in -such a funny way that her mother broke into a little laugh. Then her -face sobered and she came slowly towards her. - -"No, daughter mine, mother is not weeping. Yes, I heard what you and -Dick said, and you are patriots, and have shamed mother into trying to -be one, too." Mrs. Page took the girl in her arms with tender affection. - -"And Dick is a dear lad. Oh, Nathalie, in our grief at the thought of -parting with him,--perhaps of losing him,--" her voice weakened -slightly, "we have forgotten that he has been fighting a greater battle -than we. - -"It is surely a great thing," continued Mrs. Page sadly, "for a young -man in the buoyancy of youth and the very heyday of life, to give it all -up. For youth clings more tenaciously to life than older people do, for -to them it is an untried and shining pathway, flowered with hope, -anticipation, and the luring glimmer of unfulfilled aims and ambitions. - -"And then to have to face about," her voice lowered, "and silently -struggle with one's self in the great battle of self-abnegation, to end -by taking this glorious life and casting it far behind you,--this is -what makes a hero. Then to face the dread ordeal of a battlefield, and -go steadily forward, buoyed only with a feeling of bravery,--the heroism -of doing what you believe to be right,--and, taking your one chance for -life in your hands,--plunge into the unknown darkness and the horrifying -perils of a No Man's Land." - -There was a stifled sob in Nathalie's throat, but her mother went -steadily on: "No, Nathalie, we must not weep. We must smile and be -cheerful. We must inspire Dick with courage and hope, and if it is meant -that he is to give his life, we must let him go with a 'God speed you,' -his memory starred with the thought of a mother's love and a sister's -courage, and with the soul-stirring song of the victor over death. - -"And, Nathalie, Dick belongs to God; he was only loaned to me,--to -you,--and if the time has come for God to call him home, we must not -complain. We must gladly give him back. Then we must remember, too," -went on the patient mother-voice, "that, after all, life is not the mere -living of it, but the things accomplished for the betterment of those -who come after. And if Dick has been 'on the job,'" Mrs. Page smiled, -"no matter how small his share in this great warfare for the right, he -will be the better prepared to enter into the Land where there is no -more suffering, or horrible war, but just a glorious and eternal peace." - -The last word was almost whispered, but, with renewed effort, she said: -"Now, Nathalie, let us be brave, as father would have had us,--the dear -father,--and go down to Dick with a bright smile and inspiring words of -cheer." Mrs. Page bent and kissed the girl lightly, but solemnly, on the -forehead, and then she had turned and was making her way towards the -door. - - - - - CHAPTER II - - GIVING HER BEST - - - "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free." - -Nathalie sat in the big rocker on the veranda, sewing a star on a -service-flag. Yes, as soon as Dick had gone to do his "stunt," as he -called it, in the great warfare,--gone with all the honors of war, as -his mother had laughingly declared as he kissed them a noisy -good-by,--Nathalie had felt that it was incumbent upon her to sustain -the honor of the family, and had run lightly up to the attic. Here, in -the big piece-trunk she found a bundle of Turkey red, a bit of white, -and then, after begging a snip of blue from Helen for the star, she had -set to work. - -She was sure that star would not come off, for she had double-stitched -into every angle and on every point. She held up the patriotic square, -bordered with red, and sorrowfully stared at that one lone star, -although a thrill of pride stirred at her heart and caused her eyes to -beam. - -She must hang it up. And then she was busy tacking the little flag to a -small staff, which she had fastened to the roof of the porch so it could -be seen. Ah, the wind had caught it, and it was waving in a salute to -its many mates curling from the neighboring porches, and to the Red -Cross insignias that starred a window here and there, ofttimes -overshadowed by the graceful sweep of the Stars and Stripes. - -But Nathalie's heart was still sore, for although she had given up Dick -with as good a grace as she could muster, and had tried to show that she -possessed the true American spirit, yet it did seem as if it was a -needless sacrifice. With a sudden turn on her heel, the girl burst into -a new patriotic air that she had heard somewhere, as if hoping that it -would drive away the rebellious thoughts that jarred her attempt at -cheer, and hurried into the kitchen. - -As Nathalie stepped to the window and stared carelessly out, her eyes -were caught by the gleam of yellow crocus and purple hyacinth as they -peeped up at her from their beds of green. Somehow their flaunting -colors reminded her of the spring blooms that used to nod so gayly to -her from the flower-beds in her beautiful city home in the upper part of -New York. - -She could hardly believe it was a year since her father's death. The -poignant grief she had suffered then again caused her eyes to fill with -tears, and her mind dwelt upon the sorrowful circumstances surrounding -her loss, the changes that had followed, in their financial losses, and -the many sacrifices it had entailed. - -She again saw the sorrowful farewell to the first and only home she had -ever known; she again felt the grief that came to her in the giving up -of the many things that had made life so happy,--her schoolmates, her -many enjoyments, and her hope of going to college. She again experienced -the dolefulness that had assailed her mother, her brother Dick, her -younger sister, Dorothy, and herself, on their coming to the humble -cottage home in Westport, the being associated with strangers, and the -many people who at first had seemed so different from their city -associates. - -Yes, there was the tree where she had found the nest of bluebirds. The -girl's eyes gleamed amusedly as she peered down the garden at the old -cedar tree, and remembered that she had called them blue robins, thus -giving Dick an opportunity to nickname her, Blue Robin. - -Nathalie attempted to smile, but the thought of Dick's going away -aroused her slumbering grief, and once more the tears flowed silently -down her cheeks. But she bravely brushed them away and went on with her -reminiscences,--the remembrance of spraining her ankle up in the woods, -and how it had led to her meeting Helen Dame, her next-door neighbor, -and _now_ her dearest friend. - -How lovely Grace Tyson had looked that day, and dear old Barbara with -her near-sighted eyes, and the girls' favorite, Lillie Bell, with her -gracious charm and dramatic poses. The girl smiled again as she -remembered Edith Whiton, the sport, and her harum-scarum oddities. Yes, -they were all dear girls. And how glad she was that she had become a -Pioneer, and a real blue robin, by joining the Blue Bird group. - -And what a dear Mrs. Morrow, the Pioneer director, was that day the -Pioneers called. Oh, that was the day the "Mystic" had passed. Who would -have thought she would turn out to be Mrs. Van Vorst, who was so lovely. -And that ride with Dr. Morrow to the big gray house, and then she -mentally saw herself, with that handkerchief over her eyes, talking to -the Princess, Nita, the little hunchbacked girl. And what good friends -they had become through those history lessons! - -The many useful things she had learned from the Pioneer hikes and -crafts, and the joys she had experienced from their many sports and -activities had certainly proved worth while. And the "overcomes" she had -fought for by adopting the Pioneer motto, "I can," had certainly meant -something in her life. - -But they did have gloriously good times at Camp Laff-a-Lot at Eagle -Lake, with the Boy Scouts, Miss Camphelia, Miss Dummy, and all the other -good sports. Then, too, there was the surprise, on her return to learn -the good that had come to Dick through the money so kindly loaned by -Mrs. Van Vorst. Indeed, that one year had brought many new things into -her life, for--O dear, there was all that silver to be cleaned! For, now -that her mother kept no maid, this duty, with many other menial tasks, -had devolved upon Nathalie. Oh, how she hated that job! - -With a resigned air, however, she managed to carry the basket of silver -from the sideboard to the kitchen table, and then returned to the -dining-room for the tea-service. After getting her cleaning cloths, her -brushes, and the scouring-powder, with vigorous determination she began -to rub and polish. - -But somehow everything acted aggravatingly mean, for she dropped the -polish, and the powder flew all over; then she knocked the tray and the -knives and forks clattered to the floor. O dear! what ailed things -anyway? And how her arms ached trying to polish those horrid tarnished -stains on the teapot! The tableware had never seemed so obdurate, nor -the means for making it bright so utterly ineffective. - -"Oh, I guess I am the one who is ailing," she exclaimed glumly, as she -suddenly realized that her mind was not on her task, and that the -elation of playing at being a patriot had departed, with Dick evidently, -leaving her as limp as a rag. Oh, it does seem such a shame that we had -to get into that war--Nathalie bit off her thought like a thread, -resolved not to let her mind dwell on that forbidden topic. But how -angelic her mother had acted when Dick went. Well, she was a dear, -anyway, so brave. But suppose he _never_ _should_ come back after all. -Something suddenly seemed to snap in the girl's breast, and down went -her head on the tray, into a heap of powder, while a great sob strangled -out of her throat. - -O horrors! Nathalie's brown head bobbed up from the tray, not very -serenely either, for she had heard a step on the kitchen porch. Oh, -Helen always came in that way! "Where _is_ my handkerchief?" The girl -grabbed desperately at something white lying on the tray, dimly seen -through a blur of tears, and began to scrub her nose energetically with -alas, not her handkerchief, but the powder-cloth with which she had been -polishing the silver! "Ah chee! Ah chee!" sneezed Nathalie again and -again, while groping frenziedly, but blindly, for her handkerchief. She -must have dropped it. And then Helen's arms were around her, and she was -kissing the flushed cheek. - -"What's struck you, honey girl?" she asked in that gentle way of hers. -"Have you got the influenza? But here's a very necessary article at -times, if that's what you're after," she finished with a laugh, as she -stooped and picked up Nathalie's handkerchief from the floor. - -"Influenza? No," blurted out Nathalie savagely, tortured to a pitch of -desperation at her unfortunate predicament. "I've been rubbing my nose -with that dirty old piece of rag I clean the silver with. Serves me -right, I suppose, for being such a fool as to cry when I should be 'on -my job,' as Dick says." She shamefacedly tried to hide her red eyes from -her friend's keen gaze. - -"Oh, well, it will do you good to cry, Nathalie, dear," advised Helen -softly, as she stroked the brown head caressingly, "for you were quite a -heroine when Dick went away, so courageous and cheery. Mrs. Morrow says -you are the nerviest Pioneer she knows." - -"But I'm not," confessed Nathalie honestly, "in fact, I'm beginning to -think that I'm a bluff. But anyway, I'm glad to get a bit of praise, -something to warm me up, for I have felt like a congealed icicle for the -last few days. Yes, I have smiled and smiled like the poor Spartan boy, -while the fox of Grief was gnawing a hole into my internals. That sounds -like one of Lillie Bell's dramatics, doesn't it?" she smiled -pathetically into her friend's kindly eyes. - -"But, Helen, you are a dear, anyway," cried Nathalie in a sudden burst -of admiration for her tried and trusted friend, who was always such a -stanch and timely comforter. "And do you know," she added, swinging -about in her chair with the teapot in one hand and the despised -polishing-cloth in the other, "you grow better-looking every day. Oh, I -think you are just lovely!" - -"_I lovely?_" mocked Helen, opening her eyes in surprise at this -unexpected praise. "Well, Blue Robin, what started you on that trail? -You must have been kissing the Blarney Stone, for you are handing me out -'the stuff,' as the boys say, for fair. Poor me, with a knob on my nose, -a wide mouth, and green eyes--to call me lovely is a libel on the word." - -"Oh, Helen, your eyes are just lovely--every one says that, for they are -so expressive," retorted her friend loyally; "and as for the knob on -your nose, no one would know it was there if you weren't constantly -telling them about it. But I don't care what you look like anyway," she -added determinedly, "for I think you are a love of a friend. But when do -you go to France?" she finished abruptly. - -"I don't quite know yet," replied the girl; "perhaps not until a month -or so. But mother is brave about letting me go. She says it will be a -fine experience for me,--as long as I don't have to go 'over the top.' -Oh, you finished your service-flag! It's a Jim Dandy!" Helen plunged -recklessly into another topic, again blaming herself for her trick of -alluding to forbidden subjects, for she had seen Nathalie's lips quiver -as she said "Over the top." - -"Yes, I finished it, and now the neighbors know where _we stand_, even -if _you_ consider me a pacifist," said the girl a little defiantly. -"Well, perhaps I shall think differently some day," with a quickly -repressed sigh. - -"Yes, and that day is coming very soon, too, Blue Robin," rejoined -Helen; "for I'll bet you a box of candy that you won't be a pacifist -after you hear Mrs. Morrow talk on liberty. Surely you haven't forgotten -that we are to go to a Liberty Tea at her house this afternoon?" she -inquired as she saw her friend's face settle down into an expression of -gloom. - -"Oh, I don't think I'll go," retorted Nathalie quickly, "for I don't -feel a bit Pioneery this morning, and then I have all this silver to -clean." - -"But, Blue Robin," returned her friend cheerily, "I'm going to help you -finish up that silver, and then I'm going home to dress for this -afternoon. Then I'm coming over here and just make you go to that -Liberty Tea with me. You know, Nathalie, it would be mean for you to -desert Mrs. Morrow," she added wisely, "for you are the leader of the -band and should help to entertain the girls." - -Whereupon, Helen caught up one of Nathalie's kitchen-aprons, and a few -moments later the two girls were laughing and chatting in the best of -spirits, as they rubbed and polished with youthful ardor, every bone and -muscle keyed to its task. - -Yes, it was enlivening to be so warmly welcomed by her hostess, Nathalie -decided, as she greeted her a little later in the afternoon, and her -depression vanished. And how perfectly lovely Mrs. Morrow looked in that -blue gown; yes, it was just the color of her blue-gray eyes. Under the -fascination of this lady's charming personality Nathalie was soon flying -about, showing the girls how to start sweaters, or to purl, as this task -had been delegated to her by the director, who herself had taught -Nathalie. - -When the tea was served it was Nathalie who occupied the place of honor -at the little tea-table, decorated with the United States flag, and who -dispensed the dainty little china cups filled with what was -patriotically called _Liberty Tea_ in honor of the young ladies who had -given it its name over a hundred years ago, and who the Pioneers had -impersonated last year in their entertainment of "Liberty Banners." - -After the teacups had been removed, and one or two announcements of -coming events had been made, Mrs. Morrow, with sudden gravity, said: - -"We have gathered here to-day, girls, to commemorate the Spirit of -Liberty, the one great principle that has budded like Aaron's rod, and -brought forth other qualities as splendid and compelling as itself, as, -for example, the principles represented in our national emblem. The -principle of humanity, which means living the Golden Rule by taking -thought for your neighbor; democracy, the equal rights of mankind, which -in turn gives rise to justice, loyalty, and unity,--the principles that -have not only given us that wonderful, mystical something called -Americanism, but the principles that mean the Christianity of Christ." - -After the girls had discussed the meaning of liberty and summed it up as -standing for man's right to self-expression, either by words or actions, -and made it clear that it had to be governed by the law of self-control, -as too much freedom would mean license or lawlessness, Mrs. Morrow -continued her little talk. - -"Liberty is not something that sprang into being with the coming of the -settlers to America, for it is as old as man himself; but under the rule -of king-ridden states it has been fighting its way through many long -centuries, because the peoples of the Old World failed to grasp its -meaning. - -"Under the stimulus of the Reformation and the Revival of Learning, -induced by the printing of the Bible and other books, the early comers -to America, as they endeavored to worship God as they thought right, not -only left the intolerant forms and bigoted narrowness of the Old World, -but threw the first light on liberty by teaching man his right to -freedom of the soul. The Pilgrims and Puritans were the Pioneers of -liberty, for they not only gave us religious freedom, but, by -establishing a government for and by the people without the aid of king -or bishop, laid the cornerstone of a great commonwealth, and gave us -democratic liberty. - -"If you girls would make a study of the history of the Thirteen -Colonies," went on their director, "you would learn that not only each -Colony contributed to the principles embodied in every stripe, star, and -color of our spangled banner, but that a universal love of freedom seems -to have animated the settlers. Each individual group, to be sure, had -its own peculiar belief, but, in the working-out of their cherished -ideals and aspirations, liberty was the bone and sinew of every colony. - -"It was under the influence of these early settlers--the giving of their -best to mankind in their struggles for freedom--that the ideals and -beliefs of the New World were molded into higher and better -institutions, purified and strengthened by a new significance. Their -ideals and aspirations were essentially different from anything known -before,--ideals peculiar to this soil, which were absolutely American, -not only in religious freedom, but in the institutions of local -government and the union of all states into one, which gave rise to the -United States of America. - -"Now we have come to the great subject of the hour, the war, and a -question I have heard several of you girls ask, 'Why are we in the -war?'" - -Nathalie felt her face redden, and shifted uneasily in her seat. O dear! -she did wish she had not come. Of course the talk was very interesting, -but still she didn't want to think of this terrible war. - -"I have heard it said," pursued Mrs. Morrow, "that we are in the war to -avenge the sinking of the _Lusitania_, and that we must not allow the -Germans to break the international law by killing our sailors and -seamen. I have heard it said, too, that if they conquered the Allies -they would come over here and fight us. These are all sufficient reasons -in a sense." - -The lady paused, and then, with grave solemnity, said: "And I have heard -it put forth that we are in the war to maintain our national honor and -integrity. I think I hear some of you girls say, 'But we haven't done -any wrong: we have kept neutral; our principles are not involved.'" - -Nathalie's eyes were aglow as she bent forward, and with parted lips -anxiously awaited Mrs. Morrow's reply to this question. - -"Now that we realize the depth and grandeur of the principles given to -us by the founders of this nation, and know that every time our flag is -unfurled it tells the world that religious and democratic liberty were -born on these shores of America, are we going back on these principles? -Are we going to allow other nations to say that our principles are just -in the flying of our colors, that they stand for nothing but self-praise -and the nation's glorification? - -"No," cried the lady with grave emphasis, "by our love for our flag, by -our love for our birth-land, by our reverence for the men who taught us -these principles we swear to defend every time we hoist our colors, we -must get into this war. We must prove that our flag is in the right -place, and that we carry it in our hearts. We must strive to show with -our soul's might that we are living these principles by being true to -ourselves and to our nation's honor, and carry our feelings into action. - -"We must forget self, our desire for selfish ease and pleasure. We must -align ourselves with the suffering masses of people across the sea, and -help them to rid themselves of the iron-shod heel of one-man power. We -must stand side by side with the Allies for humanity, democracy, and -liberty. We must show the world that the so-called divine right of kings -is a worn-out belief of savagery, and prove by the principles back of -our flag, prove by the living of these principles, the sacredness of -God's heritage to man, the right of the world's people to know, as we -know, the principles that have made us the freest people in the world. - -"Each one of you girls must not only do your bit, but must give of your -best to your brothers and sisters over the sea. And if the best means -the giving-up of those who are so dear to us, we must prove that we are -true daughters of liberty, and send them forth cheerfully, to give -freedom and liberty to the world." - -There was an impressive silence, and then Mrs. Morrow's voice broke into -song. In another moment the girls had joined their voices with hers, and -were loudly sounding forth the old-time tune and the well-beloved words: - - "In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, - With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me; - As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, - While God is marching on. - - "He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; - He is sifting out the hearts of men before his judgment seat; - Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet; - Our God is marching on!" - -Later in the afternoon, as the girls hurried happily out from the white -house on the corner, each one chatting merrily, intent on telling what -she had done or intended to do for the war, Nathalie alone was silent, -weighed down, as it were, by a strange sense of shame. Yes, she had been -blindly selfish, and had failed to realize the momentousness of the -great questions of the day. When she had been called upon, to give love -and sympathy to her neighbors, the poor suffering masses of people over -seas, she had selfishly turned her back to the call--she had failed to -show herself a daughter of liberty. Why, she was not a patriot,--no, not -even an American; and in the spirit, if not in the letter, she had -dishonored Dick, yes, and her father, who had always been so steadfast -and true to everything that was American. - -That night Nathalie could not sleep, but tossed restlessly from side to -side, as parts of Mrs. Morrow's speech kept forcing themselves upon her -memory. And just as she had succeeded in driving them away, and also the -remorseful thought that she had not given her best, that she had failed -to show greatness, the song the girls had sung that afternoon, with the -luring, old-time air and the soul-stirring words, flashed with vivid -distinctness: - - "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, - While God is marching on." - -The girl sat up in bed, and in a crooning whisper hummed the whole verse -through, repeating again and again, - - "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free." - -The beauty as well as the significance of the words had made their -appeal. Christ had died to make men holy; she must give of her best to -make men free. She must show herself great, but what could _she_ do? - -But even as the question came, so flashed the answer, and Nathalie was -again softly humming, - - "Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet; - Our God is marching on." - -And then suddenly a thought stamped itself upon her mind. The girl -caught her breath. Yes, she had given Dick up because she had been -forced to do so, but now she would make the sacrifice, give the best of -herself; she would stop once and forever all useless repining. She would -keep herself cheered by the thought that she was glad--she gritted her -teeth determinedly--that she had Dick to give to help make people free. - -Yes, but she _must do something_--she must give _her best_; no, it might -not be anything very great or big, but she must show she was a true -daughter of liberty. Ah, she knew what she could do, and then Nathalie -fell back on her pillow, and although she lay very still, her brain was -alert, thinking and planning. Yes, she could get the girls together; she -would begin the very next morning. She would have every one in it, for -liberty wouldn't be liberty unless it was free to all. And then one -thought and another kept popping into her mind, until finally the tired -brain went on a strike and refused to register any more thoughts, and -Nathalie, without a word of protest, tumbled into the land o' dreams. - -The next morning she was up betimes, and was soon singing cheerily at -her work, every now and then stopping in the midst of some favored -melody, to repeat softly, - - "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free." - -In such a state of cheerfulness time flew swiftly, and soon Nathalie was -up in the attic writing a note. Yes, it sounded all right, she decided -as she read it over slowly. And then her hand was again flying over the -paper, and another note was written, and then another, and still -another, until, with a sigh of relief, Nathalie found that she had them -all finished. No, she wasn't going to leave any one out. Quickly -gathering up the notes the girl was off, running lightly down the -stairs, and then flying swiftly across the lawn to see what Helen would -think of the thing she had planned in the stillness of the night. - - - - - CHAPTER III - - THE LIBERTY GIRLS - - -"Yes, we must prove that we have the true spirit of liberty, the spirit -of humanity," Nathalie spoke very earnestly, "and that is why I have -asked Marie Katzkamof to belong to the club. She is the little lame -girl, _you know_ who she is; she sits at the news-stand on the corner of -Main and West streets, and sells the papers when her father is at -business. She is always knitting--sweaters for the soldiers, she says. -It makes me feel ashamed when I realize how hard she works to do her -'little bit.'" - -"You are right, Nathalie," replied Helen thoughtfully, "for you have -struck something big in your idea that we are all Americans, and that -the club should be free to all. But hurry over, and see what Mrs. Morrow -has to say. I believe she'll think the whole scheme is fine." - -But Nathalie was already at the door, her brown eyes sparkling with -suppressed excitement, and her cheeks flushed with the soft pink that -all the girls admired, and _some_ envied. And then she was making her -way across the road to the white house on the corner, still softly -humming, - - "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free." - -The Tuesday that Nathalie had designated in her notes to the invited -girls had arrived, and the girl, somewhat pale from nervousness, was -standing before a small table in the living-room of her home. Facing her -were a dozen or more girls, all more or less in an attitude of expectant -interest as they sat, some on chairs, others on the couch in the hall, -while the Pioneers, as was their wont when chairs were limited, were -seated in a circle on the floor. - -"Now, girls," cried Nathalie, determined to plunge ahead and get the -thing started before her enthusiasm and nerves collapsed to a frazzle, -as she told Helen afterward, "I have asked you all here to-day, to form -a club in the interest of liberty. The Girl Pioneers know just how big a -thing liberty is, for they had the pleasure of hearing Mrs. Morrow, our -Pioneer director, in her little talk on liberty. Oh, Lillie Bell, would -you mind repeating what you remember of Mrs. Morrow's speech?" Nathalie -broke off abruptly, turning towards that young lady, one of the most -popular of the Pioneer girls. "I know you have a good memory, Lillie," -Nathalie pleaded, "and are such a good elocutionist that you can do it -better than any one else I know." - -This calling upon Lillie Bell was a stroke of finesse on the part of -Nathalie. For Lillie, when she had learned that the club was to be so -democratic that the daughter of her newsdealer, a Russian Jew, had been -invited, had loftily declared that although she was a good American, and -wanted to do all she could for liberty, well, she didn't know that she -cared to chum with all the Jews in the town. - -Nathalie had been keenly alive to the desirability of having Lillie a -member, because she was not only bright and efficient, but because she -was such a good entertainer. This declaration of Lillie's, however, had -caused her spirits to fall below zero, and she began to fear that the -whole thing would prove a fizzle. But when so many girls had responded -to her invitation, all keyed to expectant curiosity--Lillie among -them--her spirits had taken a leap into the nineties. Immediately her -alert mind had begun to plan in what way, and how, she could interest -Lillie in the club, so that she would take an active part in its doings. -And here was her chance. - -Lillie Bell, with her usual timely poise, gracefully and smilingly rose -to the occasion. In her most luring manner she not only repeated Mrs. -Morrow's speech, but interpreted it with such a stirring American -spirit, that not only was Nathalie electrified, but the whole audience -were inspired to such a pitch of enthusiasm that they broke into hearty -applause. - -As soon as the clamor subsided, Nathalie cried earnestly, "Now that we -all know what liberty means, and the possibilities that lie before us, I -propose that we form ourselves into a club to be known as 'The Liberty -Girls.'" - -Another outburst of approval brought the speaker to a halt, but only for -a moment, and then she went on smilingly, "Well, I am glad that you like -the name, for it means something." Then she briefly told of the -seventeen young girls, who, over a hundred and fifty years ago, had -formed a club called "The Daughters of Liberty." - -"They did their bit," smiled the girl, "by sewing all day on homespun -garments to prove that the colonies could be independent of the -mother-country, and swore that they would drink no tea until the tax had -been removed. They also declared that they would have nothing to do with -any of their young gentlemen friends who dared to drink the detested -beverage. - -"But, girls," said Nathalie rather hurriedly, as she stepped from behind -the little table, "if we are to form ourselves into a club, we shall -have to have a chairman, for although the idea originated with me, that -does not mean that you have got to have me for a leader," she ended -modestly. - -"But we don't want any one but you," called out some one -enthusiastically, which cry was so emphatically echoed by others, that -Nathalie stood hopelessly bewildered, a wave of color dyeing her face a -rose-pink. - -But in this crucial moment Helen came to her rescue, and jumping on her -feet cried,--even Lillie, Grace, and Edith bobbed up too,--"Girls, I -make the motion that we form ourselves into a club to be known as 'The -Liberty Girls,' and that we elect for president, Miss Nathalie Page. All -in favor of this motion stand up!" - -There was a quick, simultaneous movement of many feet, and then, as -Helen sensed that Nathalie had been duly elected leader by her mates, -she called out, "Well, Nathalie, you will have to be president, for -every one wants you." - -"Yes, and we won't have any one else," added Edith quickly, with a -sudden clap of her hands. This was the signal for the girls to start up -a loud clapping in approval of the newly elected president, whose -rose-pink cheeks had deepened to scarlet as she stood bowing, somewhat -confusedly, to them. - -Whereupon Lillie Bell gracefully came to the fore, and dramatically -seizing the hand of the young girl while leading her back to her seat, -in an impressive manner cried, "Allow me, Miss Nathalie Page, to lead -you to the seat of honor, as the president of the club, 'The Liberty -Girls.'" - -Nathalie bowed and laughed with embarrassment, but she determined to -carry off the honors bestowed upon her with a good grace, and as soon as -the somewhat noisy demonstrations of pleasure from the girls had ended, -she said modestly, "Girls, I thank you for wanting me to be your leader, -and only hope I will make a good one." - -There was more plaudits, and then Nathalie, with grave seriousness, -said: "Girls, now that we have pledged ourselves not only as a club, but -as individuals, to further the cause of liberty, I would suggest that -our watchword be, 'Liberty and humanity--our best.' Humanity means to be -helpful and kind to our neighbors, our best means to work with a -strenuous will to do everything we can to that end. Our neighbors at the -present moment loom very large and big as the needy and suffering ones -overseas, as the sick, the wounded, the dying, the prisoners, the -refugees, and all those who are fighting on land and sea: yes, and those -in the air, and all those who are helping to care for the ones I have -mentioned, as the doctors and nurses, for they, too, all need help. If -we can't fight, we have got to help those who are fighting in our stead. -Yes," she added solemnly, "and we must be prepared even to have the -desire to do what we can for our enemies, for as liberty makes no -discrimination as to who shall enjoy it, so in the doing of humane acts -we should remember all." - -As Nathalie, highly elated by the enthusiasm shown by her audience, -stood waiting for quietness, suddenly her eyes rested on little lame -Marie Katzkamof, whose big black eyes shone like two stars from her -pale, sallow face. Nathalie had another inspiration. - -She bent forward and in a low, earnest voice cried, "Do you think, -little Marie, that you would enjoy being a member of this club? Wouldn't -you like to do something--yes, _your best_--to help the poor refugees in -France and Belgium, and the brave soldier boys who are fighting, so that -the whole world can enjoy liberty?" - -"Yiss, ma'am; I have a glad on liberty," the girl giggled nervously, -"but it's like this mit me, I likes I shure I don't make you no -trouble." - -"But it won't be any trouble to us, Marie," answered Nathalie with a -smile. "We will all help you; humanity means to help others." - -"But, Missis Page," the girl's face was scarlet, her big eyes mournful. -"It's like this mit me, I ain't stylish like these young ladies; I make -nottings mit them, for I ain't shmardt, hein? Und this leg it ain't yet -so healthy. Und, Missis Page, I'm lovin' mit liberty, but I ain't lovin' -much mit Krisht, for I'm a Jewess." - -Nathalie faltered a moment, for she had seen a smile creep into the eyes -of the girls, which she knew would become a laugh if she did not say the -right thing. "Yes, you may not love Christ, as we Christians," she -answered quickly, "but if you love the liberty, perhaps you may learn to -know what it means to love Him. And then, Marie, that will make no -difference, for as long as you want to help the suffering ones, and show -humanity, that makes you an American, no matter who, or what you are." - -"Thank you, Missis Page," the girl's face had lighted with repressed -joy, "sure I'm an American. I can't do nottings mit the fight, like the -soldiers, but you bet yer life I can knit for them, hein?" And the -little daughter of Israel held up a strip of wool with its two shiny -needles. "Shure und my hands are straight," she continued pathetically, -"even if my legs ain't healthy." - -Nathalie's eyes blurred, but she answered smilingly, "Why, that will be -lovely, Marie." Then, turning towards the girls, she cried, "Every one -in favor of appointing Marie Katzkamof captain of the Knitting Squad, -please hold up her hand." And every hand went up. "And we'll call you -Captain Molly," went on Nathalie, "in memory of that brave young woman, -Molly Pitcher, who, when her husband fell dead at the battle of -Monmouth, during the Revolution, took his place,--she was carrying water -to the soldiers,--seized the rammer of his gun, and fired it. And she -kept on firing it," cried Nathalie with glowing eyes, "with the shot and -shell flying all about her, until the battle was over. And with that -name and the bravery of _that_ Molly--for I know you are brave, Marie--I -know you will do _your best_ for liberty, and for the soldiers who are -on the firing-line, doing their best, as the Sons of Liberty, for the -right of every man in the world." - -After Lillie Bell had been duly elected vice-president of the club, and -several other club matters had been disposed of, Nathalie proposed, as -an inspiration to the girls, that they form a circle in the center of -the room, and stand with clasped hands, to show the interdependence of -one upon the other. "Then in turn," she explained, "let each girl tell -of some woman, or girl, who, by her bravery in doing what she could for -some one else, or for the world, has given of her best to mankind, and -shown that she was a true lover of humanity, and a daughter of liberty." - -The girls, quickly grasping Nathalie's idea, were soon standing in a -circle, hurriedly trying to concentrate their minds on some one woman -who had given of her greatness to mankind. - -"Can we tell about the Pioneer women?" asked a Girl Pioneer timidly. - -"Yes, indeed," answered the young president, "and we ought to hear about -them first, too, for they were the ones who really taught us what it -means to love liberty. Although they were not the first women who did -great things for their fellow-beings, they were the ones who made clear -to us that real liberty means humanity, justice, and democracy for all." - -Helen now started the liberty chain by clasping the hand of her neighbor -on each side of her and telling of the women of the _Mayflower_, who, by -their acts of sacrifice, and stern determination to worship God as they -thought right, gave us religious freedom. - -Nita told of the coming of the ship, the _Arbella_, to Gloucester with -John Winthrop, the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the two -noted Puritan brides, the Lady Arbella and Anne Bradstreet, the latter -our first American poetess. And gave testimony of their devotion to -Puritanism, and their desire to benefit mankind. - -One Pioneer told of America's first club-woman, Anne Hutchinson, -portraying her trial and banishment from Boston, in her efforts to -benefit mankind by teaching them freedom of thought. Another told of -Mary Dyer, the noted Quakeress, and how she was hanged from an old elm -on Boston Common because she believed in freedom of religion. - -Margaret, the wife of John Winthrop, the governor, and Susannah, the -mother of John Wesley, both beloved for their sweet piety and charity, -were cited as examples of having given of their best in being the ideal -wife and mother. Lillie Bell told of Florence Nightingale, the young -English woman who gave up a life of luxury to help the soldiers during -the Crimean War in 1854. She became known as "The Lady of the Lamp," -from a statue of her as she stands with a nurse's lamp in her hand, -erected in a church in London. - -A Girl Scout told of Dorothy Dix, that wonderful woman who made it her -life-work to visit prisons and insane asylums, in order to institute -reforms for the care and comfort of the inmates. She also did much for -the relief of wounded soldiers during the American Civil War. - -Jenny Lind, the great Swedish singer, was cited as having given to -humanity when she gave her time and voice to raise thousands of dollars -for the benefit of broken-down musicians and writers. Mrs. Harriet -Beecher Stowe gave of her best, Edith declared, when she wrote her book, -"Uncle Tom's Cabin," and showed the world the evils of slavery; as also -Mrs. Julia Ward Howe when she wrote that wonderful patriotic song, "The -Battle Hymn of the Republic." - -The two noted women astronomers, Caroline Herschel and Maria Mitchell, -when they studied the heavens in the interest of science, gave of their -best. Also Charlotte Cushman, the great actress, who raised large sums -of money by her acting, and gave it to the Sanitary Fund, during the -Civil War, was quoted as a lover of humanity. - -The Baroness Burdett-Coutts and Miss Helen Gould, two of the world's -noted philanthropists, as well as Miss Louisa Alcott, in her writings -for the youth of America, and other women writers were added to the -growing list of Liberty Daughters. Dolly Madison, the beautiful First -Lady of the Land, showed herself a true American during the War of 1812. -When the British burned Washington she refused to leave the White House -until the portrait of Washington was carried to a place of safety, while -she herself took the Declaration of Independence, with its autographs of -the signers, away with her, so that it would not be lost to America. - -Even Marie, alias Captain Molly, caught the inspiration of the Liberty -Chain, and told of a young Russian girl, who, rather than betray the -secrets of a great man, from a paper that had fallen into her hands, -allowed herself to be exiled to Siberia. Then came the war stories, as -that of the noted Quakeress, Lydia Darrach, who, during the Revolution, -on learning the secrets of the British officers who were quartered at -her house, endured untold hardship in traveling many miles in the dead -of winter to reveal them to the American patrol, so as to save the -Continental Army from disaster. - -Hannah Weston, who filled a pillow-case with pewter-ware when she heard -that a certain town was in need of ammunition, and carried it many miles -through the woods at night, was cited for her bravery and her sacrifice, -in her effort to help others. The story of Betty Zane and how she ran -from the palisade of a Western fort to her brother's hut for a keg of -powder in the fire of a tribe of Indians, although a familiar one, was -listened to with glowing interest. - -Ruth Wyllis, who hid the charter of Connecticut in an oak tree, and Katy -Brownell, the color-bearer at the battle of Bull Run, who stood by the -flag in the face of the advancing foe, and who would have been shot to -death if a soldier had not pulled her away, were but two recitals of -brave deeds for the sake of humanity. - -But at last the liberty chain came to an end by Nathalie telling of -Saint Margaret, a plain, uneducated Irish woman, who, after losing her -husband and child, devoted her life and every penny she made to the -cause of orphan children. A statue, she said, had been erected in New -Orleans to this noble woman, who gave of her best to humanity when she -devoted her life to these little waifs. - -After the girls had returned to their seats, Nathalie appointed seven -squads. She had made it seven, she said, not only because it was a lucky -number, but because there were just seven letters in the name, -_Liberty_. Helen was made the captain of the Florence Nightingale Squad, -since she had gained many honors, as a Girl Pioneer, as an expert maker -of bandages. - -Nita, with a Girl Scout as a running mate, was made captain of the -Scrap-Book Squad, which meant the making of scrap-books for the -convalescing soldiers in the hospitals. Lillie Bell and a Camp Fire Girl -were placed at the head of the Garments Squad for the cutting and sewing -of garments for the refugee children of France and Belgium. Two Girl -Scouts were made captains of the Flower Squad, with the purpose of -raising and selling flowers for the Liberty Loan fund. - -Jessie Ford had charge of the comfort-kits for the soldier-boys, while -Barbara Worth, who was an expert knitter, was appointed to work with -Captain Molly, the Russian Jewess. Nathalie was unanimously chosen as -the captain of the Liberty Garden, with Edith Whiton and several other -Girl Pioneers. They were not only to raise vegetables and fruits in -their garden-to-be, but they were to do canning as well. - -After some discussion it was decided that the club members wear a -uniform consisting of a white shirtwaist, with the letters L. G. in red -on the arm, on the corners of their white sailor-collars, and on the -hatbands of their white sailor-hats, and to wear white or khaki skirts. - -Nathalie had just appointed a committee to scour the town for a parcel -of ground to use as a flower and Liberty garden, when a sudden noise was -heard. The girl looked quickly up, to see Mrs. Morrow standing in the -doorway leading from the dining-room, with her arms filled with flowers. -In her hand was a large bell, which she was jingling softly, while her -blue eyes smiled down upon the girls with radiant good-will. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - - THE LIBERTY GARDEN - - -Nathalie stared in amazement, and then, recovering her usual poise, she -cried, "Oh, Mrs. Morrow, please come right in, for I want you to meet my -Liberty Girls." As the girl spoke she advanced towards her unexpected -guest, who was coming slowly forward, as if not assured of her welcome. -But the cordiality expressed in the tones of Nathalie's voice and the -fact that the girls had all risen on their feet,--her own girls at -attention in the Pioneer salute,--with their faces aglow with pleasure, -quickly assured her that her welcome was a hearty one. - -With a sudden movement she turned to Nathalie and asked, "May I have the -floor a moment, Miss President?" As the girl assented, although somewhat -mystified, Mrs. Morrow took her place behind the small table, and with a -quick nod of greeting to the faces upturned to hers, cried: "Girls, I am -greatly pleased to see you here to-day, and to know that our Pioneer -Blue Robin's little plan to make you all work with a keener zest for -liberty, has succeeded so well. I also want to assure you of my hearty -cooperation, and my wish that all of you, those who are Pioneers, and -those who belong to other clubs, will be inspired to better work in your -own organizations by the fact that you have banded together to stand -unitedly as Daughters of Liberty, in order to show that you are all -_loyal Americans_. In proof of my good wishes I am going to present the -club with a bell. It is needless to say that it is not _the_ Liberty -Bell, but a facsimile in miniature. - -"Wait, I have not finished," laughingly protested the lady as she held -up her hand,--for some of the girls had started to clap. "I want you to -know before your president rings it,--it is to be rung to call you -together in the sacred cause of liberty,--that way up in the top has -been inserted a very tiny chip from the real Liberty Bell,--the bell -that was rung over a hundred years ago to announce that the thirteen -colonies had become the United States of America. I hope, girls, that -when you hear this bell ring you will feel the same inspiration to do -your best as animated the patriots in the war of 1776." - -As Mrs. Morrow paused, the long-delayed clapping burst forth with such -vigor that she and Nathalie--she had drawn the girl to her and was -pressing the bell into her hand--had to smile and bow again and again. -But the clapping only halted for a space, for when Nathalie saw that -quietness reigned, she rang the liberty bell so loudly and determinedly, -while a mischievous twinkle glowed in her eyes, that it broke forth -again. - -As soon as the demonstration was over and the bell-ringing had subsided, -Mrs. Morrow's voice was heard again: "Now, Liberty Girls, I am going to -ask your president to take a vote to get your opinion as to _who you -think_ told the best story about great women in your liberty chain. - -"Perhaps you do not know," the gray-blue eyes deepened, "but I was in -the dining-room, although not purposely an eavesdropper, and had the -pleasure of hearing the stories told. I have formed an opinion as to the -best story-teller, but would like to know if your opinion coincides with -mine." - -But alas, there were so many different opinions as to the best story, -and as to who was the best narrator, that to even matters Mrs. Morrow -had to take her big bouquet of flowers and divide it into three or four -nosegays. But a smile of satisfaction gleamed in the eyes of many when -Marie, the little Jewess, received a bouquet and a few words of -commendation from the giver. The little captain's delight was so -genuine, and her eyes beamed so joyously, that every one rejoiced with -her. - -After the flowers were distributed, and the girls had sung a few -patriotic songs, they filed out into the sunshine, happily aglow with -the joy of the meeting and the inspiration it had brought to them. - -Several weeks later we find Nathalie coming slowly down the garden-walk -with its old-time hedge, from the big gray house. The tall pines--now -good old friends--that bordered the path bowed their tops in a cheery -good-morning, as she walked beneath their shade. - -She had just given her usual morning lesson of two hours to her young -friend, for Nathalie, on her return from Camp Laff-a-Lot last summer, -had found that her studies with Nita were to be continued. Yes, and she -had banked every penny that she could spare from her weekly salary of -ten dollars. It had seemed such a big sum at first, but alas, now that -her mother's income had slowly dwindled, and she had been compelled to -use it for her own personal needs, and to lay part of it aside every -week to repay Mrs. Van Vorst the loan for Dick's operation, it seemed a -mere pittance. - -But to-day she felt unusually joyful, for the last penny of that -haunting debt had been paid, and she was now free to call her money her -own. If there had been many disappointments in life--the going to -college was still a luring hope--and self-denials, added to the -unpleasantness of doing housework since their coming to Westport, there -had been several compensations that had cast their rosy shadows across -the darkness. - -One was the joy and the profit she had gained from being a Pioneer, and -the other was the great pleasure that had come to her in the knowledge -that she had a purpose in life. Yes, she had told Helen many times, "I -think it is one of the delights of life to be legitimately busy, and to -know that you are really doing something that is a help to yourself or -some one else." And now, added to these compensating joys had come the -thrills and joys from the new organization, the Liberty Girls, for that -little patriotic club now numbered almost a hundred. And it had thrived -so well, and Nathalie had gained so many honors from being its founder, -that sometimes she feared that she, too, would become a bird of the air, -like Dick, only in a different way, from sheer conceit. - -But if she had been overmuch praised, and had found it a pleasant -diversion to plan and dream over the club's future successes, she had -also found hard work and great discouragement. Discouragement, too, over -such small things, when the girl came to face them in the coolness of -after-thought, that she had felt like throwing the whole thing up, or -else just letting things drift, and taking what pleasure she could, -without so much conscientious worry over doing _her best_. - -But through all the storm and stress Helen had buoyed her with the -frequent, sensible remark, that if it had taken the world thousands of -years to comprehend the true meaning of democracy and liberty, she must -expect her girls would be slow in realizing many things. But it was -tiresome to hold the reins of government, and yet sometimes be unable to -stop their silly chatter, or useless argument over mere trifles, all the -while holding back the legitimate work by their dallying. - -Yes, and it had been an awful strain to manage that Liberty Garden. Of -course the Pioneers were all good workers, and she had given each one -some one thing to study over, but still she had had to know about these -things herself, so as to be sure they would do the right thing. - -But it was something worth while, she reflected sagely, to know that -there are three kinds of soil, how to test it with litmus paper to see -if it was sour or not, and, if it was, how to neutralize it, or sweeten -its acidity. Then she had had to know what kind of chemicals acted as -food to the soil, so as to know what each plant or vegetable required to -enrich it and to sustain life. She had also learned how to draw moisture -from the land and how to fertilize it. - -By placing seeds on wet blotting-paper in saucers she had demonstrated -how long it would take them to germinate, so as to be able to to write -her germinating-table for the girls. How old seeds should be before -planting, how deep to plant each kind, the method of planting, and how -many seeds to plant, and the distance apart, had all seemed tiresome and -trivial things to many, but it was necessary knowledge to a would-be -farmer. - -Ah, she had reached the bank. She was going to get that ten dollars -deposited before it melted away. Suddenly her eyes became pools of -brightness, and the dimples twinkled in the red glow of her cheeks, for -there, right in front of her, stood Mrs. Morrow, with a kiddie boy, as -the girl called the twins, on each side of her. There was such genuine -pleasure in the lady's smiling blue eyes, that Nathalie impulsively -cried, "Oh, Mrs. Morrow, this is just lovely! I'm so glad to see you! -When did you get back?" for her good friend had been away for several -weeks. - -"Last night, Nathalie, and I am so pleased to meet you," was the cordial -greeting, "for I have heard so many reports about the Liberty Girls' -club that I am anxious to hear all about it from you." - -"Oh, it is just the dandiest thing, Mrs. Morrow," cried the girl -jubilantly. And then, lured by the kindly interest in her friend's eyes, -her tongue unloosened, and she was soon busy telling about the club's -many experiences, and the good that had come from the industry of its -members. - -"And Helen is a dear," Nathalie rattled on, "for she has taught her -girls the most wonderful things, and now they have all enrolled as Red -Cross members. She had been reading to them from Florence Nightingale's -'Notes on Nursing,' and now she has taken up other works on the same -subject. Lillie, too, reads to the girls at the club meetings about -great women, while I inspect the work. The Garment and Comfort-Kit -squads meet together, and Jessie Ford not only tells them about the -French villages and the towns that have been destroyed by the Germans, -but reads to them from the 'Prince Albert Book.' - -"We are to have our Liberty Pageant to-morrow, and all the people who -live on the line of parade have been perfectly lovely, for they have -sold tickets for the seats on their verandas, and are to give the money -to us for the Liberty Fund, so we can buy Liberty bonds. And the day -after," continued Nathalie, "we are to have a liberty sale on Mrs. Van -Vorst's grounds, the Pioneers' meeting-place, you know. Indeed, we are -almost over the tops of our heads in work, and we have enough plans to -last the rest of the summer. Mother declares I am the busiest girl she -knows." - -"And the Liberty Garden, has that turned out well? I understand it is -the work of my girls, the Pioneers." - -"Indeed, yes," returned her companion: "it has been said to be one of -the beauty spots of Westport. We have bordered it with nasturtiums, -poppies, marigold, sweet peas, and all sorts of old-time posies. But _we -had_ a time getting the ground, for this year every one was hysterically -wild to cultivate every inch of ground for a war-garden, and nobody -wanted to loan any. Finally, however, Edith and Lillie tried their -powers of persuasion on old Deacon Sawyer,--you know he's one of the -pillars of the old Presbyterian church, and he let us have an old lot of -his on Summer Street, about a hundred feet or so square. - -"And how we have worked over it, for of course it had to be plowed. -Peter, Mrs. Van Vorst's gardener,--he's the kindest-hearted thing -alive,--offered to plow it for us, but we declined with a vote of -thanks, for we felt _that_ wouldn't be our work. So Edith scoured the -town until finally she borrowed an old nag from the livery-stable -man,--he was just ready to crumble to pieces,--and Nita got a plow from -Peter, and we plowed it ourselves. - -"But the time we had with that old steed," Nathalie's eyes gleamed -humorously, "for just as he would be going nicely across the field, he -would be inspired to take the 'rest-cure' and stand stock-still, and no -amount of pulling--we all got behind him and pushed--or coaxing would -induce him to budge a hair. O dear, we worked over him until we thought -we should expire with the heat, our faces all red and perspiring. - -"Then Edith took to pulling his tail; she said she had read that would -make a balky horse go. Oh, it was funny to see her!" Nathalie laughed -outright. "But, dear me, it only made him lift one leg, very slowly, and -then the other, and then settle down in the same old rut, as still as -the wooden horse of Troy. - -"You know Edith is a stick-at-the-job sort of person," commented -Nathalie confidentially, "and what do you think? She actually got a -firecracker and set it off under that beast. But even that fiery -commotion only caused him to wink one lash and then resume his restful -pose. But finally the spirit moved him, and so suddenly," laughed the -girl, "that Edith went sprawling on the ground, and Jessie tumbled in a -most humble attitude,--on her knees,--minus the reins, while our noble -steed went careering at a loping gallop across the field, while we, like -a lot of mutes, stared at him in stupid wonder. - -"Well, after we got the land all plowed," resumed Nathalie, "we had -irrigated it, by making a little ditch to let the water run down from -the hilly slope at one end, we planted our vegetables in rows. But -alas," the girl gave a sigh, "when the plants began to come up we found -that the whole field was filled with coarse rye-grass which had roots, -and which had simply been cultivated, one might say, by the plow. - -"We did not know what to do at first, until we remembered our Pioneer -motto, 'I Can,' and then we set to work with a will, and spaded every -inch of that lot; and it meant hard labor, too, for the grass was like -gristle. When the little plants began to come up and a girl would pull a -blade to see how it was doing, part of the plant would come up with the -roots. When we planted the different kinds of beans, using the string -and stakes, and pressing down the ground hard with our feet, on _five_ -different occasions a violent rain came up during the night, and the -next morning we found all the seeds uncovered and washed down into -little piles at the end of the garden, and everything had to be done -over again. - -"After we had planted rows and rows of hills of corn and rejoiced to see -coming forth little green plumes three inches high, we went to the -garden in our uniforms one day, laden with our garden-tools, ready for -work. But alas! we found that the crows had pulled out the corn from -almost every hill; the little black imps had bitten off the kernels and -gulped them down, and the stalks lay withering on the ground. - -"Oh, I shall never forget the expression on Edith's face that day," said -Nathalie thoughtfully, "when she saw the havoc wrought by those crows; -it was such utter despair. I thought she was going to cry, but she -didn't--just hurried to the little shed where we keep our tools and -things. When she reappeared her face was a sunbeam all right, as she -exclaimed, 'Well, girls, let's get the better of those crows, and plant -all over again.' - -"Really, Mrs. Morrow, Edith inspired me to such respect for her -indomitable courage and pluck," went on the girl candidly, "that I shall -always keep a very warm place in my heart for her, notwithstanding that -she sometimes gets on my nerves. Things went on swimmingly then until -that awful drought came. We had no way of watering the garden except by -watering-pots, and then we couldn't do our weeding, or cultivating, -until late in the afternoon on account of the hot sun. But we did our -best, and we have been repaid," smiled Nathalie, "although we did not -produce as much as I had hoped. Still--well, you'll see at the pageant -to-morrow." Nathalie, suddenly realizing that she had kept Mrs. Morrow -standing for some time, while she rattled on about that garden, now bade -her a hasty good-morning and hurried into the bank. - -The young president of the Liberty Girls' club passed a somewhat -troubled night, oppressed with the anxiety of her onerous -responsibility, knowing that the following day would be a well-filled -one. As the proposer and planner of the pageant there were numerous -details to arrange at the very last moment, and she was so afraid that -she would oversleep, that she awakened several times with a nervous -start, only to find everything enveloped in darkness. - -Arousing finally, to see the East streaked with red, and the golden rim -of the sun gleaming above a silver line of clouds, she sprang out of bed -with a devout little prayer of thankfulness that the day at least was to -be a sunshiny one. An early breakfast, a hurried doing of her customary -duties, and then she and Grace--in the latter's car--were off to inspect -the floats, eighteen of them, all ready in barns, or garages, awaiting -her word that they were properly equipped for the liberty parade, which -was to set forth on its journey through the town at two in the -afternoon. - -And then, with many misgivings, fearing that the whole thing might prove -a fizzle,--for of course, many things had been wrong,--she hurried home -for luncheon. Then came a hurried dressing, a whirl in an automobile, -and she was dazedly taking her seat, a post of honor, on the front row -of the grand-stand, erected by the Boy Scouts and Peter, in front of -Mrs. Van Vorst's high garden-walls. - -She barely had time to realize that the notables of the village were -seated to the right and left of her, and to exchange a few greetings -with one or two old-time friends, when she heard the ringing of a bell, -the bell in the tower of the old Presbyterian church. This was the -signal that the Liberty Pageant, way up at the other end of the town, -was to issue from its shelter of green trees in front of the brick -schoolhouse, and set forth on its march down through Main Street, the -most important thoroughfare of the sleepy little town, with its wide, -asphalted road shaded by noble old elms. - - - - - CHAPTER V - - THE LIBERTY PAGEANT - - -Nathalie was sure that she would never forget those tense, anxious -moments as she stared with strained eyes, trying to catch the first -glimpse of the coming show, while listening with alert ears to the -oncoming tread of many feet, the noise and bustle of moving equipages, -and the buzz and hum from the excited voices of the paraders and the -onlookers. High above the tumult floated snatches of patriotic song, as -sung by the Liberty Girls, and the loud outbursts of applause from the -villagers, who lined the street. - -Ah, there it was! The girl's heart leaped in wild bounds, she bent -forward eagerly, and then she was sitting with nervously clasped hands, -gazing with wide-open eyes at the slowly passing floats of the Liberty -Pageant. It was heralded by a procession of small maidens costumed as -Greek goddesses, who, while moving and swaying rhythmically, and holding -festoons of white flowers high above their heads, were singing Thomas -Paine's "Liberty Tree." As they burst out with the old familiar words: - - "In a chariot of light from the regions of day, - The Goddess of Liberty came;" - -Nathalie was forcibly reminded of the time when she had last heard that -song. Yes, it was almost a year ago, on Mrs. Van Vorst's lawn, when the -Girl Pioneers had held their little playlet of "Liberty Banners." - -But her thoughts were again on the series of living pictures, and she -smiled with her neighbors at the two small boys, one gowned as a doctor -of the law, and the other as a brass-buttoned, blue-coated guardian of -the peace, mounted on small horses caparisoned in white, whose trappings -were marked in gold with the words "Law" and "Order." As the diminutive -doctor removed a pen from behind his ear, and peered learnedly through -his goggles at a ponderous volume of law resting on a rack in front of -him, while his companion on the neighboring flower-bedecked steed -flourished a somewhat formidable-looking club, in token of the duties of -his office, roars of laughter broke from the spectators. - -But as their eyes wandered on to the snowy chariot, where the Spirit of -Liberty stood with outstretched hands, one holding a branch of -evergreen, and the other a lighted torch, their laughter ceased, and a -strange hush stilled their noisy clamor. For this beautiful maiden in -loosely flowing garments, with eyes as bright and shining as the starry -chaplet that wreathed her golden, unbound hair, was the little hunchback -of the big gray house, Nita Van Vorst! - -High above the "angel face," as Nathalie heard some one designate the -girl's countenance, beautiful in its inspiration of happiness and -patriotism--her deformity hidden by her white wings--was a large banner -inscribed with the words: - - "Enter at Freedom's porch,[1] - For you I lift my torch, - For you my coronet - Is rayed with stars - My name is Liberty, - My throne is Law." - -Guarding the Spirit of Liberty, while holding the streamers that floated -from the banners above, were three more white-robed figures, -representing the three great principles for which the world was -striving. The unbound tresses of each were banded with white, and the -first bore the word, "Democracy," the girl holding a white dove on her -hand. The second was Humanity,--who cuddled a little Belgian refugee in -her arms; and the third was Justice, who held aloft a pair of scales. - -Nathalie's eyes radiated with gladness as she heard her neighbors voice -their commendations in praises of the snowy chariot, the symbol of -freedom, man's divine heritage from God. She began to feel that the many -hours that she and Helen had spent in devising and planning the details -of this float and its mates, after all, might be appreciated. - -The second picture was a marriage scene, a float marked "Virginia, -1607," and bore the famous words of its well-known orator, "Give me -liberty, or give me death." It was decorated with white flowers in honor -of the bride, Pocahontas,--impersonated by a Camp Fire girl in an Indian -deerskin robe wondrously embroidered, and gay with many-colored -beads,--who stood by the flower-decked pulpit amid a bower of green, -being united in the holy bands of matrimony to John Rolfe. - -The pose of the Indian maiden, the sweet seriousness of her tawny-dyed -face and melting black eyes, the dignified pose of the Virginia planter, -so vividly portrayed the romantic episode of the first American colony, -that the many onlookers broke forth into shouts of approval. The -quaintly attired figures of the Jamestown settlers in the foreground, -and the group of Indian warriors with their war-plumes and dabs of paint -were backed by a miniature tower. Some one inquired if it was a -monument, much to the young president's disgust, as she considered it a -noble work of art, which had been laboriously built of old bricks by the -Girl Pioneers to represent the ruined tower of Jamestown. - -[Illustration: "My name is Liberty, - My throne is Law."--Page 75.] - -Massachusetts was identified by the words, "The Founders of Liberty," -and a simulated boulder, which Blue Robin watched with great trepidation -for fear the blithesome Mary Chilton, who stood victorious on this -Forefathers' Rock, in too zealous jubilation would shake it too much. -But the sprightly Pilgrim maiden, in gray cape and bonnet--it was the -Sport--remembered the perilous foundations, and her scorn was discreetly -tempered with caution as she gazed at the somewhat crestfallen John, who -stood with one foot on the rock, and the other in a miniature shallop, -where the Pilgrim Fathers stood dismally regarding this forerunner of -the progressive American girl. - -New York's contribution to the cause of freedom was a float brilliantly -rampant with the Stars and Stripes, and a little white flag with a black -beaver on it, the State's emblem. This float, which bore the words, "The -Sons of Liberty," was in commemoration of the brave lovers of freedom on -the little isle of Manhattan, who, in February, 1770, raised the first -Liberty Pole in America at what is now known as City Hall Park. To be -sure, it was cut down twice, but Liberty was afire, and it was finally -hooped with iron and set up the third time, this time to stay. - -"Liberty Hall," the name of the home of a one-time governor of New -Jersey, was conspicuously seen on the next float. The girls had had some -difficulty in getting an appropriate design for this little garden State -that could be conveniently staged on a small-sized platform. But they -had evidently succeeded, for the quaintly gowned young maiden who acted -her rle in pantomime was loudly applauded as she flew to an improvised -window, only to exhibit wild alarm, and then in frenzied haste scurried -to an old-time escritoire. Here she rummaged a moment or so, and then -extracted a bundle of letters, which she hurriedly secreted behind a -loosened brick beside a simulated fireplace. In explanation of this -silent drama Nathalie told that the young girl was Susannah, the -daughter of William Livingston, the governor, who, when she saw the -redcoats marching towards the house in her father's absence, quickly -remembered his valuable papers and hid them for safety. - -Five girls in homespun gowns, sewing on a United States flag, composed -the New Hampshire float, which flew the State emblem, with its motto of -Liberty inscribed on its side. The flag-makers, out of their best silk -gowns, were making, in accordance with the description in the resolution -just passed by Congress, June 14, 1777, the first Stars and Stripes that -floated from the _Ranger_, to which Captain Paul Jones had just been -commissioned, and which became known as "the unconquered and unstricken -flag." - -The Connecticut float bore the words, "The Liberty Charter," while a -Liberty Girl, in a good impersonation of Ruth Wyllis, stood by a ladder -resting against a somewhat strange simulation of the Charter Oak, -handing the supposed charter to the redoubtable Captain Wadsworth, who -quickly secreted it in the hollow of the tree. - -Terra Marie, the land of Mary, not only blazoned the words, "The Rights -of Liberty," but portrayed Margaret Brent, the first woman suffragist, -as she stood before the Maryland Assembly and pleaded with those -worthies, with masculine energy, for her right to a say in the affairs -of the little State, the State noted for its Toleration Act of 1649. -Surely the good woman, as the representative of the deceased Governor -Calvert, who had given his all to her with the words, "Take all, and -give all," had a right to demand that she be heard. - -The "Daughters of Liberty" made a brilliant showing in big letters on -the little Rhody float, to honor the seventeen young girls who, in 1766, -met at the home of good old Deacon Bowen, in Providence, and not only -voiced their disapproval of the Colonies' tax on tea and on cloth -manufactured in England, but formed the first patriotic organization -known in America. It was the same inspiration of liberty that impelled -their emulators to adopt their name, and to plan and push through the -demonstration of which every one was so proud. As these Liberty maidens -sat and spun at their looms, or whetted their distaffs on the float -before the gaping crowd, they were guarded by two impersonations,--one -the father of toleration, Roger Williams, who looked benignantly down -upon these devotees of freedom, and the other, America's first -club-woman, the learned and martyred Anne Hutchinson. - -Ah, but who is this riding astride a horse of sable blackness, curveting -and prancing with chafing irritation at the tightened rein of its rider, -who - - "Burly and big, and bold and bluff, - In his three-cornered hat and coat of snuff, - A foe to King George and the English state, - Was Csar Rodney, the delegate."[2] - -Of course there were a few who were not familiar with this little -incident in the history of Delaware, and how the aforesaid Rodney, a -member of the Continental Congress, spurred his horse from Dover to -Philadelphia, a distance of eighty-one miles, to reach Independence Hall -before night, in order to cast the vote of Delaware for freedom and -independence. It was, indeed, a great ride, and the townspeople must -have appreciated it, for the horse and rider were heartily cheered as -they read the words on the banner: "It is Liberty's stress; it is -Freedom's need." - -North Carolina proved most interesting, with the inscription, "The First -Liberty Bell of America," on a big hand-bell resting in the center of -the float. The inscription and the bell aroused so much curiosity as to -why it should take precedence of the old Liberty Bell at Philadelphia, -that Nathalie was called upon by a group of friends sitting near, to -explain that it really was the first Liberty Bell used in the Thirteen -Colonies, having sounded its peal for liberty when rung by the patriots -of that State in 1771. - -"These patriots," went on the young Liberty Girl, "were the farmers and -yeomanry of that State, who, in a vigorous protest against the tyrannous -acts, misrule, and extortion during the administration of Governor -Tryon, banded themselves into a company known as the Regulators. This -bell was used to call them together in their struggle to maintain the -rights of the people. These Regulators were not only hounded, -persecuted, and sometimes executed as if they were rebels, but many of -their number were killed at the battle of the Alamance,--so named -because it took place on a field near that beautiful river,--when called -upon to defend themselves, when fired upon by the governor and a company -of the king's troops. This battle has been called by some the first -battle of the Revolution," continued the young girl, "and really -inspired the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, the forerunner of -the noted Declaration signed at Philadelphia. Some historians claim that -'God made the flower of freedom grow out of the turf that covered these -men's graves.'" - -After this little story, the inscription, - - "And well these men maintained the right; - They kept the faith and fought the fight; - Till Might and Reason both - Fled fast before the oath - Which brought the God of Freedom's battles down - To place on patriot's brow the victor's crown!"[3] - -on the float was eagerly read and doubly appreciated. By the bell stood -a tiny maid in the long skirt of the days of colonial childhood, wearing -a long white apron. With the crossed kerchief and two bright eyes -peeping from beneath the golden curls that strayed from below the little -one's Puritan cap, she looked so sweet and demure that murmurs of -admiration surged through the crowd, as they recognized that this -diminutive lady represented the first white child born in America, -little Virginia Dare. - -Perhaps only a few knew that the white fawn that she was holding by her -side featured the legend of the white doe that was said to haunt the -isle of Roanoke for many years after the return of John White, who found -only the word _Croatan_ to tell him that his dear little granddaughter -had disappeared, never to be found. The legend was so suggestive of the -romance of North Carolina that the girls could not forbear giving it -prominence on the float. They had had some trouble to find a white doe, -but they had succeeded, and as Nathalie gazed at it she was again -reminded of how the legend told that it used to stand mournfully gazing -out to sea, on a hill of the little isle. The Indians, tradition -asserted, had failed to kill it, until one day it was shot and killed by -a silver bullet from the hand of an Indian chieftain, who claimed that -the bullet had been given to him by Queen Elizabeth to kill witches, -when a captive in England. As the beautiful doe sank upon the green -sward and expired it was said to have murmured, "Virginia Dare! Virginia -Dare!" - -South Carolina, glaringly conspicuous with red and blue bunting, was -marked "Liberty" in honor of one of the most famous flags used in the -Revolutionary War. It was an ensign of blue with a white crescent in one -corner, said to have been designed by Colonel Moultrie, of Carolina -fame, and was declared to have been the first flag raised for liberty in -the South. - -In the center of the float a miniature trench had been raised, on the -parapet of which stood a young lad waving this little blue flag, in -honor of that gallant hero, Sergeant Jasper, who, when the flag was shot -down during the bombardment of Fort Moultrie, June 28, 1776, leaped -fearlessly to the top of the ramparts, received the colors, and held -them in his hand until another staff was found. - - "Lo! the fullness of time has come, - And over all the exiles' Western home - From sea to sea the flowers of Freedom bloom." - -This little quotation was an apt one, from the Poet Whittier, but it was -not necessary to make known to those gazing at it, that it stood for the -strongest and proudest of the sisterhood of States, the home of freemen -and heroes, of Robert Morris, Dr. Franklin and our good brother, William -Penn. - -This promoter of tolerance, independence, and the equal rights of men -was fittingly portrayed by a Boy Scout. Benignant of face, mild of eye, -with long hair falling from beneath his broad-brimmed hat, this friend -of the friendless stood surrounded by a group of Indian warriors, -resplendent in all the trappings of their tribes, making one of the -numerous peace treaties. - -But the Georgia float, buried in white to represent bolls of cotton, in -memory of Eli Whitney, aroused such loud and long cries of admiration -that Nathalie feared that after her hard labor the other floats had not -received their due mead of appreciation. But no, it was the rousing -melody of "Marching through Georgia," with its telling lines of, - - "So we made a thoroughfare for Freedom and her train, - Sixty miles in latitude--three hundred to the main;" - -and the inspiration that always comes to every Northern heart when they -think of that gallant Son of Liberty, Sherman, and his triumphant march -to the sea, that had created the sudden tumult. - -The few men in regimentals of the Union army,--in real life, boys in -brown from Camp Mills,--who were playing fifes and bugles on the float, -and the straggling darkies in the rear, who were shouting with verve and -gusto, as they followed in the wake of "Massa Sherman," intensified the -appeal. - -Ah, but now comes another edition of Liberty; this time no less a -personage than Lillie Bell, who, in the old costume worn over a year ago -on the lawn of the big gray house, was standing on a chariot, an old -farm wagon ablaze with the colors of Freedom, driven by four soldiers, -representing France, England, Belgium, and America. The young goddess -with sad and tragic eyes shining from beneath her helmet, gazed straight -before her as she held a drawn sword clasped closely to her breast, in a -graceful pose beneath the colors of the Allies floating gayly above her -head. - -Yes, there was no doubt, as Helen had often said, Lillie was born for -stellar rles, for somehow she had the happy faculty of always falling -into the desired attitude and mood of the part she was to portray. A -sudden silence gripped the line of people standing on the curb, as they -saw this familiar figure of Liberty, in a new and strange rle. On a -beflagged chair of state good old Uncle Sam was seated, driving -America's symbol of Freedom with reins of roses. Yes, roses to typify -that the good protector of the United States' joys and interests was on -the job,--as the Sport expressed it,--but doing it with the silken reins -of love. - -In the rear of this float a very small one appeared, but it was large -enough to display a cannon and a pile of cannon-balls, and also a member -of the United States Marines' crack quartet of machine-gunners. As he -was the genuine article, as one of the girls declared,--being one of the -town's boys home on a leave of absence, and held a Lewis gun, he was -received with wild cheers. A Jackie was perched on what was supposed to -be a conning-tower, apparently on the watch for a submarine, while -another soldier of the seas was ramming an old cannon, which created -much laughter. - -It wasn't much of a naval display, Nathalie thought regretfully, but it -was the best they could do with their poor equipment, for these -Daughters of Freedom were resolved to give due honor to these brave -guardians of the sea. - -A contingent of husky young chaps from Camp Mills were lionized as soon -as their khaki-clad figures were sighted on the next float, which was -marked, "Liberty Boys." A somewhat crude representation of a trench, -piled with sand-bags, with a few boys in tin hats, with guns in their -hands, clambering over it, represented to the spectators an "Over the -Top" scene. In the rear of the trench a few soldiers were grouped around -a camp-fire, presumably in a rest _billet_, having "eats." Every moment -or so a soldier on this float would break forth into some war-song, -which was quickly taken up by his comrades, and which helped to make the -scene very realistic. - -A small float with the Red Cross insignia, bearing the words, "The Cross -of Liberty," with a few nurses seated around a table making bandages, -now appeared. A white cot, with a soldier boy in it, suddenly silenced -the cheers,--it was so suggestive of what every heart held in silent -dread and fear, ever since the United States had buckled to the fray. - -But the sudden quiet was broken as the next, and last, float hove in -sight. It was so artistically gotten up as a Liberty Garden, and -represented so much freshness and beauty with its Liberty Girls, each -one dressed to represent either a fruit or a vegetable, that it was -wildly cheered. Masses of fruit piled up here and there peeped from -bowers of green leaves, or hung in festoons across the float. Potatoes, -green and red peppers, onions, cucumbers, and many other products of the -garden were lavishly in evidence. Carol, the Tike, was arrayed as a -pumpkin, a row of yellow leaves standing above a bunch of green ones. -Carrots, cucumbers, turnips, even beans, beets, and strawberries were -ingeniously represented by crpe paper. - -But the love of every heart were the Morrow twins, standing in the front -of the float in blue overalls, wide-brimmed hats, and blue shirts, with -rakes and hoes in their hands, as farmerettes, each one vigorously -waving a flag. This float completed the series of pictures that Nathalie -now felt had been duly admired, and she smiled happily at the many -plaudits that again burst forth. But when the farmerettes and these -living representations of fruits and vegetables broke into[4] - - "Yes, we'll rally round the farm, boys, - We'll rally once again, - Shouting the battle cry of 'Feed 'em.' - We've got the ships and money - And the best of fighting men, - Shouting the battle cry of 'Feed 'em.' - - "The Onion forever, the beans and the corn, - Down with the tater--it's up the next morn-- - While we rally round the plow, boys, - And take the hoe again, - Shouting the battle cry of 'Feed 'em!'" - -it captured every heart present, and such prolonged applause rent the -air that Nathalie was duly satisfied. - -As she turned to leave the grand-stand it seemed to the tired girl as if -every one in town stopped to shake hands, and to congratulate her on the -huge success of the Liberty Pageant. When she finally arrived home, it -was some hours before she reached her couch, for she found the family -unduly excited, all eagerly talking; no, not about the pageant, but -about a rather strange letter that had been received by Mrs. Page that -afternoon. - ------ - -Footnote 1: - - "Liberty Enlightening the World," E. C. Stedman. - -Footnote 2: - - "Rodney's Ride." Poems of American History. B. C. Stevenson. - -Footnote 3: - - "The Mecklenburg Declaration," Wm. C. Elam. - -Footnote 4: - - "Patriotic Toasts," Emerson Brooks. - - - - - CHAPTER VI - - THE STRANGE LETTER - - -"Oh, Helen, mother received the strangest letter last night," cried -Nathalie suddenly the following day, as she stood with her friend and -Nita in the Red Cross booth at the Liberty Sale. "And I am afraid it -means," the girl's eyes shadowed, "that I shall have to resign as -president of the club." - -"Resign?" exclaimed Helen and Nita simultaneously. "Oh, Nathalie, you -must not do that." - -"Well, I fear it will be necessary," sighed the girl dolefully, "for the -home duties come first, especially the duties to mother, and she wants -to go--she really needs the change--and--" - -"Go where?" questioned Helen sharply. "Oh, Nathalie, you are talking -Dutch to us, and--" - -"Sure she is," voiced Nita quickly, "jumbling letters and resignations -all together in a very queer way. Now suppose, young lady," she -commanded imperiously, seizing her friend by the arm impulsively, "that -you unravel our tangled brains and tell us what you are aiming at." - -"Well, I guess I shall have to, from the stew you two girls have sizzled -into," replied Blue Robin laughingly. "Well, as I said," she continued -more soberly, "mother received a letter last night. But I shall have to -tell you a bit of family history, if you want to understand," she added -hesitatingly. - -As the two girls laughingly assured her that that would only make her -explanation more interesting, Nathalie gathered up her threads and went -on with her story. "Father had an older half-sister, whose mother--who -came of very wealthy people in Boston--left her all of her money, so -that she was quite wealthy, and in due time became very eccentric. -Father said she was spoiled with her pot of gold. - -"She married when quite young and had one son, who, shortly after the -death of his father,--as soon as he was graduated from college,--went to -Europe, fell in love with a pretty girl, and married her. I have never -heard the details of this marriage, but I believe the girl was French. -No, she may have been English; anyway it was quite a romance, and the -young couple were quite happy. - -"My aunt, however, was deeply wounded to think that her only son, her -idol, had spoiled all her plans and married some one whom she considered -beneath him. So when Philip came to America with his young wife, my aunt -refused to see her. This angered him so deeply that they quarreled, and -Philip rushed from his mother's presence, declaring that she should -never see his face again. - -"And she never did," asserted Nathalie with grave emphasis. "Presumably -he immediately returned to Europe with his young wife, for although Mrs. -Renwick soon repented of her folly, as father called it, and wrote her -son again and again, she heard nothing from him. After employing -detectives by the score with no result, she finally went abroad and -endeavored herself to find some trace of him, but was not successful. -She finally returned to America and started to seek him here, but found -no clew to his whereabouts. - -"As time passed--I think the matter preyed on her mind--she began to -have queer spells. No, she wasn't crazy, or anything like _that_, but -just worried and unhappy, going off alone by herself for months at a -time, presumably still trying to find her boy. After a time she would -return from one of these erratic journeys, but she never told where she -had been, and never mentioned her son's name. - -"Now we have come to the letter mother received yesterday. It was from -my aunt's lawyer, who summers in Littleton, New Hampshire. You see, Mrs. -Renwick had considerable property in Boston and other places, but she -was very fond of the White Mountains and always summered on Sugar Hill, -where she had a lovely place called Seven Pillars, only a few miles from -Littleton, and just a short distance from the mountain village of -Franconia. - -"The lawyer," continued Nathalie, who by this time had quite an -interested audience, "writes mother that Aunt Mary went off on one of -her queer jaunts over a year ago and has not returned. In accordance -with her wishes,--she always leaves a letter of instruction when she -goes off this way,--mother and two cousins of mine from the West have -been invited to spend the summer at this place on Sugar Hill. Mother -wants to go, and I feel that she needs the change, so I shall have to go -with her, and give up being a Liberty Girl." - -"But why should _you_ have to go?" questioned Nita insistently. -"Couldn't your cousin, Lucille, or your sister, Dorothy, go with her? -And then, oh, Nathalie, you could stay with us! Oh, that would be the -dandiest thing! Oh, say yes, Nathalie; say yes." - -"Yes, Nita," smiled Nathalie teasingly, as she placed her arm -affectionately about the young girl, "it would be just dandy, as you -say, for indeed I would like a rest myself this summer, because when the -warm weather comes, housework does drag on one so. But Lucille is going -to California to visit some cousins of hers, and has planned to take -Dorothy with her. Dorothy is wild to go, and mother would not disappoint -the child for the world. And then, too, the lawyer wrote mother that I -was to come with her, as my aunt had given instructions. Oh, I just hate -to give up my Liberty work!" - -"But you will be back in the fall, Nathalie," suggested Helen, "so why -not let Lillie Bell take charge--she is vice-president--for the summer? -It will give her something to think about, too, for she is possessed -with the idea of going on the stage, and her mother is worrying herself -ill over it." - -"Lillie wants to go on the stage?" repeated Nathalie in surprise. "Why, -I didn't know she had aspirations in that line. But do you think she -would care to take charge of the club? O dear!" she broke off abruptly, -"we had planned to do so many things this summer." The girl's voice was -almost a wail. - -"Why not carry your plans to the mountains with you," inquired her -friend, "and form a club of Liberty Girls up there? I am sure there will -be some one who will be glad to belong, and you have such a fine way of -getting people interested in things, Nathalie." - -"Possibly mother may change her mind and decide not to go," returned -Nathalie, brightening a little, "for she wants to be near Dick; you know -he is now stationed at the Aviation Camp, Hazlehurst, at Mineola, near -Camp Mills. And then, too, she says she hates to leave the house alone -for so long a period." - -"Why don't you rent the house for the summer?" suggested Helen -practically. "You know that Westport is getting to be quite a -summer-resort since the new hotel was built on the bluff." - -"No such good luck for us, I'm afraid," answered Nathalie dejectedly, -"but I'll look up Lillie and see what--" But Helen had hurried away in -answer to a call for the captain of the Red Cross Squad. Nathalie stood -a moment watching her friend, as she helped one of the "white-veiled" -girls into her white head-covering, starred with its cross, and then -went slowly out of the booth. - -As her eyes swept over the lawn in search of Lillie her glance fell upon -the little flag with its Red Cross insignia floating cheerily from the -top of the booth she had just left, as if in a salute to its companion -cross placed below on the front, so that its arms stretched outward, -dividing the booth into two sections. - -Ah, here was the poster drawn by Barbara Worth representing a Red Cross -nurse standing by an invalid chair, in which sat a soldier boy with -bandaged eyes. The girl's face saddened at its implication, and then she -had bent forward and was reading the placard persuasively held forth by -the nurse, on which was written: - - "Please buy a Liberty bond of me, - It's for the soldiers across the sea, - Bravely fighting to make the world free, - Wounded, and dying, for you and me." - -But now her eyes were held by the poster of a white-robed -figure,--representing the Spirit of Liberty which had heralded the -pageant of the day before,--waving a flag victoriously above her head, -while holding a shield with the Biblical quotation: - - "I have fought a good fight ... I have kept the faith." - -The face of this water-color sketch of Freedom, although bearing no -resemblance to Nita's, was so bright with hope that it thrilled the -girl's heart with the suggestion that the Allies, by their faith in God -and their desire to do right, would finally win a victory over sin and -wrong. - -At this moment she heard the voice of Nita as she called her to come and -see the display of small dolls, miniature Red Cross nurses, to be used -as weights, door-holders, or pincushions, which were on sale. But some -real dolls, as Nita called them, proved more interesting to Nathalie, -because they were the work of a shut-in, as her bit towards winning the -war, and because they were impersonations of some of the crowned heads -of the allied nations. They were queer little things, stiff and -stilted-looking, although several were excellent imitations, especially -those of their majesties, King George and Queen Mary, and the little -Princess Marie of Belgium. - -The girl could not forbear giving Shep--a big, tawny-colored collie -belonging to the Morrow twins--a love-pat, as he stood in front of the -booth with red-hanging tongue and patient resignation in his brown eyes, -while several young nurses fussed over him. They were trying to fasten a -strip of white cloth around the center of his body, with a red cross on -each side, in imitation of a war-dog who had served with a Red Cross -hospital in France, and who had become famous by his acts of bravery, -running into shell-holes and dug-outs in search of wounded soldiers. - -But Shep was no patriot, and evidently did not realize the honor of that -big red cross, for suddenly he gave his huge body a shake, slipped from -beneath the fussing fingers, and bounded away after his young masters, -leaving a gentle friend to humanity lying sprawling on the grass. - -As Nathalie turned, her eyes traveled slowly from one booth to another. -There were seven of them, three on the left and three on the right of -the Red Cross booth, which was in the center of the lawn, at one end, -fronting its sister booths. The war booth, on the left, ablaze with the -flags of the Allies, was curiously decorated on its front and posts with -the paper coverings from magazines and books. On its counter were -displayed the latest war books,--all donated after a sharp drive by the -hostesses, the Camp Fire Girls, who wore embroidered deerskin robes -aglisten with many-colored beads, and trench-caps stuck jauntily on one -side of their heads, which gave them a very coquettish and natty -appearance. - -Scrap-books, in which were pasted funny verses, tidbits of news from all -over the world, with many-colored pictures, and songs and rhymes to -amuse the convalescents in the hospitals, were also on sale. Little -candles of paper added to the attractiveness of this booth's display, -while one or two Camp Fire Girls were in attendance, who, on the payment -of a nickel, taught the uninitiated the knack of making these -trench-candles. - -But the booth that held the first place in Nathalie's heart was the -Liberty-Garden booth, a leaf-embowered tent. Here were brilliant -splashes of color from the vegetables piled on wicker mats, as carrots, -turnips, beans, onions, beets, and other products, artistically softened -by the light green of lettuce, the red of beet-leaves, and the delicate, -lacy leaves of the carrot. - -Here and there herbs tied in bunches, as thyme, caraway seeds, catnip, -sweet lavender, and other herbs, suggested the days of long ago, when -these little garden accessories held a higher place with the housewife -as necessities of the day. Unwieldy tomatoes and potatoes, lazily -resting on plates, added to the picturesque effect of the display, as -well as the festoons of peppers, radishes, parsnips, and vegetables of -similar character that were hung from side to side of the tent. - -This booth was certainly a brilliant showing of the work done by the -Pioneers. Oh, how they had scrubbed and polished those vegetables to -bring out their colors, so they would not be messy or huddled-looking! -And the time it had taken to print the little labels so neatly fastened -to each exhibit! - -Yes, through the sweat of her brow Nathalie had come to realize that -gardening was not merely a matter of digging, plowing, or even planting -or weeding, but that it meant straying into many paths of knowledge that -hitherto had been closed to her. Then, too, there was the trench -warfare, as she called the unceasing onslaught against the bugs, -insects, and garden slugs, by a constant fire of hand-grenades and -bombs, as the girls had come to call the spraying and powdering of the -plants. - -Ah, there was Lillie, with a number of Girl Pioneers, who, in -bright-colored overalls and shirt-waists, and coquettish little -sunbonnets tied under their chins, were rather gay editions of -farmerettes, as they stood in picturesque attitudes, with their rakes -and hoes. But a moment later Lillie was forgotten, for as Nathalie -reached the booth she burst into a sudden squeal of delight on suddenly -perceiving, on the top of a wall of canned vegetables, a little green -imp, ingeniously made from a string-bean. He not only had a most rakish -air, with his tiny soldier-hat cocked on one side, as he stood at -attention with a flag for a gun, but he held forth a little placard on -which was written: - - "Little Beans, little Beans, whence did you come?" - "We came from the ground at the sound of the drum." - "Little Beans, little Beans, why are you here?" - "We were scalded and canned by a Girl Pioneer." - -"Oh, who wrote that?" merrily inquired the girl of one of the Pioneers, -for it was something she had not seen before. - -"Why, one of the Pioneer directors," answered the farmerette smilingly, -pleased at the young president's surprise. - -A moment's inspection of the fine display of canned goods, and Nathalie -turned to seek Lillie, but that young lady had mysteriously disappeared. -One of the girls, suggesting that Lillie had gone to the Liberty Tea -booth to regale herself with a cup of tea, Nathalie hurried on to that -booth, where the Daughters of Liberty, attired in quaint, old-time -costumes, dispensed that beverage. - -But Lillie was not drinking tea, and again Nathalie hurried across the -lawn, on her way to the opposite booth, a mass of vines and flowers, the -result of the labors of the Girl Scouts in their garden, which they had -named the Garden of Freedom. - -Ah, here was Lillie talking to a brown-clad soldier-boy by the big -Liberty pole that had been erected in the center of the lawn, facing the -Red Cross booth. It flew the Stars and Stripes and the club's ensign, a -little red banner blazoned with the white stars of hope, while a big -liberty bell was hung from a cross-beam. On its flag-bedecked platform -Carol Tyke was stationed as the bell-ringer, for later in the afternoon -she was to strike the big bell to announce some patriotic speech, or -fiery oration, to be made in a sharp drive to sell the Liberty bonds. - -Lillie, seeing Nathalie coming in her direction, advanced towards her, -and immediately presented her soldier-friend, and in a few moments the -three young people were having a sprightly chat. But Nathalie, soon -recalled to the business on hand, turned and told the young -vice-president why she was so anxious to see her. - -"Yes; yes, indeed, Nathalie," cried the girl quickly. "I am Hooverizing -this summer, and as I do not expect to leave town until late in the -fall, I shall be most delighted to accept the office of acting president -for the summer." - -A few moments later, relieved of her anxiety as to what would become of -the Liberty Girls in case she went to the mountains, Nathalie thanked -her friend, and hastened over to the Garden of Freedom, where -nasturtiums, pink poppies, sweet peas, phlox, and other old-fashioned -blooms peered at her in a riotous flaunt of color. - -The Girl Scouts, who were charmingly gotten up to represent flowers, -beamed with pleasure as their president complimented them on the -splendid display they made, and the honor they had won by their hard -labor. They not only sold cut flowers, but potted plants, as well as -toothsome sweets, made without sugar, they declared, as they coaxingly -tempted Nathalie to sample a few. - -But she had time only for a nibble or two, and then she was off to the -knitting booth, where a bewildering assortment of sweaters, helmets, -mufflers, socks, and other knitted articles stared at her in a -"homespuney" sort of way that reminded her of her grandmother. She -remembered how, as a child, she used to watch her as she sat by the fire -knitting, and the fun it was when the ball went rolling under the table -and she scrambled after it. - -No, she could not hurry by this booth, for Marie's eyes, big but shy, -and bright with a beautiful soft blackness, shone so pleadingly from the -clear pallor of her ivory-tinted skin, that they could not be resisted. -"Oh, Mees President," cried the girl in her soft musical voice, "I shall -tell somethings on you. I likes that you look at mine table--iss it not -shmardt, hein? My mamma she says it iss stylish. Shure, und the -peoples--oh, they buys und buys lots and lots of sweaters, und mufflers, -und the helmets--yiss, ma'am, they have a glad on them, for they go fast -mit the wind." - -"Yes, isn't it lovely, Marie," returned Nathalie, smiling into the -limpid eyes, "to think that every one is so patriotic, and so anxious to -make the soldier-boys who are to fight for us, happy and comfortable?" - -"Shure, Mees, that iss because they are lovin' much mit the liberty. Oh, -here comes mine papa. He buys sweater of me. I likes that you speak mit -mine papa, Mees," exclaimed the little Jewess shyly, as her eyes again -pleaded with Nathalie. - -The young president turned, to see a rather crumpled, mussy-looking -little man by her side, who stared at her with sudden embarrassment as -she quickly extended her hand in a cordial greeting to him. - -Mr. Katzkamof seized the outstretched hand and shook it nervously, while -his bright black eyes beamed with good-natured surprise. "I be glad to -meet young Mees," he cried hurriedly, "who makes mine little girl be so -happy. She sing, she smile all the day mit the liberty that you gives to -her." - -"But _I_ didn't give it to her," answered Nathalie quickly. "God gave it -to her. I am only trying to show her how to give it to those who haven't -learned what liberty means. But you," she added quickly, "you are an -American,--you love the liberty, too?" The girl raised her eyebrows -inquiringly, somewhat frightened at her temerity, for she suddenly -remembered that she had heard Edith say that the newsdealer was a fiery -socialist. - -"Yes, Mees, I be an American. I vote for the President. But I no like -the war," the black eyes hardened. "It makes me cold in mine heart. I -think it no right for the people to fight mit one und the other, likes -the cat und the dog. They spill much of the blood. I am lovin' mit the -peace. I no fight." - -"Yes, it is a terrible thing to have to fight and kill one another," -replied the girl sadly. "And the mothers,--oh, I feel so sorry for them, -when they have to give up their boys to go and fight. But it must be -done," she added valiantly, although there was a catch in her breath as -the thought of Dick came to her. - -"Oh, no, Mees, if all the people say _no fight_, they be no soldiers, -they be no war, we have the peace." - -"Yes, but what kind of a peace," exclaimed the girl. And then a sudden -thought looming big. "Ah, Mr. Katzkamof, you love the Christ. Did He not -die to make men free? Shall we not die to give liberty to the world?" - -"No, Mees, I ain't lovin' mit Krisht. I make nothings mit Him." The -man's tone was surly, although he shrugged his shoulders carelessly. - -"I beg your pardon," cried Nathalie with reddening cheeks. And then, as -if to recover lost ground. "But you believe in God, _your_ God, _the -God_ who brought the Israelites dry-shod over the Red Sea? And did _He_ -not command you to fight and drive out the enemies of God, the heathen, -who did not serve him, and who were in the Promised Land? And is not the -Kaiser a Hun, a heathen, when he tortures and kills little children and -women? Yes," continued Blue Robin, impelled by some indefinable feeling -to rush blindly on, "this is _God's_ war. He has commanded us to fight, -to do away with tyranny and oppression. They must be overcome, so that -all the world shall have liberty, and then,--why then we shall have -peace, a peace that the Germans can't destroy." And then Nathalie -smiled, although her heart was leaping in great bounds at her sudden -boldness. But another thought had come, and, turning towards her -companion, for she had turned to leave him, she added smilingly, "And I -am sure that you are big-hearted enough to be willing to fight, so that -you can give to others the liberty that gives so much happiness to you." - -The man's eyes had brightened with a sudden strange light, and he opened -his mouth to reply, but Nathalie had passed on, angry at herself for -being so outspoken. But O dear! she felt so sorry for those poor -ignorant people, who thought and did violent things just because they -couldn't reason, and didn't understand. - -But she had reached the Love booth, the name given by the girls to the -tent where the comfort-kits were sold. By a pile on a seat in the rear -she knew that business had been brisk, and that people had not only -donated kits and then bought them back again, but had patriotically -returned them to the sellers, so that they could be given to the -soldier-boys. - -Blue Robin stood a moment and watched the girls, who, busy as bees, were -selling their wares, as they chatted merrily over their sales, and then -she turned to cross the lawn to the Red Cross booth. She had not gone -more than a step or so, however, when a sudden clang of the liberty bell -brought her to a halt. Oh, some one had bought a Liberty bond; yes, -three bonds, for the three clangs of the bell announced the number sold. -Oh, it was still ringing! What did it mean? - -She started to rush towards the booth where the bonds were being sold, -and then glanced back at the booth she had just left, to see that the -girls, in their eagerness to know who was buying so many bonds,--for the -bell was still clanging,--had dropped their work and were rushing in -frantic haste towards the booth. - -Nathalie smiled, and turned to follow after the group of girls who were -speeding past her, when a sudden thought leaped into her mind. She -halted and again glanced back at the Comfort-Kit booth. Not a girl was -to be seen. Ah, now was her chance to get rid of that letter. The next -moment she had turned and was flying back to the now deserted booth. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - - THE VISIT TO CAMP MILLS - - -As Nathalie reached the booth she glanced quickly about; no one was in -sight. With a hurried movement she drew a letter from the bag that hung -from her wrist, and after glancing at the written words, "To whomsoever -this Comfort Kit may come, greetings and good wishes," she slipped out -the enclosure and slowly read: - - "Dear Mr. Soldier Boy: - - "Please remember that you are going to fight under the banner of - the Cross, which means that you belong to a Christian nation - whose motto is, 'In God we Trust.' Hold to the feeling that you - are a gentleman by the culture--not 'Kultur'--that comes from - kindliness, courtesy, and consideration for all people, so - please don't kill anybody unless you have to. - - "Don't forget that you are an American patriot, and that your - heart is seared with the Stars and Stripes, which means the red - of courage, the white of purity, and the blue of royal devotion - to the right, and starred with the divine fire of liberty. - - "Remember you are fighting for the mothers and children: yes, - fighting so the mothers and children of all nations may have - liberty and peace. Be strong and brave in the thought that this - war is to maintain the principles back of our flag, the ideals - given to us by the founders of this nation. As Christ died to - make men holy, so these men suffered and shed their blood that - you might have the joy and independence that comes from the - liberty which God has given to us. Be happy with the thought - that no matter what comes to you you will not have lived in - vain, but will have fought for the grandest and greatest things - in life,--liberty and humanity. The best of luck to you, - - "Blue Robin." - -Nathalie returned the letter to the envelope, and then rummaged under a -pile of kits that had been filled and fastened, ready for the boys at -camp, until she found one way down beneath the pile. She quickly opened -it. Then something stayed her hand. - -"No, it will not be a wicked thing to do, for it can't do any harm," she -reasoned doubtfully; "and yet I just _hate_ to do it, but I feel that I -must do something to try to help some boy, who, perhaps, has a lagging -spirit, whose heart may fail him when he thinks of what is before him, -or who, perhaps, fails to realize the greatness of what we are fighting -for, the way I did. This letter may spur him on, give him courage to do -_his best_, perhaps, when he realizes the truth. And _no one will know_ -who Blue Robin is, and yet it will do for a name, as mother always says -it is not considered fair to send an anonymous letter to any one, and I -surely would not sign my own." - -Nathalie heaved a deep sigh, and then, as if she would not let herself -have any more misgivings, she seized the letter and dropped it into the -bag. A moment later she was on her way to the Red Cross booth, to learn -who had won the prize for buying the first Liberty bond. - -"Oh, Nathalie, Dr. Morrow bought fifteen bonds!" came in an excited -chorus from a group of girls, who were standing in front of the booth, -chatting excitedly over this unlooked-for event. - -"Fifteen? Oh, isn't that just too lovely," answered the girl. And then -she hastily made her way towards the Morrow group, where the doctor, -with the twins clinging excitedly to his coat-tails,--trying to climb up -his back, he declared,--was signing the bond-certificate that made each -one of them the possessor of five bonds, and his wife the owner of five -more. - -A Liberty button was now fastened to the doctor's coat as a guarantee -that he was a good patriot, and then he was presented with the prize, a -box of Liberty candy from the Girl Scouts' booth, something he never -indulged in, he laughingly asserted, as he stood with the box in his -hand, lookingly helplessly at it. But the twins did, and they quickly -relieved him of it and were soon blissfully happy as they munched on the -sweets. - -A good beginning must have brought the girls good luck, for as soon as -Mrs. Van Vorst heard of this sale she followed the doctor's example and -invested in ten bonds, five for herself and five for Nita. A few more -followed suit, some buying two or three, while others only took one, but -every little helped, the girl delightedly cried, jubilantly happy at the -many sales they were having. And then a surprise came, as her cousin -Lucille pushed her way through those surrounding the booth, and bought -three bonds,--one for herself, one for Dorothy, and one for Nathalie. - -"Oh, Lucille, don't do that!" cried distressed Nathalie with flushed -cheeks. "It is too much to give me." - -"Indeed, it is not," insisted Lucille smilingly, who could be very -generous at times, as her cousin knew by the gift of her Pioneer -uniform. "I think you have worked hard enough for these Liberty Girls to -have that much at any rate." And several must have agreed with -her,--judging by the nods and claps that came from those who were -standing near and heard this remark. - -As Nathalie, sometime later, sat gathering up her certificates,--she had -been kept busy all the afternoon making out the little blue and pink -receipts that certified as to her many sales,--Lillie came flying up. - -"Oh, Nathalie, hasn't it been a big success!" she cried with gleaming -eyes. "And the patriotic speeches and recitations have been just fine. -But, O dear!" she added with a sudden note of disappointment in her -voice, "there are a lot of things that have not been sold. Of course -they will all go to the boys at camp, but I was in hopes that everything -would be sold, so as to add to our fund for the bonds." For those who -had purchased that afternoon had patriotically returned the things they -had bought, as their donation for the boys at camp, thus giving the -girls an opportunity to use the purchase money for Liberty bonds. - -"Yes, we have several sweaters and mufflers left," announced Barbara, -who had been talking to Nathalie, "and poor Captain Molly is quite -disappointed, as she was so sure that we should sell everything we had." - -"And we have a number of flowers and potted plants that have not been -disposed of," added a Girl Scout in a disappointed voice. - -"But we can give those to the hospital," answered Nathalie quickly, "and -give some sorrowful heart a bit of cheer." - -"Well, we have some boxes of candy, too," added the Girl Scout -dolefully, "and they won't do for the sick ones for--" - -"And we have some books left over," interrupted another bystander. - -"Oh, I have an idea, a big one, too," broke in Helen, her eyes all of a -glow. "Why could we not have an auction sale? Of course a good many will -return what they buy,--and I think it will be lots of fun." - -This idea was voted a good one, and a few minutes later Dr. Morrow -announced from the Liberty platform that he was to act as auctioneer. A -few brief words of explanation and the auction was on. First a box of -candy was bid for, which, after much laughter, was finally knocked down -for one dollar, a much larger sum than it would have brought earlier in -the afternoon. A few books were now disposed of, a pile of canned -vegetables, a number of comfort-kits, and so on, until everything, even -to the posters and decorations, had been auctioned off. - -As the girls were counting up the proceeds of this expected sale, old -Deacon Perkins came up, and, after a few hems and haws, told the girls -that if they wanted to make a raid on his cherry-trees the next morning, -they could do so, and carry the fruit to the boys. They were to visit -Camp Mills the following afternoon, and present their many donations to -the young soldiers. - -"Oh, isn't that jolly good luck!" "Oh, that's just glorious!" and many -similar outbursts of joy caused the old deacon to beam with complacent -benignity. The Sport, with a little giggle, whispered to Lillie that she -knew old Perkins had never felt so goody-goody in his life before,--he -was called the meanest man in town. - -"Yes, girls," admonished Nathalie, after the old deacon had been -overwhelmed with thanks, and had gone smilingly on his way, "you will -all have to get up very early to-morrow morning if you want those -cherries, for you know we are to start for Mineola at an early hour, for -it is some drive. Mrs. Morrow kindly offered me her car, so I asked her -to be one of the chaperons. Mrs. Van Vorst is the other, and then Grace, -you know, will take some of the party in her car. - -"I am sorry," her face sobered a little, "but there will only be room in -the three cars for the officers of the Club, and,--yes, I think we ought -to ask Marie, Captain Molly," she explained, "to ride with us, for you -know, of course, that she can't walk far. The rest of you girls will -have to go by train, that is, those who want to go." - -"But we all want to go," called out several voices eagerly, "and we -expected to go by train, for Lillie and Helen have given us a -time-table, so we shall know just what to do, and we'll meet you at the -camp." - -The raid on the cherry-trees proved "a lark," Edith declared, as, an -hour or so before the girls started in the cars, she and Grace whizzed -up in the car, filled with several baskets of cherries. A little later -the three cars started for the camp, passing two or three groups of the -girls on the road, en route for the depot. But they were soon left far -behind as the cars whirled along the Merrick road, every one in the best -of spirits, the little newsdealer so buoyantly happy to think that she -was riding in the same car with the young president, that it did one -good to look at her face, keenly aglow with delight. - -Nathalie's eyes were sparkling, too, for the little Jewess had just -cried, "Bend down your head, Mees President, for I likes I shall whisper -mit you in your ear." And then, as the girl had smilingly complied, she -heard the happy announcement, "My papa, he says like that you iss my -friend, und so my papa he buy me a Liberty bond, for he says you are -loving now mit me." The owner of the pink ear into which these words had -been loudly whispered, dimpled with pleasure, and then came the thought, -"O dear, I wonder if my little liberty lecture had anything to do with -papa's buying the bond?" - -There was a short stop at the Military Police guardhouse, to learn the -way around the encampment, where several soldier-boys, with the big -letters M. P. on their arms, were viewed with much curiosity by the -girls. A call at the hostess house now followed, where the gifts for the -soldiers--the knitted articles, the books, candy, and fruits--were left, -the girls reserving the baskets of cherries to distribute to the boys -themselves. - -The slow ride through the encampment, with its streets flanked by brown -and white tents, reminded Nathalie somewhat of an Indian encampment, and -she gazed about with eager interest, as this was her first visit to an -army post. The girls were specially interested in the prisoners,--two or -three men here and there guarded by a soldier-boy,--who were acting as -White Wings by gathering up flying papers, or dbris of any kind lying -about, while other groups were digging ditches or performing similar -duties. - -"But see," cried one of the girls, "the prisoners carry clubs, while the -guard in the rear hasn't any." - -"No, but he carries an automatic pistol in his trousers' pocket," -answered Mrs. Morrow quickly, who had visited the camp many times; "and -if he should fire it, a crowd of soldiers would immediately surround the -prisoners and disarm them. And then, too," she added, "you must remember -that these prisoners, as a rule, are not real jailbirds, but just young, -thoughtless lads who have probably been punished for what we would -consider a very slight misdemeanor." - -But they were now in what Mrs. Morrow called the "chow" quarters, that -is, where the mess-tents were. It was quite an interesting sight to see -a long line of soldiers, with their plates, cups, and pans in their -hands, standing waiting for the "eats" at one of these tents. - -The girls, alert-eyed, watched them with more than the usual curiosity, -for when they were supplied with food they came straggling out of the -line with their "chow" and sat down here and there in groups, while -others sat down on the street-curb and began their meal, using their -laps for a table. This elicited many exclamations of surprise, -especially when their director told them that Uncle Sam's soldiers were -not allowed to sit at tables, but had to dine standing. Their -denunciation of this system and their expressions of pity were loud, but -when they were told that it was these very hardships to which a boy had -to be inured that made him a well-trained soldier, they became somewhat -reconciled to what they had seen. - -Just at this moment a sudden inspiration came to Nathalie, and, leaning -forward, she whispered softly to Mrs. Morrow. That lady smiled and -nodded approval evidently, and immediately brought the car to a -standstill so that Nathalie and Helen could alight. Going swiftly -towards a couple of boys who were sitting on the curb, their eyes bright -and keen, and their faces tanned to a rich brown, Nathalie said, -somewhat timidly, "I beg your pardon, but wouldn't you young -gentlemen--er--soldiers--" she hastily corrected herself laughingly, -"like to have some cherries to eat with your dinner?" - -"Most assuredly we would," responded one of the lads, a tall -broad-shouldered chap with dark hair, from whose sun-tanned face two -dark-lashed eyes looked down at her, with a half-smile in their blue. -The boys had courteously risen and were standing at attention when the -girl spoke. - -Nathalie's cheeks took on a deeper pink, and then she turned, and the -two girls walked back to the car with the boys in their wake. But -unfortunately, as she attempted to lift one of the heavy baskets over -the edge of the car, something jarred her elbow, and the next moment the -basket had fallen to the ground with the cherries rolling all over the -road. - -There was a loud shout from the boys, and then a dozen or more -khaki-clad figures had rushed to the girl's assistance, and presently -soldier-boys and girls were all scrambling about in the dust of the -road, gathering up the fruit. Indeed, by the time it was replaced in the -basket,--for, of course, the girls had to polish off the dust from the -luscious red fruit--they had all become very merry with one another. - -Several minutes later, as the car whirled around the corner of the long -street, they saw the soldier lads gathered about the basket, while -laughing and joking with one another in good-natured banter. Suddenly -one of the boys looked up, and as he spied the now disappearing car he -took off his cap and waved it in a parting salute. Nathalie smiled back, -for she recognized this good-by as coming from the boy with the -dark-lashed, blue eyes. - -"Wasn't that young solider a handsome boy?" queried one of the girls -admiringly, as the car flew along the level road. "And what lovely blue -eyes he had." - -"Yes, and that boy with the light hair was nice-looking, too," chimed in -Helen. "He had such a frank way of looking you right in the eye. I'll -warrant you he's no coward." - -But the cherries and the boys in the "chow" quarters were forgotten as -the girls drove by a group of buglers, who were sitting on the grass -near a large tent, practicing on their bugles. Every eye was curiously -watchful as the three cars went slowly past, for Mrs. Morrow, who was -driving, had slowed up as she saw "the camp alarm-clocks," as she called -them. Every head was bent forward and eyes grew big with alertness, for -had the girls not set out that morning with the avowed intention of not -missing anything worth seeing, and surely a group of soldier buglers was -an interesting feature of the camp. - -They were a merry-eyed crowd, those boys with their happy, care-free -faces under the brown hats with their gay-colored cords. All on undress -parade, Helen declared, as she noted their brown flannel blouses and -belts, as they knelt or stood upon the grass, blowing on their golden -horns as Captain Molly called their brass instruments. - -Evidently they were not worrying about going overseas, or losing their -lives in No Man's Land, but were good examples of live-wire American -lads, with the grit inherited from their ancestors, the Yanks, inspiring -them to make good when called by Uncle Sam to the job of making war. - -The girls were alert and watchful, as they spied into open tents, or -behind flying flaps, at the rows of tiny white cots, or at a few stray -articles of clothing seen here and there, yes, even a pair of shoes set -out in the sun to dry were objects of their silent adoration as they -swung along the road. - -But now the scene had changed as they whirled along, for, instead of -tents, the streets were lined with little wooden houses, or cabins, the -barracks of the United States Aviation School at Mineola, which adjoined -Camp Mills. A stop at the hostess house was next in order, where a call -was sent in for Dick. - -Twenty minutes later Nathalie was blithesomely happy, as she and her -brother, over in a corner of the little wooden building, chatted about -home news,--how mother was getting along, yes, and about the wonderful -events that had occurred in the last few days. Then Nathalie turned -inquisitor, and Dick was subjected to a series of questions in regard to -his life as a war-eagle. In fact Nathalie's questions were so many and -so swiftly put that her brother declared that one would have thought -that he was being interviewed by some expert reporter. - -Yes, reveille was at five in the morning, followed in half an hour by -breakfast. His sister immediately asked, somewhat anxiously, if he got -enough to eat. - -"You bet your life I do," was Dick's laughing rejoinder. "The 'eats' are -O. K.--nothing to be added. At six," he continued, "I report at -headquarters for flying, and then, with an instructor, learn a few -flying stunts. I return to barracks at ten, and from eleven until -two-thirty have a 'do-as-you-please time,' which includes luncheon, and, -generally, a nap, for, by Jove!" exclaimed the young aviator, "this -flying business makes a fellow feel drowsy. - -"Then we drill for a while, listen to a lecture," he went on, "and then -again for a space I am a bird of the air. We dine about half-after -eight, and at ten comes taps, or 'lights out.' Anything more you would -like to know, young lady?" he inquired teasingly. But Nathalie was -satisfied, for surely her brother's ruddy cheeks, tanned skin, and -glowing eyes attested to what he called the "joy-time of his life," and -a few moments later the little party started for the aviation field. - -Here Dick conducted them around the field and showed them many kinds of -aircraft, as aroplanes, dirigibles, kite-balloons, serviceable in war; -in fact, they were so well instructed as to the uses and mechanism of so -many different machines that Mrs. Morrow declared that they would be -well-versed in aronautics. But the little personal stories that Dick -told about the heroism of well-known war-eagles over in France made a -stronger appeal to the girls, especially when he explained the several -varieties of aviators and their special work. - -To the girls' disappointment there was no flying going on while they -were on the field, but they were partly appeased when Dick showed them a -group of students, aviation observers, he called them, who were learning -to sketch from a miniature battlefield, and in this way learn how it -would look from the air. As they were about to leave the field they saw -some students bringing out a machine, to get it ready for flying, as -testing the motor and so on. - -At this particular moment one of the girls uttered a sudden cry, and as -all eyes glanced upward with newly awakened eagerness, they were -rewarded by seeing an aroplane returning from a training flight. As -Nathalie gazed eagerly at the machine that flew like some strange -monster above their heads, the perils of flying in space came to her -with a sudden, keen realization, and, with a sickening pang as to what -might happen to Dick some day, her eyes darkened with apprehensive -terror and she turned hastily away. But Dick, catching sight of the -girl's pale face and fear-haunted eyes, as if to divert her mind from -dismal forebodings, called attention to the camp mascot, a little yellow -police-dog, who was standing by his master, equipped, like him, with -goggles. The girls were soon laughing heartily as Dick told of the dog's -alertness in doing "stunts," and the eagerness he showed when waiting to -take a flight in one of the machines. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - - SEVEN PILLARS - - -Nathalie, seated in a low chair at one end of the broad white veranda, -gazed with rapt intentness at the sun-hazed landscape, rising in green, -undulating waves against the purple blur of the towering -mountain-heights, that stretched in wide expanse before her, with a -strange, mystical beauty. - -Into her eyes, city-tired, came rest, as they swept over the velvet -green of the meadow, splashed with the bloom of wild flowers, its -scrubby bushes aglow with pink spires, and its spruces and maples -standing upright with the slimness of youth, as it sloped gently down to -the glen below. The trees of the glen, closely massed in a rich, -feathery green, sombered by the darker line of the pines and firs, to -the girl seemed weird and mysterious. - -Her eyes quickly gathered in the stillness of the sunny slopes that rose -from the darker hollow in squares of yellow cornfields, or the light -green of unripe wheat or grain, and the brown of mountain meadow-land, -dotted with browsing cows. Here and there a lone farmhouse stood forth -on some higher knoll, or, from a background of forest land, came the -bright red of a solitary barn; while still higher, a hotel, its gables -and chimneys spying upward, glimmered picturesquely from the green. And -beyond all, high and dark, with majestic brooding silences, rose the -jagged ridge of mountain blue, its peaks looming with a strange -distinctness against the clear, soft blue of the sky, while sweeps of -white cloudlets trailed like films of spun silk across their tops. - -The girl closed her eyes as if to imprint upon her subconsciousness the -rare loveliness of the scene, and then, as if fearful that in some -passing, whimsical mood the picture would flash out of view, she opened -them quickly. At that moment a passing breeze fluttered the pages of a -letter lying on a table by her side. With sudden recollection she caught -them up, and then as if to impress upon her mind what she had written, -in a soft, low tone read: - - "Dear Helen: - - "I presume you are now in glorious _La France_, wondering why - you have not heard from me. But my excuse is this magnificent - mountain scenery, and my new duties, which have taken every - minute of my time until to-day. We came up on the fifteenth from - New York. Mother knitted and read during the ten-hour ride, - while I wished inexpressibly good things for Mrs. Van Vorst for - renting our little dovecote, and planned liberty work. I have - decided to adopt the club's motto, 'Liberty and Humanity--our - best,' for the summer's watchword. As it means to try and be - helpful and kind to people, whether I like them or not, wish me - success, for I have undertaken something big. - - "Mr. Banker, my aunt's lawyer, met us at the Littleton station - with his car. He is a tall, lean man, but his brown eyes have a - quizzical gleam in them that makes you feel that you are - affording him some amusement. The seven-mile ride up one - mountain slope and down another, in the shade of the woods that - gloomed dark and weird on each side of the road, with the hush - of the gloaming in their moist depths, was most enjoyable. - - "From out of their rustling shadows the white birches and - poplars peered at us like ghosts, while the resinous aroma from - the pines made us sniff with delight. Mountain villages with a - straggle of white cottages, and grizzly gray churches in a - setting of purple mountain-peaks, strangely somber and still, as - they stood forth from feathery masses of clouds tinted with - sunset's glow, with gossamer wreaths of mist floating above - them, stilled us to a mute ecstasy of sheer joy. - - "Stone gate-posts, beds of old-time posies, backed by - cobble-stone walls with hedges of green, and a little white - house, like a keeper's lodge, peered curiously out of the silver - shadows of the rising moon as we whizzed up the roadway to Seven - Pillars, and came to a stop under the _porte-cochre_ of a - large, white mansion, set on a green knoll, facing the rocky - heights of far-distant mountains. Here square glass lanterns - threw yellowish gleams on the wide, low veranda, with its seven - magic pillars,--round, fluted columns reaching high above the - second-story windows, as with lofty stateliness they held the - pointed dome above the portico. - - "Passing through the quaint, white-columned doorway, with its - tiny panes of glass and shiny brass knocker, we stood, dazed and - tired, in a broad, gloomy hall, where, in the flare from a - snapping log-fire, numerous trophies of the hunt eyed us - glassily, as we were welcomed by my cousin, Janet Page, and her - sister, Cynthia. - - "Janet is a winsome thing. We have already become great chums, - although she is a few years older than your lonesome. She is - short and plump, with a white, satiny skin, and apple-blossom - cheeks that make you feel that you want to kiss the pink of - them. Her eyes fairly beam with kindliness as she looks at you - from under her short, wavy brown hair. She's a pacifist and a - suffragist, and aims to be a farmerette. Although she has - decided ideas on the war and voting questions, they are rather - vague on farming, but she goes about saying, 'God speed the plow - and the woman who drives it.' - - "Cynthia Loretto Stillwell--she always insists on the Loretto, - as it is the sole heritage from some Italian ancestor, famed for - his noble birth and deeds of valor--is not my own cousin, as she - is the daughter of my uncle's wife, who was a widow when they - married. She is distinctively tall, somewhat angular, with sharp - features, a drooping, discontented mouth, and a sallow skin - which she endeavors to hide by dabs of white and pink powder. - Her eyes are large and dark, and would be handsome, if they did - not repel you at times by their hard, metallic glitter. Her - coiffure is a wonderful combination of braids, curls, and puffs, - and made me wonder how she did it. She greeted us effusively, - but somehow its warmth seemed cold and artificial, and--well, I - don't believe I'm going to like her. - - "After our hunger was appeased,--Janet said she got the supper, - as we shall have to be our own maids up here,--Mr. Banker - 'personally conducted' us through many high-ceiled rooms with - recessed window-seats, big doors, and dark closets, up winding - stairways and through rambling corridors. The antique furniture, - carved and black-looking, musty-smelling and stuffy, made one - feel as if long-ago-dead people were peering at you from the - eerie shadows of the hide-and-seeky nooks. - - "Mr. Banker then read my aunt's letter of instruction,--an odd - document, as it stated that each one of 'we girls,'--as Cynthia - calls us,--she's almost as old as mumsie,--during our stay is to - search the house for the most valuable thing in it. And the - lucky finder of the 'mysterious it,' as Jan and I call the - valuable thing, is to inherit something. Whether this something - is property, or money, or just some personal effects of my - aunt's, I don't know, for that letter was so queer it made me - feel creepy. And once when I glanced up, it really seemed as if - her eyes were glaring menacingly at me from a large portrait of - her which hangs over the library mantel. - - "Each one of us is to keep a diary, and if we have not looked - for 'It' each day, we are to state what particular thing - prevented us. We can search every nook and corner in the house - but one room, the _mystery room_, as we call it, which is on the - second floor, and barred and locked so that no one can enter. - Mother only laughs when Janet and I talk about 'It,' and - declares that the whole thing is just my aunt's eccentric way of - doing things. You know mother spent a summer up here with her - when I was a wee tot, and my aunt grew very fond of me. - - "Although I have had no time as yet to search for the mystery of - mysteries, my first entry in my diary reads: 'Arose at 7 A. M. - and prepared breakfast. Cooked three meals and did housework all - day, and am too tired to do anything but go to bed. Jan meant to - help me, but she had to hurry with her plowing, and Cynthia - Loretto says she never does housework, as it makes her hands - rough.' - - "You would laugh if you could see Jan scratching the earth with - a baby rake. She was going to plant before she plowed, and - hadn't the slightest idea as to the proper time and way of - planting her seeds. But she looks a dear in a smock and a big - pink sunbonnet that matches the pink in her cheeks and on her - nose, for her dear little snub has burned to the same color. - - "It is great sport to see her take the stump, as I call it, and - hold forth on woman suffrage. She talks beautifully, is so - earnest and looks so sweet, and, as mumsie says, knows so little - about it from a commonsense point of view. But when Cynthia - Loretto suddenly appears and squelches her eloquence by - witheringly ordering her to do something for her,--she bosses - her dreadfully,--poor Jan drops from her pedestal and crawls - about with the meekness of a mouse for the rest of the day. - - "I was afraid my dreams of teaching liberty were doomed to - oblivion, for there don't seem to be any girls about to form a - club, when one day, while reading the paper, an inspiration - came. _Fi-fo-fum_, I have written to Mrs. Van Vorst, and she is - going to send me three little slum boys, and I am not only going - to give them the joy-time of their lives, but teach them - 'Liberty and Humanity--your best.' When I asked Mr. Banker if - there would be any objection to having these little waifs, he - not only consented, but said he would pay their way up here. - Isn't that the dandiest thing going? - - "Mother objected at first, but when I said I would teach them to - wash the dishes--how I hate that job!--and to do chores about - the house, she only said, 'Well, you will have to make the bread - then, for three hulking boys will eat a cartful,'--you know - mother is the bread-maker. Then her eyes twinkled, and I had to - hug her good and tight, for I knew she was just testing my 'I - can' motto. - - "Janet thought the idea fine, but when Cynthia Loretto heard of - it she declared that she hated boys, they were such horrid, - smelly things,--one would have thought they were weeds,--and - that _she_ would not have them in the house. Well, I was not - going to be bossed by her, so promptly told her in my bestest - manner--I am always very cool and sweet when _awfully mad_--what - Mr. Banker had said. Well, that silenced _her_, but I can - foresee that she will make trouble for my little liberty kids, - for that's what they're going to be. - - "Did I tell you that Cynthia is an artist? Her studio is up in - the little square cupola, or tower that crowns the house. Here - she paints, and sleeps until all hours of the morning, for she - slumbers in a beauty-mask--Janet let that out--and it has to be - kept on until noon. Janet has to bring up her coffee every - morning. At dinner my lady with 'the manner' and artistic - temperament appears in a freakish get-up. Yesterday she was a - Neapolitan maiden in a red skirt and blue bodice, with a rug for - an apron, and a white cloth on her head. She dresses this way to - create atmosphere, she declares, as she is her own model, and - paints herself in a big mirror, that she got Sam to lug up from - one of the lower rooms. - - "She can be extremely disagreeable, for yesterday, while I was - on one of my mountain prowls--mother was taking a nap--she was - sitting on the veranda in one of her outlandish costumes, when - an odd, little old lady came along in a black poke-bonnet, - carrying a basket on her arm. As soon as Cyn saw that basket she - jumped up and ordered the old lady off the premises, saying that - we could not be bothered with peddlers. - - "The poor old soul immediately turned about and hobbled away, - muttering and mumbling to herself, for Jan heard her as she came - up the path from her miniature hillside farm. Mother was quite - annoyed when she heard about it, for she said that she was - undoubtedly one of the neighbors, and had brought us something - in a basket to be friendly, as country people do. I think - Cynthia should have allowed her to rest on the veranda, even if - she was a peddler. - - "I must close my letter if I want to get it in this mail, as I - have to walk almost a mile to post it. So, with a bushel of - kisses and good wishes, I am as ever your friend - - "Nathalie Page. - - "P. S. Be sure you tell me all about your work, and if you are - anywhere near the front-line trenches. I am wild to know. Again, - with love, - - "Blue Robin." - -As Nathalie stood by the window putting on her hat in front of the -old-fashioned dresser, her eyes suddenly widened. "Why, isn't that the -strangest?" she queried, as she stepped nearer the casement and stared -down at the farther end of the lawn, where, from between the fringe of -woodland on the side dividing their garden from their neighbor's, came -the glimmer of a little red house, fronting the road. - -"Why," said the girl, almost wonderingly, "that red house glimmers -through the trees in the form of a cross." Then her eyes brightened with -the sudden thought, "I do believe it has come that way on purpose, and, -yes, I am going to let it be my Red Cross insignia, warning me that I -have work to do this summer by not losing my temper, and by being kind -to people, even if it is _that irritating Cynthia Loretto_. - -"I wonder who lives in that little red house," soliloquized the girl. "I -must ask Sam. Ah, I remember now. I saw an old lady with silver-gray -hair, the other day, poking about in that little flower-garden; she -seemed to be weeding. Well, those flowers certainly repay her for her -care, for they are a mass of bloom and color." And then Nathalie, -humming a snatch of melody, turned away and hurried down the stairway. - -Some time later, on her way to the post-office at the near-by village of -Sugar Hill, as she passed the red house she again saw the old lady with -the silver hair, in a flopping sunbonnet, digging in the garden. She -raised her head as she heard Nathalie's footsteps, and the girl, with -smiling eyes, pleasantly bowed a good-afternoon. But, to her surprise, -the old lady stared at her rudely for a moment, and then, without -returning her greeting, went on with her weeding. - -"What a disagreeable old lady!" was the girl's sudden thought, the blood -rushing to her cheeks in a crimson flood. "Why, I always thought country -people were pleasant and chatty with their neighbors. Well," she -murmured ruefully, in an attempt to ignore the slight "perhaps the poor -old thing is near-sighted. No, I won't worry, for, as mumsie says, it is -just as well not to be in a hurry to think that people mean to be rude -to you." - -So the little incident was forgotten, as she wended her way along the -road, cool and dark with the moisture and shade from the woodland that -fringed it on each side. On one side the trees screened green hills and -sloping meadows, while on the other they guarded Lovers' Lane, a narrow -footpath, skirting the base of Garnet Mountain, that rose upward in -scrubby, brownish pasture-land to its summit, crowned with dense masses -of green foliage. - -Nathalie hummed softly, in tune to the ripple of a tiny brooklet from a -spring near by, that trickled and splashed in a low murmur over its -pebbly bed in the ditch fringed with straggling wild flowers in -flaunting July bloom. They were too luring to be resisted, and presently -the beautiful dull pink of the Joe-Pye weed, saucy black-eyed Susans, -yellow buttercups, wild carrot, and blue violets, nodded gayly from the -nosegay pinned to her blouse. - -A short walk and the woods had been left behind, as the girl stood on a -wide-spreading knoll with the rock-lit eyes of Garnet Mountain peering -down at her on her right, while on the left grassy meadows stretched -away into velvety slopes. Their green was crossed by low stone walls, -patched with the gray of apple orchard, and ribboned with avenues of -stately trees, or fringes of woodland, but always ending in the rugged -grandeur of craggy summit. - -Nathalie drew a deep breath of the sweet-scented mountain breezes, as -her eyes dwelt on the scene before her, for to her every blade of grass, -or feathery fern, as well as each peeping floweret, wide-spreading tree, -or gray bowlder, were but details that added to the charm of each day's -mountain-picture. The rare splendor of the scene inspired her, as it -were, to new thoughts and feelings, vague and undefined, but the shadow -of things to come, in the birth of ideals and words that were to find -expression later on. - -But now she was strolling along under an avenue of stately maples, -bordered by a stone wall almost hidden with clambering vines, until -presently she had passed by another silent greenwood, to arrive at a -little white church, set on rising ground. A swift turn and she was -walking down the flagged street of the mountain village, sheltered with -friendly old trees, and lined with the usual straggle of white cottages, -blurred with the red of an old barn, while just beyond, against the -pearl gray of the horizon, rose the jagged line of the Green Mountains. - -She glanced admiringly at the tiny Memorial Library perched -conspicuously on a terrace opposite, and then she was at the -post-office, once a small white cottage, but now used by Uncle Sam as a -mail distributor, the lounging-resort of aged mountaineers and sons of -the soil. Here, too, the village gentry, as well as the citified summer -folk from the boarding-houses and hotels on the upper slopes of Sugar -Hill, lingered for a chat or a word of greeting when they came for the -mail. - -After slipping her letter into the box, Nathalie found that although the -mail had come in it had not been distributed, so she decided to wait for -it. With ill-concealed impatience, for she hated to linger in the stuffy -little store, she leaned idly against a glass case, in which one saw the -yellow-brown of maple-sugar cakes, the red and white of peppermint -sticks, as well as post-cards of mountain views, and pine pillows. As it -was the only store within a radius of some miles its wares were numerous -and varied, as almost anything, from a loaf of bread, a lollypop, or a -case of needles, to a bottle of patent medicine, was on sale. - -Suddenly, as if impelled by some unknown power, the girl raised her eyes -to encounter the bold stare of a tall young man in a gray Norfolk -jacket, knickerbockers, and high leather boots, who was nonchalantly -leaning against the opposite counter, with his cap pushed on the back of -his head, smoking a cigar. - - - - - CHAPTER IX - - THE LITTLE OLD LADY IN THE RED HOUSE - - -The girl turned her head quickly aside, for there was something in the -ill-concealed admiration in the man's black eyes that caused the color -to rush in a wave to her cheeks. Several minutes later a careless glance -in the man's direction, as she casually surveyed the other occupants of -the store, impelled her to stare curiously, as she perceived a rather -peculiar motion,--a sudden twitching shake of his head, repeated every -moment or so. Realizing that the man was the victim of some nervous -affliction, her eyes involuntarily softened with pity, and then noting -that there were several letters in her box, she hurried forward to get -them. - -Slipping them into her bag, she hastened from the store, drawing quickly -back, however, as the man who had been staring at her brushed rudely -against her. Nathalie glanced up with annoyance, but as he begged her -pardon, with a sweep of his cap in an exaggerated bow, and another bold, -somewhat mocking glance from his eyes, the pink in her cheeks deepened -angrily. - -Nathalie, irritated at the incident, walked slowly down the narrow path -leading to the flagging, but suddenly remembering her determination to -explore the little village set in the hollow of a hill, the unpleasant -occurrence passed from her mind. Attracted by the many flower-beds that -bloomed so luxuriantly with such vivid coloring in the door yards of the -little New England cottages beyond the post-office, she turned about and -slowly strolled in that direction. - -Presently she came to a sudden pause to gaze admiringly across the road -at a white, gable-roofed house, with bright green blinds, on a grassy -terrace, peeping from beneath a mass of vines and leaves. It was -surrounded by a garden from which came the gleam of many colors, in the -tall, flowering rows of sweet peas that flanked its sides. But it was -not so much their beauty that held her eyes as the small east wing of -the building, where a wide, roomy porch was surmounted by the sign, - - The Sweet Pea Tea-House - _Come in and have a cup of tea_ - -Nathalie would have enjoyed going over and having a sip of that social -beverage, lured by the daintiness of the house and its sweet-pea garden, -but, on discovering that she had left her purse at home, she continued -her walk. A few steps down the road, and she was staring up at a -timeless clock--looking as if its hands had been swept away in the mad -rush of the hours--in the steeple of a church some distance back from -the road. Then she was watching a horseshoer pounding with a noisy -"Clank, clank" on the hoof of a horse, patiently standing in front of -the blacksmith shop. - -A half-hour later, as she stood in front of a little neglected cemetery -at one end of the village, staring in melancholy mood at its -time-scarred stones, gleaming with a dulled whiteness from the rank and -overgrown shrubbery, she heard the purr of an automobile. - -Turning carelessly, she noticed a bright red car, with the glossy, shiny -look of newness, coming slowly in her direction, and quickly perceived -that its only occupant was the bold-eyed man who had annoyed her in the -post-office. She quickly glanced in another direction, but, to her -surprise, the car came to a sudden stop, and as the man threw away his -cigar, while doffing his cap, he said, pleasantly, "You have chosen -rather a dreary place to linger, have you not, on this beautiful -afternoon? Would you not like a little ride,--just a help up the hill, -you know?" - -For a moment Nathalie was tongue-tied with astonishment, and was about -to walk quickly away, when sudden resentment at the man's impertinence -overwhelmed her. Swinging about, with marked emphasis she answered in -stiff formality, "Possibly I might--with friends." The next second she -was hurrying down the road, without waiting to see the man's eyes darken -with annoyance, as he emitted a low whistle. With the peculiar motion of -the head already referred to, he started up the car, and a moment later -whirled around the bend out of sight. - -Nathalie in her haste, caused by her anger and annoyance at the man's -impertinence, was oblivious to the fact that the clouds had been -gathering for a thunderstorm, until she heard a loud clap of thunder and -a drop of rain swirled into her face. She was tempted to start and run, -for she was an arrant coward in a thunderstorm, but remembering that a -swiftly moving object is apt to attract the lightning, she curtailed her -speed, trying to make as much headway as she could by extra long -strides. - -Oh, it was coming down in great big drops! What should she do? But with -her heart thumping nervously, she kept resolutely on her way, covering -her face with her hands in a spasm of terror every time a streak of -lightning zigzagged before her eyes. Oh, she had reached the tea-house! -She would take refuge on the wide veranda. - -The next instant she was racing across the road; but before she gained -the desired haven, a deafening clap of thunder, followed by a blinding -glare of red flame, came bolting through the trees, causing her to utter -a loud, frightened scream, as she stumbled blindly up the steps. Another -instant and the door of the house was flung wide, as a sweet-faced lady, -with pleasant, smiling eyes, hurriedly beckoned for her to hasten in. - -Nathalie, with a little cry of relief, made a wild rush for the door. As -the lady closed it, with shaking limbs and white lips, but with an -attempt at a smile the girl cried, "Oh, you are very kind to let me come -in, for I am just about drenched"; quickly pulling off her hat as she -spoke, and then shaking her wet, clinging skirts. - -"Oh, my dear child! you must come in and take off your wet things," at -this moment came in sudden call from an adjoining room, whose door was -standing ajar. Nathalie started in surprise, for the voice was -singularly low and sweet, in strange contrast to the somewhat -high-sounding, rather unpleasant voices of the few villagers whom she -had heard conversing, when waiting for her mail in the post-office. - -Fearing she would be intruding,--she had noticed that the lady who had -opened the door for her, although she smiled pleasantly, had not -seconded the invitation,--she shook her head. "Oh, no," she protested -with evident embarrassment, "I shall not take cold. I can stand here -until the storm is over. I am sure I shall be all dry in a moment or -so." - -But as the voice insisted that she come in, and the woman with the -smiling eyes laid her hand on her arm as if to lead her into the room, -she reluctantly entered. As she attempted to stammer forth her thanks, -and her fear of trespassing upon their kindness, she saw that the owner -of the voice was an elderly lady, evidently an invalid, for she sat in a -Morris chair by the window, propped up with pillows. As she motioned for -the girl to come nearer, and slowly and awkwardly put forth her hand to -feel her wet skirts, Nathalie noticed that her hands were swathed with -white cloths. - -"Dear me," she murmured worriedly, "you are wet. I am afraid you will -take cold. But just take off your blouse and skirt, and Mona will dry -them for you in a few moments by the kitchen fire." - -Then, with a few strange motions of the bandaged hands to the -sweet-faced woman,--which immediately revealed to Nathalie that she was -deaf and dumb,--the wet garments were quickly removed and taken out to -the kitchen to dry. Presently the girl, with humorous amazement, found -herself snugly wrapped in a silk Japanese kimono, seated in a big chair -by the invalid lady, gazing at her in silent admiration. - -It was a face that could lay no real claim to beauty, and yet to -Nathalie there was a singular charm in the clear-cut outlines of the -delicate features, and the soft, warm tints of a complexion that, -although many years past youth's fresh coloring, resembled a blush-rose. -But it was the eyes that held Nathalie, black-lashed, deep-set, with a -calm, peaceful expression in their deep blue; and the brown hair, -slightly threaded with gray, parted in the middle, and curling in a -natural wave on each side of her face, gave it the quaint sweetness of -some old-time miniature. - -Fascinated, as it were, by the charm of the lady's personality, the girl -was soon chatting volubly, as she told how she came to get caught in the -storm. "I am sure I should have reached home before the rain came," she -cried in an aggrieved voice, "if it had not been for that _horrid_ man. -For I intended going home by the road he took, which is much shorter, -but he had made me so nervous by his rudeness that I took the longest -way back, for I was afraid I should meet him again." - -"Oh, you must not feel annoyed at receiving an invitation to ride in an -automobile when trudging up these mountain roads," laughed the lady, -"for it is quite the customary thing to give a pedestrian a lift up the -hills. But I think, in your case," she added more soberly, "that you did -right in refusing the man's offer, for he was rude, as you say, and all -young girls should be careful." - -Won by her companion's sympathetic interest, Nathalie told that they -were spending the summer at Seven Pillars, up near "Peckett's on Sugar -Hill," but she was cautious not to tell of the peculiar conditions of -their stay, or of her aunt's strange letter. Miss Whipple, as that -proved to be the lady's name, said that she had known her aunt, Mrs. -Renwick, and considered her a very interesting woman, although, to be -sure, she was somewhat eccentric. Nathalie also told about her Liberty -Girls, a subject that was always close to her heart, and how she was -going to try to teach liberty to the little settlement-boys, who were -coming up to stay with her for a few weeks. - -The invalid, and also her sister, were both greatly interested in -Nathalie's merry chatter; for Mona had come from the kitchen and seated -herself on a low stool by the feet of her sister, who would interpret to -her as the girl rattled on. In return for Nathalie's confidences she -told how she and her sister, although having been born in the White -Mountains, had lived since childhood in Boston. On the death of their -parents, after meeting with some reverses, she explained, they had -determined to come up to the old homestead and start a sweet-pea farm, -as her sister was passionately fond of flowers. - -It was delightful work, she said, and it meant so much that was -beautiful and joyous to her sister, who, of course, on account of her -infirmity, was deprived of many pleasures that other people enjoyed. -They had an old farm-hand who had lived with them when they were small -children, who did the rough gardening, and who made the farm pay by -selling the flowers to the mountain hotels. - -"The tea-house was my sister's inspiration," continued Miss Whipple, -"and has always been a source of great enjoyment to us both, as so many -of the young people from the hotels and boarding-houses would drop in of -an afternoon for a cup of tea, or a little dance, as I always used to -make it a point to be on hand to play for them. My sister," she added a -little sadly, "although deprived herself of the joys of girlhood, has -always been passionately devoted to the young, and has spent any amount -of labor in trying to make our little tea-room attractive. - -"But now, as I cannot play any more,--you see I am the victim of -inflammatory rheumatism,"--she held up her bandaged hands -pathetically,--"the young people do not come in as much as they did. It -is a great disappointment to us both," concluded the invalid dolefully, -"although perhaps my sister is partly compensated by her work among her -flowers. - -"But I am wrong to complain in this way," she hastened to add, a sudden -expression of contrition darkening the sweetness of her glance, "for -every one has to endure disappointment and sorrow, sooner or later, as -my mother used to tell me when I was a girl; and, after all, ours might -have been much worse. I try to comfort myself with the thought that all -these little jars of life are just 'helps' to fit one for the greater -life beyond. Indeed," she added softly, "I grow ashamed of myself for -thinking I am even disappointed, when I think of the renunciation, the -sufferings, and the agony of the Man of Sorrows, that we might have -joy." - -Nathalie made no reply, not only because she was at a loss for words to -express her sympathy, but stilled, possibly, by the beautiful look of -calm peace that had crept into the sweet eyes. - -"But I am wearying you," smiled the invalid, her eyes lighting with a -warm glow, "making you think I am a great martyr because I am deprived -of a few things that I think needful to my happiness. Perhaps I am in a -particularly rebellious mood to-day, for I am so anxious to read a book -a friend sent me, but with my poor hands I cannot hold it, and it makes -my neck ache to read from the bookstand. But here comes Mona with your -dried clothing; yes, and to bring me off my cross of martyrdom by her -sweet patience, for she is always cheery and smiling under _her_ great -deprivations." - -"Oh, and she can't even read to you!" lamented Nathalie impulsively, -suddenly reminded of what it must mean to live with a person who could -not talk to you. - -"Yes, and that is one of the nails in the cross," said the shut-in, with -whimsical sweetness, "for I not only want some one to talk, to read to -me, but sometimes I just yearn for the sound of a human voice. Oh, but I -am getting selfish again--for,--Yes, as soon as you get your gown on, -you must go with Mona to see her sweet peas; she would love to show them -to you." - -"And I would love to see them," replied the girl as she dropped the -kimono and slipped into her skirt, "for I, too, adore flowers." And -then, as Nathalie fastened up her blouse, and put on her belt, Miss -Whipple made her sister understand that their guest wanted to see her -bunches of sweet peas. - -Mona's face lighted happily as she comprehended, and in a few moments -she and Nathalie were standing in an outer shed, where masses of the -dainty flowers were piled in heaps, waiting to be tied into bunches, -their delicate odor filling the place with quite perceptible fragrance. -Nathalie watched the deaf-and-dumb woman tie a few bunches, dimpling in -gratified embarrassment as she softly touched the blossoms. She held a -beautifully pink-tinted one against the girl's cheek, to indicate that -they were of the same hue, and then smilingly fastened a big bunch to -her waist. - -By this time the worst of the storm was over, and Nathalie, seeing that -it had settled down to a slow drizzle, decided that she must hurry on, -for fear her mother would worry. So, after thanking her kind hostesses, -and declaring that she would return their umbrella very soon,--she had -promised to make them a real visit, as Miss Whipple called it, in answer -to their repeated urgings,--she hurried out into the rain and was soon -on her homeward way. - -It was not a pleasant walk, this plodding over a road deep with mud, and -in some places running in tiny rivulets, for the girl had no rubbers on, -but she kept up her cheer by whistling softly, for not a person was in -sight until she reached the road through the woods, leading to Seven -Pillars. Here she spied a queer-looking little figure in black, hobbling -on ahead of her with a cane, but no umbrella. - -Something, perhaps it was the basket the woman carried, suggested that -she might be the old lady who had called the afternoon before, so the -girl hurried her steps, hoping, by the proffer of her umbrella, to atone -for the seeming rudeness of her reception of the previous day. - -As she reached the black figure, she pantingly cried, "Oh, won't you -come under my umbrella, for I am sure you must be wet." As she spoke she -peered at the woman's face, almost hidden by the wide brim of an old, -rusty-looking black bonnet. But the bright blue eyes in the withered -face, under its halo of black, only stared coldly, stonily, while the -drooping mouth, seamed with a network of fine wrinkles, and deep lines -of worry and disappointment, narrowed into a tightly compressed slit of -red. - -But Nathalie, notwithstanding the disdainful glare, and the woman's -oppressive silence, pushed her umbrella over her head, and, somewhat to -her own amusement, after a shuffle or two, was soon walking in step to -the old woman's hobble. - -"It has been quite a storm, hasn't it?" ventured the girl, although her -cheeks were flushed with embarrassment under the ill-timed silence of -the woman, who acted not only as if she could dispense with the shelter -of her umbrella, but with her company as well. - -The only reply to the girl was a sniff,--sounding almost like a -sneer,--but, determined not to be daunted by the old woman's surliness, -Nathalie kept up her chatter, telling how charmed they were with the -mountains, especially with Seven Pillars, with its magnificent view, and -expressed her regret that they had not been at home the afternoon -before, explaining that her mother had been lying down and did not know -of her call. - -Presently, with a sudden movement, the old lady came to a halt. Before -Nathalie could understand what she was stopping for,--her umbrella was -held so closely over her companion's head that she didn't perceive the -splash of red peeping from between the trees,--she had turned in at a -little gate and the girl suddenly realized that the queer old lady was -her neighbor of the little red house! - -For a moment she was speechless; then a smile dawned in her eyes, as she -suddenly understood why her greeting had not been returned when passing -by earlier in the afternoon. Quickly recovering her wits, however, she -stepped forward, and as she held the gate open for her new-found -neighbor to pass through, she cried, "Oh, I am so glad I met you, and -know that we are near neighbors. Mother will be very pleased to meet -you, I am sure, and will soon run over to see you." - -But no reply was forthcoming, and Nathalie, her patience at a boiling -point, hurried on, inwardly vowing that she was never going to speak to -that cantankerous old woman again, for had she not done her best to -apologize for an unintentional slight? As she reached the veranda with -its magic seven pillars her eyes gleamed humorously, as she suddenly -realized how funny she must have appeared, hobbling along with that old -woman. What a funny way she had of sniffing, and _that_ old black -poke-bonnet. Then she wondered if the rest of their neighbors were as -peculiar and queer as the old lady in the little red house. - - - - - CHAPTER X - - THE SWEET-PEA LADIES - - -Nathalie, with girlish eagerness, hurried into the house, and was soon -telling her mother about her "adventure day," as she called it, dwelling -at length upon her experiences at the Sweet Pea Tea-House, and, with -some show of resentment, on her encounter with their neighbor in the -little red house. - -Mrs. Page became intensely interested in the Sweet-Pea ladies, as her -daughter designated them, but cautioned her against cherishing any -resentment at the rudeness of the little old lady in black, as, -naturally, she was offended that her overtures of friendliness had been -slighted by the city folks. She and Nathalie would go very shortly and -call upon her; she did not doubt but that her apologies would be -accepted, and that the unpleasant incident would be forgotten. - -The next morning, while Nathalie was gathering some lettuce in the -garden near the barn, she met Sam, the tow-headed young farm-hand, who -looked after the place, and who, with his buxom young wife, lived in a -small white house a short distance down the road. He was a thick-set, -sturdy, young fellow, with a broad, good-natured face, from which -white-lashed, piglike blue eyes peered bashfully out above his shiny red -cheeks. When he met any of the city folks, as he called the inhabitants -of Seven Pillars, he would grin bashfully, and slowly drag off his old -straw hat in a greeting, growing very red from embarrassed shyness if -called upon to engage in conversation with any of them. - -But Nathalie, who had had to depend upon Sam for a certain amount of -necessary knowledge in relation to the house and garden, had not only -grown to depend upon him in many ways, but had become quite friendly -with him. She had learned that he was a level-headed, well-meaning young -man and that his eyes could twinkle responsively, even if he was -somewhat slow of tongue. - -As he began to show Nathalie how to select the heads with the soundest -hearts, she told him how she had been caught in the thunderstorm the -afternoon before and the kindness of the inmates of the Sweet Pea -Tea-House. - -"Sure, Miss, they be nice ladies," assented Sam. "I've knowed them this -long time. They were born in that old house, but when the old man -Whipple growed rich--some relative or t'other left him a pile o' -money--they went skylarking down to Boston--thought we country folks -weren't smart enough fur them, I reckon. But when the old man's luck -went agin him and he died, them gals come home to roost. I feel right -sorry for them, for the Lord knows they don't have no stuffin's to their -turkey these days. Too bad about the tea-house er goin' to shucks, for -sure it use ter bring in er penny er two in the sellin' o' them posies. - -"I see ole Jakes, with his old flivver a wheezin' and blowin' up these -ere hills, er takin' them to the hotels er pile er times. By Gosh, that -Jakes sure is ole, fer he's been er luggin' round these parts with one -foot half-buried fer the last ten years. When he goes off the handle -what'll become of the poor ole ladies--the folks hereabouts are er -guessin'. That deaf-and-dumb one--she makes me feel sort er lonesome." -Sam suddenly confided, "with no gift of gab to er, and t'other one with -the rheumatics, sure they do be afflicted." - -Nathalie also told Sam about meeting their neighbor in the little red -house. But when she questioned him as to who she was, and if she lived -there all alone, his face became impassive and he grew evasive in his -answers. Surmising that he might possibly be a relative of hers--as she -had seen him working about the place, she said no more, but hurried into -the house, her mind intent on the Sweet-Pea ladies and their pathetic -little story, as told by Sam. - -"What a misfortune," she mused, "to be poor, an invalid, and with only a -deaf-and-dumb sister to depend upon. O dear! what terrible things people -have to suffer when they grow old. Well, I shall have to go this -afternoon and return that umbrella, and--yes, I just wish I could do -something to help them in some way, for Miss Whipple is a dear!" - -But, as she hastened to her room to make her customary entry in her -diary, the two ladies were forgotten. This daily duty the girl found -quite irksome, especially when she had forgotten, and had to make her -entry at night when she was tired and wanted to tumble right into bed; -and then, too, she did not see how the everyday doings of _her_ life -could interest any one. And as for searching for the most valuable thing -in the house, this she had never found time to do. Possibly she had not -tried very hard to find time, as deep within her heart she considered -the whole thing sheer nonsense. And how was she going to judge the value -of the things in the house, anyway, she questioned rebelliously, for was -it not just an old curio shop filled with strange, odd junk, that her -aunt had brought from the other side? - -But when she hinted this to her mother, she had been duly rebuked, -although Mrs. Page agreed with her daughter that it would be a difficult -task to determine the value of anything she might select. She said, -however, that she considered that Nathalie, as a courtesy to her aunt, -who was giving them such a delightful summer up in those beautiful -mountains, should do all that she could to comply with her request, even -if she thought it absurd. - -"I doubt if the finding of this very mysterious valuable thing would -bring either money or property to any one," continued the lady, "as I -understand that Aunt Mary left the bulk of her estate to some charitable -institution as long as no near relative or heir appeared. But she was, -as I have told you before, very queer in some ways, and probably took -this method of giving away some of her personal effects. It is not at -all likely, Nathalie, that you will be the lucky finder,"--there was a -smile in Mrs. Page's eyes,--"but still you should make it a point to -search for it, no matter how you feel." - -"Oh I intended to hunt for the old thing, anyway," returned Nathalie -excusingly, "but I have been a little slow, perhaps, because Cynthia has -been so obsessed with the idea, that I hate to be as silly. Jan says she -spends most of the day hunting in the attic and through the house when -we are down-stairs. She is wild to get into that mystery room, for she -thinks it is hidden there. - -"But you should have seen her last night, mother," giggled Nathalie. "I -was coming through the hall and suddenly saw a flash of light on the -stairs. And there was Cynthia, down on her knees, peering under the -stair-carpet and poking about with her flash-light. She seemed quite -annoyed when she saw that she was discovered, and, jumping up quickly, -scurried down the hall. Dear me! she is the queerest thing." - -"Well, let her look," replied Mrs. Page kindly. "Perhaps her efforts -will be rewarded, for, as I understand, she is engaged to a Mr. Buddie, -and he is very poor, Janet says. I presume it would make them both very -happy if Cynthia came into a little money, or found something of value, -for perhaps they could be married." - -"But, mother, Janet hasn't looked once. She hates this mystery prowl, as -she calls it, as much as I do," emphasized Nathalie, "and I have hard -work making her write in her diary. She is busy writing a speech on -suffrage, which she expects to deliver this fall. Just imagine, mother, -Janet making a speech," and Nathalie smiled at the thought. - -Later in the day, dust-begrimed and with her hair all of a frowse, -Nathalie came trudging wearily up the staircase. She had been searching -for two hours in the library, a great dark room, lined with bookcases, -and whose wainscoted walls were hung with family portraits,--Nathalie -called them the Renwicks' Honor Roll,--interspersed with medallions of -great authors and musicians, and valuable etchings. - -The girl had laughed at Cynthia for prowling about, but as she threw -herself on her bed, tired and aching from stretching her arms and -climbing step-ladders, in order to peer behind the pictures and -cornices, she felt that she would never laugh at her again. For the more -she had searched, the more her interest had increased, and with it the -conclusion that her aunt, for contrariness, had _really hidden_ -something of great value, in order to try the patience of the searchers, -in some eerie corner or nook. - -But was Mrs. Renwick really dead? This was a question that assailed the -girl whenever she passed the mystery room, whose door loomed big and -dark, with its heavy crimson curtain, in the long hall. Somehow, she had -confessed to Janet, whenever she hurried by that door she had a strange -feeling, a feeling of nearness to some one,--the way one would feel, she -imagined, if they looked up suddenly and found some one watching them -with a strange, fixed stare. - -Could it be that some one was hidden in that room? But she always -dismissed the thought with a half-laugh, as being very silly. -Nevertheless she always raced by that door, especially at night, when -the hall was wrapped in an uncanny gloominess from the dark shadows that -came from the big grandfather's clock, the heavy, black-looking wardrobe -at one end, and other ponderous and carved pieces of mahogany resting -against the wall. - -The following afternoon Nathalie set forth to return the umbrella to its -owners, laden with a basket of fruit, in appreciation of their kindness -to her. As she walked cheerily along, a sudden thought loomed big in her -mind; she had been thinking how she was going to live up to her -watchword, "Liberty and humanity--our best," when it had occurred to her -that one way would be to offer to read to Miss Whipple every day. The -girl's eyes glowed, and then she wavered. "Oh, no, I don't see how I can -do _that_, for I have so much to do at home, and I do not want to miss -my walks." Her face clouded as she silently struggled with herself, -divided with the desire to cheer her new friend, and yet not to have to -forego her walks. - -She found the invalid lying back in her chair, looking pale and wan, but -when Nathalie inquired if she was suffering, she hastily answered, "Oh, -no, I am just pure tired, for I have been trying to read my new -war-book, and it has made me ache all over." - -"Oh, Miss Whipple," broke from the girl impulsively,--somehow she could -not be selfish,--"wouldn't you like to have me come and read to you for -a little while each day?" - -"Oh, you dear child, that is most kind of you," the lady's eyes -brightened. "Indeed, I should be delighted, but it would be selfish to -keep you indoors on these beautiful mountain days." A little sigh ended -the sentence. - -"But you would not be keeping me in," insisted her companion, "for I -should just love to read to you, and I know I shall find plenty of time -to walk somewhere every day." And then, as an added plea to her request, -she told of her mornings with Nita Van Vorst, and how their taking turns -at reading to one another had been a source of great instruction to them -both. - -In a short time Nathalie was happily reading to her friend, who listened -with keen enjoyment. After a time, fearing the girl would tire, they -stopped for a little chat, and it was during one of these chats that -Nathalie told of meeting their queer neighbor who lived in the red -house, and how rudely she had been repulsed by the old lady, when she -had tried to atone for her reception of the day before. - -"A little old woman in a black bonnet, with a basket?" repeated Miss -Whipple in a puzzled tone. "Why, that is strange, for I didn't know that -any one lived in that little red house. Some years past Mrs. Renwick -allowed a poor old woman to live there rent free, but she died a few -years ago. I shall have to ask Jakes about it, for he knows every man, -woman, or child who lives on these mountains." - -During one of these pauses Mona came in, and her sister, noting the -wistful look in the patient brown eyes, surmised that she, too, would -like to enjoy Nathalie's youth and charm. And so, in a few moments, the -girl was out in the sweet-pea garden, delighting Mona with her -enthusiastic interest in the delicately tinted flowers that grew in -tall, long lines on each side of the house. - -Here, too, she met Jakes, an old white-haired man, bent almost double -with age. He made up for her companion's enforced silence, by showing -the many different varieties of these exquisite flowers, which, on their -rough stems, with their tendril-bearing leaves, peeped coyly at her, in -almost every tint of their varying colors. - -But the girl glanced up with quick surprise, when she heard the old man, -in his quavering, broken voice, softly repeat: - - "Here are sweet peas, on tiptoe for a flight; - With wings of gentle flush o'er delicate white, - And taper fingers catching at all things, - To bind them all about with tiny rings." - -As the old man saw Nathalie glance up at him in ill-concealed -astonishment at his aptness in repeating the poetic quotation, he smiled -and said, "Ah, Miss, I have planted, transplanted, trained, tended, and -watched these sweet posies for many a long year as carefully as a -mother-hen tends her tiny chicks. But it was my dear lady, herself, who -taught me that verse, and sure I have never forgotten it, although I do -not know the name of the poet-man who wrote it." - -Nathalie, with her hand in Mona's, who seemed to love to hold it, was -now led by her into the little shed, where she was soon busily employed -in helping her tie the sweet peas into bunches, to be delivered the next -morning to the hotels by Jakes. - -From the making of bouquets she wandered into the tea-room, where Mona -had hurried, on seeing a couple of young ladies come in, who wanted to -buy some post-cards. While they were selecting them the deaf-and-dumb -woman hastened into the kitchen for her tea-tray. Nathalie, meanwhile, -waited by the little glass case in one corner of the room, carelessly -studying the mountain-views that lined it, and where boxes of maple -sugar, pine pillows, and various knick-knacks that Miss Whipple said she -had made before her hands had become so helpless, lay scattered about -for sale. - -As she turned restlessly away from the case, her glance fell on the two -girls, who stood examining the cards on the wall near, and she half -smiled at their grotesqueness, as she called their modish style of -apparel. For the girls, fair samples of the average fashionable summer -girls, wore their hair plastered down on the sides of their faces in -deep scallops, while their cheeks were carmine-tinted, and their noses -whitewashed with powder. With their long, thin necks rising in kangaroo -fashion from their turn-over, low-necked collars, and with their -short-waisted belts and narrow skirts, high above their high-heeled, -white boots, they reminded Nathalie of some funny French dolls that she -had seen once in a museum in New York. - -She was wondering why so many girls of the present day thought it -improved them to make themselves so ungainly and painted-looking, when -one of the girls suddenly turned her face to her. A sudden exclamation, -and she had stepped towards Nathalie, who was now staring at her in -puzzled recognition. - -"I declare, if it isn't Nathalie Page. Why, don't you remember me?" she -shrilled excitedly. "I'm Nelda Sackett. You remember we used to be -deskmates at Madame Chemidlin's?" - -"Why, Nelda, how do you do? Yes, I remember you now," smiled Nathalie -cordially. "How stupid of me not to have recognized you before. But dear -me, you have changed!" And then, fearing that the girl might detect her -lack of admiration for her modish appearance, she hastily added, "Oh, -you have grown to be quite a young lady." - -"Young lady! Well, I should say that I was," flashed the girl in a -slightly aggrieved tone. "Why, I'm eighteen, and Justine,--you remember -Justine Guertin,--she is nineteen." - -By this time Justine had joined them, and after greeting Nathalie with -condescending graciousness, the three girls were soon chatting about -their school-days and former friends. The girls were both very curious -as to their old schoolmate's life in her new home. Nathalie determined -to hold her own and not be cowed by their ultra-fashionableness, and, -despite the jarring realization of the fact that they knew of her -changed circumstances since her father's death, bravely told about her -new life in their little home on Main Street, in the old-fashioned Long -Island town. She not only dwelt with persistent minuteness on the many -details of her more humble life, but told of her connection with the -Girl Pioneers, the pleasure it had brought her, the fineness of its aims -and purposes, and the wholesomeness of a life lived in the open, with -its knowledge of bird and tree lore, and the many new avenues of -knowledge it opened to a girl. - -This sort of thing, however, did not seem to appeal to these New York -girls, and they stared somewhat coldly, although a bit curiously, at -Nathalie during her recital, and then abruptly changed the subject by -telling of their own gay life in the city. Oh, and what a time they were -having at the Sunset Hill House, playing golf and tennis, and dancing in -the evening with gay college boys and other young men. - -By this time Mona had returned, and, as Nathalie saw her trying to wheel -a small tea-table into the room with both hands full, she hastily flew -to her aid. And later, when she returned for some needed articles in the -kitchen, the young girl arranged the teacups and saucers on the tray -before the girls, as they had asked that they might be served with a cup -of tea la Russe. - -The girls continued to chatter in a desultory fashion for awhile, -although Nathalie, whose intuitions were keen, sensed that they had -grown a little less cordial in their manner towards her. Presently, -finishing their tea and paying for it, they nodded Nathalie a careless -good-by and hurried out, somewhat to the girl's surprise, who had -naturally supposed that they would invite her to come and see them at -the hotel, or express a desire to visit her at her home. - -With reddened cheeks and a disappointed expression in her eyes Nathalie -watched them as they crossed the road to the flagged walk opposite. It -was true, she was lonely up there in her new surroundings, with no -special friend to run in and chat with, as she had been accustomed to do -with her friend Helen. She wanted young company, and the meeting with -her former schoolmates had revived old memories and worn-out longings. - -Although she did not approve of their style of dress, or their airy -manners, still they were something that belonged to her former life in -New York, and she would have enjoyed having a chat with them once in a -while for the sake of "Auld Lang Syne." - -With the quick thought that they were not worth a pang of regret, for -they had shown that they had become very snobbish, she turned away, and -aimlessly wandered over to an old piano that stood on one side of the -room. As if to ease the hurt feeling that still jarred her -sensitiveness, she sat down and carelessly ran her fingers over the old -yellow keys. A sudden call from the invalid in the adjoining room,--the -door stood open,--for Nathalie to play something, brought the girl to -herself with a sudden start. - -"Oh, I do not know anything to play," she weakly pleaded, "for I am no -musician." Nathalie spoke the truth, for she not only had no special -talent for music, but the little accomplishment that she had acquired in -that line had been sadly neglected since she had taken up housework. - -But as the invalid's plea was insistent, and the girl did not want to be -disagreeable, she again swept her hands over the keyboard, this time -unconsciously falling into one of Chopin's waltzes, something that she -supposed she had forgotten. From this she wandered into a few rag-time -airs, and then came snatches of old-time melodies, until finally she was -playing a well-known reverie by a noted composer. - -But suddenly realizing that she had heard nothing from the next room, -and fearing that she had wearied Miss Whipple, she hastily arose and -hurried to her side, to find her lying back in her chair with a strange -restful expression on her face, but with closed eye lids, through which -tears were slowly trickling. - -"Oh, Miss Whipple, I should not have played so long," exclaimed the girl -remorsefully. "Perhaps I have made you feel sad." - -"No, no, my child! Your playing has brightened me up." The invalid sat -up quickly, as she shamefacedly wiped away the stray tears. "Indeed, my -dear, I pay you a compliment when I cry, for if the music did not go -right to my heart the tears would not have come. No, I would never -regret being an old shut-in if I could hear music once in a while. But -that was a lovely little thing you played last; it is one of my -favorites." - -"Oh, I must try to get Janet to come down and play for you," cried -Nathalie with a relieved sigh, "for she is a _real_ musician, and plays -for us every evening as we sit on the veranda in the moonlight. But it -is getting late and I must go, for I have supper to get. When my boys -come, perhaps I shall have more time, for, you know, I am going to put -them through their paces and teach them to be helpful." - -After a hasty good-by, Nathalie was hurrying across the road, while -waving her hand to the sweet, patient face smiling at her from the -window. Some twenty minutes later she arrived at Seven Pillars, her eyes -happily aglow, as she told her mother of the readings to be, to help -lighten the burdens of her new friend, the shut-in. - -Several days later Nathalie, with her mother, walked slowly down the -garden-path, with its border of oldtime hollyhocks and peonies and white -stones, to the gate-posts. A step or two, and they stood before the door -of the little red house, as the girl, with pleased eyes, cried, "Well, -mother, she's in, for I saw her sitting at the window as we came up the -path, so we can get this ordeal over." - -But unfortunately she reckoned without her host, for although they -knocked and knocked, Nathalie even pounding on the door with her -parasol-handle, for she had planned to take a walk after the call, no -one came to the door. After a time she peered at the window, but some -one had drawn the shades down so that nothing was to be seen. - -"Mother, she is _so angry_ she just won't let us in," cried the young -caller with flushed cheeks. "Oh, I think she must be a very disagreeable -old lady, and I do not think there is any use in trying to be nice to -her." - -Mrs. Page had evidently come to the same conclusion, so they slowly -turned and retraced their steps back to the house, and in a short space -she was seated on the veranda with her darning, as Nathalie started for -a walk. As she passed the red house, and caught sight of the -silver-haired old lady knitting at the window she quickly turned her -head away, determined to ignore her in the future. "And so this is the -end of our acquaintance with our next-door neighbor," she mused -ruefully, as she passed on down the road. "Well, it certainly did not -prove very progressive. Of course I don't really care,--she's just an -old lady,--but still I do wish Cynthia Loretto had stayed up in her old -studio, and not made trouble for us by her unkind ways." - - - - - CHAPTER XI - - THE RIDE THROUGH THE NOTCH - - -Notwithstanding that the inmates of Seven Pillars were neighbored by a -disagreeable old lady, as Nathalie had mentally dubbed the occupant of -the red house, the time passed pleasantly to the girl, although she had -days when she longed to see Helen, to open her heart to her in -confidential mood. But the lonesomeness gradually lessened, occupied as -she was with her manifold household cares, her exploring trips, her -visits to the Sweet-Pea ladies, and the sometime prowl for the -mysterious _It_. To her satisfaction she soon found that by hurrying a -little over her morning tasks, she not only had time to read to her -friend, and to help Mona at her work, but that she did not have to miss -her walks. - -She finally succeeded in getting Janet to go with her to the tea-house, -and that volatile young woman was so won by the charming personality of -the invalid, and the sweet patience of Mona, that she not only played -during her call, but made arrangements to come down twice a week and -give them a musical afternoon, to the great joy of the invalid. - -On one of these days a party of ladies from the Hotel Look-off, out for -an afternoon constitutional, dropped in for a rest and a cup of tea. -They were so pleased that they told others about these musical -afternoons, so it soon became quite the fashionable thing to drop in at -the Sweet-Pea Tea-House, especially on Wednesdays and Saturdays. On -these days a score of ladies, old and young, could frequently be seen -having a social chat over the teacups, while listening to some popular -ragtime air, or a classic from one of the old composers, while knitting -for the soldiers. - -There had been one unpleasant occurrence that had jarred Nathalie -extremely, and that was that Cynthia Loretto, when she learned of the -Sweet-Pea ladies and the musical afternoons, was quite insistent that -Blue Robin take some of her paintings and etchings down, and hang them -up so that they could be seen, in the hope of making a sale. - -Nathalie, at first, had refused to accede to this request, and then she -began to argue with her conscience, giving for her refusal many reasons -that only existed in her imagination. Finally, Mrs. Page, with her -motherly intuition, perceiving that her daughter was at war with her -better self, one day led the conversation to the subject, by saying that -she thought it was almost pathetic the way Cynthia yearned to make money -so she could marry Mr. Buddie. - -"You must remember, daughter," she persuaded, after listening to the -girl's objections in regard to the paintings, "that even if you are not -attracted to Cynthia, she has feelings, hopes, and disappointments as -well as you. Some day, perhaps, you may be old and alone in the world -with your living to earn, and will be almost willing to make a bore of -yourself if you can only earn a little money so as to give yourself some -pleasure." Nathalie made no reply, but somehow she began to question if -she were really trying to live up to her motto to be helpful and kind, -or was it just a _make-believe_ thing with her, as she called it. The -next day she reluctantly broached the subject to Miss Whipple, and, to -her surprise, found that she would be very pleased to have the paintings -and etchings on the wall. "The room really needs papering," the lady -explained, "and they will help to hide such disfigurements as stains and -tack-holes on the faded paper." This conclusion settled the matter very -satisfactorily to Cynthia, and made Nathalie rejoice that she had, after -all, come out conqueror in her fight with self. - -The girl had begun to wonder why she did not hear from Mrs. Van Vorst as -to when her boys were coming, when a letter arrived. To her great joy it -announced that they would be due at the Sugar Hill station the following -Saturday, as they would leave New York in the White Mountain express, -probably reaching their destination about seven in the evening. - -Nathalie was somewhat disappointed that the boys were not to go on to -the Littleton station, where Mr. Banker had planned to meet them. But -alas, she could not ask him to come all the way over to the Sugar Hill -station, and then, too, she knew that he and his wife generally took -little outings through the mountains every week-end. - -Deeply perplexed, she pondered over the matter with no little anxiety, -and then suddenly it came to her that she would see if Miss Whipple -would not let her hire her machine, and then go for the boys herself. -She had learned to know the mountain roads in riding with Jakes when he -went to the different hotels to deliver the sweet peas. He had often let -her drive, as she had previously learned to handle a car from her many -rides with Grace, and had even secured a license through the insistence -of her friend. - -Hurrying through her work, she hastened down to the tea-house, where she -found the two ladies in a state of unusual excitement, for Jakes, Miss -Whipple explained, was quite ill, and they were at a loss as to how they -were to get their flowers to the various hotels the following day. And -the Profile House had sent in a special order, for there was to be some -kind of a festivity there that evening, and they wanted the bunches of -sweet peas for prizes. - -"Oh, don't worry over that," cried the girl quickly, as she perceived -their distress, "for I can deliver the flowers for you. I can drive and -I know the roads, for I have been about so much with Jakes and Mr. -Banker." - -After some little hesitation the two ladies consented that Nathalie -should deliver the flowers, insisting, however, in return for her -kindness to them, that she should have the car for her own use in the -afternoon, to drive to the station for the boys. - -To Nathalie it was quite a new experience, to get up in the cool gray of -early dawn, dress hurriedly, swallow a hasty breakfast,--her mother was -to act as housekeeper for the day,--and then hurry down to the -tea-house. It did not take her long to load the car with its flowery -burden, and then she was speeding through Sugar Hill village, and on to -the Long Green Path, as she called the road through the woods that led -to Seven Pillars and Franconia. The air was so cool from the moisture of -the night dew that still lay in glistening gems and silvery cobwebs on -the hilly greens, the leaves, ferns, and wild flowers, and bracing from -the ozone of the mountain breezes that heralded the new-born day, that -the girl's pulses throbbed with buoyant exhilaration. - -There was a moment's stop at Seven Pillars for Janet, who had consented -to accompany her, and then they were off, Nathalie happily waving her -hand to Sam as he came through the pasture with the cows. A few moments -later they were whirling past Roslinwood Farm, with its big white barn, -and then past a long, low, white-gabled, red-chimneyed building, with -the old-time hostelry sign, "Peckett's on Sugar Hill," swinging from its -porte-cochre, with its flower-garden, riotous with many-colored blooms, -across the road, almost under the shadow of Garnet's sloping meadow. - -Now they were flying down the long sloping hill, around the tiny white -schoolhouse at the cross-roads, and then they were passing Garnet's -grassy hillside, as it nodded a greeting to its taller fellows, the -Franconia Range, that towered on the girls' right. Its verdant meadows -were squared with cobble-stone ledges, and awave with the glossy plumage -of stately trees, as it rose upward from the road, until its slope was -lost in a tangle of feathery treetops which crowned its summit like a -cap of green. - -"The Echoes," a homey little hotel nestling at the base of the green -hill, with its square white tower, peeped picturesquely from the -protecting sweep of graceful willows and silvery poplars. Here they had -a magnificent view of the mountains as they rose from their mists of -gray, their rugged crests, spires, and domes sharply outlined against a -glorious riot of sunrise color. - -Lafayette, the king of the range, towered his grizzly head in blue-hazed -grandeur far upward, standing like some giant up from the mists that -covered the valleys below like a silver lake, while Lincoln's rounded -summit, with its twin slides, was almost hidden by trailing wreaths of -pearly gray. The gaps between the Sleeping Infant, sharp-peaked -Garfield, the North and South Twins, and the Sleeping Giant, were so -thickly silvered with mist that the peaks of these mountains looked like -islets of green on a shimmering gray sea, with their tops scarfed with -pink and violet streaks, that floated mistily against the golden -splendor, reflected from the crimson-hued ball in the east. - -Directly before them rose the undulating slope of Breakneck Hill, bowing -in gentle humility to the more rugged beauty of the lofty range -opposite, while between the widening gap, far in the distance, loomed -the Presidential Range, their tops white-wreathed with cloud. Mount -Washington, with majestic stateliness, soared far above his comrades, -while the smaller mountains below and on the left, scattered here and -there through the cleft between the two ranges, gleamed gray, purple, -and pink, as they peered at them from their hoods of gray. - -It was a swift whirl down the half-mile hill, and then they were passing -through the little mountain village of Franconia, with its white -cottages, its stone sidewalks, its beautiful Gale River, with its -bush-fringed banks and little stone tower, surrounded by level stretches -of green pasture-land, merging into the low foothills that skirted the -higher range. It was a wonderful ride through that five-mile Notch, in -the glint of the rose-tipped sunlight, with the ever-changing flash from -one mountain-picture to another, each one gripping you with the witchery -of the illusive charm of Nature in her varying moods, now frolicsome, -gay, or blithe, or strangely stilled in the grandeur of a sunrise calm. - -As the girl came down the steps of the Profile House, her first -stopping-place, she paused a moment and peered up at Eagle Cliff, a -precipitous wall of rock opposite, rising to the height of fifteen -hundred feet above the road. It was thickly set with evergreens, -climbing birches, maples, and spruces, and intermingled with patches of -a softer green, from where purple-tinted bits of rock, like giant's -eyes, looked down upon the wayfarers that traversed the road beneath. - -Nathalie had heard that the cliff had received its name from the "Arabs -of the air," which at one time had lodged in its airy heights. But -evidently they had long since departed, and after a disappointed glance, -as her eyes swept the tall steeps, she rejoined Janet in the car, and -was soon guiding it through the green-wooded road to her next -halting-place, some few miles beyond. - -This was the Flume House, a long, low, yellow building, grouped about -with mountain crags,--the gateway to the Flume, a remarkable fissure in -Liberty Mountain, over fifty feet deep, and several hundred long, where -an ice-cold cascade dashed with snowy spray, to flow in more quiet mood -over ledges of granite rocks between perpendicular walls. - -After leaving their flowers at the office the girls started on their -homeward way. The distance was soon traversed as they chattered of the -scene before them, sometimes hushed into stillness by the sudden -surprise of some wonderful trick of Nature as they flew swiftly past. - -As they reached the little schoolhouse at the crossroads Janet descended -from the car to walk up the hill to the house, while Nathalie continued -on her way. She had soon passed the artist's bungalow, with its studio, -on her left, and Hildreth's maple-sugar farm, with its big barn, coming -out shortly at the little red Episcopal church, with the deserted, -falling-to-pieces hotel, the Marimonte, just beyond on a knoll. - -It did not take her long to ascend the long hilly slope to the Hotel -Look-off, where a basket of sweet peas were left, and then she had swung -her car around and was speeding down the declivity to the Sunset Hill -House, where she again brought her car to a halt. - -As she neared the big entrance-door, heavily burdened with her flowers, -she came face to face with her two New York friends, who were sauntering -carelessly from the office, evidently having lingered over a late -breakfast. As the girl sighted the familiar faces she forgot their -apparent slight of a few days before and nodded pleasantly, her cheeks -dimpling with pleasure. But, to her surprise, a rigid stare was their -only response to her greeting, and, with a sudden start of shocked -dismay, the girl hastened past them into the office, where she was -relieved of her flowers by one of the bell-boys. - -Smarting from the rankle of the insult, but still dazed at the -suddenness of it, she walked slowly down to the car and mechanically -stepped into it. As she glided down the road she sat stiff and erect, -her mind apparently on the steering-wheel, although in reality her -senses were in a maze of dumb bewilderment. - -A half-hour later, after running the car into the stable, for she was to -use it again later, she made her way into the house, up to her room, and -to her closet. Here, with her face buried in the blackness of hanging -skirts and coats, she stood silently for a few moments, trying to argue -herself out of the hurt feeling that would not be downed. - -"Oh, what a little ninny I am," she exclaimed at last. "_What do I care_ -if they did give me the 'go by,' as Dick says." She gave a half laugh, -that quickly merged into a long sigh as the thought came, that, after -all, the girls had not really hurt her as much as they had hurt -themselves. "No, I will not allow myself," she closed her mouth -determinedly, "to be so small as to let it hurt me any more." - -She had a very restful afternoon, with a good long nap, and a nice time -reading out in the hammock, and then, a little before six, she set out -on her ride to the station in a tense state of expectancy, for she was -anxious to see her Liberty boys, as she had elected to call them. - -The drive was a delightful one after the burden and heat of the day, and -she bowled swiftly along, slackening her speed every now and then to -admire an unusually fine landscape view, or the golden, violet-tinted -clouds that drifted up from the west. She had just turned into her last -lap, as she called it, for she knew that she must be very near the -station, when, with a sudden skidding motion, her car came to a -standstill. She got out and cranked it, but although there was plenty of -gasoline still on hand, it refused to go. She poked about, here and -there, to see what had caused the stoppage, but although she cleaned out -her carburetor and saw that her spark-plugs were all right, she failed -to discover what was wrong. Her heart began to beat feverishly, for she -was well aware that, although she could drive a car, in reality she knew -little about its mechanism, and therefore could not remedy any very -serious trouble. She got down and crawled under the car, to examine -first one part and then another, but alas! it was exasperatingly -useless, for she could see nothing wrong, and she finally crawled out -again, covered with dust and grime. At this moment she heard the -far-distant whistle of an oncoming locomotive, realizing with a pang of -despair, that it was the White Mountain express, and that she would not -be at the station to meet the boys. - -Suddenly her face gleamed hopefully, for at that moment she heard the -near hum of an automobile, and the next second saw it whirl around the -curve in the road. "Oh, perhaps it will be a man who can help me," -quickly flashed through her mind, as she peered intently at the nearing -car. And then she almost laughed aloud from sheer joy, for, yes, the car -was driven by a man, who, with one quick glance at the girl's flushed -face, and the stranded vehicle, brought his car to a standstill and -jumped quickly out. - -As the man came towards the girl, who had begun to pleadingly explain -her mishap, and the hurry she was in, Nathalie caught her breath with a -startled gasp, as she suddenly was made aware that he was the bold-eyed -man who had accosted her in the post-office a week or so before, and who -had spoken to her near the cemetery. But she was so distressed and -fearful that she would miss the boys--poor little things, what would -they do if there was no one there to meet them!--that this fact was -submerged in the greatness of her need. - -In a moment or so she had regained her customary poise, as the young -man, after a cursory glance over the machine, discovered what was wrong. -Ah, it was a short-circuit. With a wrench he took from his pocket, he -soon adjusted the difficulty, and then turned smilingly towards the -girl, and with another of his bold stares assured her that her car was -all right. - -Nathalie involuntarily stepped back, and then, half ashamed of her -timidity when the man had been so kind, cried hastily: "Oh, I am so much -obliged to you! I do not know what I should have done, if you had not -come along. Thank you, very much," she ended abruptly, then, pleading -that she must hurry, she cranked her car, and, with a little stiff bow, -stepped into it, and a moment later was whirling down the road. - -But she had not gotten rid of her helper as quickly as she thought, for -it was only a second, as it seemed to her, when, on turning her head as -she heard the throb of a machine in her rear, she saw, with a sudden -qualm of fear, that the man was following her. "Oh why does he do that?" -she thought in nervous apprehension. "Yes, he must be following me," she -mentally decided, "for he was going in the opposite direction when I -hailed him." - -But sensibly determining to pay no attention to him, she kept on her -way, although an aggravating dread assailed her that she could not -account for, that the man might waylay, and try to rob her, the bold -glance of his eyes having filled her with a feeling of distrust. - -Ah, she was at the station. As she glided up to the little wooden -platform she peered anxiously around, but no one was in sight. Bringing -her car to a halt, she jumped hastily out and scurried around to the -other side of the platform, only to see the ticket-agent locking up the -waiting-room, as he prepared to depart on his nightly journey home, as -the station was only open for certain trains. - -"Did you see any little boys get off the White Mountain express?" -inquired the girl breathlessly. - -"Why, yes," replied the man, as he slipped the door-key into his pocket, -"I saw three,--no, four boys. They waited around here for some time, and -then they went away. They looked like foreigners; one little chap must -have been an Italian, for he carried a violin under his arm, and wore a -queer embroidered vest." - -"Did you notice in what direction they went?" cried the girl, while a -chilled feeling swept over her as to the fate of the boys. Oh, suppose -they should get lost in those mountain woods! - -No, the man had not noticed, and Nathalie with a dejected attitude, -turned away, nervously wondering what to do, and where to look. Well, -she must do something, for those boys must have been the ones Mrs. Van -Vorst had sent to her. Once more she was in her car, and then, in sudden -desperation, she determined to try every road in succession,--for there -were several leading from the station,--until she found them, for surely -they could not have gone very far, as they were walking. Buoyed with -this thought, she plunged into the graying shadows of the road nearest -to her, dimly conscious that the bold-eyed man in the automobile, who -had been circling around the little square of green in front of the -station, was close behind her. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - - NATHALIE'S LIBERTY BOYS - - -On and on she rode, peering through the gloaming until her eyes ached, -ever conscious of the "throb, throb," of the car directly behind her. -What a mistake, she thought dismally, to have ventured on these lonely -roads alone. And, O dear! how her mother would worry when she failed to -arrive home on time. - -Suddenly she stopped and stared fixedly through the gray light, and then -her heart leaped, for down the road a little distance, trudging slowly -and uncertainly beside the mountain-ditch, were four little figures. Oh, -they must be those boys, but she had sent for only three. - -With a glad thrill of hope urging her forward, the machine responded to -her touch, and in a moment she had reached the boys, one of whom, at the -sound of the oncoming car, had swung around, and was staring at her with -large, liquid brown eyes. The girl suddenly decided that he must be the -Italian lad, who the ticket-agent had said wore an embroidered vest, and -carried a violin under his arm. Yes, there was the violin! - -Nathalie brought her car to a sudden stop, and called out, "Hello there, -boys; hello!" - -At the sound of the girl's call all four swung about and faced her, -while a boyish, gruff voice answered: "Hello yourself. What do you -want?" - -Nathalie laughed happily, for a sudden intuition told her that her -search was over. And then she said: "Why, I am looking for some little -boys, who were to have come from New York on the White Mountain express. -Are you the ones?" - -A chorus of trebles piped excitedly, "Yes, mum; we comed off the train," -while the tallest lad, to whom a smaller child of six or seven was -nervously clinging, stepped forward. As he lifted his ragged cap he -cried politely, "Be you Miss Nathalie Page?" The girl, as she stared -down at the questioner, saw a close-cropped head of reddish hair, and a -freckled face of an unhealthy pallor, from which two sharp blue eyes -were anxiously peering. - -"Yes, I'm Miss Nathalie Page," responded the girl, with a note of relief -in her voice, not only glad that she had found the boys, but at the -sudden thought that her tormentor would now let her alone, for, with -four boys to keep her company, he would not dare to molest her. - -"I'm awfully sorry not to have met you at the station," she went on -regretfully, "but something happened to my machine and I was detained on -the road. But I did not know that there would be four of you," she added -a little doubtfully. But before she could finish her sentence, the lad -who had constituted himself the spokesman for the group, silently handed -her a letter. - -Nathalie tore it open, and then hastily read it. She was so excited, -however, by the many events that had crowded one upon the other that she -did not sense its full meaning. Recognizing the signature, "Elizabeth -Van Vorst," she cried hastily, "Well, it's all right, boys; jump into -the car," as she stuffed the letter into the pocket of her coat. -Nathalie immediately saw that a second invitation would not be needed, -as the boys made a wild lunge forward, scrambling and pushing each -other, as if to see which one would get there first, all but the little -chap, who stood whimpering by the side of the car. - -"Now, boys, no pushing or pulling," cried Nathalie with a laugh in her -voice, "for there's plenty of room, and you're all going home with me. -But here, you big one, get out and put that little kid up by me, for the -poor tot must be hungry and tired." - -"Sure, he is, Miss," replied the older lad, who evidently was his -brother, jumping down and lifting him up into the seat by Nathalie, -despite his kicks and protests that he wanted to sit with Danny. - -"Ah, there, kid," coaxed the bigger boy softly, "don't be a girl. Show -you're a boy. Sit up there nice-like. Sure the leddy won't eat yer." -This suggestion of being a girl had a magical effect upon the child, for -he immediately ceased to whimper, and settled back in the seat with a -repressed sniffle. - -Nathalie turned the car around,--the man who had been following her had -long since disappeared in the darkness,--and was soon speeding towards -home. She glanced every now and then at the three figures on the back -seat, who sat as still as three blind mice, snuggling up to each other -for warmth, while the little chap at her side clutched her frantically -as he lurched forward every time the car swung around a corner, or -bumped over a "thank-you-ma'am." - -"Here, kiddie," cried the girl presently, suddenly looking down at the -child, whose big, reddish-brown eyes were staring up at her half -fearfully from out of a wan, white face. "Put your head on my lap! -There, that's it," as the child, to her surprise snuggled up to her, and -then silently obeyed. "Now look up," she added laughingly, "and count -the stars." - -Although this injunction brought forth a chuckle from the back seat, it -sufficed to keep the little one quiet, and the girl, as she drove -rapidly on, could hear him droning, "One, two, three,--" until, with a -drowsy little sigh, the counting ceased, and the girl saw that he was -asleep. - -It was almost nine o'clock when Nathalie whirled under the dimly burning -lantern of the porte-cochre at Seven Pillars, where, on the veranda, -Janet and her mother were anxiously watching for her. - -"Oh, Nathalie, I have been so worried about you," began her mother -plaintively. "I will never let you go off this way again." But her -lamentations were cut short as her daughter cried, "Oh, it's all right, -mumsie; something happened to the car and detained me. But do help me -get these hungry boys into the house, for the poor things are just dead -with the long ride and for something to eat." - -Several minutes later, as the girl came hurrying from the kitchen, where -she had been to see if the boys' supper was ready, she found them lined -up in the hall, four pathetically weary little figures. Their pale faces -were smeared with railroad dust, and their foreheads oozed perspiration, -but their eyes were bright and expectantly keen, on the alert for the -something good that they knew was coming. - -As her eyes swept smilingly down the line, the smile suddenly wavered, -as her glance was arrested by the thin, emaciated face of a strange -grayish whiteness,--of a peasant lad, who, bewildered with dumb -amazement, was staring at her with a dogged look, his dark eyes haunted, -as it were, by an expression of fear. - -He was huddling something in his right arm, a yellowish-brown thing that -squirmed and twisted uneasily, while the left sleeve of his soiled -shirt-waist, strapped with one suspender, was pinned to his shoulder in -an empty, flat way that was infinitely pathetic, for the little lad had -only one arm! - -The girl stared back at the boy with a suppressed cry, as into memory -flashed the many stories she had heard of the Belgian and French -children who had been so mercilessly ill-treated and maimed by the -German soldiers. Oh, this must be one of those refugees. Yes, she dimly -remembered now, seeing the word "Belgian" in Mrs. Van Vorst's letter, -which she had read so quickly. With sudden effort, her natural -kindliness coming to her aid, she smiled into the fear-haunted eyes, -crying gently, as she softly touched him on the one arm, "Is that your -dog? Oh, I love dogs. What is his name?" - -A sudden flash of joyful relief radiated from the boy's face, -momentarily driving away that dulled, cowlike bewilderment from his -eyes. It was a look that caused Nathalie's heart to quiver with pain, -for it was the look of some dumb animal that had been wantonly punished -or brutally hurt by the hand it loved; a look that haunted her for many -days, constantly urging her to try and say something, or do something, -so as to drive it away. - -The next moment a little yellow-brown terrier was crouching on the floor -at his master's feet, while thumping the floor with his tail, and -licking his hand, then trying to crawl up his trousers' leg, as if to -get back to the shelter of that one lonely arm. - -[Illustration: "Is that your dog? Oh, I love dogs!"--_Page 184_.] - -"Oh, the poor animal must be hungry," exclaimed Mrs. Page, just as the -boy had given his name as Tige. "But come, children," she added, "and -get your suppers; and the dog, too," patting the brown head of the -refugee, while a look of infinite pity shone from her kindly eyes. - -The boys needed no further urging, as Danny, with a wild hoot of -delight, yelled, "Come on, fellers; it's eats." And then, -notwithstanding Nathalie's well-laid plans that each one should have a -good wash-up before eating, they made a straight run for the kitchen. - -Here they were soon putting down everything in sight in a way that -almost frightened the girl, as she suddenly realized the care and -responsibility she had taken upon herself. And that _one-armed boy_! O -dear! she had never thought of such a thing as _that_. - -But if they didn't have their wash before supper, they had it very soon -after, as the girl marched each one separately to the washbowl in the -bathroom, and, after making him duck his head in the water, proceeded to -give it a vigorous shampoo, notwithstanding sundry squirms and twists, -for Nathalie believed in taking things by the forelock, and they just -_must be clean_. - -Then the scrubbed one, after being supplied with towels and soap, was -informed that he must give himself a good scrubbing in the tub, and if -he failed to do it properly, he would have to do it all over again. -Nathalie's somewhat severe admonition was met with stony silence on the -part of her victims, unless it was a rather loud, "Gee whiz, fellers; -here's me for a swim!" that involuntarily escaped Danny, the older boy, -when he found himself before the well-filled bath-tub. - -When it came to the little chap's turn, Nathalie's young heart revolted -at letting him go through the washing process all by himself, as he was -so little, tired, and sleepy, so she said that she would give him his -bath. To her surprise he began to whimper, while his older brother -protested most vehemently that he could bathe him. - -"Oh, no," returned the young lady decidedly; and a few moments later her -charge was standing in the bath-tub, ready for his scrubbing, Nathalie -meanwhile talking to him gently, as if to quiet his fears. - -Some time later, with a red, heated face, the young girl emerged from -the room, dragging a little white-robed figure by the hand, whose face -was, strange to say, wreathed in dimples. "Here, dear, you get into Miss -Natty's bed," said the girl, leading the child into her room, "and -brother will stay with you until I return," motioning to Danny, who had -been waiting outside the bathroom, with a strange, worried look on his -face. - -"Oh, mother," exclaimed Nathalie a moment later, as she came rushing out -to the porch. "What do you think? Oh, I never was so surprised in my -life!" - -"Why, Nathalie, what is the matter with you?" ejaculated Janet, as she -placed her arm caressingly around the girl. "You are as white as a -ghost, and you're all of a tremble." - -"Oh, I've had such a scare,--such a _terrible_ surprise," stammered the -girl. And then she broke into a little laugh as she cried: "Oh, mother, -you know the littlest chap? Well, he isn't a boy at all; he's a girl!" - -"A girl!" echoed three voices simultaneously, and then Mrs. Page gave a -laugh, a laugh in which every one joined. - -It did not take Nathalie long to relate her experiences in the bathroom, -and then she remarked: "I wonder if Mrs. Van Vorst knew he was a girl. -It's awfully funny. Oh, I'll read her letter again." - -The next moment, with the letter opened before her, she was slowly -reading aloud: - - "Dear Nathalie: - - "I am sending you four boys instead of three. The fourth lad is - a one-armed Belgian refugee, and his story is so pitiful I am - sure, when you come to learn it, you will be glad I sent him to - you. A Buffalo lady sent word to the Belgian Relief Committee - that she would take one of a number of refugees recently arrived - from France. But when she found that the poor lad had been - mutilated by the Germans, her heart weakened. She claimed that - she could not stand unpleasant things--what about the sufferings - of the boy?--and returned him to the committee. - - "A member of the committee, hearing that I was looking for some - boys, and being greatly distressed over the cruelty of the case, - begged me to send him to you, if only for a little while, so as - to give them a chance to place him later. I, of course, will be - responsible for any expense he will be to you. I am sorry, but I - had no opportunity to clothe him. He seems a strange, docile - child. I think he is still living in the horrors of hell, from - those terrible eyes of his. Oh, it is heart-breaking, but I know - that you love children, dear, and I am sure that you are just - the one to bring something of the child in him back to his face - again. - - "His story is one of many. His village was overrun by the German - soldiery, and the brave little lad, while trying to defend his - mother from the atrocity of a German officer, was bayoneted, and - finally lost his arm. His mother was carried away into Germany, - but the boy believes her dead. I will not tell you the rest of - the story, for some day he may want to unburden his child mind - and tell you his pitiful take himself. His little yellow dog has - been his comrade through all of his weary wanderings, the _only - thing_ that remains to him of his once happy home, and no one - had the heart to take it from him. - - "The Italian lad was found wandering in the streets on the East - Side, making an effort to support himself by playing on his - violin, as his aged grandfather,--he seems to have been an - orphan,--who was a hurdy-gurdy man, had just died. The two - brothers were found living in a cellar, where Danny, the older - one, had been trying to support his brother, after the death of - the aged woman who had had charge of them. He sold papers, but, - when sick and unable to do so, was found half-starved in the - cellar. It is hoped that the bracing breezes of the mountain - air, with good healthy food, will make new children of these - boys. - - "Dear Nathalie, if you could only realize the bigness of the - work you have undertaken in taking these slum children into a - wonder-land of healthy living, the beauties and wonders of which - will mean to them a new and glorified world. God bless you, - dear, is all I can say and pray. - - "Your friend, - "Elizabeth Van Vorst." - -"No, this letter proves that Mrs. Van Vorst did not know that the child -was a girl," said Nathalie, as she tucked the letter in her shirt-waist. -"But, mother, what _shall_ I do about it?" she continued, in such a -dejected voice that her mother burst out laughing. - -"Don't do anything about it, daughter," Mrs. Page replied, still -laughing. "A girl is as good as a boy any day, and we will just set to -work, this very minute, and rig up some clothes from some of your old -things, for the child to wear." - -"Oh, I think she will make a lovely girl, with those great brown eyes of -hers," cried Janet, enthusiastically. "And she has dimples, too. I know -we can make the sweetest thing of her, and--" - -But Nathalie didn't wait to hear the rest. She was so overjoyed to think -it had turned out all right, that she was in a hurry to reassure Danny, -whom she realized had been greatly worried over the circumstance. But -how did they come to dress the child as a boy? she queried as she -hurried into the room, where the now little girl had fallen fast asleep -in Nathalie's bed, while her brother watched beside her with a white, -frightened face. - -"Tell me, Danny," inquired Nathalie gently, as she laid her hand on the -boy's head, "how did you come to make a boy of your sister?" - -A quick sob broke from the lad. And then, with a stiffening of his chin, -as if with the resolution that he would not give way, while furtively -wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he told how, when Granny -Maguire died, and his little sister's clothes, after a time, wore out, -he had been compelled to clothe her in his cast-off rags, because he had -no others, and he didn't know where to get them. - -"She didn't like it no way at first," the lad's blue eyes twinkled, "but -she got kind o' used to it, an' then I promised that when she growed big -I'd let her be a girl. And whin the leddy that does the settlement work -comed round and wanted me to go ter the country I couldn't leave the -kid, and when she said he could come too, I didn't squeal on meself, but -jest kept mumlike, for they wouldn't have let her come wid me if they -knowed she was a girl. Sure, marm, we'll have ter wait till morning to -go back," the lad tried to steady his voice, "fur the boss wid the brass -buttons on the train told me there ain't no train till then. Can we walk -to the station, do yer think?" he inquired pleadingly. - -"But you're not going back, Danny," replied Nathalie. "You're going to -stay right here with me, as long as you're good and mind me. It doesn't -make a bit of difference if your sister is not a boy. I wrote for three -boys, for I thought boys could take care of themselves in a way. Then, -as we have no servants here, and I get tired sometimes with so much to -do, I thought that boys would be more of a help. But we'll dress your -sister as a girl, and--Oh, don't cry, Danny," for the boy had turned his -head aside, and was silently struggling with his sobs. - -But they were sobs of joy, as Nathalie soon discovered, as, with a final -shake of his thin shoulders, he faced about and cried: "Oh, thank you, -ma'am. No, I ain't no blubberin' calf, but sure I just couldn't let the -kid go back alone--and--But Gee, leddy, it sure is heaven up here with -these big hills--and the green trees--and the flowers--And, leddy," he -pulled at Nathalie's sleeve as she turned to go away, "I kin be a sight -o' help ter yer, for I knows how to wash dishes, and I kin cook too, a -good bit." - -"Oh, that will be just fine, Danny," enthused Nathalie, "for I am wild -to have a man chef, and I'll let you wash all the dishes you want to, -for that's a job I hate. And, Danny," said the girl, patting the boy's -shoulder gently, "we are going to make it as near like Heaven up here as -we can. But come, son, you must be tired." And then she led the boy -up-stairs to the upper floor, where, in a large corner-room, she had -taken the other boys, who were undressed and ready to tumble into the -three beds. - -After directing Danny to sleep in the double bed, as he was the largest, -so that each one of the smaller boys could have a bed to himself, she -showed them the closet and how to hang up their clothes,--what little -they had, they had brought tied up in handkerchiefs, or on their -backs,--she turned to go. "Yes, and you must be sure to get up, _every -one of you_, when you hear the big bell ring in the morning." - -She had reached the door, after bidding them goodnight, when a sudden -thought turned her back. And then Nathalie had her first solemn moments -with her boys, as she told each one that, before getting in bed, he must -say his prayers, so as to thank God for the good things that had been -given them that day. The little Italian lad immediately drew out his -rosary and began to say his beads, but Danny scratched his head in a -dubious sort of way, and mumbled that it was so long since he had said -his prayers that he couldn't remember what he was to say. - -But this forgetfulness on Danny's part was soon remedied, as the girl -made him kneel by her in the moonlight that streamed through the window, -and solemnly repeat, "Now I lay me down to sleep," adding a few words as -a suggestion to the boy as to what he should add to the prayer. Danny, -with a brighter face, now began to prepare for bed, and Nathalie, as she -again turned to leave the room, stopped to speak with the refugee. And -then the girl's eyes grew moist, for he had stolen into the darkest -corner of the room, and, with his one hand solemnly upraised, was -repeating a prayer softly to himself, while the little yellow cur stood -at attention by his side. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - - "THE MOUNTAINS WITH SNOWY FOREHEADS" - - -It was something of a surprise the next morning to Danny's companions, -to see a little maid, clothed and in her right mind, as Janet expressed -it, come shyly into the dining-room,--a little maid who bore a very -strong resemblance to the brown-eyed, curly-haired, whimpering little -lad of the day before. The black eyes of the Italian boy, Tony, widened, -and then, with a shy gleam of humor in their liquid depths, he nodded at -the little girl, crying under his breath, "Oh, Boy!" But the little maid -proved herself competent to manage the situation to her satisfaction, as -she quickly made a face at him, for which she was properly rebuked by -Nathalie, who, however, was on the verge of a laugh, while a ripple of -amusement gleamed in her mother's eyes. - -Jean, the Belgian refugee, stared with some perplexity at the small -girl, and did not comprehend the curious situation until the children -had left the breakfast-table, when Nathalie made it plain to him. - -The girl found that the morning hours were well-occupied, as she started -right in to put her boys through their paces, as she called her -drilling, so as to prepare them not only for a very happy, but a useful, -summer's stay. She had noticed, during the morning meal, that the -children, with ready sympathy for the maimed boy, had been rather -officious in trying to help him, and that his thin, sickly face had -flushed with embarrassment and over-sensitiveness at the fact that to -them he was an object of pity. - -Instantly divining how she would have felt under like circumstances, -Nathalie managed to get Danny and Tony together, when Mrs. Page, whose -mother-heart had gone out to the boy, had taken him down to the barn to -show him where he could keep his dog, and Janet had taken possession of -the little maid. - -In a few words she told them the tragic story of the Belgian, and, after -gaining their interest, made it clear to them how they themselves would -have felt if they had been different from their mates, and warned them -about being too open in their method of helping him. She suggested that -little acts of subtle kindness would be more appreciated, as they would -not offend his sensitiveness. - -Danny was now installed, with a big apron tied around his waist, in -front of the kitchen sink, taking his first lesson in Nathalie's method -of washing dishes, with Tony, the second helper, as the dish-dryer. -Divining that it would not only be better for Jean, the refugee, to have -employment so as to fill his mind with something besides his sad -experiences, and realizing that he would naturally want to do as the -other children, Nathalie made him her right-hand man, as she called it, -and showed him how he could assist her in a number of ways. In a few -moments he was laboriously carrying out, with one hand, the food to -Nathalie, who quickly placed it in the ice-box, or closet, while little -Sheila removed the soiled dishes to the kitchen, happy at being on the -job, as Danny said. - -From dish-washing, preparing the vegetables for dinner, sweeping the -kitchen and shed, and dusting the dining-room, it was bed-making. Jean -was made captain of the Working Squad, eager to help by doing what he -could with his one hand, while seeing that the boys did their work as -Nathalie had instructed them. - -Fortunately for Nathalie, she was a fair French scholar, and as the -Belgian lad had lived in one of the Walloon provinces, where French is -generally spoken, she had no difficulty in conversing with him. He could -speak a little English, but in a queer, hesitating way that made him shy -over it. - -When the morning duties were finished, and they were not done with a -magician's wand by any means, but with the exercise of great patience on -the part of their young instructor, and a good deal of drilling on the -children's part, they all hurried out into the sunshine. Here they raced -about, enjoying the fresh air, the green trees and the flowers, and the -beautiful mountain views, and then they made the acquaintance of Sam, -who not only introduced them to the fascinations of the barn,--as the -cows, pigs, and chickens, the soft cooing doves who flittered over the -barn-roof,--but to the one dray-horse. This animal proved a source of -unfeigned joy to the boys, as Sam taught them how to harness it, and -then allowed each one to ride it bareback, even Jean, whose pale face -glowed with a strange joy, as he held the reins with his one hand, and -rode up and down on the road in front of the house. - -From the barn there was an inspection of the farm, going down a green -slope to watch the sheep as they quietly browsed, and then on to the -orchard, where they had their fill of fruit, while in the vegetable -garden many hands proffered willing assistance to Nathalie, as she -gathered what was needed to replenish the vegetable larder. From here -they all trooped down to pay a visit to the farmerette, whereupon Janet -set them all to weeding. Strange to say, Jean pulled up the greatest -number, to Nathalie's surprise, who, by this time, began to understand -that real industry, even if one-handed, can accomplish a good deal. - -Finally Nathalie lined her charges up under the trees on the lawn at -attention, and undertook to teach them the military salute, but before -she was through she was somewhat puzzled as to whether she or the boys -was the instructor. After they had saluted the flag, which Sam had run -up on the top of the barn for that very purpose, and which was to be the -boys' duty in the future, they had a little soldier's drill. - -A few words were then read, very softly, by Nathalie from the Bible. She -had concluded that this would be a good way to give them a bit of -religious instruction, especially for a beginning. She had begun the -reading by getting them interested in the book, on whose fly-leaf was -written the name, Philip Renwick, by telling them how she had found it -in a little room on the upper floor of the house. She then told them -about this boy who had left his mother to travel abroad, how he had -married, and had then come home, only to leave his mother and return to -Europe, never to be seen by her again. They were much interested in the -story, especially when she showed them the picture of the young man in -the library, and from that time onward the little Bible seemed to -possess a peculiar interest to them, and thus led them to become more -interested in the every-day Scripture lesson. - -After the "Star-Spangled Banner" and several patriotic songs had been -sung, and the "Marseillaise" had been given with much spirit by the -boys, Janet, who had just come up from her farm, appeared, and -patriotically kept time with her rake. She became so interested in the -little singers that she volunteered, to Nathalie's delight, to drill -them in the national anthems of the Allies. - -Whereupon Jean, with a new eagerness in his bewildered eyes, up with his -hand, and made Nathalie understand that he could sing, too. Nathalie -smilingly encouraged him, and in a few moments the lad's thin, quavering -voice, that grew deeper as he caught the spirit of the words, gave them -Belgium's song of cheer. This inspired Tony, and he became the soloist, -and sang Italy's national anthem. - -There was a "do-as-you-please time" after dinner down on the lawn for an -hour or so, and then the boys were mustered in the bathroom and -initiated as to how to manipulate a tooth-brush, in a tooth-cleaning -drill, Nathalie having supplied herself with three new brushes in -anticipation of this procedure. Sheila, who was not one of the -drillers,--only three brushes having been provided,--looked with envious -eyes upon this performance, and, when Danny had finished, in a -plaintively aggrieved voice complained to their young teacher that he -would not let her have his brush so that she could clean her teeth, too. - -Explanations were now in order. Nathalie smiling amusedly at the idea of -loaning a tooth-brush, and then they were all made as presentable as -possible, considering their ragged clothes, which had begun to prey upon -Mrs. Page's mind, as well as Nathalie's. But the clothes part was -something that had not presented itself to the girl when she had planned -the boys' coming, and she was at a loss to remedy the trouble. - -Certainly something must be done to do away with Tony's old velveteen -embroidered vest, his greatest treasure, and Jean's soiled white shirt, -which seemed to be the only one he possessed. Danny's clothes, although -they had been queerly darned and glaringly patched, and were miles too -small for him, _were clean_, and he did have a change of underclothing, -to Nathalie's relief. - -However, the general shabbiness of the boys' apparel had not affected -their merry spirits, the girl decided, as she sat knitting on the -veranda, and heard the happy, joyous voices that floated up from the -lawn, as they played leap-frog, ran races, and turned handsprings. Even -Jean, caught by the contagion of the moment, turned a somersault, to her -breathless amazement. - -She was beginning to realize what Mrs. Van Vorst meant when she spoke of -what the glorious wonders of these mountains would mean to the half-fed, -sickly little waifs of humanity from the East Side of New York. Yes, it -meant a new world, with no more squalid, stifling two-by-two rooms, or -damp, moldy cellars. No more nauseating smells, odors from the backyard -garbage-can, the rattlety-bang of heavy trucks and milk-wagons, or the -jarring creak of the Elevated. For, as Sheila expressed it, they were in -a "big green world, with high blue walls, with flower stars a-peepin' at -'em from the grass, and little teeny birds a-singin' and rockin' their -babies to sleep in tall trees, that nodded to 'em with a swishy -whisper." - -Suddenly the serenity of Nathalie's cogitations received a shock, as a -horrible swear-word came, no, not floating, but yelling, its way across -the green. The girl jumped up and rushed down under the trees, to see -Tony, with his soft, appealing ways, and Danny, with the blue eyes that -she had already begun to trust for the frankness of their gaze, rolling -on the lawn, locked in a vice-like grip, as they pommeled and pounded -each other in a way that made Nathalie gasp. - -Sheila, with squeals of delighted glee, was circling about the -combatants, piping shrilly. "Give 'im a plug in the snoot, Danny! Pound -'im in the mug!" to the accompaniment of big, forceful oaths that rolled -from the mouths of the fighting boys. As the little maid sighted -Nathalie, she ejaculated, with a broad grin, "Ain't them kids fierce!" -which caused poor Nathalie to gasp again. - -"Oh, boys, you mustn't fight!" the agonized girl cried, as she reached -down and tried to separate the young pugilists, with her limbs all of a -tremble. But her efforts were useless, and, regardless of her screams -and expostulations, the punching and scratching continued, punctuated by -defiant yells, and such horrifying language that the girl shivered. - -As she stared as if fascinated by this new and revolting experience, she -saw a little trickle of blood oozing down Danny's face, for Tony, who -was the underdog, was an expert at nail-digging. It was a _fearsome_ -sight, and Nathalie, appalled by the thought that he might dig out an -eye or so in his blinded wrath, in frenzied horror screamed, "Oh, Tony, -you're killing Danny!" But the only result of her cry was, "Yer bet yer -life he ain't!" and the hair continued to fly, as Danny yelled -triumphantly, "Gee! I knew I could lick yer wid one hand!" and the gory -battle continued. - -Then, in sheer desperation, hopelessly wringing her hands, she started -in the direction of the house to call her mother. Suddenly she stopped. -Oh, no; her mother would send them away, and then--O dear! Ah, she knew -what she would do. Terror speeded her feet, and two minutes later she -reappeared on the lawn, and with one swing of her arm there came a -terrific "Clang! Clang!" as the girl, with big excited eyes, thrust the -still clanging bell between the faces of the boys. - -The effect was magical, for the lads, with screams of terror, unlocked -their arms, hands, and legs, and rolled apart, while gazing with dilated -eyes, as if they had heard the crack of doom, at the bell that Nathalie -had thrust into their faces. - -A few moments later, almost unclothed, dust-begrimed, blood-besmeared, -and both sniffling from nerve-shock, but still breathing out dire -vengeance one upon the other, Nathalie led her two charges up-stairs and -thrust one into the bathroom and the other into a dark closet. Jan, at -this moment, appeared in the hall, and the girl excitedly dragged her -into her bedroom, and, in a hushed, nervous whisper, made known the -proceedings of the last few moments. - -But Jan, who at home was a district nurse, and had witnessed many slum -fights, burst into a peal of laughter. And then, with her face still red -with mirth and laughter, demanded, "Well, young lady, what else did you -expect if you will take ragamuffins and street Arabs to your bosom?" -Nevertheless Janet's sympathies were aroused, for Nathalie, if not for -the boys, and in a few moments the two girls were industriously making -the boys presentable once more. - -And then Nathalie led the culprits into a chamber apart, and began to -upbraid them, trying to impress their young minds with the enormity of -the wrong-doing of which they had been guilty. - -But the spirit of the cave-dweller was not yet subdued, and, -notwithstanding the girl's persuasiveness, and her pleading attitude in -her endeavor to make them see the error of their way, they kept up a -wrangling duet of recriminations, each one accusing the other of -punching him first, while stubbornly crying, "Now, ye didn't lick me." - -Presently Nathalie, under the strain of overwrought nerves, and the -sudden realization of the unforeseen responsibility of her position, -burst into tears. Lo, to her amazement, her tears acted like oil on -troubled waters, for the next instant a grimy hand tugged at her sleeve, -as Danny, with troubled eyes, in a sudden wave of contrition, cried: -"Oh, Miss Natty, don't take on like that. Sure and I'm never goin' to -fight no more." - -Meanwhile Tony's black eyes, in dumb entreaty, grew bigger and bigger, -until he, too, in sudden repentance, began to stroke her hand -caressingly as his soft, musical voice pleaded, "Please Mees Natta, -Tonee, he lova you--he fighta no more." - -Peace was making its way into each heart, when the purr of an automobile -was heard, and as Nathalie hurried to the window, she saw Mr. Banker -whirling under the porte-cochre. As the boys, paroled on their honor, a -little later hung around the car, discussing its many merits, they were -duly presented to the newcomer. That gentleman evidently liked small -boys, for he immediately made arrangements to call for them some day, -and take them to Littleton for an all-day good time. - -The following afternoon Nathalie, holding Sheila by the hand, with Jean -by her side, and the two boys in front of her, started to show them the -mountains. At the post-office at Sugar Hill village Jean, who had been -delegated to act as postman the coming week, was duly initiated into the -business of opening the mail-box, an office he accepted with a sudden -lighting of his dazed eyes, which Nathalie began to fancy were already -losing some of their fear-haunted expression. - -A short visit was paid to the Sweet-Pea ladies, where they were treated -to some maple sugar, Mona very earnest in her endeavors to show sympathy -for the little refugee, and her admiration for Sheila. As they hurried -away, a bunch of sweet peas was seen on each little breast, pinned there -by that gentle lady. - -A walk on the long, curving board-walk up the hill, with a rest on one -of the benches under the maples, to Hotel Look-off, now followed. The -three boys were anxious to start that very minute to climb Iron -Mountain, but were soon persuaded that it was too warm a day for a -mountain hike. From the long veranda of the hotel they were lured to -admiration of the hilly, wide-spreading green sward, and the magnificent -views of the mountains, as they rose and fell, receded and advanced, -with their jutting pinnacles of rock, gloomed with the green of mountain -forest. - -After slacking their thirst at the little spring-house in the grove, -they sauntered down the board-walk to the Sunset Hill House, and as they -interestedly watched the golfers in their bright-colored coats on the -velvety green links, Danny proudly informed them that he knew how to -caddy. But their enthusiasm grew tense when they stood on the little -observation tower in front of the hotel, and Nathalie pointed out the -Presidential Range, with Mount Washington towering six thousand feet up -among the clouds. - -She then showed them the Franconia Range, explaining that the great -mountains were divided into clefts, or notches, from which flowed four -long rivers and many smaller ones, several of them being named after the -Indians, who, in the early times, lived on the mountain passes. - -With the help of the chart they soon learned that Lafayette was the -highest peak of this smaller range, and that Pemigewasset, seemingly the -nearest peak to the hotel, had been named after a great Indian -chieftain. The adjoining peaks, as the Kinsman and the Three Graces, -proved of interest; also Cannon, or Profile Mountain, when the young -girl explained that it not only had a stone, shaped like a cannon, on -its top, but that from one of its sides a great stone face was to be -seen. - -Nathalie now told her young listeners how the mountains were first seen, -over four hundred and fifty years ago, a cluster of snowy peaks, by John -Cabot, from the deck of his ship when sailing along the New England -coast. They were called Waumbekket-meyna, the White Hills, and sometimes -"The mountains with the snowy foreheads," by the Indians. - -The first white man to ascend these heights, she related, was an -Irishman named Field, who, two hundred years after they had been seen by -Cabot, with a few white companions, climbed to the topmost crag of the -highest peak. "Field found a number of shiny crystals which he thought -were costly gems," laughed the girl merrily, "but, alas, they proved to -be only beautiful white stones, but, on account of this occurrence, the -mountains came to be called Crystal Hills. - -"The Indian guides who had accompanied Field part way up the mountains," -continued Nathalie, "refused to go any farther, for fear that the Great -Spirit, who they believed lived in a magnificent palace on the highest -peak, would destroy them if they ventured too near him. They were so -surprised to see Field return in safety a few hours later that they -decided he was a god, for during his absence a great storm had arisen, -which they believed had been sent by the Indian Manitou to kill him. The -redmen not only believed that the Great Spirit sent forth the frost and -snow, as well as the rain and fire,--the lightning--but declared that -the thunder was his voice." - -The Indian legend of Pawan was eagerly listened to, as Nathalie told how -the Indians asserted that when the earth was covered with water and -every one was drowned, he and his wife, carrying a hare, had ascended to -the highest peak. When the waters began to abate, Pawan sent forth the -hare, and when it did not return he and his wife descended to the earth -and dwelt there in safety, for the waters had dried up from off the -land. From this man, the Indians declared, every one on the earth had -descended. - -During the recital of these stories, Sheila's red-brown eyes darkened to -black, and every mountain peak assumed a weird and wonderful personality -to her imaginative mind, fed, as it had been, by stories of fairies, -pixies, and gnomes, as told to her by Danny, when playing the little -mother. - -But the tourists now found that their appetites had been whetted by the -keen mountain air, and gladly started on their homeward way to enjoy the -supper that awaited them. After tea they gathered on the veranda, and -Tony entertained them by playing on his violin. Nathalie soon discovered -that he not only played with considerable skill, but that Danny could -whistle like a bird, while Jean and Sheila could pipe forth snatches of -song in clear, childish trebles. - -The boys were rendered exuberantly happy a few days later at the -unexpected arrival of Mr. Banker, who had come to give them a day's -outing at Littleton. Morning chores, military tactics, and other -occupations were quickly forgotten, as Nathalie and her mother made them -tidy for the trip, Danny, by the way, having kindly washed Jean's one -shirt the day before,--a housewifely occupation that he had become -proficient in, from sheer necessity,--and Nathalie had ironed it. - -It was long past tea-time when the boys returned from their pleasure -jaunt, and told in high good spirits of the "bully" time they had had, -what they had seen at the movies, and many other sights. Nathalie's joy -almost equaled the boys' when they descended from the car, and she saw -three smartly equipped lads, each one in a khaki suit, with brown shoes, -a brimmed hat, a knapsack, and, the most prized possession of all, a -gun! The girl's eyes filled with tears, and she had rather a tremulous -time of it as she thanked Mr. Banker for his kindness, and especially -for those _much-needed clothes_. - -Nathalie, with her brown-suited boys,--Tony with his violin and his -embroidered vest, as he had soon discarded his khaki suit, Jean with his -empty sleeve, and yellow-brown terrier,--and Sheila, in a pink -sunbonnet, soon became familiar objects on the mountain roads. They were -always greeted with pleasant smiles and nods from the passing tourists, -Jean being regarded with more than the usual curiosity, as his story had -been rumored about. - -Many of them would stop and give him money, until he had so many silver -coins that Nathalie had to make him a bag to keep them in, as he had -declared that he was going to save them to take him back to France, so -he could find his father. It was not long before they had not only -become hardy mountaineers, but familiar with all the near-by walks in -and around Franconia and Sugar Hill. Jean, too, had begun to show a -decided improvement, not only having gained flesh and color, but having -a brighter and more cheerful expression in his eyes. - -And so the sunny days passed, cementing the bond between Nathalie and -her charges, and each one learning something that would be of help in -the days to come. And then, one day, Nathalie had an inspiration! - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - - "SONS OF LIBERTY" - - -One day Nathalie led the boys to a terrace, a few feet back of a -brown-shingled cottage across the road from Peckett's, and which stood -on a lower spur of Garnet Mountain, facing the Franconia Range. Here, on -this grassy ridge, gently sloping down to a green meadow below, skirted -by a tree-fringed road edging the rocky pasture-land which gradually -merged into the lower slopes of the range, she pointed out King -Lafayette, and his lower mate, Lincoln, with his two slides. The -Sleeping Infant, lying between the latter and Garfield's sharply defined -peak, was immediately heralded by the little maid, Sheila, as the -long-lost infant, which some kind-hearted fairy some day, with her magic -wand, would awaken. The Twins, and the huge Sleeping Giant, and some of -the lower peaks, all came in for a share in the mystic doings of the -little girl's fanciful imagination. - -The atmosphere was so translucent that each shaggy crest, pointed dome, -and spire of the range, sharply defined against the sapphire-blue of the -sky, stood forth with a strange lucidity, seemingly so near that one had -the inclination to put forth a hand to touch them. - -Lafayette's craggy foretop, standing up from the deep green-verdured -gorge that cleft one side of it, was startlingly like some huge -elephant's head, with a mouse-colored, wrinkly and baggy-skinned trunk. -The boys accentuated the resemblance by locating two big rocks, which, -they declared, were the beady eyes of the animal, while Sheila insisted -she could see the eyes move. - -As they rested on the ledge of a little circling wall of cobble-stones, -evidently the unfinished foundation of a stone tower, Nathalie told how -Lincoln's rounded dome had been named in honor of a great American named -Abraham Lincoln. "Some people used to call him 'Old Abe,' or 'Father -Abraham,' not from any disrespect," continued the girl, "but because he -was so kindly in his nature, his heart so filled with love for mankind, -that it was a title of honor, and showed the love of the people for -him." - -"Ain't he the gink that got to be President of the United States, and -made the darkies free?" inquired Danny eagerly. - -Nathalie nodded, and then led the boy on to tell how Lincoln, from a -long-legged, ungainly pioneer youth, brought up in a log cabin in the -wilds of Indiana, ended his career as the hero of the greatest republic -in the world. - -The little newsie told his story importantly, proud to think that he had -remembered these odd bits of knowledge from the little schooling he had -received. And what he didn't remember Nathalie did, dwelling at length -on the part this leader of men took in freeing the slaves, and what -slavery meant to the negroes of the South. - -As the little group listened with wide-eyed interest, the girl suddenly -cried, "Oh, children! think what it would mean to you if you were not -allowed to move about as you pleased, but were forced to do what you did -not want to do, although you might be tired and hungry, and were driven -about like cattle, and lashed if you disobeyed your master!" - -She then explained that all men were born free and equal, and that God -never intended that any man should be a bond-servant to his fellow-men. -"Every one," she emphasized, "has the right to enjoy the beautiful -things of life without being subjected to cruel treatment, and forced to -hard labor, as the slaves had been, just because their skin was black -instead of white. - -"But there is another kind of slavery." said Nathalie earnestly, "which, -although it may not mean the slavery of the body, like that of the -negroes on a plantation, is the slavery of the will. That is, a man may -not be lashed on his back, but his will is made subject to another man's -will, and he has to obey and direct his life the way this man says, -whether he wants to or not. All over the world, for centuries, the -people of different nations have been forced to obey the will of one -man, that is, the ruler, or the king, of the nation to which they -belonged. The peoples of the world have not been free; they have not had -the right, or the liberty, to do as they thought or felt." - -She then tried to make the children understand that liberty was -something as high and wide, and as vast, as the beautiful mountains -which rose before them. "It is like the air," she said, "or the -atmosphere, which stretches about you on every side, and around the -great earth like a gray blanket. It is so big it can't be seen, like the -mountains, or measured, and yet it can be felt. For if you were shut up -in a box without any air, or atmosphere to breathe into your lungs, you -would die. So liberty, God's special gift, is so dear and sweet to man, -that without it he can't grow or expand, for he is like a man shut up in -a box without air. He is like a little Tom Thumb, for he can only grow -just so high." - -Nathalie now interested the children in the story of the Pilgrims, the -pioneers of liberty in America, telling how, because they were not -allowed to have liberty under the rule of the English king, they came to -this new world and sought to worship God as they deemed right. In doing -this, she explained, they not only founded a colony where they had the -right to worship God as their conscience dictated, but they made -religious freedom possible for the people who came after them. By the -signing of the Compact in the cabin of the _Mayflower_, they gave this -nation democratic liberty, by giving every man the right to express his -thoughts and feelings, thus giving him a say as to how the people should -be ruled, which meant a government for and by the people. - -Nathalie now told of the patriots, and how, in the War of the -Revolution, they fought the mother-country, England, in order to -maintain the liberty given them by the founders of the nation. "By -uniting the thirteen colonies into one, they not only added unity to -justice and liberty, but gave us the United States of America. - -"These lovers of liberty also organized a society, in New York, which -became known as the Sons of Liberty, all the members determined to -defend with their lives the liberty and principles given them by their -forefathers. As liberty means the right to express our thoughts and -feelings, it also means that these thoughts and feelings must be good -and pure, _the best within us_," added the girl with sudden gravity. -"And these Sons of Liberty were so called not only because they _fought -for liberty_, but because _they gave of their best to mankind_." - -Danny added another link to this story of liberty by telling about the -Declaration of Independence, and how the Liberty Bell was rung from the -old State House in Philadelphia, so that every one should know that a -new nation had been born. The ride of Paul Revere was described with -spirited impressiveness by the boy, as well as what had occurred on -Lexington common, and the famous battle by the old North Bridge at -Concord. - -Whereupon Nathalie pointed out Mount Washington's cone-tipped crest, -majestically rising above a wreath of silver-gray clouds, and explained -that, although the Indians had named it Agiochook, in later years the -white people had named it Mount Washington, in honor of the great man -Danny had been telling about. - -After dwelling upon Washington's magnificent character, and recalling -little incidents from his life, Nathalie said that, like the great -mountain that towered so far above its fellows, so George Washington, -the first President of this great nation, was known to civilization as -one of the greatest men in the world, because he had given of his best -to help his fellow-men, and proved that he was a _true_ Son of Liberty. - -Jefferson Mountain, its crest rising in low humility near Washington's -greater height; Adams, whose stony front stood forth in rugged grandeur -on the left; and Madison, Monroe, Franklin, Clay, and Webster, as well -as other peaks, were pointed out to the children, each one named for -some great American, who had proved his right to be known as a Son of -Liberty. - -To be sure, some of the peaks were shrouded in a veil of mystical haze, -while others were but dimly discerned, as they peeped between the gaps -made by their nearer mates, but each and every one served to illustrate -in whose honor it had been named, and why he was a lover of what every -one loved--liberty. - -Nathalie now drew the children's attention to Mount Lafayette, and said -that this peak had also been named in honor of a great man, also a Son -of Liberty, although he was not an American. The children had heard the -name of Lafayette mentioned so often in connection with the present war, -that they listened with greedy avidity as the girl told about this "Boy -of Versailles," as some one had called him, when, as the young Marquis -de Lafayette,--a mere boy,--he used to lead the revels at that famous -French palace in helping the girl queen, Marie Antoinette, make merry at -her garden parties, when her boy husband was too busy in his workshop, -taking some old clock apart, to entertain his guests at court. - -She told how the little marquis loved to walk behind the brave soldiers -of the day, the one ambition of his life being his longing to be a -soldier. She told, too, of his life in the lonely castle among the -southern mountains of France, where his only companions were governesses -and masters, all intent upon drilling him to dance, to bow with courtly -grace, to pick up a lady's handkerchief, and other accomplishments of -the court. - -After leaving the College du Plessis, where his education as a courtier -was completed, he returned to his estate, now the heir to great wealth, -where he used to spend his time making friends with the peasants,--the -people who lived on his lands,--thus becoming acquainted with their mode -of life. In this way he learned the need of liberty, the liberty that -gave people the right to think and feel, and to express their thoughts -and feelings, and the great need that the people of the nations in the -world should have a voice in their own government, and thus learn to -govern themselves. - -Nathalie then told how, when the patriots of America began to fight -against King George in order to gain their rights, that the young -nobleman, now tall and slender, with reddish hair and bright eyes, heard -of it, and, although an officer in the French army, he determined to go -to America and help these people of the colonies to win their liberty. -He had a young and lovely wife,--they had been sweethearts when -children,--and yet so inspired was he to help the Americans that he left -her. With a friend, the Baron de Kalb, he eluded the spies and officers -of his own country, and in various disguises finally reached Spain, -whence he embarked for America, and gallantly fought with the American -patriots during the War of the Revolution, winning fame not only for his -bravery, but for his great friendship for Washington. - -"Indeed," said the girl, as she finished her recital, he was a real Son -of Liberty, and it is a splendid thing to think that these two grand old -mountains, facing each other in such magnificent grandeur, should now be -the monuments to these two wonderful men, monuments, too, that can only -perish when the mountains turn and flee away at the command of the Most -High God. - -"Lincoln, whose life-story you know," Nathalie pointed to the -green-wooded heights of Mount Lincoln, "also proved himself a Son of -Liberty when he gave of the noblest and best that was in him to the -people, in his great struggle to free the slaves. In fact," the girl -spoke a little sadly, "this great man was not only a Son of Liberty, but -he was a martyr to Liberty." And then she told how he had lost his life -because of his heroic determination to do what he thought was right. - -"Children," cried the girl suddenly, facing the row of intent, eager -faces regarding her, "can any of you tell me who to-day are proving -themselves true Sons of Liberty?" - -"The soldiers who are fighting in the trenches!" burst from Danny -quickly. - -Before Nathalie could assent, a thin, quavering voice burst out with the -ringing cry, "Vive la Belgique! Vive la Belgique!" - -"Good for you, Jean," cried the girl, as she enthusiastically clapped -her hands in approval. "_It is long_ _live Belgium_. Yes, Jean, the -soldiers of Belgium, of France, England, and America, too, now, are -proving themselves Sons of Liberty, because they are all fighting to -give liberty to the world. And brave Belgium," patting the shoulder of -the refugee, whose pale face was strangely illumined, "every man in that -little country has proved that he is a Son of Liberty, when, rather than -dishonor the great principles of liberty and justice, he took up arms -and defended it against the Germans when they made their mad rush to -Paris. They not only saved France, but every nation as well, saved it so -that each man in it could fight and thus give liberty to the world. Now, -children, let us cry with Jean, 'Vive la Belgique.'" - -When this cry ceased, Tony's velvety black eyes, with a sly gleam of -humor lurking in their shadows, became scarlet flames, suddenly -remembering that his native land was also in the war, and, with dramatic -fervor, he yelled, "Viva l'Italia!" - -Danny, not to be outdone in this burst of patriotism, immediately -started in with the lusty shout of, "Hurrah for the United States! -Hurrah for the United States!" - -Altogether it was a very patriotic little company that stood by the old -stone ledge facing those blue-hazed mountains on that sunny afternoon -and "yelled their heads off," as Danny said, in honor of the Sons of -Liberty, who were fighting in the trenches across the sea to give -liberty to the world. - -After the shouting and demonstration of the patriots had begun to wane, -Nathalie put up her hand for silence, and then, in her simple way, the -way that somehow always seemed to go right to the heart of every child, -said very softly, "And now, children, let us show that we, too, each one -of us, want to do what is right, to give of our best to make others -happy. Let us show that, although we cannot go and fight in the -trenches, we are still Sons of Liberty, by keeping a big, deep place in -our hearts for the boys in the trenches, not only our American boys, but -the boys of the Allies, every soldier of every nation who is fighting -for the victory of peace and right. - -"I know you all want to belong to the Sons of Liberty, that you would -like to show that you are real soldiers, fighting for the right; and so, -will you not bow your heads for a moment, and down in the big, deep -place in your hearts, silently say a little prayer? Just ask God that He -will bless the soldiers, these Sons of Liberty across the sea, who are -fighting for you and me, and give them a great victory in this world's -battle for the rights of men, a victory that means happiness, love, and -peace for every one in the world." - - - - - CHAPTER XV - - THE GALLERY OF THE GODS - - -There was a frightened look on the faces of the children for a moment or -so, and then Sheila cried in a distressed tone, "But, Miss Natty, I -don't know how to pray that way." - -Danny immediately flung about and flashed an annihilating look upon the -little girl, but Nathalie, drawing the child close, explained what a -silent prayer meant. Then, as she solemnly bowed her head, every little -head went down, and for the space of a moment or so, up there on that -high mountain,--that Nathalie always felt must be very close to -God,--there was a reverent silence, a sacred moment, as from each -child-heart went up a prayer. Perhaps it was only a dumbly spoken word, -or a reverent desire, but surely God heard. - -As Nathalie raised her head, and the children followed her -example,--evidently there had been some peeping eyes,--all but Jean, who -still kept his head down, his pale lips slowly moving, there was a -moment's quiet, and then Nathalie exclaimed, "Oh, boys, what do you say -to calling these rocks a fort?" - -"Crackie! that will be dandy!" responded Danny quickly. "And, Miss -Nathalie," he added, his face lighting with sudden thought, "why can't -we call it Liberty Fort?" - -And so the round ledge of cobble-stones was named Liberty Fort, and -then, before Nathalie realized what the suggestion carried, Tony -proposed that the path at the foot of the terrace on which the fort -stood, on the summit of the lower slope leading down to the meadow, be a -trench. - -Other suggestions followed, which culminated in a lengthy discussion, -leading the children the following afternoon to the woods, where they -gathered dried leaves, and little pebbles and twigs, to fill some bags, -which Janet and Nathalie had made out of some old potato-sacks, to -represent sand-bags to pile on top of the trench. The two girls -meanwhile sat in the fort and not only made epaulettes for the young -soldiers' shoulders, but also gas-masks, which these Sons of Liberty -vociferously declared that they must have, or they would be gassed. - -After the Stars and Stripes, with the various flags of the Allies, had -been fastened to a pole and mounted on the fort, the battle of the Marne -took place, represented by these small soldiers, with guns held high, -leaping over the sand-bags and rushing madly down the slope to the -meadow below, which had been named "No Man's Land." Here, with eyes -aflame and hair all tousled, they fought frenziedly with the imaginary -gray uniforms of the German soldiery, who were supposed to have rushed -towards them from their entrenchments, the stone wall by the road just -beyond the meadow. - -It was great sport, notwithstanding that their helmets--old tin -pails--would insist upon falling over their faces just when some very -wonderful capture was about to be made. But they soon learned not to -mind a little thing like that, as Danny observed with officer-like -brusqueness--he was the general-in-chief of these liberty forces--that -only slackers or mollycoddles would stop fighting for a hat. So they -fought most furiously, imitating in every way possible the maneuvers and -tactics of the soldiers in France. - -They took possession of a rustic seat on the ridge near the woods for an -outpost, and here Sheila, with a big paper soldier's cap on her head, -was posted to parade with military precision before it as a sentry. -Danny, meanwhile would climb a tree, to watch a make-believe enemy's -aroplane, or to play the rle of a bird-man, getting ready to fly in a -patrol over the enemy's entrenchments. - -The parts the little girl played were numerous, sometimes acting as a -canteen girl, selling lemonade and make-believe "smokes,"--twigs trimmed -to represent cigarettes,--or again, playing the part of a captured -Boche, always insisting that she was a prince, or some high German -official. She entered into the playing of holding up her hands in token -of surrender, while calling "Kamerad" with dramatic fervor. Then, as if -suddenly reminded that she was a scion of royalty, she would take to -fighting and kicking furiously to be released, bringing her teeth into -action, and inflicting sundry bites on her captor with such energy that -Nathalie, or Janet, tricked out with a white head-gear, starred with a -red cross, would hurry to the scene, and bind up with soft rags the -wounds of the afflicted one. - -Jean, who had begun to prove that his real self was only lying dormant -beneath a shroud of sorrow, was triumphantly happy as the bugler, and -one day suggested that they have a tank,--he had seen one on a -battle-field. An old tin can was then procured from Sam, which had done -duty in holding chicken-feed. It was now made to roll, in a horribly -queer way, down the slope and over No Man's Land, maneuvered by Jean, -who was inside of it, and who proved that he was a keen trailer of the -Boches, as the lad always called the Germans. - -The boy frightened Nathalie, sometimes, by the intense hatred he -displayed whenever the Germans were mentioned, as his face would grow -tense and a sudden fire would flame up in his eyes, while his one hand -would clench rigidly and his little form trembled with the force of the -passion within his breast. - -But the children did not always play at war in France, for sometimes -they were Indians, and would wriggle over the grass snake-fashion. They -were all sachems, or big chiefs, named after some red-skinned hero of -some Indian tale Nathalie had told them, each one intent on scalping -some white man. Sometimes Jean would teach the boys how to play some of -the games played in Belgium, as _jet_, a game which seemed to be played -with a stick on a stone, and which they all seemed to enjoy. Then again -they would play hopscotch in Jean's way, and which he called "Kalinker." -But always at the end of their play they would line up in the circling -ledge of stones, and, as if inspired by Nathalie's suggestion on the day -of their first visit to the fort, stand very still as they again bowed -their heads in a silent prayer for the boys who were fighting "over -there." - -Then, one morning, a telephone message came from Mr. Banker that he -would be up that afternoon and take the children to the Flume. Whereupon -they all became so exuberantly happy that Nathalie had rather a hard -time pinning them down to their usual duties. - -After a delightful drive, in which Nathalie and Mr. Banker were kept -busy answering the many queries propounded by the sightseers, as they -gazed in awed wonder at the strange rock formations with their purple -and green tints, the silvery waterfalls, and the many natural beauties -of the Notch, they arrived at the Flume. - -Here, opposite the Flume House, they climbed a zigzagging path up a hill -backed by two massive mountains, and then went through a belt of -woodland to inspect the Pool. This was a mountain freak, a great basin -over a hundred feet wide and forty deep, hollowed out by the -Pemigewasset River's age-old tools, sand and water, as they flowed over -its rocky bed. - -The lustrous green of its waters rippling between lichen-covered cliffs, -and canopied by overhanging trees--that looked as if they would fall -from age--was so transparent that the children could see the shiny -pebbles at the bottom of the Pool. - -On returning to the road they started for the Flume, passing over a -wooden bridge, and then up an incline, a sort of up-hill-and-down-dale -road, as it followed the mountain brook flowing from the cascade that -dashed over the rocks at the head of the gorge. The wild picturesque -beauty of this "Gallery of the Gods," as Mr. Banker called it, not only -elicited many exclamations from the children, but brought forth more -weird fancies from Sheila, which challenged the humorous gleam in that -gentleman's eyes many times. - -The child's mind was so rich in imagery, that every hooded mountain or -queer-shaped cliff, every passing cloud or glint of sunlight as it -filtered down through the leaves in the forest, and the soft patter of -the raindrops as they danced on the window-pane in a storm, were sources -of constant delight. In childish prattle she would tell Nathalie what -the wind said as it swept through the trees, or came with a soft rustle -around the corner of the veranda on a breezy day. The soft twirl of a -leaf, the trill of a bird in the silent forest, were all pixie-whispers. - -She would pick up a leaf from the road, beautiful to her in its satiny -greenness, or some gay-petaled flower, and talk to it as if it were her -dolly, or some tricksy creature from fairy-land, always giving it some -fanciful name that was keenly suggestive of its nature. Animals she -caressed and fondled with the fearless confidence and love of trusting -childhood. - -They finally reached the remarkable rock gallery in the very heart of -the mountain, which Nathalie now introduced to them as Liberty Mountain. -She explained that it was cut in two by the deep gorge, or fissure, -known as The Flume, whose walls reached to a perpendicular height of -fifty or seventy feet, while at its farther end a mountain-brook came -dashing down with great splashes of white foam. - -The children were hushed to profound wonder at the frowning gloom of the -great wall that reached so high and dark above their heads, with its -patches of green moss, and where, from its many crevices, young birches -had fastened their roots, and ferns and vines clung to soften its harsh -gray. Every now and then a tiny white mountain-flower could be seen -peeping down at them, like a fairy, Sheila declared, from a mossy bed of -green. - -They climbed up and up, stepping from rock to rock, to clamber at last -over the slippery smoothness of the granite ledges. Here the cascade had -simmered to a lazy flow, to eddy with a silver tinkling into the many -hollows that perforated the rocks, making tiny glistening pools, which -gave the children unfeigned delight as they dipped their hands in its -soft trickle. - -But when they reached the narrow foot-bridge, sometimes only railed by a -single birch pole, or a rope that clung tremblingly to one side of the -steep wall, and looked down into the gorge below, they came to a sudden -halt. With a haunting fascination they watched the brook as it now -dashed with a mad plunge, splashed with patches of snowy foam, over the -masses of green-embossed boulders, that looked as if they had been -tossed, helter-skelter fashion, into the narrow slit of rock, in angry -mood, by old Father Time. - -With strange awe they glanced up the gorge, through the weird gloom of -the scene, at the pearly glitter of the falling water, with its blur of -green background, that appeared as if some miraculous hand had suddenly -wrenched the earth apart to send forth its flashing spray. And then they -grew curiously still as they spied the eerie shadows on the high black -wall, where the sunlight, as it glinted down into the glen in wanton -sport, played hide-and-seek with golden glimmer. - -But the silence was broken as Mr. Banker pointed out a huge tree-trunk -that had fallen across the stream, reaching from side to side of the -gorge, making an arial pathway high above their heads. When the -gentleman said it was called "The Devil's Bridge," and that sometimes -people had walked on it across the gorge, their tongues began to -clatter. - -Fired by curiosity, the boys regained their nerve and pushed manfully up -the foot-bridge, barred with slats, like a horse's plank, while Mr. -Banker, holding little Sheila by the hand, followed close behind. -Nathalie, with a strange timidity, hesitatingly followed, always being -oppressed by an odd, queer feeling when ascending any great height, a -feeling that she wanted to cling to something more tangible than space. -But there was nothing to cling to but that shaky old railing, and little -Jean was hanging to it fearsomely with his one hand, his little form -shaking tremulously, and his eyes black with an odd fear. - -Stirred to pity, Nathalie drew the child to the other side of her, near -the high wall, away from that gaping rut in the earth beneath, and then -caught him firmly by the shoulder. Then suddenly, perhaps it was a quick -glance down into the depths below, she felt a strange, indefinable -sensation pass through her. A deathly faintness seized her; she closed -her eyes, and then she felt herself falling, falling---- - -But a pitiful cry from the boy, "Oh, Mademoiselle Natty! No, you not -fall! Jean will hold you," aroused her, and she opened her eyes to see -the white face of the boy, as he stared up at her while clutching her -frantically with his one hand. - -"Oh, no, Jean; I'm all right now," but even as she spoke that same old -sensation again thrilled her. She felt sick and faint again, and -then---- - -"Rather steep just here, isn't it? But cling to that rail, and you'll be -all right; you can't fall." - -The girl turned quickly, once more roused from the sudden fear that had -assailed her, and found herself gazing into the sun-tanned face of a -young man in khaki. He had slipped his arm back of her, against the -railing, as if to prevent her from falling, while from under the shadow -of his wide-brimmed hat two dark-blue eyes, heavily lashed, smiled down -at her reassuringly. - -Nathalie heaved a deep sigh. Oh, it was such a relief to see that -strong, brown hand grasping the rail. And then, with a quick little -smile, in sudden realization of her foolish fancy that she was slipping -down into the gorge below, she cried, "Oh, I don't suppose I could fall, -but something---- O dear! I know I am very foolish, but I always feel so -queer when I stand on any great height, especially when I look down." - -"That is a sensation that is shared by many people when they get up in -the air, I guess," was the kindly response. And then, as if to give the -girl time to regain her poise, he turned to Jean. "Do you see that place -between the walls?" directing the child's gaze to a place midway between -the top of the gorge and the brook below. "Well, ever since the Flume -has been known to white men," he continued, "a great rock, or boulder, -was wedged, or suspended, between the two walls. It was like a nut in a -cracker, a most curious sight. - -"I remember it as a child, when up in the mountains," he related, "and -always had a strange fear that it would tumble down. But every one -asserted that it was an impossibility, for it would take an earthquake, -or some great convulsion of nature, to dislodge it. Nevertheless I -always fought shy of it, and would scurry by as if a witch was after me. -But, strange to say," continued the young man, smiling, and showing his -even white teeth, "the prophets were away off, for it fell just a few -years ago, and without the aid of an earthquake." - -"Oh, did it fall on any one?" gasped the girl quickly. - -"No, luckily for the wise-alls; for it fell in the middle of the night, -and no one was hurt." - -Nathalie drew a relieved sigh. "What an escape! Oh, suppose it had -fallen when some one was passing beneath it!" - -[Illustration: The girl found herself gazing into the sun-tanned face of -a young man in khaki.--_Page 231._] - -"Well, they would have been pulverized," laughed the young man. "I beg -your pardon, Miss, but would you not like to have me help you to the -top? For I see you have the little boy with you, and, as you are timid, -I do not think I would risk it alone." - -"Oh, thank you; you are very kind," replied the girl hastily, her face -dimpling, for she had begun to feel like her old self. "But no; I don't -think I will venture any farther. I guess I am too timid. I will go -back." She glanced down at Jean, who was gazing up at the young soldier -with worshipful awe in his eyes. - -"Let me assist you down, then, to where you will not be affected by the -height." And Nathalie, glad to think that she did not have to turn back -and go down that plank alone, allowed the young man to pilot her down, -firmly grasping her by the arm, until she stood where she asserted she -felt no fear. She would wait there on the rocks, until the rest of her -party came down, she said, after thanking her rescuer. - -The young man bowed silently, lifted his hat, and turned to ascend the -foot-bridge again, while Nathalie sought a rock where she and Jean could -sit down. But in a moment he was back at her side, crying, "I beg your -pardon," Nathalie noticed that he had a pleasant voice that somehow had -a familiar ring to it, "but perhaps the little boy would like to go up -to the top, as every one likes to see the cascade as it plunges over the -rocks. I will take good care of him if he would like to go," glancing at -the little empty sleeve with a compassionate expression in his eyes. - -Nathalie was on the verge of saying, "Oh, no; I think Jean would rather -stay with me," when she caught a sudden expression in the boy's eyes -that caused her to say, "Jean, would you like to go to the top with this -gentleman? Mr. Banker and the boys are up there, you know." - -There was no doubt as to the child wanting to see and to do as the other -children, or his evident trust in the young soldier, and a minute later -the young man, with Jean's hand held firmly in his, was guiding the -child's steps up the foot-bridge. - -Some time later, as the car glided along the road on its homeward -journey, a short distance from the Flume House, Mr. Banker showed the -party a singular rock-formation, caused by the undulations of the -topmost ridge of Liberty Mountain. The outlines were those of a huge -recumbent figure, wrapped in a cloak or shroud, and bore such a close -resemblance, especially the contour of the forehead and nose, to those -of General Washington, as after his death he lay in state, on view to -the public, that it had been called "Washington in State." Many people, -he asserted, claimed that the great American's body should lie at rest -on this mountain ridge, named for what the great man had striven so hard -to maintain, liberty, and thus be his everlasting mausoleum. - -A six-mile ride and they descended from the car, to walk to the shores -of Profile Lake, a few feet from the road. But it was not to look at the -sunlit sheen of silver water, embedded like a gem in a green and purple -forest setting, but to gaze with awesome wonder at a huge stone face. It -was the Old Man of the Mountain that gazed forth with a stony stare from -a steep and craggy setting, twelve hundred feet high above the lake, on -the battlemented spires of Profile, or Cannon Mountain. - -It was another weird formation created by Father Time, that Mr. Banker -claimed looked as if it had been stuck on the huge mountain-cliff, like -the head of some criminal of medieval days, when spiked on the stone -gateway of some kingly stronghold for some dastardly deed. - -"But this face is not that of a felon, for note the calm majesty, the -beautiful benignity of its expression. To me," commented the gentleman, -"it is an unchangeable token and an everlasting confirmation that there -is a Creator, and bears witness to the account in Genesis where it says -that God created man in His own image, 'in the image of God created he -him.'" - -Mr. Banker explained that the face was composed of three masses of rock, -one forming the forehead and helmet, another the nose and upper lip, and -the third the chin, and that the whole length of the rock-face was -eighty feet from the top to the bottom. When viewed at a close range it -lost its contour, and seemed but a few huge rocks tumbled one upon -another, with no regularity of form or feature. - -After the boys had studied the gigantic "face in air," as Sheila called -it, and deciphered many oddities upon it, evoked by her imagination, -Nathalie told them the story of "The Great Stone Face." - -They were all greatly interested in Hawthorne's tale, and readily -grasped its meaning, that, after all, it was goodness and greatness -gained by studying the great and good in others, the giving of our best -to our fellows as Sons of Liberty, Nathalie tried to explain, that -helped one to become godlike. - -Mr. Banker then told the legend called Christus Judex, which told of an -artist, who had resolved to paint a picture of Christ sitting in -judgment, and how he wandered up and down the world from one place to -another, seeking in art galleries, palaces, or churches, a face that -would serve him as a model for his great masterpiece. But alas, it was -not to be found, not even among the paintings of the old masters, and -finally, lured by some wayfarer's tale, he crossed the sea, and in this -great stone face found the countenance that embodied the features and -the expression that satisfied his ideal. - -After walking a short distance around the lake, to view its beauties, -and picking out the stone cannon on the top of the mountain, they drove -to the Basin, another rock-wonder, a miniature edition of the great -Pool. Giant's Heel, a rock-formation of a human leg and foot, seemed to -possess a luring charm to the children, and after they had studied it, -and then discussed it with curious wonder and awe, the little party -started on their homeward drive. - -On the way Mr. Banker pointed out various stone formations, among them -the Elephant's Head and the head of a dog, while Echo Lake, alight with -the calm glow of a setting sun, revealed so many tempting bits of -lake-wonders that the children begged that they might spend a day there, -as it was not far from Franconia village. - -Nathalie was unusually quiet on the homeward ride, not only feeling -almost too tired to talk, but pondering with a puzzled air over the -young soldier-boy. She had a vague feeling that she had seen his face -before, but where? She finally determined to push the matter from her -mind, when a sudden smile leaped to her eyes. Oh, what a ninny she was, -for he was one of the soldier-boys she had met at Camp Mills, to whom -she had proffered the cherries! And he had not only helped to gather -them up from the dust of the road, but _he_ was the boy who had waved -his hat to them in a parting salute as the car whirled out of sight! - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - - BUTTERNUT LODGE - - -One afternoon, as Nathalie was preparing to take the children on a tramp -to Butternut Lodge, an old farmhouse on the opposite side of Garnet -Mountain, that had been fitted up for picnic parties by the proprietor -of a near-by hotel, her mother called her. - -"Nathalie," she said, as the girl appeared in answer to her call, "I -wish you would run over to the little red house and see Mrs. Carney. Sam -tells me she is ill, and that his wife, who generally looks after her, -is visiting some relatives. It would be only neighborly if you would -take her some fruit custard; there is plenty in the ice-box, left over -from dinner." - -"But mumsie," pleaded the girl in an annoyed tone, "I can't go this -afternoon, for I have promised to take the children to Butternut Lodge. -And then," she added rebelliously, "I don't want to go to see that -horrid old woman. Why, I thought that you had decided not to have -anything to do with her, after the disagreeable way she acted!" - -"Yes, that is so, daughter," replied Mrs. Page with a slight smile, -"but, like a good Christian, I changed my mind, a privilege I reserve to -myself when occasion warrants. When I heard from Sam that the poor -creature was alone in the world, I made up my mind to play the part of -the good Samaritan. We can well overlook the oddities of the aged, and -it must be trying to lie there all alone, with no one to give you a -helping hand or a comforting word." - -Nathalie was not conquered, as she had a stubborn will, and she had been -rudely repulsed so many times that she felt her duty did not require her -to accept any more humiliations. She was about to argue the case, when -suddenly the motto that she had vowed to make her own that summer, -flashed before her mental vision with a vivid distinctness. - -Making no reply, she slowly walked out on the lawn, where the children -stood waiting for her. After explaining her reasons for giving up the -afternoon hike, she turned to hurry into the house, determined to get -the disagreeable task over as soon as possible. Halfway up the steps she -paused, her eyes lit up with an amused thought evidently, for, with a -half-laugh, she turned and hurried back to the group standing with -woe-begone faces, trying to think what they could do to ease their -disappointment. A moment later they were crowding about her, listening -eagerly as she talked, their faces keen and bright, as if with the -inspiration of a novel appeal. - -Some time later, Nathalie, with a queer little smile dimpling the -corners of her mouth, knocked softly on the screen-door leading into the -little red house. As she heard a faint "Come in!" in answer, she gently -pushed the door open and entered. In her hands she carried a bowl, while -behind her, all cautiously tiptoeing, as if afraid of making the -slightest sound, came four small figures, each one carefully holding -something for the invalid, whom they found lying on a couch in the front -room. - -"Good afternoon, Mrs. Carney," said Nathalie, and then, in a distressed -tone, "Oh, I'm afraid we have disturbed you, but Sam said you were not -feeling well, and mother sent me over with the boys, to see if we could -not help you in some way. We have brought you something, too, that may -possibly make you feel better." - -The girl was in the throes of despair, as no reply came from the -recumbent figure, only the slow-moving of a big fan. O dear! she -thought, perhaps her little ruse to relieve the awkwardness of a most -curious situation was not going to succeed. - -But at this instant, Sheila came forward. Her sympathies had been -aroused on learning about the curious old lady, and on finding that -there was nothing for her to carry to the sick one, she had gone out to -the roadside and gathered a big bunch of wild flowers, to her a panacea -for every ill. - -These she now thrust towards the figure on the couch, crying, in her -sweet childish treble, "I'm sorry, lady, you're sick, but here's some -flowers; I picked 'em for you." The child spoke in a half-frightened -tone, somewhat at a loss to understand the silence beneath the -handkerchief-covered face. - -Suddenly the handkerchief was withdrawn, and the old lady sat bolt -upright, with a startled exclamation, gazing in amazed wonder at the -four small figures, with their pleading eyes and offerings of sympathy, -standing in a row before her. - -"Bless me!" she cried, a half smile dawning in her sharp eyes. "Where -did these children come from?" - -"Oh--why--they're my Liberty boys," answered Nathalie quickly, with a -sudden flash of relief that at last the old lady's silence was broken. - -"Your Liberty boys?" she questioned with some bewilderment, as she -peered keenly at the slim young figure. "But you're too young to have -these boys." - -"Oh, but they're not mine! I'm not married." exclaimed Nathalie, a merry -note in her voice. "Why, I've just adopted them for the summer, so I -call them my boys. I suppose they're what you call Fresh-Air-Funders; -that is, they live on the East Side in New York, and I'm afraid the poor -things wouldn't have had any outing if I hadn't brought them up here to -get a breath of this mountain air, and--" - -But at this point, Jean, scrupulously faithful to Nathalie's drilling, -took a step forward, and, holding out his plate of fruit, in his fright -forgetting the little English he knew, cried, "Voici du fruit!" - -The woman peered at the boy, and then, with a slight cry as she saw the -little empty sleeve, drew him to her, as she took the plate of fruit -carefully from his hand. "Why, you poor lad!" she exclaimed in sudden -tenderness. "So you have some fruit for me. Is he a refugee?" she -queried softly, turning inquiringly towards Nathalie. - -As the girl nodded dumbly, Tony pushed forward his offering, a covered -dish of milk toast. Quickly removing the cover, he smacked his lips with -gusto, while his velvety eyes glanced in a smile, as if to say, "Here's -something nice for you, too!" - -By this time Nathalie saw that the atmosphere had cleared, and after she -and Danny had proffered their gifts,--some chicken soup and -custard,--with the help of the boys she drew a table to the side of the -couch. Deftly unfolding a napkin for a covering, she spread out the -toothsome dainties before her hostess, while Sheila, in childish -prattle, entertained her new friend by telling about the fairies, whom -she insisted lived in the flowers. - -As the old lady partook of the edibles that had been prepared for her, -the children, won by her seeming interest, with childish confidence told -her about their lives in the city, how they liked the beautiful -mountains, all about their many battles down at the old stone ledge, and -how they were all learning to be Sons of Liberty. This drew Nathalie -into the conversation, and she was soon animatedly telling how she -happened to become a Liberty Girl, and how she was not only trying to -carry out her plans in regard to liberty up there in the mountains, but -was anxious to help the children know what it meant to become good -Americans, and to understand why our nation had sent soldiers across the -sea to fight the Hun. - -Tony needed but one invitation, and the violin was brought forth from -under his arm,--he always carried it,--and presently he was playing some -little Italian airs, after which Jean sang Belgium's national anthem, at -Mrs. Carney's request, and Danny recited a war-poem that Janet had -taught him. Even Sheila contributed her quota to the impromptu -entertainment and recited "Betsy's Battle Flag," as she, too, was a -pupil of Janet's, that young lady having become so interested in the -children that she had not only helped her friend to teach them to sing, -but had taught them to recite. - -But now it was time to go, as Nathalie did not want to weary Mrs. -Carney, although, to the girl's surprise, that lady insisted that her -sick headache had disappeared, cured, she laughingly confessed, by the -young visitors, who had entertained her so charmingly. - -With the promise to call again with her charges, Nathalie hurried them -away, happily content that she had followed her mother's suggestion and -tried to be helpful and kind to her seemingly odd little neighbor. "It -pays to be pleasant with people," she remarked sagely, as she related -the results of the visit. "For even if you don't like them it gives you -a pleasant feeling to think that you have done 'your bit' in keeping the -chain of brotherly love well oiled." - -Mrs. Page sat knitting on the veranda the following morning when -Nathalie came hurrying out of the house with an angry light in her eyes. -"Oh, mother, what do you think?" she exclaimed irritably. "Cynthia has -set the children all looking for that _mystery thing_. Did you ever hear -of anything so absurd? And they have gone wild about it, and are running -around the attic and the upper floors, pulling things about in a most -disorderly fashion. Oh, I do think she is the limit!" - -Mrs. Page looked at Nathalie in silence for a moment, and then said, -with some amusement in her eyes, "It is absurd, but don't get wrought up -about it. Cynthia hasn't stopped to think. She is so anxious to find it -that it has become an obsession with her. But it won't do to let the -children get mixed up in anything of that kind." Her face sobered, and -for a space the only sound was the clicking of her knitting-needles, -while Nathalie, with a frown on her face, pondered how she was going to -undo the mischief that Cynthia had wrought, keenly realizing what would -follow if the children were not stopped in looking for something that -she knew they would never find. - -"Go and tell the children to come here, Nathalie," said her mother, "and -we'll have a little talk." The girl, with a brighter face, complied, as -she always felt greatly relieved, when anything went wrong with her -boys, to have her mother straighten things out. - -In a moment they were on the veranda, looking very much bedraggled and -dust-begrimed, as, with faces eagerly alert, they told what they had -been doing, after a little adroit questioning on the part of Mrs. Page. -It did not take the good lady long to make it clear to the -mystery-seekers that this _valuable thing_ that they had been searching -for was something that only concerned Nathalie and her cousins. - -She now made it clear to them that the searching was undoubtedly a whim -on the part of the former inmate of Seven Pillars, and that the finding -of it simply meant a reward to the one of the three girls who had proved -the most industrious in looking for it. She ended by saying that it -would not likely be of any great value, adding, "And, children, it would -not be yours even if you found it." - -"Oh, but we're going to give it to Miss Natty!" came a chorus of -determined little voices. "And Miss Cynthia said it was something awful -rich," added Sheila, "and I just guess that it must be a great big -jewel, or a pot of gold." "Sure, and we want Miss Natty to have it," -ended Danny, with big, disappointed eyes. - -This was not the first time that Mrs. Page had had to do away with a -seeming mystery connected with Mrs. Renwick's peculiar instructions. For -the mystery-room had proved a source of morbid curiosity to the -children, as they questioned as to what was behind that great, dark red -curtain. They would scurry by the door with bated breath and big, -excited eyes, in whose depths lurked a latent fear of some unknown -terror, until Mrs. Page had ordered the curtain down, declaring that the -door simply closed, and barred, would end the mystery. - -Fortunately the children's attention was now turned to other matters, -but Nathalie, somehow, could not put the incident from her mind. She had -a vague, conscience-stricken feeling that _she_ would never gain the -reward for being industrious, for although she had not failed to make an -entry in her diary, she _had failed_ to search as diligently as she -should have done. Whereupon, with a silent vow that she would put aside -an hour every day for this disagreeable task, she hastened upstairs to -put her plan in execution. - -Nathalie was lying in the hammock in the moonlight a few evenings later, -half-drowsing. She was more than usually tired, for they had spent the -day at Butternut Lodge. It had been an all-day hike, setting forth in -the forenoon with a climb up old Garnet, starting in at the log -gate-posts opposite Peckett's flower-garden. - -Ascending a grassy incline studded with rocks, where mountain-sheep and -a gray donkey meandered, nibbling the coarse grass, they entered the -cool damp of the forest gloom, where hundreds of trees confronted them. -Age-ringed and gnarled, their limbs twisted in eerie contortion to -grotesque shapes, they stood in the dim cathedral light bristling with -shadows, a battalion of ghoulish-looking sentinels, guarding the -rock-crowned heights. - -But on they climbed, up the pine-needled path, stepping from -lichen-covered rocks to gnarled tree-roots, or clambering deftly over -blackened, flame-licked tree-trunks, that barred their way like yawning -chasms. Every now and then they would stop to gather some tiny wood posy -peeping coquettishly from the crevice of a broken crag, or a -crimson-dyed leaf on a mossy patch, or to brush aside the black loam to -burrow among dead leaves for feathery ferns, or one of the tiny -umbrellas, as Sheila called the many-colored toadstools that grew by the -path. But when the little maid spied a _fleur des fes_, a -daintily-colored anemone, her delight was beyond bounds. - -Sometimes they would pause to listen to the mountain-wind as it swayed -the tops of long rows of trees, that, with the daring recklessness of -new life, stretched their bare-limbed trunks upward to catch the golden -sunlight on their glossy leaves. But the sweetest melody, perhaps, was -the wind that swept in solemn-toned harmony through the twisted boughs -of the old mountain-guard. - -But the wind was not the only musician that sunny morning up there in -the stilled hush of the green wood, for sometimes it was the soft note -of a belated bird's warble, coming with a haunting sweetness from the -dim recesses of the shadowed gloom, or the hammer of a woodpecker as he -plied his tool of trade. - -But feathered songsters and musical wind were forgotten when the -children struck the Red Trail,--splashes of red paint smeared at -intervals on the bark of the trees to keep travelers in the path. The -boys, as they scurried ahead, soon discovered a Yellow Trail, and then a -Blue Trail, sign-posts to the lone woodchopper, perhaps, as he comes -down the woodland path in the deep snows of winter. The Yellow Trail, -they discovered, led down the mountain, coming out on the road near -Lovers' Lane, the wooded path opposite Seven Pillars. Nathalie now -showed them how to blaze a trail that belonged exclusively to the Girl -Pioneers, and their interest became tense with excitement as she became -their leader and deftly bent the twigs in the shapes that meant so many -things to the Pioneers. - -A little log cabin nestling beneath a clump of pine trees, on the edge -of a slope, just below Agassiz's Rock, tempted the children to wander -from the beaten path. But they soon returned, and, in wide-eyed wonder, -declared that they had seen a pair of shoes by the door. Sheila was -quite insistent that some fairy godmother lived there, whereupon she was -rudely told by the boys that fairies never wore shoes. The children, -however, were loth to leave the spot, curiously wondering as to who -lived in the log hut. - -But as no one was to be seen, either within or without the cabin, they -followed Nathalie, and were soon standing on a jagged rock on Garnet's -top, in a wonderland of views that made them feel that they were indeed -birds of the air, skimming swiftly through a dim, mystical atmosphere. -With hushed breath and wide-seeing eyes they gazed down upon low-lying -valleys,--dabs of green between craggy rocks and lofty steeps, gemmed -with silver water, yellow corn-fields, and brown pasture-land. And above -all, in picturesque grandeur, towered a rim of battlemented crests and -ridges, silhouetted against curtains of crystalline blue, where sweeps -of white cloud drifted in gossamer veils. - -On the wide green slopes surrounding the farmhouse the children reveled -in a summer-land of daisies and buttercups, that jeweled the softly -creeping grass. While Sheila wove a wreath of mountain posies Nathalie -told how, some years before, a bag of gold had been found in a log of -wood in the old farmhouse. This added a new glory to the scene, and -there were many surmises in regard to this find, while the Girl Pioneer -plied her craft and showed them how to make leaf-impressions in their -little note-books, as each one had gathered a leaf from many trees on -their way up the mountain. - -After Danny had made a camp-fire and they had had a hike lunch of -frankfurters, roasted potatoes, and many toothsome edibles found in -their lunchboxes, they hurried back to the old farmhouse, and while the -children peeped into the old-fashioned brick ovens in search of another -pot of gold, Janet played on the yellow-keyed piano. Then came a stroll -to a weather-beaten barn, where an old coach was stored, which had once -been the mountain's only method of conveyance, some decades ago, and on -which was the name "Goodnow House." Of course they all had to mount the -rickety steps and crawl inside on the wide leather-cushioned seat, large -enough to hold almost a dozen children. Danny and Tony, however, soon -clambered out and mounted still higher, up to the two-step-driver's -seat, where they pretended they were driving a tally-ho, with Sheila and -Jean sitting back, within the railed top, as outside passengers, while -Nathalie and Janet, on the wide old seat within, acted the part of -tourists traveling to the top of Mount Washington. - -Wearying of these childish sports, Nathalie and Janet hied themselves -back to the farmhouse, where, after resisting the inclination to drowse, -induced by the lulling hum of the bees as they darted busily about in -the sweet-scented, sunny air, they sat down on the little porch and took -out their knitting. - -Suddenly the deep silence that they had drifted into, lured to thought -by their active fingers, was broken by loud squeals, mingled with boyish -shouts of laughter. And then a thrill came, as Nathalie suddenly -perceived the old stage-coach, drawn by Danny and Tony as horses, while -Jean, as the driver, was exultantly happy, perched up in the driver's -high seat. Sheila, meanwhile, bewreathed and betwined with wild posies, -sat within the coach, posing as a beautiful white princess who had been -captured by bandits. - -Nathalie's heart swung in wild leaps as she saw the one-armed boy's -perilous position, as the ramshackle, clumsy coach rocked like a cradle, -and realized what it would mean if anything happened to it, as it was a -most valuable relic to the proprietor of the hotel. - -With a sudden cry she jumped to her feet, and a moment later was -excitedly explaining to the would-be bandits the wrong they had -committed. In disappointed silence Jean was helped down from the top of -the coach, and Sheila, in whimpering protest, was hauled out. Then, amid -a profound and tragic stillness to the children, they managed, with the -help of the two girls, to get the stage back in the barn. Whereupon, -Nathalie closed the door and marched her charges off in another -direction, while pondering how to amuse them, for she had learned that -their active brains and nimble fingers must be kept busy or mischief -would brew. - -A low cry from Sheila roused her, to see a few feet away, on the -outskirts of the wood, a baby deer, gazing at them with mild eyes of -wonder. But the cries from the boys caused it to leap wildly into the -woods. - -Such had been the events of the day. - -Nathalie stirred uneasily, as a ray of moonshine fell athwart her face. -She rubbed her eyes, and then sat up in the hammock, staring about in a -bewildered, sleepy fashion. "Why, I must have been dreaming," she -thought, vaguely conscious that she had been living over again the long -day with its many adventures. - -"But it must be late; the children should be in bed." She could hear -Danny and Tony down on the lawn, their voices in loud and excited -argument. O dear! she hoped they were not going to fight again, and then -she gave a hurried "Tru-al-lee!" - -At the familiar call the boys came hurrying across the lawn, when, to -her surprise, she saw that Sheila was not with them. As she questioned -them sharply as to her whereabouts, they insisted that they supposed -that she was with her. The girl, somewhat alarmed, for the little lady -was inclined to wander off by herself, instituted a search. The barn, -grounds, Lovers' Lane opposite, and even the little red house were -peeped into, but all to no purpose. - -As Sam was in Littleton for the night, the boys were dispatched to Sugar -Hill village to make inquiries, while she and Janet, who had just -returned from a stroll in the moonlight with Mrs. Page, started to look -on the road leading to "The Echoes." Some time later the searchers -returned to Seven Pillars to report that no clews as to the child's -whereabouts had been discovered. Suddenly distracted, -conscience-stricken, Nathalie gave a low wail. - -"Oh, I do believe she has gone to the top of Garnet Mountain!" The girl -had suddenly remembered that for several days Sheila had been telling -how one of the boarders at Peckett's--a lady as white as snow--had told -her that every moonlight night at twelve o'clock the fairies came out of -the woods and danced on the top of Garnet. She had even suggested that -if Sheila could see them, she might be rewarded by receiving some of the -beautiful garnets that were hidden in the rocks, and which only the -fairies knew where to find. - -There was a grim silence at Nathalie's cry, as each one stared at the -other with a white, dismayed face, while Nathalie, with clasped hands, -nervously swayed herself to and fro. - -A sudden scuffle of small feet caused them all to swing about, to see -Danny hurrying towards the door. - -"Oh, where are you going, Dan?" cried Nathalie in a choked voice, -staring at the lad with bewildered eyes. - -"I'm going to find my sister--Sheila--" came in a strangled sob from the -boy. - -"But don't go alone. I will go with you," exclaimed Nathalie, quickly -springing to his side, as he stood with his face buried in his elbow, -while his slim body heaved convulsively. - -It was soon decided that Janet and Dan would climb the mountain-trail -that came out near Lovers' Lane, Mrs. Page and Tony would hurry in the -direction of Hildreth's farm, while Nathalie and Jean would follow the -Red Trail of the mountain, opposite Peckett's hotel. - -Twenty minutes later Nathalie and Jean, breathless from their hurried -climb, paused for a moment by a big tree that stood ghoulishly somber by -the path. As the girl, still panting, leaned against it, a ray of -moonlight filtering through the canopy of leaves overhead showed that it -was the Seat Tree, as they had named it on their climb that morning, on -account of its singular formation. - -By some freak of nature, from its main trunk, a short space from the -ground, another trunk had sprung, giving it the appearance of two trees -in one, and in this hollow some kindly-intentioned person had placed a -seat. As the girl perceived the seat she sat down, and feeling Jean's -soft breath come puffing against her cheek, drew the tired boy down on -her lap. Tige, the yellow terrier, crouched at their feet, his red -tongue hanging out of his mouth like a signal-light in the weird -darkness. - -Fortunately the darkness of the ascent had been lightened at intervals -by the moon, which was at its full, so that the girl had not been -compelled to use her flashlight except in the deeply shadowed places. -When they had begun to climb, Jean had whistled, his customary way of -calling Sheila, while Nathalie had not only called the child by name, -but had given her Pioneer call of "_Tru-al-lee_." - -But these calls had only re-echoed through the cathedral arches with -such a dismal, dirge-like sound that they had desisted. Feeling sure -that the child would keep near the path, Nathalie had kept her eyes busy -peering on all sides of her, thinking that she could easily discern -Sheila's white dress if she was anywhere near. - -All at once a low cry escaped the girl, as, with a convulsive clutch of -Jean's slight body, she bent forward, and peered through the eerie -tree-shadows to a dim, flickering light that shone some distance beyond -in the deep recesses of the forest. As the boy's eyes followed her -glance, in a tense whisper he cried, "Oh, Mademoiselle! see, there is a -man digging in the ground!" - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - - THE CABIN ON THE MOUNTAIN - - -Yes, it was a man digging in the ground. The quivering, yellowish glare -from a torch that had been stuck in the ground by his side--as it -flickered and flared, sometimes almost extinguished by the night air, -and then suddenly blazing to a vivid flame--silhouetted his form in -sharp outline against the high rock by which he was standing. - -As the girl's eyes dilated in puzzled wonder as to who the man was, and -why he was digging in the woods at this hour of the night, a queer, odd -quiver, or twitching of his head at times, as he bent over the spade, -aroused within her a vague consciousness that she had seen some one -before who had that same peculiar motion. - -Tige, the little yellow dog crouching at their feet, at this moment gave -a low growl, a warning that he might betray their presence. Nathalie, -quickly pushing Jean from her lap, grabbed the dog, and snuggled him -close to smother the growl, afraid that the man would discover that he -had been seen. Assailed by a nameless fear, she seized Jean's hand and -pushed on up the incline, stepping cautiously, almost noiselessly, on -the fallen leaves and stones, ever and anon glancing back, as if fearful -that the man would pursue them. - -Recalled to herself at Jean's wide, frightened eyes, and the tremor of -his slight form, she whispered with assumed courage, "Oh, I guess the -man is only burying some dead animal, or something of that kind up here -in the woods." Nevertheless she was almost as frightened as the child, -and was devoutly thankful when they reached a little clearing nearer the -top, where the moon shone down with the brightness of day. - -Yes, it would be about here that Sheila would come, for it was not far -from the jutting rock where they had seen such beautiful views that -morning. With keen eyes the girl peered around, but only craggy rocks, -scrubby bushes, tree-stumps--weird black objects in the moonlight--here -and there, backed by a forest of heavily-branched trees met her gaze. -Oh! what was that tiny glimmer of light over by the tree yonder? Was it -a light held by the man who had been digging, and who was perhaps -watching them from behind the tree? - -Nathalie's heart gave a wild leap, again shaken by that nameless fear, -and then, to her intense relief, she saw that the light came from the -little log cabin the children had found that morning in prowling about -the clearing. Yes, some one must live there. But suppose it should be -the man they had seen? Ah, they would hurry on, and gripping Jean's hand -in a closer pressure, she started forward. But no; Jean stood -obstinately still, with low-bent head, as if listening. - -What was it? Oh, it was a noise,--a low sound like a moan. Could it be -Sheila? Was she lying somewhere there in the woods? Why, it sounded as -if it came from the little cabin! Nathalie's head went up as she peered -resolutely through the gloom. No, she would not allow her foolish fear -to master her. She would go forward and see what it was--perhaps. A -moment or so later the girl, still frenziedly clinging to the little -boy's hand, her heart leaping with anxious agitation and nervous fear, -tapped loudly on one of the log posts of the open doorway, which was -hung with what appeared to be a large dark-colored shawl that waved -dismally in the wind. Almost immediately, in answer to her rap, the -shawl was pushed hastily aside and a man stood in the doorway. - -From the weird red gleam of a lantern that hung from the center of the -cabin, Nathalie perceived that the man was young, with a strange pallor -on his lean, brown face, which was lighted by large, densely black eyes, -that were peering down at her from beneath a tangle of soft, wavy black -hair. - -Inwardly quaking, but determined not to show her fear, Nathalie -inquired, "Have you seen anything of a little girl about?" Without -answering, the man turned and was pointing towards a log couch built up -against the wall, spread with an old army-coat. Nathalie gave a hurried -glance, and then made a wild rush forward, for the little form lying so -strangely still on the coat was Sheila! - -But the man's hand stayed her as he said in a low, but pleasant-sounding -voice, "Sh-sh! I would not awaken her. Poor little thing, she cried -herself to sleep." He then briefly explained how he had been awakened by -the low whimpering of a child, and, on going out to the clearing, had -found her sitting on a rock, crying piteously for the fairies to come -and get her. He was moved to question her, and then, by a little -coaxing, and the explanation that the fairies had all gone back to -fairyland, as it was long after midnight, he had coaxed the child into -the cabin, and finally she had fallen asleep. As Nathalie bent over her -in anxious solicitude she saw the undried tears still on her lashes, -while low, whimpering moans--the sounds that had arrested her -attention--came at intervals from between the soft, red lips. - -As the girl pondered as to how she was to get Sheila home, Danny's -policeman's whistle, as he called it, followed by Janet's shrill -"hoo-hooing," announced that the rest of the party of searchers had -arrived. In a short space they were all in the little cabin, animatedly -discussing how to carry the little girl down the mountain. Danny, -meanwhile, had hastened to the couch and was down on his knees, softly -kissing the little hand thrown over the side, in the abandon of sleep, -while the young man stood at one side, quietly watching the little -group. - -It was soon decided, at his suggestion, that they leave the little girl -there in the cabin with Danny until morning, when there would be more -light to get her down the mountain. This difficulty settled, with -relieved hearts they were about to set forth on their return journey -down the trail, when Nathalie, whose eyes had been wandering about the -rustic hut, cried, "But do you live here all alone up on this mountain?" - -The young man's eyes lighted. "Why, yes, I live alone up here. It is not -much of a summer-resort," he said, with a rarely winning smile. "Still -it answers my purpose, for I am guaranteed plenty of pure air. I am an -English soldier," he volunteered somewhat slowly, "and have recently -come over here from England. I was wounded,--" he glanced down at his -arm with its gloved hand, and which Janet had been eying rather sharply, -for it hung down in a strangely stiff way,--"and I thought the mountains -would benefit me. But I am very glad I found the child," he broke off -abruptly, as if he had been revealing something he did not care to talk -about. "I hope she will be none the worse for her adventure," he -continued kindly, "even if she failed to find the fairies." Nathalie had -explained how the child had come to wander away. - -[Illustration: Nathalie bent over in anxious solicitude.--_Page 259._] - -Early the next morning Danny and Sheila appeared, the little girl now -quite wide-awake, but she grew very shamefaced when Mrs. Page scolded -her gently for giving them such a fright, dwelling upon the deep anxiety -she had caused Miss Natty, when she had been so good to her, too. The -tears came into the brown eyes at this rebuke, and, impulsively running -to the girl, she protested with a stifled sob that she would not run -after any more fairies. - -Of course Nathalie had to kiss the woeful little damsel, but perceiving -that the auspicious moment had arrived to impress her with a fact that -she should know, she took her out on the porch, and then gravely and -carefully made clear to the little mind that there were no fairies, but -just beautiful fancies that existed in the brains of people, who put -them in stories so as to make them interesting to children. - -But Danny, apparently greatly distressed, now drew Nathalie to one side, -and confided to her that he believed that the young man must be hungry -and very poor, for there seemed to be no food in the cabin. And he had -heard him mutter,--when he thought the boy was asleep,--as he counted -some loose change he had taken from his pocket and thrown on the table, -"Well, that won't get much food." And then he had sat very quiet for a -long time, as if thinking. - -Nathalie immediately rushed to impart this news to her mother, with the -result that, a half-hour later, Danny and Tony, each with a basket -filled with food, started up the mountain-trail. In his pocket Danny -carried a note written by Mrs. Page, in which she not only thanked the -young man again for his kindness to Sheila, but made it clear that the -food came from the child, a thank offering to him, and that she hoped he -would find it acceptable, as she knew that it must be a difficult matter -to obtain much food up there on the mountain top. - -Some time later the two boys returned in a state of great excitement. -They claimed that they had found the young man asleep on the couch, and -although they had tried to awaken him, and had "hollered and hollered -right into his ear," as Danny expressed it, he had not even stirred. The -faces of the listeners grew grave as they heard this, and Janet, with a -sudden sharp exclamation, turned and rushed up-stairs, to reappear in a -moment with a medicine-case and her hat. Her training as a district -nurse was now to be put to a real test. "I just believe that boy has -been starved to death," she ejaculated, her blue eyes luminous with -sympathy, "for I could see by the look of him last night that he was in -a bad way." - -Of course Nathalie would not let Janet go alone, and so the two girls -and the boys again hurried up the mountain to the cabin, where they -found the young man not dead, as Nathalie had vaguely feared, but in a -state of unconsciousness. Under Janet's able ministrations he was -finally brought to, and after Nathalie had warmed some broth--Danny had -made a fire in the open--it was gently fed to him by Janet. As Nathalie -watched her, she opened her eyes in amazement at the girl's deftness and -gentleness in handling her charge, for this indeed was a new phase of -her cousin's character. - -Won by the girls' sympathy and interest, Philip de Brie--as that proved -to be the young man's name--said he had been wounded at the battle of -Loos, and then wounded again and taken a prisoner at the battle of the -Somme. After many months, under most harrowing circumstances, he had -made his escape, and finally reached England, only to find that his -mother had died in the meantime. "As I was alone," there was a -perceptible quiver in his voice,--"my father had died when I was a -lad,--I decided to come over here. - -"My father was an American," he continued. "I was born in America, and, -as I knew that I had a grandmother living here, now my only relative, I -felt that I wanted to see her. But I found that she, too, had died," the -young man's eyes saddened, "and, well, once up on these grand old -mountains, somehow I wanted to stay, they seemed so restful after the -nerve-shocked life of a battle-field and my prison experience. I found -this old shack up here one day in wandering about, and, after finding -its owner, hired it for the summer. You see, my arm was bayoneted by a -German," his mouth set in a hard line, "and was never properly treated -in the German camp. Sometimes I fear I will lose it altogether. But you -have been very kind to me--I shall get along now." He attempted to rise, -but Janet, forcing him back, insisted upon ripping open the sleeve -covering the bayoneted arm, notwithstanding his protests, and here she -found a condition that made her eyes grow very grave. - -After cleaning the wound and applying what remedies she had on hand, she -rebandaged the arm, which made the patient feel much better, he -affirmed. After giving him a soothing draught, and fixing him as -comfortably as she could with the meager bed-clothing in the cabin, so -he could sleep, she and Nathalie withdrew outside. - -Under the trees the two girls sat and discussed the situation with much -perplexity, for Janet maintained that it was a serious case,--that the -young man's temperature was not only rising, but that his arm needed a -surgeon's care. But what were they to do? And the girls' eyes grew -tragically grave as they realized that the young man was an object of -much solicitude, alone and ill in a strange country, and evidently -without any means. - -It was finally decided that they take turns in caring for him, with the -help of Danny, who was not only sympathetically interested, but who was -quite a handy man in many ways. He said he had learned to care for -Sheila, and for the old woman whom he called his nurse, who had cared -for them, and who was not only very aged, but miserably ill for some -time before she died. - -But the next morning, unfortunately,--Janet and Danny had remained -during the night,--the patient's condition was worse and Janet, with -tears in her eyes, besought Nathalie to go to the village and see if she -could get help. - -As the girl hurried down the trail her mind was active. Oh, she did hate -to make the young man a public charge, as he looked so refined, and had -such a noble, winning way with him. And he was a soldier, too; yes, a -"Son of Liberty," as she confided to Tony, who was by her side. For had -he not been fighting in France to give liberty to the world? "Why, there -isn't anything too good for him," lamented the girl, "and yet there he -is up there alone, perhaps at the point of death for want of proper -care." And yet where was she to get the money to call a physician, and -where could she find one, were perplexing questions. - -As these thoughts ran rapidly through the girl's brain, sometimes spoken -aloud in her stress, inspired perhaps by Tony's unspoken sympathy, as he -gently patted her hand, she caught her breath quickly, and a bright -flash illumined her eyes. - -"Yes, I will do it," she muttered aloud, absent-mindedly returning the -boy's caresses. "I will take the money. I was saving it. O dear!" -Nathalie almost wailed, "shall I ever be able to save even a _sou_ -towards going to college? Well, it can't be helped. I'll just have to -take it and see if I can't get some one to tell me where I can get a -physician." - -Hurrying into the house, Nathalie informed her mother as to the -patient's condition, and then told that she intended taking the money -she had saved and call a doctor. Mrs. Page kissed the girl softly with -troubled eyes, saying gently, "Never mind, Nathalie, you are investing -your money at a greater per cent of interest in giving it to this -unknown stranger, than if you used it for yourself. And then, who knows, -dear? Something may turn up some day----" - -"Oh no," cried Blue Robin in a discouraged voice, "_nothing_ will ever -turn up." And then, with a feeble smile, she cried, "But, as you often -say, mumsie, things are foreordained, and so perhaps it wouldn't be for -my good to have my wish. And then, anyway, I shall have the -satisfaction," the brown eyes were sparkling again, "of knowing that the -'drop in the bucket,' is going to do some good to some one." - -After finding Sam, who was rarely ill and could give her no information -as to where to get a physician unless it was at Littleton, she started -for the village. As she passed the little red house she ran in for a -moment to tell Mrs. Carney about the man in the cabin, as she had become -much interested in the young man's story. The queer old lady and the -girl had become very good friends since that visit with the children, -for Nathalie had learned that the sometimes sharp gray eyes covered a -kindly nature, notwithstanding the old lady's brusque, queer ways. - -"Yes, it just breaks my heart to take my college money," she dolefully -confided. Then, half-ashamed of her repining, she tried to explain how -college had been the dream of her life, and how many times she had been -disappointed. A kindly gleam in Mrs. Carney's eyes, however, assured her -that the old lady understood how she felt, and after a hurried good-by -she was on her way to the post-office. - -Nathalie feared she was going to get no more information here than what -Sam had imparted, when suddenly a lady, who had been standing near, and -who had been interested in her story, informed her that there was a -famous surgeon from New York up at the Sunset Hill House, and that -possibly she could get him. - -Thanking her warmly, the girl hurried up the board walk to the -hotel,--the children tagging on behind her,--feeling extremely nervous -as she realized her boldness in asking a big physician, who had probably -come to the mountains for a rest, to be bothered with a poor patient. -And then, too, who knew what terribly high prices he might ask for his -services? Nathalie began to feel that her "drop in the bucket" might not -prove of any help after all. - -But, bracing to the ordeal, she told the children to wait at the little -Observation Tower, as she called it, in front of the hotel, and hurried -to the office. She had just nervously cleared her throat to question the -clerk when the sudden cry, "Oh, Nathalie! Nathalie! where did you come -from?" caused her to swing about. The next moment Nita Van Vorst had her -arms about her, and was hugging and kissing her excitedly, while her -mother stood by with pleased, shining eyes. - -After a hearty greeting from Mrs. Van Vorst, Nathalie cried laughingly, -although the sudden revulsion from nervous anxiety had brought tears to -her eyes, "Oh, where did you come from, and when did you get here?" - -"We arrived last night," replied Nita, bubbling over with delight at -being with her friend again. "Our coming here is a surprise _for you_, -and we were just going to see if we could get some information as to -where Seven Pillars was, so as to motor there." - -"Oh, I'm so glad to see you, and now you can see my boys!" And then, -after Mrs. Van Vorst had led them into one of the little side-rooms -opening from the long hall, where they could converse without being -heard, she told all about her boys,--Sheila, the boy-girl, as she called -her, the good times they were all having, and about the young man who -was lying so ill up on the mountain, and what had brought her to the -hotel. "I am so nervous," sighed the girl, as she finished her story, -"for I don't know this big man, and I dread to speak with him, for fear -he will be brusque and sharp with me, but _something_ must be done for -that poor soldier boy." - -"Excuse me a moment," exclaimed Mrs. Van Vorst after she had conversed a -while; "I want to go and see if I have any mail." But, to Nathalie's -surprise, she did not go in the direction of the desk, but hurried after -a tall, rather stout gentleman who at that moment passed through the -hall. - -But the little incident was forgotten, as Nathalie and Nita had so much -to say to one another that they both talked at once, as if their tongues -were hung in the middle. Nita insisted that her friend would have to -remain to dinner with her, as she had so much news to tell, especially -about the Liberty Girls, that it would take hours to tell it. - -In the midst of these many bits of enjoyed information, Nita's mother -returned, and Nathalie in a moment was dazedly bowing to the tall -gentleman, whom her friend presented as Dr. Gilmour. "He is the surgeon, -Nathalie," she added smilingly, "whom you came after. As he is a very -old friend of mine, and a good American to boot," she nodded at the -gentleman, "he has consented to go with you up the mountain to see your -Son of Liberty, as you call him." - -"Oh, I am so glad! I am so glad!" burst from the girl with a -joy-thrilled voice. "And, oh, I thank you so much; it is so kind of -you," she added with misty eyes, turning impulsively towards the -physician. - -But the big man, with an amused smile in his keen gray eyes, patted her -on the shoulder as he said, "My little lady, I think that every true -American should stand ready to do anything to help any man, or boy, who -has been brave enough to face those fiendish Huns." - -"Oh, I think so, too," cried the relieved girl, a wave of color flushing -her cheeks, "and I think it must have been that thought that gave me the -courage to come and ask you." - -"Oh, isn't it just dandy!" enthused Nita, as Dr. Gilmour hurried away to -get his little black case, while Nathalie led her friend down the steps -of the veranda to where three little figures sat patiently waiting for -her on the tower-steps. - -But the girl's eyes widened as she suddenly perceived that they were not -alone, for a brown-clad figure with soldierly bearing, but with a -golf-bag slung over his shoulder, with one foot on the steps, was -bending down and talking to the children. And then a sudden thrill -stirred her as she recognized the soldier lad who had helped her down -the foot-bridge that day at the Flume, and who had so kindly taken Jean -to see the cascade. - -As Nathalie reached the children, she became embarrassed, as she -suddenly realized that she did not know the name of the young soldier. -But her embarrassment was momentary, as Nita called out merrily, "Hello, -Van. Is _that_ what you are doing, making love to the kiddies? I thought -you were going to play golf." - -"That was my intention," replied the boy, straightening up and lifting -his hat, and then his dark blue eyes brightened quickly, as he perceived -Nita's companion. - -Nathalie was now introduced to Mr. Van Darrell, the son of a friend of -Nita's mother, and then the little group were chatting merrily as they -waited for Dr. Gilmour, and Mrs. Van Vorst, who had gone to order the -car to take them to the foot of the Trail that led to the top of Garnet -Mountain. - -All at once young Darrell turned towards Nathalie as he said, "But, Miss -Page, have we not met before? Were you not one of the girls at Camp -Mills one day last month, who asked a party of us if we did not want -some cherries? And then, if I remember rightly, we all helped you to -gather up the fruit after you had knocked the basket from the car." - -"Oh, yes, I remember you," dimpled Nathalie. "No, not when I met you -that day at the Flume, although your face haunted me as being familiar, -but it all came to me on the ride home." - -"But I knew you right away," said the boy half shyly, "although I did -not like to make myself known, for, of course, I did not even know your -name." - -"Or I yours," laughed Nathalie. And then, with her mind filled with -thoughts of the young English soldier, she told his story to Mr. -Darrell, who immediately became so interested in Tommy Atkins, as he -called him, that he begged Nathalie to let him go with her, quite -assured, he declared, that he could be of some assistance to him. - -Before the girl could reply a new voice suddenly shrilled, "Oh, -Nathalie, how do you do? Did you come up here to call on us?" - -The girl, thus addressed, stared with some bewilderment, to see her two -New York schoolmates hurrying towards her. They looked very fetching in -their modish golf-costumes, with their bags slung carelessly over their -shoulders, as each one seized her hand and shook it cordially, while -smiling down upon her in a most friendly and chummy way. - -For a full second the girl simply stared, dazed and confused, as it -suddenly flashed into her consciousness that the last time she had met -these girls they had snubbed her, deliberately turning their backs upon -her, when she greeted them, the day she had come to the hotel to leave -the sweet peas. Ah, a sudden red leaped into Nathalie's cheeks, her eyes -flamed angrily, and she was about to return their snub by turning her -back upon them, for she had intuitively divined that they were nice to -her because they wanted to be introduced to her friends. Yes, they -wanted to know the soldier-boy. - -But something deep within the girl, her finer nature, whispered, "Never -mind, ignore their slight, and show that you are above them by acting -the lady." With simple dignity the girl coolly returned their effusive -greeting, and then, with cold formality, introduced them to her two -friends. Oh, how delighted they were to meet Miss Van Vorst; they had -heard all about her from a friend of hers,--Nita never was able to -discover this friend. Then, turning from Nita as quickly as possible, -they made an onslaught upon the soldier lad. Oh, how pleased they were -to meet him, they had been just wild to know him ever since they had -sighted his uniform. Was he a New York guardsman? What regiment did he -belong to? These and a score of similar questions were quickly hurled at -the young man, somewhat to his embarrassment. Nathalie could not hear -all they said as she chattered with Nita, but vaguely realized, as they -rattled on, with an angry flutter of her heart, that they were again -ignoring her, as she heard them urging Mr. Darrell to join them at a -game of golf. - -But a few moments later, when Nita waved a good-by to her mother from -the car, she was seated between the soldier lad and Nathalie, with the -children crowding upon their laps, and the doctor in front with the -chauffeur. - -As the car whizzed away from the hotel Nita gave Nathalie's sleeve a -sudden twitch as she cried, "Oh, look, Nathalie; there's the _Count_!" - -"The _Count_," repeated her friend in mystified wonder, as she bent -forward to gaze after a young man who had just flashed by in an -automobile. But suddenly, with a curious gleam in her eyes, the girl -drew back, a slight flush on her cheeks. - -"Oh, no, he's not a _real Count_," informed Nita with some amusement in -her eyes; "but every one calls him that because they think he's so -Frenchy-looking, with his dark skin and big black eyes. The girls seem -quite wild about him, for he takes them riding in his car. Some one told -mother that he was from Chicago, and was quite wealthy." - -But Nathalie manifested no further interest in the gentleman whom Nita -had dubbed the Count, although she immediately recognized the young man -as the one who had repaired her car the day she had gone after the -children. But, alas, she felt that he was no gentleman, for had he not -stared at her rudely in the post-office, and then accosted her near the -cemetery a short time later? - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - - THE LIBERTY CHEER - - -After Nita's arrival the two Pioneer-Liberty girls were so occupied with -things to see and do, that at the week's end it was hard to realize it -was not a month since her coming. - -In the order of events had been the anxious moments waiting to know the -doctor's decision as to the condition of the young English soldier. This -had been followed by Nathalie's deep joy when she realized that her -"drop in the bucket" was doing its bit. Yes, the doctor announced that -the young man's condition was serious, induced by his gangrenous wound -and the life he had lived for the last two years. Still, as he had a -good constitution, and youth is a ready up-builder, with proper care and -food,--emphasizing the word "food,"--he would be all right in a short -time. Yes, Janet had sensed the situation when she had proclaimed that -she believed the man was more than half starved. - -Under the care of the skillful surgeon, with Janet's good nursing, -assisted by Nathalie and Nita, who had begged hard to be allowed to -help, the patient soon began to improve. Possibly the atmosphere created -by having three young nurses, the soldier-boy as orderly, Danny as handy -man, with the other children as servitors, with nourishing food, had -done as much as medicine and skill in giving renewed ambition to a man -who had been dragging out his life on half-rations, in the solitude of a -friendless existence. - -The most important aid to the convalescent's recovery, undoubtedly, was -the thought of being able to refill an empty pocketbook, for Mrs. Van -Vorst, as soon as she learned that he was a proficient French -scholar,--he had lived in France, his mother being a French woman,--and -was graduated from Oxford, had immediately made the suggestion that he -give Nita French lessons. With her usual tact the suggestion had been so -delicately made, pleading it as a personal favor to her, so as not to -offend the fine sensibilities of the young man, that it had been soon -arranged. - -The young soldier's peculiar situation had been noised about, and -general interest and sympathy being awakened, many of the guests from -the near-by hotels had climbed the mountain trails, with offerings of -fruit or some delicacy for the invalid. - -When the fact became known that Nita was to take French lessons from -him, other young ladies at the hotels were eager to be his pupils, among -them Nathalie's two New York schoolmates, who ardently sounded the -praises of the handsome English soldier, whose refined scholarly face, -tall, athletic figure, his romantic story, bade fair to make him a -possible rival of the Count, who was considered the most eligible -_parti_ at the hotel. But the fact that the young man up in the cabin -had played a soldier's part in the present war, was an asset that -carried more weight than mere wealth, in the minds of the ladies, -particularly when it was fashionable to be patriotic. - -Possibly Nathalie's two friends seized upon this opportunity to make -themselves one of a very happy party of young people, who somehow -managed to have a most enjoyable time in ministering to their charge. As -soon as the sick man was able, he was made comfortable in a hammock -under the trees, on a clearing near the cabin, where each one vied with -the other to cheer him. - -Sometimes there would be a reading, then again just a merry chat, but as -the meetings gained in numbers, stories became the vogue, the -story-teller generally relating some tale about the mountains, or an -Indian legend, while the listeners sat and knitted for the soldiers, as -even Sheila and the boys,--all but poor Jean,--had become expert -knitters, under Nathalie's tutelage. As the patient had brightened so -perceptibly at these little mountain-top gatherings, Nathalie had dubbed -them Liberty Cheers. - -When Blue Robin saw that her two schoolmates had foisted themselves upon -the party, she felt indignantly grieved, as the snub they had -administered to her still rankled. She had been on the point of -revealing the incident to Nita, in one of their little confidential -chats, when that young lady had remained at Seven Pillars over night, as -she loved to do. But second thoughts stayed her, as she knew her -friend's loyal devotion to her, and her vehement way of disposing of -people when they displeased her, the result of her spoiled childhood. -Nathalie, also, was afraid to offend the two girls, for fear they would -not continue to take lessons of Philip de Brie, and she knew that would -mean a loss to him. - -Van Darrell, the Camp Mills soldier, and Philip had fraternized as -"mates"; for the latter, by his life on the battlefield, and in the -trenches, and with his experiences in a German prison-camp, had a stock -of information at his command that Van was greedy to devour. With the -wholehearted patriotic enthusiasm of our young American boys when called -to the colors, he was keen to be on the "firing-line," so as to get a -chance, as he expressed it, "to get a few jabs at the Big Willie gang." - -Philip's deep appreciation of Nathalie's kindness to him, and also that -of her friends, was not only expressed in words, but by the warm, -eloquent glances of his dark eyes. His deferential courtesy to all, his -chivalrous manner towards her and Janet, and his kindly, winning way of -making friends with the children, had won the girl's admiration. -Nevertheless she had noticed that it was Janet who had won his deepest -regard. It was to her that he turned with questioning eyes when anything -of moment came up, on her that his admiring, ardent glances fell when -that young lady appeared in some simple, but fluffy, bewitching little -costume, which she had taken to doing lately, somewhat to Nathalie's -surprise. - -When he grew tired and showed a restlessness, a desire to be free of the -merry-makers, a pleased look would dawn in his eyes when they left him -to the ministrations of the head nurse. The somber shadows in his eyes -would light with a strange glow as she hovered about him, trying to make -him comfortable, or giving him the medicine that he probably would have -forgotten if she had not been there to give it to him. - -And Janet? Well, she had been, as it were, curiously transformed into a -new creature, seemingly, by the sweet pity in her soft eyes, and the -flush on her winsome face, as, with tireless patience and quiet -diligence, she performed her duties. Evidently, for the nonce, her -vocation of mingled pacifist, farmerette, and suffragette had been -relegated to the past. - -Oh, no, the girls did not spend all their time with Philip, for, as this -was Nita's first visit to the White Hills, there were many things to -see. One of the first places she had been taken by her friend was to the -Sweet Pea Tea-House, to meet the invalid and the deaf-and-dumb lady. She -was not only charmed with their garden of gardens, but enthusiastic in -her warm admiration of the charms of its owners. And it was not long -before she was alternating with Nathalie in reading to Miss Whipple, for -Nathalie had managed, with her many duties and joys, to keep up the -readings to the shut-in. - -Mrs. Carney, of the little red house, also received a call, and the -young girl had come away curiously impressed with the oddities of the -queer little old lady, whose small black figure, with her basket of yarn -for knitting, always in that funny poke-bonnet, was a familiar sight on -the road. - -Janet, Nita declared, was "just lovely," and that this admiration was -reciprocated was evidenced by Janet taking her down to her farm, -although sadly neglected at present. Here Nita not only did her share of -weeding, but returned with such glowing accounts of the farm's -luxuriance, expatiating so glowingly upon its fertility, and what -wonders Janet had been able to accomplish so late in the season, that -Nathalie forebore poking fun at it, as she generally did. - -Nita had gazed at the mystery room with a keen desire to peep within, -had read Nathalie's diary of each day's doings, and had prowled all over -the house, intent on selecting what she thought was the most valuable -thing for Nathalie to select, as she, too, was anxious that she should -"win the prize," as the children called it. She had even visited Cynthia -in her sanctum sanctorum, to Nathalie's astonishment, the artist -apparently having taken a great fancy to the hunchback girl, being -particularly cordial to her, and returning Mrs. Van Vorst's call, to the -amazement of Mrs. Page, before that lady had had a chance to do so. - -But the reason therefor was apparently explained, when it became known -that she had suggested to Mrs. Van Vorst that she allow her to paint -Nita's portrait, insisting that her golden hair and violet eyes would -show up beautifully on a canvas. Nathalie was still more surprised when -that kind-hearted lady, whose income was amply sufficient to allow her -to indulge in many whims, consented, and Cynthia was in a glorified -state at the success of her plan. - -Liberty Fort had proved a good inspirer of patriotism, as Nita not only -became, for the time, a most valiant Son of Liberty, entering with great -zest into the children's sham battles on the meadow below, but she -introduced an element of war that was hailed with delight. This was a -battery gun, which she contrived to make, with the help of Jean, out of -an old lead pipe found in the cellar, and which was placed on wheels, -the remains of an old hayrack, and installed at the top of the terrace -in front of the fort. - -She had also helped the boys to make wooden swords out of sticks, and -also hand-grenades of thick paper filled with gravel, which would have -had a most disastrous effect upon the enemy if the latter had not been -imaginary. - -It was here one afternoon, as the boys were having a battle with all the -horrors of war, that young Darrell appeared, and as he and the two girls -sat on the stone ledge, he told them how he was "all in" by having had a -boxing-match with a prisoner when on police duty. - -"The chap was a foreigner," he explained. "He could only speak a little -English, and I had heard him mutter to himself several times in rather a -queer way. Suddenly, when I was off my guard, he let his club fly at me -and gave me a whack on the head that knocked me silly. I saw stars for a -moment, and then I let out on the chap,--he was a big fellow, as strong -as an ox,--and was just about to use my automatic when the Military -Police rushed up and in a few moments they had him as tight as a drum. -It turned out that he was off his nut, and I believe he is now in some -asylum. Anyway he put me in the hospital with a cracked skull for a -while, and then I was granted a furlough, and came up here with mother." - -The girls, under the spell of the military, were inclined to make a hero -of the soldier-boy, with the long-lashed, merry blue eyes and cheery -laugh, in their minds at least, if not openly. Later, when he was -sitting alone with Nathalie, in a burst of confidence, with sudden -gravity, he lamented that he feared that he would never reach the -"firing-line" overseas. When Nathalie expressed her surprise at his -fears, he explained that he had been detailed to sanitary work in the -hospital, and then he added, with gloom-shadowed eyes, "And it looks to -me as if it would be steady company; but it is up to Uncle Sam, and a -soldier is no soldier if he kicks at his job." - -"Oh, I just wish I were a man, so I could go over there," sighed -Nathalie a little dolefully. "Sometimes I wish I had a million lives so -I could give them to my country, and go over and fight." - -"Ho! ho! Blue Robin! You have changed your mind then, haven't you?" -good-naturedly jeered Nita, who had just come up behind them. Her blue -eyes gleamed mischief as she continued laughingly, "Surely that was not -the way you felt a short while ago." - -"No, that is true," replied Nathalie with reddened cheeks, "but I was -selfish then, and failed to read the handwriting on the wall." - -As Nathalie looked up in a shamefaced way at the young soldier she saw a -strange expression flit across his face as he gazed down at her. - -"Did you call Miss Page Blue Robin?" he asked hurriedly of Nita, with a -sudden, strange interest. - -"Oh, that is just a nickname," began Nathalie, "and----" - -"No, it isn't a nickname," returned Nita, with a defiant toss of her -head. "It is just your own particular name. Shall I tell Mr. Darrell how -you came by it?" And then, without waiting for permission, she told -their companion the story of how Nathalie found the nest of bluebirds in -the old cedar tree and thought they were blue robins. And when the Girl -Pioneers claimed that she must become one of them, she had to join the -Bluebird group. "Because, you see, she was a real bluebird," ended the -girl. - -It was then that Nathalie, who hated to be the subject of a -conversation, began to tell the young soldier of her many trials in -training her boys in military tactics. To her joy he offered to give -them a lesson, whereupon the young Sons of Liberty were lined up, Nita -and Sheila with them, and drilled in a simple manual-of-arms,--how to -stand as a sentinel on post, how to salute an officer or civilian, and -how to stand at attention when the national anthem, the "Call to the -Colors," or "To the Standard," were played, and when the flag went by. - -There was a drill in calisthenics, and then the young military -instructor explained to his youthful audience the necessity for a Son of -Liberty--he had caught the phrase from Nathalie--to have clean hands, -face, teeth, and finger-nails. "No boy or young man," he emphasized, -"will ever make a good soldier who will not discipline himself in these -small things. It is also essential for a soldier not only to be clean, -but to be courteous, helpful, and kind, especially to the aged and -weak." - -The drill was conducted in such a masterful, soldier-like way, and the -little talk made significant by so many points that Nathalie was -laboring to teach her boys, that the girls were greatly impressed, and -also the children, if one were to judge by their alert attention and the -worshipful glances they cast upon the young soldier as they went through -their war maneuvers. - -Nathalie and the boys were anxious to show Nita their mountain walks, -and so, with young Darrell, they spent many an afternoon, from glen and -vale, in studying the mountains, with their rugged crests and beautiful -cloud-effects. Their ever-changing beauty, their gigantic immensity, -their awe-inspiring silences lifted the newcomers to a reverent calm, as -they gazed at these everlasting memorials to the omnipotency of the -Creator. - -Sometimes the little party would walk four or five miles, something that -the little hunchback had never been able to do until she became a -Pioneer. The visit to the Flume was not only repeated, but they visited -the Lost River. The weird mystery of the silver stream, as it gleamed -luringly between massive gray bowlders, tempted them down the little -ladder, to slide over rocky ledges, and climb stony declivities, until -at last they were standing beneath the rocks in Shadow Cave. The Giant's -Pot Hole, with the shiny water peering at them from between the stone -walls, so suggestive of giants and strange dragons, with its weird, -mystical stream, made the underground trip to Mother Nature's caverns a -revelation and a delight to all of the party. - -They ascended Mount Agassiz at Bethlehem, where they tried to signal to -Philip and Janet on the top of Garnet, through the sun's rays shining on -a mirror, but although this method of signaling was greatly enjoyed, it -was not very successful. With all of the merry times, however, the young -invalid on the mountain was not forgotten, although he and Janet--with -Mrs. Page for company sometimes--passed many hours in each other's -company. - -Then came a cool, sunny afternoon in August, when they all gathered -around a trench camp-fire on the top of Garnet, for Philip had -convalesced sufficiently to do a little climbing, and had a luncheon in -the woods. And it was the two young soldiers who boiled the potatoes in -a pot that hung from a green pole, fastened in crotches on two upright -saplings over the fire-pit, from which a trench a foot deep branched out -on each of its four sides. This new kind of fire, as Sheila called it, -was a real soldier's fire, for it was where Philip had cooked his meals -before he was visited by Nathalie and Janet, his good angels, as he -called them. - -With keen satisfaction the children watched Philip toast the sweet, -nutty bacon for his guests, while Van showed the girls _his way_ of -making flapjacks, as he tossed them so high in the air that a shrill, -"Oh, you'll lose it!" almost unnerved the would-be cook. - -But no such dire catastrophe happened, and soon they were all enjoying -the brown cakes spread with maple sugar, and war-bread sandwiched with -bacon between. After the edibles had been disposed of and the fire was -banked, as Philip called it, for a later meal, Danny and Tony made a -Pioneer Camp-fire, and around its glowing embers--for the wind was keen -that cool August day up there on those craggy heights--they held a -Liberty Cheer. - -As they were about to cast lots as to who should tell the first story, -Van, who never tired of listening to Philip's experiences, begged him to -tell the girls something of his life as a soldier fighting in France. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - - "THE WHITE COMRADE" - - -Philip, who sat leaning against a tree, with his arm around Jean, softly -stroked the lad's dark head. Somehow he had shown more than the usual -interest in the little refugee, undoubtedly drawn to him in recognition -of the fact that he was also a victim of German barbarity, and because -they both spoke the same language. Nathalie, with a thrill of joy, had -noticed his tender, protecting watchfulness over the boy, and how Jean's -big eyes would gaze up at the young man with a gleam in their depths -like that of some adoring dog, who yearns for the hand of his master in -silent caress! - -"There is not much to tell," returned Philip after a pause, with the -hesitancy of one who dislikes to talk about himself, "for you must know -I am no hero." He smiled at the girlish faces so eagerly watching him. -Suddenly he sat bolt upright, unconsciously pushing Jean from him. "I am -an American," he exclaimed abruptly, "for my father came of good old New -England stock, although I was born in the South. But my heart has been -strangely stirred since I came over here, for the Americans are -asleep,--they do not sense what they are up against in this war of the -nations." His dark gray eyes flashed into flame. "Sometimes I feel I -would like to be another Paul Revere, and ride like the wind, knocking -on doors and windows, shouting to the slumberers, 'The Huns are coming!' -_They must_ be roused to the truth that this war is their war, and that -they have not buckled to their job." - -He paused a moment, the fire dying out of his eyes as he continued, "I -was feeling in unusually good spirits that summer of 1914, for I had -just formed a partnership with a well-known architect, and business gave -assurance of giving me a very comfortable income, and place me in a -position to repay my mother, who had denied herself in order to put me -through college. - -"Into this mood of complacent satisfaction with myself and world in -general, came a jar one day in June when the newspapers announced, in -glaring headlines, the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand. And, -almost before we had digested its portent, came Austria's ultimatum to -little Serbia. People began to grow restive, alarm-fired, keyed to a -tense state of expectancy that something was in the air, but--what? Then -tongues were loosened and eyes flashed fire as the Prime Minister's -scathing denunciation of Germany's 'infamous proposal' was bandied from -mouth to mouth, followed by Great Britain's ultimatum that Belgium's -neutrality must be respected. - -"Then came hours of anxious suspense, a harrowing waiting-time, with -every one's heart aquiver, while a little group of men in Downing Street -held their watches in their hands as they awaited Germany's reply. It -came. The deep-toned clang of Big Ben told to English hearts that the -world's decades of peace had been shattered, and that the Prussian -barbarians had struck their first blow at civilization. - -"From every corner and window now glared forth, 'Your King and your -Country need you.' Those words seared my heart like fire, but no, I -argued, I must make good with mother. But no matter how I tried to -cajole myself, the words seemed to follow me around like an accusing -finger. No, he wasn't my king. I was an American by right of birth, but -still they blazoned at me until I could see them with my eyes shut. They -starred the darkness of night; why, even in my sleep they clutched me in -a ghostly dream. The next day and for many days I saw them aflame on the -pavement, they were written on the sky in white letters, but still I -fought. - -"When England's young manhood sprang, as it were, from the earth, armed -to the teeth, and marched shoulder to shoulder in regular beat,--it -seemed like the pulsation of my own heart--as they swung along through -the streets of London, my head swam, my throat tightened, and--But when -I read of heroic little Belgium so nobly holding out against the -ruthless destroyer of justice and honor, I gave in and became one of -Kitchener's mob. - -"Those were not pleasant hours," continued Philip, "waiting at the Horse -Guard Parade to read when I must report at the regimental depot at -Hounslow, for I felt I was a misfit, in with a lot of men that, to my -inexperienced eyes, seemed the scum of England, and I sickened of my -job. - -"But when the news continued to pour in that Lige had fallen, that the -Germans had entered Brussels, that the British Expeditionary Forces were -retreating, heroically fighting, that Namur, Louvain, and other towns -were being ruthlessly seized and devastated by the enemy, and their -hellish atrocities began to be rumored about, the past, together with -all hopes and desires for the future, were wiped out as clean as a slate -in a spirit of forgetfulness. I lived in the moment, buoyed by the grim -determination to fight like hell to down the oppressor of men's rights, -to lose my life if need be, in order to give freedom to those who were -to come after. - -"My spirits took a leap when I registered at the Hounslow Barracks as a -Royal Fusileer, although I grinned humorously, for if I had felt like a -misfit in London I was a guy now, appareled like a bloomin' lay-figure -in the cast-off rags of some old-clothes shop, and had sensed that I was -only a steel rivet in a big machine. I was no duck either, taking to the -drills like water, for I would stand hopelessly bewildered at the sharp -orders, 'Form fours! One-one-two! Platoon! Form Fours!' and similar -commands, that were like kicks on a befuddled brain. But I gritted my -teeth and stuck to my guns. - -"As soon as my rawness wore off and I began to get the hang of it, the -martial spirit asserted itself. I began to be obsessed by the desire to -show that I was the right stuff, that the heroism of my American -ancestors, the spirit of '76, was in me. Through all my intensive -training I was feverishly eager to know every detail of company and -battalion drill, musketry and target-practice, and all the daily grind -of the other sundry factors in military discipline. - -"When I began to 'matey' my comrades, I soon understood why a Tommy -Atkins is not like an American, who is born with a fine sense of -personal independence, and who feels that he is as good as any Lord or -Duke; or like a volatile Frenchman, with his easy grace of manner and -buoyant spirit. I realized that although there may be a 'Sentimental -Tommy' here and there, the average Tommy Atkins is a stolid chap, -humdrum and prosaic, but with as kind a heart as any rookie in the -world. - -"As spring came along, after months of soldiering in many different -quarters, which meant roughing it in leaky tents where cold, rain, and -mud played a large part, and poor equipment a larger, we were no longer -raw rookies, parading or drilling before an unadmiring public,--a target -for pretty girls' laughter, or the ire of a berating sergeant,--for our -battalion had acquired a high degree of efficiency. - -"Our arms were one with us, we had done with squad, platoon formation, -and company drills, had shown our metal at the rifle-range at Aldershot, -taken part in field maneuvers, bayonet charges, and mimic battles. We -had become experts at trench-digging, bomb-throwing, and sniping, while -the machine-gunners were quite up to the mark in that important weapon; -in fact, we had become familiar with all branches of the army service. - -"Then when every man was 'in the pink' the marching orders came, and we -assembled on the barrack-square at Aldershot. Not only were we -physically fit, fine specimens of the trained soldier, but we were -completely equipped, even to the identification tag, which registered -your name, regimental number, regiment, and religion; besides, we -carried the first-aid field dressing,--an antiseptic gauze pad and -bandage, and a small bottle of iodine. Also, each soldier carried a copy -of Lord Kitchener's letter, as to what was expected of every British -soldier. The words 'Do your duty bravely. Fear God. Honor your King,' -meant much to me, although I was an American. - -"And then we were off, merry and blithe, no matter what our hearts -registered, cheering like fiends when some of the boys in khaki chalked -the gun-carriages 'at Berlin,' a new challenge to each Tommy to do his -stunt in making the Huns pay. Then came a drifting period when we were -herded like cattle from one train to another, or made long, weary -marches in the blind,--for nobody seemed to know our destination. But at -last we were in the shadow of the great battle, down in the earth, in -one sector of a long line of a serpentine trench, zigzagging from the -sea to the Alps. - -"This burrowing underground like a mole, digging trenches, or holes, in -No Man's Land, to string up barbed wire entanglements, or to pile -sand-bags on the parapet, or to clean out the wreckage of a trench that -had been battered by German gunners, or a trench-mortar--sometimes to -gather up the pieces of some 'matey' whom you had chummed with,--all -meant new activities. They were experiences and sounds--the sounds of -hell--and sights that cut deep, with an impelling remembrance haunting -you like grewsome shadows. - -"Yes, it was a strange new life," the young soldier paused musingly, -"for this kind of fighting is no battlefield with glittering helmets and -bayonets, the furling of colors, the prancing of horses, the roll of -gun-carriages, but stinging eyelids and a choking in thick gray smoke, -with the roar of cannonading, the sharp screech of shrapnel, the -bursting of star-shells, or the whir of strange, queer monsters above -your head. - -"There was the turning of night into day,"--Philip's face had a weary -expression,--"the daily mental strain, the danger constantly facing you, -the learning to know the sounds of the different shells and in what -direction they were going to fall. Involuntarily, with stilled breath, -you waited, and then came the sinking of your heart when you sensed that -it was _your turn now_, and then to find yourself still there, but to -realize that some of your mates had 'gone West.' - -"And the gas. Oh, the horror of the great, greenish balls that came -rolling towards you, close to the earth, the celerity of getting into -your gas-masks, and the _horrible thing_ that a comrade became if he -failed to accomplish this job on time, and lay writhing in an ugly, -venomous atmosphere of green. - -"Then there were the cooties, the parasites that feed _on you_, and with -whom you maintain a constant warfare," Philip smiled as he saw the girls -squirm; "and the rats, as big as cats, with sharp, ferret-like eyes, -darting from some dark crevice, or playing leap-frog over your legs at -night, or mistaking your head for their nest. Ugh! But the dead-and-gone -feeling--exhausted nature asserting her rights--which assailed you at -some critical moment, perhaps when you were trying to be a man at your -job, just got you through and through. - -"Ah, there was the first 'over-the-top' experience, when you stood on -the fire-step with gun in hand, palefaced, but with clenched teeth, in -an oppressive silence, waiting to hear the command come down the -line,--whispered from mouth to mouth. Then you leaped wildly over into -long-anticipated perils, to become entangled in barbed wire, or perhaps -to get your first shock, as the man next you dropped like lead at the -first 'ptt' of a German sharpshooter's bullet. - -"But on you rush in a mad frenzy with red-misted eyes, in the face of a -heavy artillery fire and a pitiless gale of shrapnel, through a dense -smoke-screen, split with lurid flashes of flame, over a ground pitted -with shell-holes--to stumble over some dead Tommy, whose glazed eyes -stare up at you as if in mockery of your determination to play the man -in this crusade for humanity. - -"Then _my adventure_ came,--a raid on a German trench, an undertaking -attended with great peril. With blackened faces, each man, with his bag -of bombs and automatic, at the flicker of a white light crawled -stealthily into the sable blackness of 'dead man's yard,' and, in a -downpour of drenching rain, crept on hands and knees, sometimes wiggling -on his stomach,--quickly rolling into a shell-hole if a sound was -heard,--until the German trench loomed menacingly only a few feet -beyond. - -"Everything was deadly still. Then the signal came, and with a rush we -clambered stealthily up and peeped over, to see a yellow-haired Heinie -asleep in the little alcove back of his gun-emplacement, the head of the -sentry-on-post tipsily nodding on his chest, and two big fellows snoring -like porpoises on the floor near. In just one minute we had slid into -that trench and had our men with hands up. Sure it was a surprise-party -for Fritz, for the Germans came running out of their dug-outs, wrapped -in blankets, noisily demanding to know what was up. They soon knew, and -then came a riot of a time as we let our hand-grenades fly, and our -bayonets too, aided by a lively fire from our machine-guns. And then we -were out, making a quick run for our own trenches with our trophies, and -several of the surprised ones, with the German guns thundering in our -rear. - -"Yes, I had captured my first Hun, and mighty proud I was of my -achievement, and pictured my delight-to-be when retailing my adventure -to my comrades, when Zipp! and I was downed by the pieces of a bursting -shell that got me in the hand and foot. And the prisoner? Oh, the dirty -Boche saw his chance. I saw his hand go up,--he must have had a stiletto -hidden somewhere,--but I was too quick for him for I let fly a -hand-grenade, and--well, he bothered me no more. - -"For hours I crawled, or wiggled, along, dropping into a chalk-pit or a -shell-hole every few moments, for it was like hell under that liquid -fire, Fritzie's arial bombs and the machine-gun fire; in fact, it -seemed as if every kind of projectile had been let loose, for now the -Germans were mad clean through. Finally, being too exhausted to make any -further headway, I crept into a shell-hole, where I lay for a day and a -night, lying on my face most of the time, playing dead, for the German -fiends would sneak out into No Man's Land at night after a bombardment, -and kill every wounded enemy soldier they could find. - -"What did I think about, you ask, Miss Nathalie, while lying in that -shell-hole?" Philip smiled a little sadly. "Well, at first I was crazed -with thirst and hunger, and the cold--oh, it was something fierce. And -then the doubts and misgivings that had assailed me at times, as to -whether there was a God in heaven, returned with renewed force. I dumbly -felt that my faith was leaving me, for why this useless slaughter of -men's bodies, this agonizing devil's gas, this torturing of the aged and -weak, this violating of womanhood, this maiming of little, innocent -children? Ah, the agony of body was nothing compared to the agony of my -soul, as I lay in that hole. - -"Then that night--there was no moon, and everything was a dead calm, for -a lull had come in fighting--I turned over, face upward, to ease the -aching that racked my body. As I lie gazing up at the stars,--they -seemed unusually bright,--something white suddenly flashed before me, -and then I saw a face bend down and gaze at me. It was a marvelously -beautiful face, with such calm serenity of expression as the eyes smiled -into mine, that a strange peace came into my soul, my pains were eased, -I was filled with a wonderful joy, and--then I knew;--it was the face of -the Great White Comrade,--the face of Christ! - -"It may have been a delusion from overwrought nerves,--I may have been -dreaming,--I don't know, for there had been great talk among the -soldiers of seeing the white apparition of Christ on the battlefield. He -was said to have appeared to the soldiers, showed them His bleeding side -and hands, and then the suffering ones had felt a wonderful peace come -into their souls, and their very agonies had made them triumphant in the -thought that as He had died to make men holy, so He had given them the -great privilege of suffering and dying to make men free. No, I didn't -see any bleeding side, or the nail-prints on the hands, but I saw -Christ's face, and, oh, it was Heaven! - -"Then my brain cleared. I realized that I had been groping in a great -darkness, but that a wonderful light had come, and I knew God was in His -Heaven. That smile had brought revelation. It had told me that we were -no better than Christ, and He had suffered,--He, an innocent soul. And -as He had agonized on the cross, and God had suffered with Him, so every -moan, sob, and cry had reached His ears in this great wail from -humanity. It told me that this bruising of bodies, this rending of -women's hearts, this wringing of men's souls, had wrung _His_ heart with -a suffering greater than men could know. - -"It told me that it was all the working-out of God's great plan for the -good of mankind. It told me that the men, women, and children, who had -passed through these seas of blood were to come forth with white -garments, to be a great host led by the Angel of His Presence, and that -their deeds were to live after them, to bring light into the dark places -in men's souls. It told me that these blood-soaked battlefields were to -become gardens, where flowers would spring, the glorious flowers of -freedom, and that every tear shed was to become great waters, to flow -like a river of peace to all nations." - -As Philip ceased speaking, the faces of his young listeners became very -grave, and for a moment there was an impressive stillness, as if each -one had been hushed to a reverent silence. "Well, after that, I was -strangely happy," continued the young man slowly. "I think I must have -fallen asleep, for I was suddenly aroused by the cold snout of a dog -nosing into my face. He was a little beast, not much bigger than Tige -here," softly stroking the refugee's yellow dog as he spoke, at which -Jean's eyes grew soft and bright, for with the lad it was "Love me, love -my dog." - -"Yes, it was a Red Cross dog, whose beautiful eyes seemed almost human -as they told me that help was near, and--" Philip stopped abruptly. He -had had a weary, tired look for some time, but now a sudden pallor -overspread his face, and Janet, who had been watching him nervously, -stepped quickly to his side, crying, "And now you _must_ stop talking, -Mr. de Brie, for you are overdoing." - -Philip smiled into her blue eyes, but waved her aside as he cried, -sitting up with sudden resolution, "But no, you must let me finish my -story." - -"Oh, yes, do let him finish his story!" came a chorus of eager voices. - -But at this moment Nathalie, whose face had suddenly brightened, cried, -"Oh, no; let's wait, for a big idea has suddenly come to me, and," the -girl's eyes sparkled, "if it turns out all right it will add to our -enjoyment if we wait to hear Mr. de Brie's story some other time." - -"A big idea," cried Nita, all aquiver with curiosity. "Oh, Nathalie, do -tell us what it is!" - -"No, not now," answered the girl. "It will keep; but in the meantime let -us have a story from Mr. Darrell. You know he promised to tell us about -Lovewell, the Ranger, and now is his chance, and we are not going to let -him off." - - - - - CHAPTER XX - - THE LIBERTY TEA - - -As Nathalie was ably seconded by the rest of the Liberty Cheerers, -Van--he claimed he was a chump at story-telling--began the story of -Lovewell, the Ranger, by saying that it was like one of the old Norse -_Sagas_, for it had been told and retold by the mountaineer's fireside -for many generations. - -"When the white settlers were being harassed in the early times by -marauding bands from the neighboring tribe of Sokoki Indians," said the -young soldier, "John Lovewell, a hardy ranger, set out from the Indian -village of Pigswacket, now Fryeburg, near North Conway, and made his -way, with forty-five of his followers, to Ossipee. Here they built a -fort, and his scouts having found Indian tracks, they pushed farther on -to a lake by whose shores they encamped for the night. The following -morning, while trailing an Indian in the woods, Paugas, an Indian -chieftain, whose name was a terror to every white settler on the -frontier, stole up behind the rangers, to their encampment, which -unfortunately they had left unguarded, and counted their packs. Finding -that they were only thirty-four in number, the Indians placed themselves -in ambush in the woods near, and when the rangers returned it was to be -surrounded by the redmen, while the air was filled with their deadly -fire and hideous warwhoops. - -"Here, by this little lake, under the very shadow of Mount Kearsarge, -fifty miles from any settlement, was fought one of the bloodiest battles -in Indian warfare, as the loyal rangers fought for their lives. They -finally compelled the Indians to flee, but not before Lovewell and many -of his men had been killed. The survivors made their way back to the -fort at Ossipee, only to find it empty, for the guard, on hearing that -Lovewell and his band had been killed, had deserted it. - -"After many incredible hardships," continued Van, "twenty emaciated men -finally reached the white settlement, many of them only to fall dead -from wounds, or from hunger and exhaustion. But, practically, Lovewell's -band had won a great victory, for Paugas had been killed, and the -remainder of the tribe forsook their strongholds among the foothills, -and the white settlers were molested no more." - -Van also related how a ranger, the only remaining one of three brothers -who had set forth with Lovewell, when one of his brothers fell dead at -his feet from the wounds inflicted by the savages, had started for their -village, only to find his other brother's body riddled with bullets. - -"Determined to be revenged, he pursued the Indians to the mountain -fastnesses, where the defeated tribe, under the chief Chocorua, still -lingered. He finally sighted the chieftain, who had ascended a high -mountain to see if the white men had departed. As he started to descend -he was confronted by the ranger, who, with his gun in hand, slowly -forced the Indian back, step by step, until he stood on the verge of the -precipice where he had been standing. As the chieftain saw that his end -had come,--as he had no alternative between the precipitous cliff and -the white man's weapon,--with a cry of bitter defiance he leaped from -the pinnacle, to be dashed to pieces on the rocks below. Hence the name, -Chocorua Mountain." - -A mountain romance was now told by Janet, in the story of Nancy Stairs, -a native of Jefferson, who had fallen in love, and become engaged to a -farm-hand. On the eve of the wedding the girl's lover disappeared, -carrying with him a small sum of money, her _dot_. How Nancy set forth, -to overtake him at a camp many miles away, walking at night through the -dark woods, clambering over rocks and fording the Saco, finally to reach -the place where he had encamped, to find it deserted, aroused the -sympathies of all. "Finally," continued Janet, "the girl sank exhausted -on the banks of a brook, to be found some time later in the calm repose -of a deathless sleep, almost buried under the snow, under a canopy of -friendly evergreen that stretched above her. - -"But Nancy had her revenge," smiled the storyteller, "for when the -farm-hand heard of her fate he lost his reason, and tradition tells us -that, on the anniversary of her death, the mountain-passes through which -she pushed, in her weary pursuit of her lover, resound to his cries of -grief." - -Nita's contribution to the Liberty Cheer was a little tale of an Indian -maiden, who was so beautiful that no hunter was found worthy of her. -Suddenly she disappeared, and was never seen again, until one day an -Indian chief, on returning from the chase, told how he had seen her -disporting in the limpid waters of the river Ellis, with a youth as -peerless as she. When the bathers saw the chieftain they had immediately -vanished from sight, thus showing the girl's parents that her companion -must have been a mountain-spirit. From now on they would go into the -wilds and call upon him for a moose, a deer, or whatever animal they -chose, and lo! it would immediately appear, running towards them. - -Danny's story was about some white settlers captured by the Indians on -their way to Canada. When they came to the banks of a beautiful stream, -one of the captives, a mother with several children, from a babe in arms -to a girl of sixteen, gathered her little ones about her in dumb -despair. She had toiled through trackless forests, forded swollen -streams, climbed rocky heights, slept on the cold, bare earth, and then, -when she had refused to obey the commands of an Indian chieftain, from -lack of strength, she had been goaded with blows, or the gory scalps of -two of her children, which still hung from his belt, had been flourished -menacingly before her eyes. - -As she stood on the banks of the river, feeling that her reason would -forsake her from anguish, she suddenly heard one of the Indians ask her -oldest daughter to sing. The girl stood speechless with amazement, not -knowing what to do for a moment, and then there floated out through the -vast solitudes of these lonely mountains a curiously fresh young voice, -as the girl chanted the sublime words of the psalmist in the plaintive -river-song. - -There was a slight pause, and then Danny's voice, sweet and clear, to -the accompaniment of the soft strains of Tony's violin, was heard as he -chanted: - - "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept, - when we remembered Zion. - - "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. - - "For there they that carried us away captive required of us a - song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth." - -Tony's hands lovingly fingered his bow, and the music, like the rippling -flow of the river Ellis, continued its sweet low murmur, as the little -newsie told how the magic charm of these beautiful words must have -touched some chord in the savage breasts, for, as the girl ceased, the -fiercest Indian caught the babe gently from the mother's arms and -carried it across the river. One of his companions also softened, and, -picking up another child, bore it safely over the stream. - -Nathalie chose the familiar Willey story, about the family who lived in -an inn on the side of Mount Willey, at the entrance to the great Notch. -"In 1826," said the girl, "one evening in June they heard a queer, -rumbling noise, and hurried out to see an avalanche of stones and -uprooted trees making its way with great speed down the mountain. -Fortunately, before it reached the house it swerved one side, and the -Willeys, believing it quite safe, returned to the house, and, as time -passed on, carelessly forgot the warning that had been given them. - -"In August a severe storm occurred, which raged with indescribable fury -for a day and a night, the rain falling in sheets, while the Saco -overflowed its banks, thus creating a state of general upheaval. Two -days later, a tourist traveling through the Notch arrived at the inn, to -find it uninjured, but deserted, with the exception of a half-starved -dog who was whining dismally. He made his way to Bartlett, and the -mountaineers, hurrying to the scene, finally discovered the bodies of -Mr. and Mrs. Willey and two hired men, who were buried in a mass of -wreckage not far from the inn. The bodies of the children were never -discovered. - -"It is supposed," explained Nathalie, "that they had all rushed out on -again hearing the rumbling noises, and had evidently tried to seek the -shelter of a cave near. But they were too late," she ended with a -pathetic sigh, "for the avalanche was upon them before they reached it. -If they had only remained in the house they would have been saved." - -A little later, as Philip and Van became engaged in a conversation about -the war, a topic of which they never seemed to weary, Nathalie and Nita, -with arms intertwined in long-cemented _camaraderie_, wandered to the -high, jutting rock which Nathalie called "Heaven's window." Here in awed -silence they gazed at the faraway, scintillating blue peaks, huge -escarpments, and yawning mountain crevasses towering above the alpine -meadow, that, rich in many shades of verdure, darkened with -cloud-shadows, and cut with ribbon-like trails of forest foliage, were a - - "Wondrous woof of various greens." - -In the sun-dyed splendor it was like a cloth of gold, a wondrous -tapestry woven by Nature in her most majestic mood, a picture that held -them with the calm of its infinite beauty. - -Suddenly Nita, who never was quiet very long, cried: "Oh, Nathalie, you -must tell us what you meant when you said that you had a big idea. Don't -you remember, it was when Janet made Philip stop his story?" - -"I don't know as it is a very big idea," replied her companion, "for its -bigness depends, as Dick says, on whether we make a go of it or not. I -spoke of it then, not only because I had just thought of it, but because -I wanted to second Janet, for Philip was as white as a ghost. - -"You know," she continued slowly, "the afternoon teas at the Sweet Pea -Tea-House have not been very well attended lately. I presume the minds -of the people have been diverted by some new form of amusement. I'm -awfully sorry, too, for I think my dear Sweet-Pea ladies need the money. -Now what do you think of having Philip tell the rest of his story some -afternoon at the Tea-House? We'll get Jean to tell his story, too, and -the boys can sing patriotic songs; and then, there's Tony, with his -violin. I think we can get up a real good entertainment, and we can call -it a Liberty Tea." - -"Oh, Nathalie, that's a peach of an idea!" Nita's blue eyes glowed -enthusiastically. - -"You see," returned her friend, "it would attract the people to the -Tea-House again, and also bring Philip into notice. I think his story -would interest every one, and it might get him a few more pupils." - -As the little party wended their way down the trail, they were busy -making plans and devising ways to make Nathalie's "big idea" feasible. -They had broached the subject to Philip,--Nathalie being careful not to -make it appear as if he would gain by the performance,--and he had -readily consented to do his part. Janet, too, was won over, and as for -the children, they were in a beatific state at the idea of appearing on -a platform, and "speaking a piece," as Sheila called it. - -Miss Whipple, when the idea was suggested to her, Nathalie making it -appear that Philip would derive great benefit from it, heartily favored -the plan. So, for the next two days Nita and Nathalie were as busy as -bees, drilling the children, making posters to feature the event at the -different hotels, and then motoring to each one, and tacking them up, -after getting the desired permission, so that the affair would be well -advertised. - -The boys and Van Darrell, with the help of some friends of Nita's at the -Sunset Hill House, the morning of the event decorated the Tea-House with -greens, goldenrod, and flags. Sam assisted by erecting a small platform -so gaudily festooned with red, blue, and white bunting that Nita said it -was a regular "call to the colors," as she stood off and surveyed his -work. Chairs, rustic seats, in fact, everything that could be used for a -seat was now brought into the room, while the veranda was not only -decorated with bunting and Japanese lanterns, the posts being twined -with the national colors in crpe paper, but filled with small -tea-tables and chairs. - -At the hour designated for the performance to begin--to the girls' -delight, the room was crowded--Janet began to play softly on the piano, -suddenly breaking into "Hail Columbia," then a patriotic march, -following these selections with "The Royal March of Italy," the -"Lorraine March" and several other well-known favorites either of the -Americans or the Allies, ending with France's adored march, "Sambre et -Meuse." - -The boys, in their khaki suits, each one carrying his gun, now marched -before the audience. They were headed by Sheila, who, as a little -Goddess of Liberty, acted as the color-bearer. As she stepped to one -side of the stage and stood at attention, the boys saluted the flag and -then repeated the oath of allegiance. - -Sheila now fell in line, and they went through a manual-of-arms, and -then, amid loud applause, broke into the "Red, White, and Blue." This -was followed by a number of patriotic airs, and the national anthem, -when all rose to their feet and joined in the singing with patriotic -fervor. After a short pause Danny started to whistle "La -Marseillaise"--Janet playing the accompaniment on the piano very -softly--as the children joined in, coming out with startling effect with -the words: - - "To arms! Ye warriors all! - Your bold battalions call! - March on, ye free! - Death shall be ours, - Or glorious victory!" - -Van Darrell now appeared in front of the little platform--he had -modestly refused to ascend it--and introduced Mr. Philip de Brie as a -British soldier, a member of "Kitchener's mob," known as the greatest -volunteer army in the world. As Philip stepped forward in response to an -enthusiastic ovation he bowed courteously, but with a certain diffidence -of manner that showed that this was a more trying ordeal than being -under fire at the front. - -The personal part of Philip's story was quickly told,--how he came to -join the army,--the audience cheering lustily when he claimed he was an -American, while a tenseness seized them as he related his strange -experience while lying in a shell-hole, and the revelation the -apparition of the White Comrade had brought to him. - -Their interest continued as he told how, in the British offensive south -of the Somme, he and his company, with four machine-guns, had cleaned -out a Prussian machine-gun nest that had been making havoc with their -men. They peppered the enemy so severely, he asserted, while playing a -crisscross game with their guns, that the only remaining German gunner -was captured, surrounded by his dead comrades. - -When their ammunition failed, and they attempted to return to their -lines under a fierce artillery fire, with bursting shells and shrapnel -flying around them, they were compelled to take refuge under a bridge, -where they remained for four hours under a fierce gas attack. He was -again cheered as he told how, in another attempt to regain the -firing-line, a bomb exploded, killing several of their men, and how, -when their lieutenant was missed, noted for his bravery and daring, he -started out to find him. - -This recital was made graphic as he told of crawling on his stomach to -dodge a bomb, or wiggling along to peer into shell-pits, and how, when a -flare was thrown up by the enemy, illuminating the battlefield like some -big electric show, he suddenly found himself, as it were, back to the -wall,--for he had no ammunition,--desperately fighting a big, husky -German who was fumbling in his pocket, evidently for a hand-grenade. -Another cheer, and then almost a groan went through the room as Philip -continued, and told how, as he tried to get him by the throat, he made a -lunge at him and thrust his bayonet through his arm. The German finished -off his work by knocking him on the head with his rifle, finally leading -him, dazed and blinded, behind the German lines, a prisoner. - -The neglect he received in the field and base hospital and the horrible -treatment he was compelled to witness, as endured by the wounded -prisoners, was received with a storm of hisses. How he was pronounced -cured, although he had been rendered dumb, either from nerve-shock or -the force of the blow on the head, and then taken to a German -prison-camp, and crowded in with hundreds of men in a wooden shed, with -a flooring of mud four inches thick, aroused renewed indignation. Here, -with no blankets, no ventilation, overcoat, or personal belongings, he -slept on a straw tick, with insufficient food, and that of such a -horrible quality that he grew emaciated and covered with boils. - -When some of the prisoners were transferred to another camp Philip told -how he had the good luck to be one of them, and how, when the train was -struck by a bursting bomb, crashing in the roof when going at a speed of -thirty miles an hour, he, with two other prisoners, climbed up and -jumped to the ground, one man being killed. - -This was the beginning of his race for life, in which he dodged guards -and sentries, cut his way through barbed wire, and hid in a forest for -three days, and, after many other thrilling adventures, finally came to -a field within a few miles of the British lines. - -"Here," Philip continued, "as we lay concealed in a dugout under a bank, -we heard a familiar whirr, and looked up to see an air-battle taking -place between a French and Boche plane. With taut breath I watched the -planes circle round and round in the air, while keeping up a steady fire -at one another, until the French plane began to drive its enemy back and -back, until they were directly over the British entrenchments. Then we -heard the rat-tat-tat, and knew that one of the planes had been fired -upon from below. Suddenly it burst into flames, lunged to one side, and -then, in a long sweep through the air, began to circle downward like a -great flash of fire, sending forth a shower of sparks as it fell. And -then I screamed from sheer joy, for I recognized that it was the Boche -plane that had fallen. It is needless to say that my speech had -returned." - -After telling how they had regained the British lines, and how he had -finally reached a hospital in London, where he remained for some weeks -in a miserably depressed state of mind, on learning that his mother had -died during his absence, Philip finished his story by telling how he -came to sail for America. He told of his search for his grandmother, and -how he came to live in the little cabin on the mountain. From the -plaudits that greeted him, as he bowed and retired from the platform, it -was evident that his story had been greatly enjoyed by his listeners. - -When Tony a moment or so later, in his old velveteen vest, with his -violin under his arm, and his velvety black eyes aglow in a beatific -smile, bobbed a funny little bow to his audience, he was warmly -received. But a sudden hush succeeded as the little violinist, with his -instrument tucked under his chubby chin, fingered the bow lovingly as he -moved it over the strings, evoking such sweet, rich music that the -violin seemed like some enchanted thing. - -Surely this little slum lad, with no training to guide him, of his own -volition could not have produced such ravishing melody as floated -through the room. As he played his face lost its smile, and there came a -play of expression, now tender and sad, now dreamy or grave, in accord -with the varied moods of the music, as he played on and on with a -passion, a rich tenderness, every note in tune, that seemed almost -marvelous. When he ended with a vehement little shake of his head--that -sent his waving hair flying about--in much the same manner that great -musicians affect, it brought down the house in loud applause. - -As an encore he played several Italian airs, weird, dreamy music, -finally ending with "Traumerei," Schumann's "Dream Song." No, he didn't -play it all, only snatches, and these were not always rendered according -to the score, but he held his audience in a hushed stillness, until, -with a little shake of his bow, and a low bow, he turned and ran quickly -from the platform. - -Sheila hid her face in Nathalie's skirt when her turn came to ascend the -platform and speak her "liberty piece." Nathalie was in the throes of -despair, for fear that she was going to fail her, when Tony leaned -forward and teasingly whispered, "Oh, Boy!" This reminiscent remark -caused the little lady's head to go up, and her chin, too, and in angry -defiance she marched up on the platform. As Nathalie, who was sitting -down in the front row of chairs, gave her the cue, her little treble was -heard repeating James Whitcomb Riley's poem "Liberty," her voice ringing -out loud and clear when she came to the stanza: - - "Sing for the arms that fling - Their fetters in the dust - And lift their hands in higher trust, - Unto the one Great King; - Sing for the patriot home and land, - Sing for the country they have planned; - Sing that the world may understand - This is Freedom's land!" - -It was pathetic to see the little empty-sleeved Jean, as he straightened -up his slender form, and, in an attempt at bravery, hurried on the -platform. Without waiting for the accompanist,--forgetting to greet his -audience in his fright,--he burst into the words of Belgium's national -anthem, "Brabanconne," singing it with a verve and spirit,--as he stood, -with his one hand nervously clinched in front of him and his eyes -uplifted,--that showed that the soul of Belgium was not dead. - -This impassioned appeal from the boy as he ended, and stood in mute -bewilderment, his eyes again haunted by that look of hopeless terror, -aroused the audience to prolonged applause. Philip now stepped to his -side, and, as he laid his hand reassuringly on the little shoulder, the -refugee began his pitiful tale. - -His arm had been cut off, he told, by a German soldier, who had made his -mother cry, when he had rushed up and pounded him with his fists to make -him desist. The soldier had dragged his mother away, and then he had -been told that she had died. There was a quiver to the lad's voice as he -related this sorrowful incident, but he winked his eyes together to keep -back the tears. - -Two days later, with his aged grandparents, he had been driven to the -town square, and there a soldier had shot his grandfather because the -old man had rebuked him for dragging the boy's grandmother roughly -about. She had shrieked and fallen, to be trampled in the crush, for -when they picked her up she was very white, and had never opened her -eyes again. When all the women and children were herded together like -cows, and driven along a road, with a big German soldier pointing his -gun at them, Jean had suddenly run away, as fast as he could, and he had -run and run with his eyes shut, for he was afraid of the bullets that -came whistling on all sides of him. - -Finally he had fallen from exhaustion, and then he had crawled into the -dark cellar of a shelled house. Here he had remained for a long time, -going out at night to a battlefield near and taking what food he could -find from the knapsacks of the dead soldiers. At last he could find no -more food, and then he had wandered on, walking wearily along for miles -and miles, until he had become part of those fleeing throngs of refugees -that blocked the roads for many long miles, sleeping on the roadside at -night. Sometimes he would have a little bread, or a piece of cheese -given to him, and then for days he went hungry. Finally he reached a -town, where a lady with a red cross on her white cap had cared for him -in a hospital. But the Germans shelled the hospital, and they said the -lady was killed, and then-- Well, he had gone on again, walking at -night, alone, from place to place, when no one could see him, while -hiding in the woods by day. - -On learning that he was not far from the French army, he had struggled -on until he was within a short distance of their lines, where he hid in -a forest. When a dark still night came, he stealthily crept into No -Man's Land, and, on his hands and knees, worked his way from hole to -hole, quickly wiggling into one if he heard the slightest sound, until -he reached the French sentry, who pointed his gun at him and told him to -halt. - -He was so frightened when he saw that gun aimed at him that he burst -into tears, but a moment later attempted to sing "La Marseillaise," so -as to let the soldier know that he was not a German. The soldier took -him behind the front, where a regiment of artillery not only fed and -cared for him, but adopted him as their "kid mascot," as Philip -interpreted it, when it was learned that his father, who was fighting in -the Belgian army, had been captured and carried a prisoner to Germany. -When the regiment had left for service at the front he was delivered -into the hands of Father Belloy, a French priest, who finally gave him -to a kind lady, who had brought him, with a number of other children, to -America. As the little lad finished his story, he turned to rush from -the stage, and then, as if inspired by a sudden thought, he threw up his -one hand and lustily cried, "Vive la Belgique!" - -A second more and the audience, caught by the contagion of this cry, and -the appeal to their sympathies by the Belgian's story, broke into -enthusiastic clapping and cheering, mingled with loud hurrahs for -Belgium. It was at this point that a guest from the Sunset Hill House -jumped to his feet, and proposed that a silver collection be taken up, -to be divided between the American-British soldier, the little Sons of -Liberty, and the ladies of the Tea-House, who had so kindly given it for -the entertainment of the guests. - -This suggestion was heartily seconded, and while Van and the gentleman -were passing the hat, into which flowed a goodly collection of silver -coins, the little Sons of Liberty appeared, and, as a finish to the -entertainment, gave them a sing-song. The old, sweet songs, the songs -that lie very near to the heart of every Anglo-Saxon, were sung by these -clear childish voices, Danny either singing or whistling, while Tony -accompanied them on his violin, with Janet, Nathalie, and Nita,--even -the audience at times,--proving good seconds in this musical song-feast. -"Annie Laurie," "The Blue Bells of Scotland," "Wearing of the Green," -"My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean," "Mother Machree," "Dixie," were given, -followed by the new war-songs, as, "Keep the Home Fires Burning," "Pack -up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag," "There's a Long, Long Trail," -"Over There," and, as a grand finale, "The Star-Spangled Banner," when -the audience rose and joined in with patriotic fervor. - -And then Miss Mona, Janet, Nathalie, Nita, the two soldiers, and even -the little "Sons of Liberty" were all busy serving tea, out on the -veranda, to the many guests, who all declared that they had not only -enjoyed Philip's and Jean's stories, but the children's singing. - -Two days later, Nathalie was darning her boys' socks on the veranda, -when Nita drove up in her car. She was so excited that she began to -shout that she had good news to tell, as soon as she caught sight of -Nathalie's brown head. - -"Oh, Nathalie," she continued, all out of breath, as her friend hurried -to meet her, "what do you think? The manager up at the Sunset Hill -House,--you know he is a dear--has asked Mr. de Brie and the whole crowd -who took part at the Liberty Tea, to come to the hotel next Saturday -night and repeat the performance. And he says there will be another -silver collection. And, oh, isn't it just the dandiest thing that lots -of the girls want to join the French class!" And then the young lady, in -the exuberance of her joy, fell upon the neck of her friend and began to -kiss her with hearty unction. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI - - THE FUNNIES - - -Nathalie, with a limpid brightness in her eyes, and a deep pink in her -cheeks, was whirling about--doing a one-step--with her soldier friend, -Van Darrell, who she had discovered was "a love of a dancer." It was the -night of the second Liberty Tea, this time held at the Sunset Hill -House. The affair had not only proved a glorious success, each one of -the performers doing his or her part even better than at the Tea-House, -but it had also netted quite a pile of silver coins, to the delight of -the children, and added several new pupils to Philip's French class at -the hotel, besides giving him a few private ones. - -The informal little hop at the end of the performance contributed to the -pleasure of the evening, proving a real joy-time to Nathalie, who loved -dancing. The girl had laughingly asserted to Nita that she had fairly -worn her slippers to a thread. - -Compelled from sheer fatigue to rest, the young couple, in order to -escape from the heat of the ballroom, had sought refuge in one of the -little card-rooms opening from the long corridor. It was here, as they -happily chatted, that Van suddenly made the announcement, somewhat -regretfully, "Do you know, Miss Blue Robin, that this is my last evening -with you and the mountains, for I leave for Camp Mills to-morrow -morning?" - -"Oh, I'm so sorry," exclaimed the girl with a note of disappointment in -her voice, for she was _disappointed_ as well as surprised, for, -somehow, she had taken a liking to this soldier-boy, with the frank, -open gaze, who could be very merry at times, and then again unusually -silent and grave. "We shall miss you at our Liberty Cheers, and Mr. de -Brie, I know, will be lonely without his soldier 'matey.'" - -"I shall miss you all," rejoined Van slowly, "for you girls have given -me the joy-time of the summer, and I shall be sorry to say good-by to -you all, especially you." Van looked appealingly into the girl's brown -eyes, as if he wanted her to assure him that she would miss him. - -Nathalie flushed a little, as she replied, "Well, it has been a great -pleasure to meet you. I can assure you, however, that I never thought of -meeting one of Uncle Sam's soldiers when I came up here to these White -Hills." - -"I would like to tell you," continued Van,--he gave his companion an odd -look as he spoke,--"that I know a girl by the name of Blue Robin. She's -an awfully good sort,--" again that funny little gleam in his eyes. "I -had a letter from her a short time ago. It was the kind of a letter to -set a fellow thinking. I would like to show it to you sometime," he -added hesitatingly. - -"Why, isn't that funny! Are you sure her name is like mine?" questioned -Nathalie in a whirl of amazement. Van nodded and smiled with some -amusement, as he assured Nathalie that he was quite positive her name -was Blue Robin. But, as the girl continued to ply him with questions -about this girl who, he insisted, bore her name, his answers grew -evasive, until finally Nathalie desisted from her questions, in a maze -of mystery. - -Presently they were in the ballroom again, and while taking another turn -Van asked his partner if she would answer his letter if he wrote to her. -Nathalie grew red with embarrassment at this direct question, for, as -she had been whirling about, it had suddenly occurred to her what a -queer thing it was for Van to say he would show her another girl's -letter. - -Somehow the thought jarred her serenity, and, not knowing what reply to -make, she finally settled the doubt in her mind by saying that if he -wrote to her she would answer him if her mother thought best. For, -happily, Nathalie was a real mother-girl, and, when in doubt about -anything, always went to her for advice. - -On the way home--Mrs. Van Vorst had sent them in her car--she had a -disappointed feeling. She wished Van had not asked her to write to him, -or told her about that other Blue Robin, for--O dear! she had heard of -boys who would coax a girl to write to them, and then show their letters -and make a boast of them. Ah, well, she sighed regretfully, she had not -supposed he was that kind. - -A few days later Nathalie was sitting under the trees before a small -sewing-table, writing a letter to Helen. Presently she laid down her -pen, and glanced over at her mother, who, while resting in the hammock -near, had fallen asleep. Then, so as not to awaken her, almost in a -whisper, she read: - - "Dear Helen: - - "I am going to call this letter 'The Funnies,' for I have some - awfully funny things I want you to know, but first, I must tell - you about my liberty kids, as I have promised to do many times. - Danny is fourteen, a regular street-gamin, steeped and - double-dyed in the ways of the slums and the habits of a newsie. - There is an alert sharpness about him at times that baffles me, - and yet his freckled, peanut face, with its twinkling blue eyes, - has an open, merry expression that assures me he has the makings - of a splendid man in him. I call him my handy man, for he not - only does all the laundering for the children, but can cook, and - wait on the table in fine style. - - "He is a loyal little chap, so watchful of Sheila, and always - tells the truth. He used to belong to the Junior Police - Force,--he's awfully proud of that,--and I think that has kept - him on the square. I have an idea that his parents must have - been refined people, for, when cleaning his room one day, his - bag flew open--it was standing in a corner--and a little blue - book fell out, scattering a lot of letters about, and a picture. - The picture was a miniature of a young woman. She had a lovely - face, it reminded me of Sheila, and her eyes had the same - laughing glints in them that Danny has in his. The blue book - seemed to be a diary, for on it in gilt letters was the name, - Sheila Gloom. - - "I have told you how quaint and interesting Sheila is, and lots - about Jean, so I am going to tell you about Tony. He reminds me - of one of Raphael's cherubs, with his soft, liquid brown eyes, - his red lips and ivory-tinted skin, and his wavy black hair that - is always in a frowse. He adores me, and has an odd, sweet - little trick of taking my hand, and then bending down and - kissing it, in such a gallant way that he makes me think of the - knights of medival days, who knelt to their ladies fair. And I - love to hear him say, 'I lova you, Mees Natta,' for his voice is - so soft and musical. But alas, he is not as open as Danny, and - will tell _teeny, teeny_ white lies, while looking right up into - your face with such a cherubic, innocent expression, that you - have the feeling that you are the guilty one, and not he. - - "Did I tell you in my last letter what good friends the little - old lady in the red house and I have become? I run in there - quite often. Sometimes I read to her, or hold her yarn, and for - two days I nursed her when she was ill. I am a great chatterbox, - for, O dear! I just talk about everything to her, but she says - my chats cheer her up. But, you see, she keeps asking me - questions, first about one person of our household, and then - another. She loves to have me tell her about Janet, but she - doesn't seem to like Cynthia very much. - - "I am getting used to her queer ways now, and can tell, by the - gleam in her gray eyes,--sometimes they snap with humor,--the - mood she is in, for, frankly speaking, at times she is most - cantankerous. I feel sorry for her then, for I imagine that some - great sorrow has come into her life and soured the sweetness of - it. She is always greatly interested in Mr. de Brie, and I have - promised to take him in sometime to see her. - - "Oh, I must not forget to tell you that Dick is with us for a - few days--on a furlough. And mother,--well, she goes about like - a glorified saint. Now come the funnies. Cynthia Loretto's young - man is here. His name is Buddie, but he looks anything but a - bud, although Cyn always speaks of him as if he had just gone - into long trousers. - - "He is queerly interesting, for he sits and looks at Cynthia in - a meek, adoring way, while his big solemn blue eyes keep up a - blinking that have made the kiddies--you know boys always - feature peculiarities--dub him, 'The Blink.' As to other - details, he's insignificant-looking, with a shock of yellow hair - that gives him an unkempt, Hunnish appearance, and a sharp, - ferret-like nose with an inquisitive tip on it that is sunburned - to a bright red. Imagine! - - "Now for funny number one. The Blink--we all unconsciously call - him that--and the make-believe lady--that's the boys' name for - Cynthia--have monopolized the hammock on the veranda ever since - the gentleman's arrival. It has been annoying, for they--Well, - they spoon, and it gets on one's nerves, and after a while these - lovers are the star performers on the stage. - - "The other morning I caught Danny and Tony fooling with the - hammock. They said they were fixing it so it wouldn't slip down. - That evening every one had disappeared but your lonesome and the - lovers, who were in the hammock with arms intertwined, with the - usual turtle-dove cooing. - - "All at once I heard a queer sound, and looked in the direction - from which it proceeded, to see two pairs of legs sweeping - through the air with a wild, frantic clawing, while shrill cries - and a swear-word informed me that the hammock had turned over, - and that the pair of love-makers were standing on their heads. I - tried not to laugh, but a wee little giggle slipped out, and - then I flew to the rescue and turned down, or turned up, - Cynthia's skirts, and then gave a helping hand to The Blink, who - rose to his feet with a wild, bewildered stare in his blinking - eyes. Then I flew, for if I hadn't, I should have collapsed with - merriment, for, as it was, I was stuffing my handkerchief in my - mouth to keep in my laughter. - - "As I flew through the hall queer sounds arrested my flight, and - there, on the floor, were those two kids, Danny and Tony, - rolling about in exultant joy, while emitting squeals of - delighted glee. And then I knew _why_ they had been fooling with - the hammock that morning. I was smothering with laughter, but - grabbed each one by an ear and marched them to mother, with - appropriate explanations, leaving her to administer the - punishment they deserved. Naturally Cynthia blamed me, insisting - that I had encouraged the boys in their mischief, and hasn't - spoken to me since. - - "Funny number two. I have told you of Cynthia's obsession for - searching for the valuable thing. Well, evidently she has - imparted her obsession to her lover, for we find him poking - around into all sorts of out-of-the-way places, that annoys - mother extremely. The other morning Mrs. Van Vorst sent me to - the studio with a message for Cynthia. The door was open, and, - to my amazement, I saw the lady in question hoisted up on a - ladder,--The Blink was holding it,--poking about among the - rafters of the attic. - - "As I stood wondering what she was doing, I saw her suddenly - duck her head, and then, to my stupefaction, the Make-believe - Lady was perched up there on that ladder like a poll-parrot, for - her head was as bare as a billiard-ball, while her hair that - was, was swaying gracefully on a nail some distance above. - - "Suddenly discovering her nudity, she made a frenzied grab, not - at the suspended wig, but at her skirts, hurriedly throwing them - over her head, as if to hide its bareness, and then made frantic - attempts to unhitch the black hairy thing that wiggled and - wobbled just out of reach of her arm. At this moment Mr. - Buddie--patience was written in his drooping pose, as he clung - to that ladder--raised his head. His face immediately became the - hue of his nose, for, alas, Cynthia, in her hurried endeavor to - cover her denuded poll, had raised not only her dress-skirt but - her under-skirts, and two black-hosed legs, lean and lank, stood - forth from beneath her short, beruffled skirt. I waited to see - no more, but hastily made my exit, to explode my mirth in the - depths of my pillow on the bed in my room. - - "Funny number three. My bedroom was next to the mystery-room, - and then comes Cynthia's,--she and Janet room together. There is - a door between, which is generally closed, unless it is very - warm. The other evening we were just getting ready for bed, when - I suddenly remembered something I wanted to tell Janet, so - stepped to the door, which was open. The room was dimly lighted - by a single candle, and Cynthia, who likes to undress in the - dark, was on her knees by the bed, saying her prayers, while - Janet sat near, taking off her shoes. - - "As I turned away so as not to disturb Cynthia at her devotions, - I suddenly spied a man's face peering in the transom over the - door. Before I could cry out, Cynthia arose, and, carelessly - glancing up, saw the face. With a wild scream she seized one of - Janet's shoes lying on the floor, and sent it flying at the head - peeping over the door. - - "I gasped, for it struck the man square on the nose. Then I - heard a suppressed expletive, followed by a jarring crash, a - general smashing sound, and then a dead silence. I gave one - prolonged scream and rushed to the door. You can guess the rest, - for Dick, mother, and even the boys had heard the racket, and a - moment later, when they appeared on the scene, it was to find me - trying to extricate the figure of a man, in a bath-robe, with a - somewhat dazed expression on his meek, bewildered face,--that - would have been pitiful if it had not been so ludicrous--from - the dbris of broken chairs and a turned-over table. - - "And his eye, well, it was already beginning to swell; for - Cynthia had been game, Dick said, and had not only given her - lover a swelled nose, but a swelled eye as well. O dear! it was - comical to see the way she glared at the poor creature, meekly - trying to explain that he was only trying to peer into the - mystery-room, for he seems to think that the valuable thing is - hidden in that room, and had gotten as far as he could get--into - the wrong room. Mother says she is glad it happened and hopes he - will now stop his prowling. - - "Now for funny number four. After the excitement caused by Mr. - Buddie's efforts to peep into the mystery-room quietness reigned - for a while, until the other night. I was terribly tired, for I - had been doing the kids' ironing, and my feet ached so that I - carried a pail of hot water to my room to soak them. I am on the - upper floor now, near the boys, for Cynthia insisted that they - made such a noise at night that they kept her awake. But - everything that goes wrong she lays on their little shoulders, - so I have mounted guard, to avoid any future unpleasantness. As - I sat there, trying to make up my mind to plunge my feet in that - hot water, I heard a queer sound. - - "There has been a report lately that burglars are in the - neighborhood, for several of the ladies at the Sunset Hill House - have missed articles of jewelry. Somehow that noise brought it - to my mind, and I jumped up,--I was in my bare feet,--quickly - turned off the light, stepped to the window, and poked my head - out, and--if there wasn't a man on the roof of the veranda, - creeping stealthily towards the mystery-room, directly under - mine. O dear! and its two windows were both unlatched,--one of - the boys had discovered that,--but no one had dared to break the - rule and go in to fasten them. In a moment he had begun to work - at the shutters, very cautiously,--he had a flashlight in his - hand,--stopping every moment or so to listen, to see if any one - had heard him. - - "My heart bounded into my throat, but while I was making up my - mind what to do, there came a wrench, and I knew that in a - moment or so that man would be in the room! Desperate with - fright, I flung about, and then my glance fell on that pail of - water. Without further ado I seized it, pushed it softly out of - the window, hurriedly turned it upside down, and then hurled the - pail after the water. There came a smothered sound, a half-cry - and groan, and then a funny, swishy noise. - - "As I peered down through the darkness I saw a black object - slipping down the roof, and heard a sudden imprecation, as it - rolled over the edge. There came a splashy sound, a deep groan, - and then I knew that the thief had fallen off the roof, and - landed in a hogshead of water that always stood under the - veranda by the kitchen porch. - - "Now came a fierce barking, mingled with growls, and I realized - that Jean's little dog, Tige, was chewing up the thief. The next - instant I made a mad rush for the door, to see Dick flying down - the stairs in his bath-robe, followed by mother and the boys! - - "I plunged blindly forward, managed to grab him by the arm, and, - between hysterical gasps, explained what I had seen, and begged - him not to go out for fear the man would shoot him. But Dick - shook me off like a feather, and, although mother tearfully - seconded my plea, he was about to dash into the darkness when - Cynthia rushed up and handed him her revolver,--Janet says she - always sleeps with one under her pillow. The boys--each little - chap, even Jean, was armed to the teeth, Danny with his - policeman's club, Tony with an iron bar, and Jean with a - mountain-staff--lost no time in following him, with mother close - behind. - - "I grabbed a chair--it could fell a man, at least--and followed - mother, while Janet, Cynthia, and Sheila alternately yelled and - wept as they sat huddled on the stairs, each one expecting to be - shot. But by the time I reached the veranda Dick appeared, - dragging a miserable-looking little object by the collar of his - pajamas,--for his trousers had been about chewed off by - Tige,--with rivulets of water oozing over his face, who was - abjectly pleading and howling that he was no thief. - - "But Dick was obdurate, and as we all stared with bulging eyes, - he marched him up to Cynthia. As he shook him fiercely by the - collar, as one would shake a dog, he cried, 'Here, Miss Cynthia, - here's the thief, your estimable friend and lover, Mr. Buddie!' - I leave the rest for you to imagine. Mr. Buddie left the next - morning. - - "Now good-by. Be sure and tell me more about yourself and your - work when you write again, for I am anxious to know everything - that happens to you, girl of my heart, for you are a brave dear, - and I miss you more than I can express. - - "Again with love, - "Nathalie Page." - - - - - CHAPTER XXII - - THE MAN IN THE WOODS - - -"Oh, Nathalie, what do you think? They have sent for a detective up at -the hotel!" The speaker was Nita, who, with her friend, was sitting on -the veranda of Seven Pillars, a few afternoons subsequent to Nathalie's -sending her letter to Helen. - -"A detective?" echoed Nathalie, looking at Nita in surprise. "What for?" - -"Why, about those robberies. I told you some time ago how the guests -were missing jewelry and other small articles of value. It has been kept -very quiet, but mother heard this morning that the manager is getting -worried as to who is the thief, and has sent for a secret-service man to -come up and ferret out the mystery. But, Blue Robin," she added, with a -more serious expression, "those school friends of yours are not going to -take any more French lessons." - -"And pray, why not?" demanded Nathalie. Then she ejaculated, "Dear me, -what have we done to offend them now?" - -"I don't know. But, Nathalie, did you notice the night of the Liberty -Tea at the hotel, how they sat in a corner, whispering most of the time? -I had an uncanny feeling that they were making unkind remarks about us, -not that _I care_, for I don't like them anyway," added Nita -disgustedly. - -"I'm sorry," said Nathalie regretfully, "for I hate to have Mr. de Brie -lose any pupils. I imagine they were angry at the last Liberty Cheer, -for, you remember, when they joined us we all grew very quiet. Not that -any one meant to be rude, but they are so snobby that they cast a cloud -over one's fun." - -"Well, I guess Philip can get along without them," returned Nita -confidently. "Did you notice that he was quite the lion the other -evening? He cast the Count quite into the shade, for every one fell in -love with him." - -"Yes, he can be very charming," acquiesced Nathalie, "for he is so -distinguished-looking in his uniform of a British lieutenant. Mother -says that in his manners he combines the fineness of an American -gentleman with the courtesy and charm of a Frenchman. I am sorry about -his arm, for the doctor says he will always have to carry it stiffly. - -"But, Nita," continued Nathalie, "I just adore that big doctor friend of -yours. What do you think? I was worrying about his calling so many times -on Philip, for I was afraid that my 'drop in the bucket' would not be -enough to pay the bill, and of course Philip wouldn't have enough from -his earnings to pay it. Finally I wrote the doctor to send his bill to -me. And oh, Nita, he wrote me a love of a letter, in which he said that -he never charged girls anything. And as for Mr. de Brie, he considered -it his great privilege to be allowed to give his services to a man who -had given the best of himself to give liberty to the world. Oh, I think -he is just the dearest old thing!" ended the girl enthusiastically. - -"Oh, I knew he would do _that_," answered Nita, with a wise little -smile, "for he has the best heart in the world." - -"But listen," went on her companion earnestly. "Janet told Philip about -it, excusing herself by saying that he was worrying over the bill, and -that she wanted to relieve his mind." - -"Of course she did," giggled Nita, "for one can see with half an eye -what is going on in that direction for it is a clear case of 'spoons,' -all right." - -"Do you really think so?" cried Nathalie with sudden animation. "Why, I -suggested something of that kind to mother, and she said I was a silly. -Well, they were made for one another. Why, Philip just adores the ground -she walks on, and as for Janet, it's just a guessing game as to how she -feels. But, to go on with my tale," continued the girl. "As soon as -Philip heard what Janet had to tell, he came straight to me, and, with a -voice that fairly shook with emotion, said that my kindness to him would -be one of the unforgettable things in his life. Of course I had to make -light of the matter, for I saw the poor fellow was terribly affected -over it. Oh, I do hope things will brighten for him this fall, for he is -going to the city, to make an attempt to get some pupils to tutor until -his health is better. You know," she added, dropping her voice, "I think -there must have been some mystery about his grandmother, or his family, -for although he loves to come down here and be one of us,--he says it is -so homey with us,--he never says a word about her or his family." - -Nita had been reading to Miss Whipple, and Nathalie had been tying up -sweet peas, one morning a few days after Nita's news about the -detective, and the two girls were on their homeward way, when Nathalie -suddenly exclaimed with a little burst of laughter, "Oh, Nita, I have -something funny to tell you." - -"Well, tell it to me then," rejoined her companion somewhat dolefully, -"for although I have something to tell you, alas, it is anything but -funny." - -"Oh, is it about Philip?" cried Nathalie, a sudden premonition of evil -darkening the golden lights of her eyes. "Or are any more of the girls -going to give up taking French lessons?" - -"It is worse than _that_," answered Nita, with such grave import in her -voice that Nathalie stared at her with big eyes as she cried, "Oh, Nita! -do hurry and tell me. Have those girls--" - -"Yes, those girls, your friends--" - -"Please don't call them my friends," pleaded poor Nathalie tremulously, -"for they are anything but friends." - -"So it seems," nodded Nita dryly, "for they have told--well, just about -every one in the house--that they suspect that Mr. de Brie is the thief -who has been robbing the hotel. You know he has been giving them private -lessons. Nelda declares that she believes Philip took her watch,--it was -lying on the table when she left the room to answer a 'phone call from -the office. Justine was out riding with the Count. When Nelda returned -the watch was gone. Five other girls came to me this morning and told me -that they were not going to take any more lessons. - -"These girls have circulated all over the house," continued Nita -gloomily, "that Philip is an impostor; that you picked him up without -knowing anything about him and that he is not a British soldier at all. -O dear! how hateful people can act! And the clerk of the hotel--Well, he -informed me this morning that the Profile House had sent word that they -did not care to have Philip speak to their guests, as people were tired -of hearing about the war." - -"Nita, this is terrible! Oh, I know Philip is not an impostor," -protested Nathalie with a dismayed face. "Why, Nita, he showed me a -letter written to him by a soldier at the front, and he called him -Lieutenant de Brie. And where could he have gotten his uniform if he is -an impostor? Oh, I just believe those horrid, hateful girls have made -the whole thing up." Nathalie stopped, suddenly remembering that she was -not speaking kindly, and not living up to her motto. She gave a long -sigh, and then asked, "But, Nita, have you heard anything more about the -detective coming up from the city?" - -"Yes. Oh! there he is now, coming down the walk," cried Nita, lowering -her voice. Then she added, with a laugh, "Talk of the angels and you'll -hear the flutter of their wings." - -"Well, he doesn't look much like an angel," answered Nathalie, her eyes -lighting humorously, as she watched a stout, red-faced man with a sandy -moustache coming down the path towards them. - -As the gentleman under discussion approached the girls he lifted his hat -courteously, as he said, "I beg your pardon, but could you tell me how I -can reach the top of Garnet? I understand that there are several trails -up the mountain, but could you tell me which one would be the best one -to ascend?" - -The girls made no reply for a moment, assailed by the miserable fear -that the man was going up the mountain to trail Philip. Then Nathalie, -with an effort, turned and pointed down the road, explaining in a few -words that one of the trails started in near the Grand View road. - -As the man thanked her and walked slowly on, Nathalie drew a deep -breath, while a troubled light shone in Nita's eyes, as she cried, "Oh, -do you suppose he is going to arrest Philip?" She spoke in a -half-whisper. - -"Arrest Philip? Why, the idea of such a thing! No, of course not," -Nathalie answered determinedly, as if she was not going to allow herself -to become frightened. "Philip has committed no crime. That man can't -arrest him unless he has some evidence, and where is he going to get -it?" - -Nita made no reply, and the two girls, depressed by the unpleasant -occurrence, and the vague fear that trouble was brewing for their -friend, sat down in one of the summer-houses near the board-walk. Here -they sat in silence for a few moments, and then Nathalie, as if -determined to throw off the depression that assailed her, cried, "Oh, -Nita, I have not told you the funny thing." - -"Well, tell it to me, then; for I think it will take something real -comical to get me out of the blues." - -"It is about Tony," explained Nathalie. "You know the child is obsessed -with the desire to have me find the mystery thing. Well, the other day -Danny came running to tell me that Tony was rolling on the floor with -the colic. I was alarmed, for I immediately thought he had been eating -green apples, the way Sheila did the other day, and mother had to -poultice her with mustard. - -"I flew to his room and there was the little fellow moaning and -squirming about, apparently in great pain. When he saw me he immediately -begged me to put a mustard plaster on his stomach. I was surprised, for -generally children will suffer quite a little before they will have one -on. I found some old linen,--mother was out,--hurried down to the -kitchen closet, and got the mustard-box. - -"But when I opened it, imbedded in the yellow, powdery stuff, was -something that glittered strangely. I shook the box, and out rolled a -little gold coin. I carefully examined it, and immediately saw that it -was an ancient Roman coin, for although one side was so blurred and worn -with age that I could not decipher anything on it, the other side bore -the name and head of Csar within a circle of fine gold beading. - -"Something immediately told me that the coin belonged to Tony, and that -he had placed it there so I would find it, for, not long ago he lost -something from his vest-pocket,--he keeps all of his treasures sewed up -in that old vest. Danny had helped him look for it,--it had slipped out -of a hole,--and after it had been found he came and told me about it, -describing it as a little round piece of gold, the kind that you see, he -said, up in the museum at Central Park. - -"I made the plaster and carried it, with the coin, up to Tony, but -before I put on the poultice I showed him the gold piece and asked if it -was not his. But the little chap, with a bland and innocent expression, -vowed that he had never seen it. No amount of coaxing or persuasion -could make him confess to the truth. You know that is the great trouble -I have with Tony, he will tell _teeny little stories_." Nathalie sighed -dolefully. - -"Although I was sure that he didn't have any colic, and that the whole -thing was just a trick to get me to look in the mustard-box to find the -coin, I put the plaster on, and made him stay in bed, thinking that when -it got to burning that he would 'fess up.' But he didn't, and although -he howled and writhed with the sting of it,--while I was reading him a -lecture on the sin of lying,--I told the story of Ananias and -Sapphira,--he stuck it out. Then, finally, my conscience wouldn't let me -torture the boy any longer, and I took the plaster off. That night while -he was asleep I found his old vest, and after putting the coin in the -pocket, sewed it up." - -After the girls had laughed over the incident, Nathalie started -homeward, her mind full of dismal forebodings in regard to Philip. "Oh, -I wish I could prove in some way that he is not an impostor. But suppose -he should be?" The girl came to a sudden halt. Then, with her eyes full -of a strange bright light, she went on. No, she just knew that Philip -was good and true. - -"But I must do something," she half moaned. "For how dreadfully he will -feel if he thinks that people believe him a thief; and he will soon know -something is wrong, when all the girls stop taking lessons. But Nita and -I will have to pretend that the season is drawing to a close,--as it is. -But, O dear! he does need the money so much. And Janet,--how it will -hurt her, for I am sure she cares--" the girl halted at the thought, for -it seemed too sacred a thing even to whisper to herself. Then she was -busy again, trying to think how she could prove that her friend was what -he claimed to be. - -As she unconsciously uttered her thoughts aloud, by some mysterious -process of thought, or strange correlation between mind and matter, -before her mental vision flashed the picture of a dark wood, lighted by -gleams of moonlight that filtered through the tall tree-tops. In the -foreground of a forest-gloomed retreat, in front of a high rock, a man -was digging in the ground, plainly seen by the yellow flickerings from a -burning torch that had been stuck upright in the ground, a few feet -away. - -Although the girl reasoned and tried to convince herself that there was -no possible connection between that man and the thief at the hotel, she -could not drive the impression from her mind. On going home she -questioned Jean, and found that he, too, still vividly remembered the -incident. - -That night Nathalie could not sleep, for she was haunted by the picture -of the man in the woods, although she hurled every name she could think -of at herself for being so foolish. The next night again found her -sleepless, but when morning dawned, as if pursued and driven by the -haunting vision, she called the boys together, and stated the -circumstances to them. She did not tell her mother, as _she_ would say -that she was losing her reason, and, well, she was determined to find -out--_something_. - -Early the following morning, before any one had gone through the woods, -Nathalie and the boys met Nita at the Red Trail; she had been taken into -their confidence, and accordingly was weirdly and thrillingly excited. -They soon reached the seat-tree, and then, after locating the big rock, -they all began to dig. - -They had dug for almost an hour, by Nita's wristwatch, and then, feeling -tired, and on the verge of absolute despair, were talking about giving -the whole thing up, when all at once Jean's little terrier began to -scratch in the ground on one side of the rock, and partly under it. Jean -gave a queer little cry as he watched Tige, and the next moment had -driven the dog away, and had begun to dig as furiously as he could with -his one hand, in the place where the dog had been scratching up the -earth. - -Nathalie watched him listlessly, for she had abandoned all hope, and -felt utterly weary, too, after her two sleepless nights. Suddenly Jean -gave a loud shout, and then a moment later they had all rushed to his -side, and presently were boring down into the earth under the rock as -quickly as they could, to unearth in a few moments a gold chain. Nita -gave a loud scream as she snatched it from Danny, for she immediately -recognized it as belonging to an old lady at the hotel, who had been -bemoaning its loss. A few moments' digging, and then, with pale faces, -in repressed excitement, they replaced the chain in the hole, covered it -with dirt, so as to make it appear that the spot had not been disturbed, -and then they started home, stopping to rest on the stone ledge of -Liberty Fort, while discussing their discovery. It was enough to excite -any one, and might mean a great deal to Philip. - -Nita was quite insistent at first that they should immediately tell the -manager of the hotel what they had seen. But Nathalie demurred, -convinced, on second thought, that if the jewelry was found hidden up in -the woods, because Philip lived up on the mountain, every one would say -that that was sure proof that he was the thief. "No," declared the girl -determinedly, "we can't do that; but we will have to come up here and -watch for the man so we can identify him." This plan was finally decided -upon, and the little party, seething with suppressed excitement under -the weight of their momentous secret, returned home. - -That night Nathalie, Danny, and Jean stole up the trail. Strange to say, -it was again a moonlight night, the same as a month ago, when the man -had been seen by Nathalie and Jean. After finding the seat-tree they all -sat down and waited, alternately dozing and waking, but although they -remained until the first streaks of gray dawn appeared, nothing -happened. - -The following night, Jean--Nathalie had put the boy to bed for the day, -letting her mother think that he had one of his headaches to which he -was subject--and Tony accompanied the girl to the tree. But alas, for -the second time nothing came to pass. Nathalie began to be discouraged. -Fortunately it rained that night, and, as they could not venture out, -they all had a good night's rest. - -The fourth night again found the girl with the boys at her post, -oppressed and miserable, for by this time she began to fear that the man -in the woods was a snare and a delusion,--something she had dreamed, or -else he had gone. But why did he leave that jewelry behind?--for the -children had discovered that there were other pieces hidden in that -hole, or very near it. - -All at once--Nathalie had fallen quite sound asleep--Jean gave her a -pinch; he was snuggling up against her, seated on her lap. The girl -opened her eyes sleepily, rubbed them drowsily, and then stretched them -wide, caught by the gleam of a light over by the rock. Yes, the man was -there! Her heart leaped excitedly, for he was digging under the rock, -just where they had found the jewelry! - -With stilled breath, the three figures, hidden by the tree, watched him, -Nathalie's mind keeping up an incessant query as to how she could steal -around behind the rock to get a view of his face. Ah, that queer shaking -of the head! Who was it that she had seen who had that peculiar nervous -affliction? And then, in a sudden revelation, she knew! It was the man -who had stared at her so rudely in the post-office, the man who had -repaired her automobile. Why, it was the man known as _the Count_! - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII - - A MYSTERY SOLVED - - -Several hours later, Nathalie, Nita, Sheila, the three boys, and Mrs. -Van Vorst were seated in that lady's sitting-room on the second floor of -the Sunset Hill House, overlooking the roof of the front veranda. -Nathalie was nervously tapping the floor with her foot, as, with a -perplexed, uneasy expression in her eyes, she watched Mr. Grenoble, the -secret-service man, who had been employed to fathom the strange mystery -of the many jewelry thefts that had occurred at the hotel within the -last few weeks. - -She had told her story, not only to the detective, but to the manager of -the hotel, explaining how she had come to discover the man digging in -the woods the night that Sheila had wandered away. She had told also how -they had all dug under the rock, to find the pieces of missing jewelry, -and how she and the boys had hid in the woods, and finally had seen the -man again digging by the rock. She had verified her story in its -details, and, although sharply questioned by the detective and the -manager, she had stoutly maintained that the man whom she had seen was -Mr. Keating, known as the Count. But her intuition immediately revealed -to her that they were not inclined to accept her theory as to the -identification of the thief. - -The manager immediately protested that she _must be_ mistaken, that his -guest was too well known, his position too assured, to identify him in -any way with the man at the rock. As the girl realized that her story -was doubted, a strange numbness seized her, and she had a paralyzing -premonition that not only would her well-founded suspicions prove -futile, as well as her long, watchful hours, and her many efforts to -clear Philip, but that possibly these things would increase the -circumstantial suspicions already directed towards him. - -Seeing the apparent uselessness of further conversation the girl rose, -oppressed by the dread that if she remained in that room a moment longer -she would burst into tears. But no, _she would not give up_! She would -go somewhere and think it all over, to see if there was not some way of -ascertaining who the man was. Perhaps she could go again to the -woods,--she would try and get behind that rock,--and make sure-- - -At this moment Sheila, who was standing with Jean by the window, -watching the automobiles constantly coming and going in front of the -hotel, uttered a sharp cry. As Nathalie turned towards the child as if -to still her, she heard her exclaim: "Oh, Jean, there's the funny 'phone -man! See, there he is! Don't you remember, he's the man who put the -black trumpet on top of his head when he was in the 'phone-box?" Sheila -always called the receiver a "black trumpet." - -Nathalie, aroused by the remark, mechanically allowed her glance to -follow the direction of the child's finger, as she pointed towards Mr. -Keating, who was coming up the walk leading to the hotel. Unconsciously -she bent forward, and with alert eyes watched the man, for she had again -seen that peculiar motion of the head that had identified him as the man -whom she had seen digging in the woods. - -But Sheila's exclamation had been overheard by the detective, who -stepped quickly to the child's side, crying: "What was that you said, -little girl, about a funny 'phone man? Tell me about him." - -The man's manner was so abrupt and commanding, that Sheila shrank back -against Nathalie, and shyly hid her face. But the girl, startled also by -Mr. Grenoble's abruptness, with a quick glance at his face, cried, "Yes, -Sheila, tell the gentleman what you saw." Oh, yes, she remembered now -that the two children had told her about this "funny 'phone man" whom -they had seen at the hotel one day, but she had paid no attention to -their prattle at the time. - -Sheila, with a quick upward glance into the girl's face, as if instantly -divining the seriousness of the situation, answered, "Why, that's the -man I saw in the 'phone-box," again pointing towards the Count, who had -stopped to chat with a lady on the walk. "He put the black trumpet right -up on top of his head, like this,"--she imitated the man's -motion,--"when he was talking through the 'phone." - -"Did you see him, too?" questioned the detective, turning towards Jean, -his eyes suddenly illumined with an odd gleam. Jean nodded silently, and -then, seeing that further confirmation was needed, in his odd, -hesitating English, repeated the same words, accompanied by the same -motion, as the little girl. - -The detective nodded absently, still with that odd gleam in his eyes, -and then walked hastily towards the door. As he reached it, as if -suddenly remembering their former conversation, he turned towards the -occupants of the room and, with slow deliberation, said, "Well, ladies, -I think our problem is still unsolved; however, I will look into the -matter and let you know the result in a few days." With an abrupt nod he -motioned to the manager, whose kindly face was strangely perturbed, as -he quickly followed him from the room. - -Nathalie and the children, a few mornings after the conference at the -Sunset Hill House, were standing in front of the big white Roslinwood -barn watching Teddy and Billy, two little black pigs that were the -delight of Sheila's heart. But they were tantalizing joys, for as soon -as they caught sight of their admirer, as they peered out of the big -barn-door, with their bright, bead-like eyes, they would scurry away as -quickly as their round, shiny black bodies would permit, greatly to that -young lady's disappointment. - -As Sheila ran to gather a roadside nosegay, and the boys hurried -homeward, for Philip had promised to teach them some new military -tactics in their soldier-drill at the Liberty Fort, Nathalie, beguiled -by the calm stillness of the woods, sat down on the seat under the trees -where the sign, "Hit the Trail," showed that was where the path started -that led through Lovers' Lane. - -The woods, aglow with the yellow and reds of the maples, were strangely -still that beautiful September morning, save for the occasional chirp of -some belated songster, or the loud caw of a crow as he signaled to his -mates, who were making a noisy clatter in some leafy retreat of the -greenwood. - -To Nathalie, the crimson branches of the reddening maples, showing -vividly bright from among the green leaves of the spruce, fir, oak, or -beech, softened with the glow from the silver poplars as they quivered -in the wind, seemed like red banners. As they swayed in undulating -motion, to her they were flags, curling and beating the air for that -which is every man's right, liberty. - -The girl felt a little depressed at the thought that the summer was -over, for the crumpled and autumn-hued leaves, as they fell from the -trees, or swept by on the wings of the wind in their dying splendor, -seemed to be calling a sad and mournful farewell. Oh, how she would hate -to leave these rocky heights that rose in such statuesque grandeur -before her, the splendors of the sky with its glory of sunset, the -forest gnomes in their crooked and gnarled ugliness, and the green -fields, now starred with the yellow beauty of our national flower, the -goldenrod! - -What an odd summer it had been! So different from what she had expected. -How she would miss her beautiful companions on her morning walks, the -blue-hazed mountains! And yet she had made friends. Ah, there was the -soldier-boy. She wondered if he would write to her. Then there was -Janet. Well, she was never going to let her go out of her life, for she -was to visit them next winter. - -Her eyes saddened as she thought of the Sweet-Pea ladies. Oh, how sorry -she would be to bid them good-by, for Miss Whipple seemed to grow -frailer every day, and then what would become of poor Miss Mona? And her -queer little old friend in the red house? Well, she didn't suppose that -she would ever see her again, for she said that she never wrote to -people. Yes, it was depressing to think that you had to meet people you -liked, and then go away and just have to forget them, because they -passed out of your life. - -And the kiddies? She hated to think of their going back to that slum -life again. She wondered if any of the country people up in the -mountains would like to take them to live with them, for, yes, Tony and -Danny could learn to be very useful. But poor Jean--and Sheila! Then she -wondered if her trying to make them Sons of Liberty would help them to -be good and honorable men. Sometimes it seemed as if she hadn't -accomplished much, and then again she could see how different they were -from what they had been when they came to her. O dear! they _were_ -problems. - -And Philip de Brie? Surely she had made a friend of him, at least he was -more than a friend to Janet, who--the perverse thing!--was so careful -not to let her know if she really cared for him or not. Perhaps it was -on account of Cynthia, for she had overheard that young lady telling -Janet that Philip was an impostor, and that he had fooled her the way he -had Nathalie Page and her mother. The story of his being a British -soldier, and that story, too, about his grandmother, was all folderol. - -And poor Janet had meekly made no reply to this tirade, but Nathalie, in -imagination, saw the red mount into her cheeks, and knew how humiliated -she felt. Well, he was better than that funny little Mr. Buddie anyway. -She believed it was _just_ jealousy on Cynthia's part, for she herself -had tried to be very nice to Philip, but somehow he didn't seem to -understand her,--no sensible person could,--and although he had always -been very courteous to her, he had never made a friend of her. - -Well, she had done her best to clear him of the horrible suspicion that -had lost him his pupils; but, alas, she seemed to have made the matter -worse, or, at least, she had not done him any good, for when his cabin -on the mountain had been burned one night, people had declared that he -had set it afire himself to destroy evidences of his guilt. - -And then, when the manager of the hotel had the ground dug up, where she -and the children had discovered those pieces of jewelry, nothing had -been found. And Mr. Keating, alias the Count, had gone, called to -Chicago, he claimed, the very night before they dug up around the -rock,--the very night, too, that the cabin had been burned. No, Philip -had not been arrested, for certainly the evidence was not strong enough -to warrant such action. And then the detective had disappeared, although -Nathalie had a feeling at times that he was hanging around somewhere -near the place, in disguise, perhaps, watching Philip. - -And the people who had been so nice to Philip, now acted very queerly -whenever they saw him, and Philip, the poor fellow, had said nothing, -although Nathalie was afraid that he suspected that something was wrong. -Her mother had persuaded him to come down to Seven Pillars after the -burning of the cabin, and although he had accepted their kind -hospitality for the time being, he chafed under the favors showered upon -him, and showed that he was inwardly suffering to have to be placed in -such a position, for Janet said he resented charity. Yes, and ten days -had passed, and Nathalie had not heard one word from the detective. O -dear! the world was a queer place to live in, anyway. - -Just after luncheon, as Nathalie and her mother sat knitting on the -veranda, a loud "Honk! Honk!" announced the arrival of Nita, who, with -her cheeks red with excitement, burst upon the group like a young -whirlwind. - -"Oh, Blue Robin," she cried, as she caught sight of Nathalie, "I have -the most wonderful news for you." And then, without waiting to be -questioned by her friend, who had risen to her feet in nervous -expectancy, she added excitedly, "Philip has been cleared!" - -"Oh, Nita, how do you know?" cried Nathalie, her face turning white, as -she nervously clutched at her chair. - -"The news came this morning from the detective, and the manager told -mother. He said Mr. Grenoble got his clew from Sheila. You just come -right here, little girl," broke off Nita abruptly, as she beckoned for -Sheila to come to her, "so I can kiss you for a blessed dear." She -seized the somewhat astonished child and began to hug her with excited -exuberance. - -"But who is the thief?" exclaimed Nathalie breathlessly. "Oh, do tell -us!" - -"The thief? Why, Mr. Keating, the Count, of course," laughed Nita -gleefully; "and he was caught all through Sheila's crying out about the -funny 'phone man. When she spoke of the man in the booth placing the -receiver on his head when telephoning, it gave Mr. Grenoble a big clew. -It seems that the detective-bureau had been on the lookout for some time -for a gentleman burglar who had the peculiar eccentricity of holding the -receiver on the top of his head, as Sheila stated. He was born without -any folds to his ears,--no, that isn't the word; I guess it was ganglion -cells. No, _that_ isn't right--Well, anyway he had something the matter -with his auditory nerve, so that his hearing was defective. By placing -the receiver on the top of his head, as he had very good -bone-conduction,--yes, that's right,--he could hear better. - -"As soon as the detective heard what Sheila said he began to shadow our -friend, the Count. He saw him do the same thing that Sheila told about, -and _that_, with certain other clews, led to his arrest. He was not _the -Mr._ Keating from Chicago that he claimed to be, whom the manager -asserted had spent a summer at the hotel two years ago. That gentleman -died this spring, and this 'count' fellow impersonated him, so as to -gain a social standing in the hotel. - -"The manager now admits that at times he had been puzzled by certain -changes in Mr. Keating's appearance, but he attributed it to the fact -that he was older, and was now clean-shaven, when two years ago he wore -a mustache. The detective thinks that the Count burned the cabin up in -the woods so as to deepen the suspicion already fostered in regard to -Philip." - -"But he got away with the jewelry," exclaimed that young gentleman, who, -with Janet, had just stepped up to the edge of the veranda, while Nita -had been talking. - -"But he did not get far," rejoined Nita, "for when he walked into the -New York station a few days ago,--that was just a ruse, talking about -being called to Chicago,--he simply walked into the net that the -detectives had spread for him, and he is now in jail." - -"I saw that the detective doubted my story," remarked Nathalie, "and it -made me feel unpleasant. But, oh, I am so glad the thief has been -caught--and--" - -"That Philip is cleared," interrupted that young man. "Yes, Miss -Nathalie, you have added to the store of kind things that you have done -for me. But wait," Philip's eyes glowed, "some day,--well, perhaps I can -repay every one. And little Blue Robin," he continued, laughingly, "I -knew that I was the suspected one, although you were all so careful not -to let anything slip out that would tell me, so as to save my -sensitiveness, but as I was innocent I knew that things would clear up -somehow." - -And then he and Janet returned to their seats under the trees, where -Philip had been reading to her, while Nathalie, with a glad light in her -eyes, continued to discuss the many details of the affair. As Nita rose -to go she suddenly exclaimed: "Oh, there, I forgot to tell you that we -are going home in a couple of days. Mother is anxious to get back to the -city." - -"Oh, I shall miss you terribly," cried her friend, as she placed her arm -affectionately around the little hunchback; "but then I presume we shall -be going soon ourselves. But, Nita," she added abruptly. "I came very -near forgetting to tell you that we have all handed our diaries to Mr. -Banker, and I am so glad that irksome task is over, for I hated to have -to write in it every day. We are to meet Mr. Banker in the mystery-room -to-morrow afternoon. It all sounds very thrilling, doesn't it? We are -all very curious to know what is hidden there." - -"Oh, I am just dying to know, too," cried Nita. "Well, come over to tea -to-morrow, and then perhaps the mystery will be a mystery no longer." - -"But have you selected the _valuable thing_?" asked the girl laughingly, -after she assured her friend that she would surely accept her -invitation. - -"Why, no, not as yet," returned Nathalie, "for I am swayed by two loves. -But it is all nonsense anyway, so I don't think it will make much -difference what any of us select. Cynthia will probably win the prize, -as the kiddies say, for she has chosen a very valuable painting. Janet -has selected a most curious thing,--a necklace. It came from China, and -has a series or chain of heads; they say every one is a likeness of some -old mummified mandarin. When you touch a spring--Janet didn't know this -until mother showed it to her, for she saw this necklace years ago, when -Mrs. Renwick brought it home with her from one of her Oriental -trips--each one of these mummified Chinamen sticks out his tongue." - -"Well, good-by until to-morrow," cried Nita, and then she was in her car -and a moment later went whizzing along the road towards Sugar Hill -village. - -Nathalie had just finished putting her boys through their morning drill -the following day, and seen them hurry away with Janet to do some -weeding and hoeing for her in her garden, when she was joined by Philip. -As he finished telling her a bit of war news,--she was industriously -trying to finish a sweater for Dick,--his glance was arrested by the -little Bible lying on the chair by her side, for Nathalie had continued -her Scripture readings to the children. - -Picking the book up, he began to turn over its leaves carelessly, almost -mechanically, as if his mind was occupied with some other matter, when -suddenly Nathalie heard a surprised exclamation, and looked up to see -Philip staring at the fly-leaf of the Bible, with an odd, curious -expression on his face. - -"Where did you get this Bible?" he asked hurriedly, turning towards the -girl. - -"In one of the upper rooms of the house. I think it must have belonged -to Mrs. Renwick's son, Philip. Why, your name is Philip, too," she cried -smilingly. "Why, I never thought of that before." - -"Yes, my name is Philip, and this Bible belonged to my father--" - -"Your father?" repeated the dazed girl. But before Philip could answer -her, in a quick revelation she cried, "Why, is your name Renwick?" -staring at him with wide-open eyes. - -"Yes, Philip de Brie Renwick." - -"And Mrs. Renwick, who used to live here?" - -"Was my grandmother!" - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV - - THE WINNER OF THE PRIZE - - -As Nathalie sat in dazed surprise upon hearing Philip's announcement, he -went on and told her of the early life of his father, of his going to -Europe, of his marriage with Marie de Brie, a French girl, of his return -to America, and of his subsequent quarrel with his mother, who had -refused to receive his wife, a story that the girl had already heard, -but not in detail, from Mrs. Page. - -When his father left his grandmother, Philip stated, he was in a mood of -mingled anger and humiliation, while his heart had been deeply seared -with disillusioned love. He could not realize that the mother who had -made him her idol, the mother whom he adored, could, from mere motives -of false pride, wound him so deeply by refusing to receive the girl to -whom he had given the affections of his young manhood. - -On leaving his mother, Philip Renwick had remained at the hotel for a -time, vainly hoping that she would attempt a reconciliation, but when no -word came from her, he took his wife to a southern town, where, a few -months later, he, Philip the second, had been born. A couple of years -later the young couple had returned to England, where they had lived -until his father's death. Shortly after losing her husband, young Mrs. -Renwick had returned to France, and had become the home-keeper for a -bachelor brother. On his death she was left a small annuity on the -condition that she retain her maiden name of de Brie; hence the reason -that Philip had become known by his mother's maiden name. - -"But did you know that it was _here_, at Seven Pillars, that your -grandmother used to live?" asked Nathalie, as Philip finished. - -"Yes, and that was why I felt that I could not refuse your mother's kind -invitation to spend a short time here as her guest, for the house had so -many associations for me, for my father, as well as my grandmother, were -very fond of this old place up here in these mountains. - -"The night you found me in the cabin, Miss Nathalie," resumed the young -man, "I had become tired of life, for it seemed as if there was nothing -for me to live for, for I hadn't enough ambition to try to better my -condition. I could only face the fact that mother was gone, that I had -not a cent in the world, as my mother's annuity ceased with her life, -and my soldier's pension was only a few dollars a week. I realized that -I would probably lose my arm, for I knew that it should have a surgeon's -care and I had no money to pay one. And it is right here, Miss Nathalie, -that I want you to understand my deep appreciation of, and my hearty -thanks for, what you have done for me; also the kindness of Miss Janet," -a sudden light flamed in the young man's eyes, "and the thoughtfulness -of your mother, and your friends, Mrs. Van Vorst and Miss Nita. - -"The companionship of you all, even of the kiddies, your Liberty boys, -has put new life into me. I did become a little discouraged, it is true, -when I began to lose my French pupils, and surmised the reason, from -various hints that were dropped by some of the people, who were the -victims of the thief, for it is not an enlivening thought to fear that -your _only_ and very best friends might grow to think you a rascal. - -"But you all proved so true to me, especially _you_, little Blue Robin, -I call you that name, as the bluebird is a bird of cheer, and certainly -you have inspired me with the ambition for a new career-to-be, as you -have proved yourself such a loyal little comrade in my time of need. -Remember, Nathalie, I shall never forget you, or what you have done for -me." - -Nathalie, her face a wave of color from the unexpected warmth of -Philip's praise, in hasty confusion, as if to change the subject to -another one than herself, cried, "But why did you not go, when you were -in Boston, to Mrs. Renwick's trustees, and make yourself known to them? -For, if you are her grandson, you are entitled to some of her money." - -"For two reasons," replied Philip slowly. "One was that, in my hasty -departure from England it slipped my mind to bring my credentials with -me. And then, again,--perhaps my grandmother's pride has descended to -me,--I felt that if she did not love my father,--she had let him go so -easily,--that I could have pride, too, and did not care to accept her -money. If I could have met her when alive, and had learned that she did -have some love for my father, why, then I would have revealed myself to -her, and naturally would have felt differently in regard to accepting -her money. But I have one thing by which I could have proved my identity -to her if she had been still alive. See, it is this little ring. She -gave it to my father, who always wore it, as I have done, ever since it -came into my possession." - -Philip took from one of his little fingers an odd, peculiar-looking seal -ring. After showing his father's and his grandmother's initials and the -date of its presentation, he touched a tiny spring back of the stone, -and Nathalie saw a miniature picture of Mrs. Renwick. She knew it -immediately from its resemblance to several pictures of her that were -scattered about the house. - -At this moment there was a loud wail from Sheila, who, in picking -flowers in the meadow where Sam was mowing, had been injured by the -mower. It was some time before her cries were stilled, and her wound -properly bandaged, so that, for the time being, the wonderful news that -Philip had told was forgotten. - -When it finally came to mind, Nathalie was tempted to run and claim him -as her cousin, to tell him about Mrs. Renwick's peculiar letter, and -what was expected to take place there that afternoon. But after some -thought she wisely concluded to remain silent until after she had talked -with Mr. Banker and her mother. Not but that she had faith in Philip's -story, but because it seemed the most prudent thing to do. - -These thoughts were hasty ones, for the girl had suddenly remembered -that she had not selected the valuable thing as yet, and that it was -almost four o'clock, the hour of Mr. Banker's arrival. She had partly -decided to select a set of rubies,--a necklace and pair of -bracelets,--and then a Russian curio had made its appeal, but somehow -she bordered upon a state of indecision that was becoming intolerable. - -As she turned to enter the house, her eyes fell on the little Bible -that, in her hasty rush to Sheila, when she appeared with her bleeding -foot, she had left lying on the chair under the trees. She ran hastily -across the lawn and picked it up. As she did so, the book flew open and -her attention was arrested by the name, _Philip Renwick_, on the -fly-leaf, and its connection with what Philip had just told her. And -then, she stood a minute, pondering. Why had not she thought of that -before? and then, with a dimpling face, she closed the book and hurried -back to the veranda, almost knocking down Tony, who stood wistfully -regarding her. - -"Pleass, scusa, Mees Natta, haf you gotta da theeng for de -preez?--Mister Banka, hees com' bimeby to looka for eet." Tony's big, -velvety eyes were mutely pleading as he looked up at Nathalie. - -The girl laughingly mimicked the boy as she patted him on the head, -understanding that he was worried because she had not selected the thing -that the children were so anxious should "win the prize," as they called -it, for her. Then her eyes sobered, and, drawing the little lad to her, -she showed him the Bible she held in her hand, explaining that she had -selected it, as it told about Christ the Savior, and contained God's -wonderful message to His people, telling them how to love Him and be -good. "Yes, Tony," she added solemnly, "the Bible is the most precious -thing to everybody in the world. And then, as _this_ little Bible used -to belong to Mrs. Renwick's only son, I am sure that it would be the -most valuable thing to her, so I am going to select it." - -As the girl saw the child's eyes light up, as if he comprehended what -she meant, she laid the Bible on a chair and ran hastily up to her room -to hunt for some white paper and blue ribbon. In a moment or so she was -back, wrapping up the book, and then, to Tony's infinite delight, she -slipped her card under the blue ribbon and gave the book to him, to -place at the door of the mystery-room with the other packages. - -Some time later, Nathalie, in company with her mother, Janet, Cynthia, -and Mr. Banker, entered the mystery-room, no one perceiving as they -entered that the children had slyly followed them, and were staring -about with wondering, curious eyes. Ah, so this was the room they had -all been so curious about; and Nathalie smiled as she saw that it was a -homey, cozy room, suggestive of feminine tastes and occupations, but, -after all, it was just nothing but Mrs. Renwick's sitting-room, the room -where she had sewed, read, and wrote her letters. - -The low book-cases lining the wall, the hardwood floor with its costly -Persian rug, the open fireplace set with fagots ready to light on a cool -morning, the desk in one corner, with the Victrola near, and the antique -furniture, all of solid mahogany, certainly did not savor of a mystery -or anything uncanny. In fact, the little table in the center of the -room, with its shaded lamp, books, and magazines, and the little upright -work-basket near, rather intimated that the owner of the room had just -left it for a moment or so. - -But Mr. Banker was speaking. He stood by the little center-table on -which lay the three valuable things. He held up Cynthia's selection as -he said: "I have here a picture, a most valuable painting, as it is a -Van Dyke. It has been selected by Miss Cynthia Loretto Stillwell, as I -see by the name on the card. This little box bears the name of Miss -Janet Page, and is a curio from China. And here is a Bible," the -gentleman's voice deepened as he held up Nathalie's selection. The -girl's heart, notwithstanding her indifference to the outcome of the -selection, was beating against her side in a very annoying way. - -"It is a curious selection," continued Mr. Banker, "and--oh, what is -this?" as something round and glittering fell from the book. "A gold -coin," he commented with some surprise; "yes, a Roman coin, for it bears -the head of Csar, and I should imagine he turned the coin over as it -lay in his palm, that it was of considerable value, as, from what I can -decipher between the obliterations, it has a very ancient date. But I do -not understand," he glanced inquiringly, "which is the article that has -been selected as the valuable thing, the coin or the Bible? The card on -the letter bears the name of Nathalie Page," turning as he spoke, and -looking at the girl, who was staring at him, with mystified, bewildered -eye, "A coin!" she finally managed to gasp. "Why, I didn't see--" - -"Pleass 'scusa. Mister Banka," cried Tony's soft, musical voice at this -point, "da coin eet belona to Mees Natta,--she fina eet wan day een a -box." The liquid black eyes of the boy were brilliant with a strange -glow of joy. - -"Oh, no, Tonio, the coin is not Miss Natta's," cried Nathalie, a sudden -light breaking in upon her bewilderment. "It is your coin. Don't you -remember, I found it in the mustard-box the day you were ill? But it is -yours, Tony; you placed it there for Miss Natta to find." The girl, -strangely amused, smiled down at the lad. - -"You bet my life, Mees Natta, Tonio, no, hees neva hada coin. Eet verra -old, da coin, eet com' f'om a beeg keeng wat liva een da Roma lan'. Ees -belonga to Mees Natta," the boy ended persistently. - -"Oh, Tony, you are in the wrong," pleaded the girl, suddenly feeling -that she wanted to cry, as she saw that the child was determined to -persist in his untruth. "_You know_ it is _your coin_, for Danny found -it one day for you when it had dropped from your embroidered vest. -Didn't you, Danny?" - -And Danny, with a troubled look in his blue eyes,--he, too, wanted Miss -Natta to have that prize,--mutely nodded in confirmation of her word. -But Tony, with a sudden tightening of his red lips, again protested in a -sullen tone, "No, eet ees no Tonio's coin. Eet belona to Mees Natta." - -"Oh, Tony," exclaimed the girl, as the tears swelled up into her eyes, -"you hurt 'Mees Natta.' 'Mees Natta' rather not have the prize than have -Tonio tell what is not so." - -Tony's eyes fell, as he shifted uneasily from one foot to the other, and -then, glancing up, still with that stubborn look on his face, and seeing -the tears in the girl's eyes, he dropped his face into the curve of his -arm. Not a sound came from him, but the long, convulsive shivers of the -slim little body told that the lad was crying. - -Nathalie turned towards Mr. Banker, distress depicted on her face, as -she cried, "Oh, Mr. Banker, I am so sorry, but _I_ selected the Bible." - -Mr. Banker hesitated a moment, and then his sharp eyes softened, as he -saw the mute anguish of the little Italian lad and realized his keen -disappointment, for he had often commented upon the boy's affection for -the girl. Stepping to his side, he patted him on the head, as he said -cheerily: "Never mind, son; don't cry. Who knows, perhaps 'Mees Natta' -may win the prize, as you call it, even without the coin. Here, lad, -take what belongs to you, and mind you," he added in a sterner tone, -"never again be tempted to tell an untruth, even for 'Mees Natta.'" With -another pat on the bowed head he stepped back beside the table, where he -had been standing. - -"I have gone over these diaries," said the gentleman, as he picked up -one of the three books that lay on the table, "and I find that Miss -Cynthia Loretto Stillwell has not passed a day in this house, within the -last two months in which she has not searched for the valuable thing. -Certainly her diligence should be rewarded," ended the gentleman, as he -bowed ceremoniously to that lady, whose eyes radiated with triumphant -joy. - -"Miss Janet, I find," his eyes gleamed pleasantly at that winsome young -woman, "has been somewhat of a delinquent at times, for there are -several entries missing in her diary. But as its reading shows that her -heart is a kindly one, as shown by her careful nursing of the young -British soldier, I certainly think that she should be well favored. - -"Miss Nathalie, I am afraid, has not done her duty as faithfully as she -might have, in looking for the valuable thing"; he spoke somewhat -severely as he peered over his glasses at the girl, whose cheeks -flushed, their red deepening, as she caught a gleam of satisfaction -emanating from Cynthia's eyes. - -"But her negligence has been more than compensated for,"--there was a -queer note in the gentleman's voice, "as this record of two months is so -filled with kind acts for others, that-- Well, ladies, possibly you have -begun to sense that it is not the finding of the valuable thing that is -to win out, but the acts it typifies. Each day has been conscientiously -noted in Miss Nathalie's diary, and almost every day bears a record of -some good work done for others. I think--well--I am inclined to believe -that the young lady--" - -Mr. Banker paused abruptly, for at this moment a loud knocking sounded -on the door. Cynthia, who was standing near it, with a frown on her -face, stepped impatiently forward, and with a hasty movement threw it -open. - -On the threshold stood Mrs. Carney, who, the next moment, with her sharp -gray eyes peering defiantly out from under the queer poke-bonnet, while -the basket on her arm stuck out aggressively, brushed quickly past -Cynthia and into the room. But that lady, with two red spots on her -cheeks, seized her by the arm, crying, "You can't come in here now; we -have company," turning the old lady, as she spoke, and roughly shoving -her towards the door. - -"Oh, Cynthia, don't be rude to Mrs. Carney!" pleaded distressed -Nathalie, as she sprang to the side of her queer little friend. "How are -you, Mrs. Carney?" she asked gently, smiling at the face under the -bonnet. "We are very glad to see you. You don't mind Mrs. Carney joining -us, do you?" continued the girl, looking at Mr. Banker. "If you do," she -added quickly, "and will excuse me, I will go down-stairs with her, so -we can have a little chat." - -"No, Miss Nathalie, we do not mind Mrs. Carney joining us; in fact," -again that queer little note in Mr. Banker's voice, "I was just about to -ask you to go and bring her here." He advanced as he spoke and cordially -shook the hand of the old lady, who pressed his warmly, but said -nothing. - -"Ah, here is your favorite seat," continued the gentleman; "perhaps you -would like to sit down in it. But I forgot, ladies; perhaps you have not -met Mrs. John Renwick," he had turned towards the occupants of the room -smilingly, "the lady who has allowed you the privilege of summering in -her house for the last two months, your neighbor of the little red -house. As you see, Mrs. Renwick is alive, and I will ask her to take -charge of her own letter of instruction, and see that the reward is -given to the right one--and--" - -The gentleman paused, for Mrs. Page, with a glad light in her eyes, was -already at the lady's side, crying, "Oh, sister Mary, it was kind of you -to take this way of giving us such a lovely summer. And I am so glad -that you are alive and well." She kissed Mrs. Renwick with warm -cordiality. "Do you know," she continued smilingly, "I was rather -suspicious that you were up to one of your--" - -"Eccentricities," interrupted the old lady pleasantly, with an odd -twinkle in her eyes. "Well, I was anxious to know these young ladies. -Yes, I guess I know them now, one of them at least." She glanced -wrathfully at Cynthia, who stood with down-cast eyes, her face as -crimson as a poppy, and her heart in a strange tumult of amazement, -anger, and regret. - -But Nathalie, in her quick, impulsive way, had thrown her arms around -Mrs. Renwick's neck and was giving her a good hug, as she cried, "Oh! my -dear little lady of the red house, I am so glad you are Aunt Mary, for -now you will _have to be my friend_, and answer my letters whether you -want to or not." - -The old lady's gray eyes softened, as she bent forward and kissed the -girl softly on each cheek as she answered gently, "Nathalie, you are -just like your father,--he was my favorite brother,--but it is for -yourself, child," she added gravely, "that I have learned to love you. -But who has won the prize?" she inquired abruptly, smiling down at the -children who were staring at her uncomprehendingly, recognizing her as -the inmate of the red house, who seemed to have suddenly assumed a new -character. - -"Come over here and look them over,--I mean the valuable things," -advised Mr. Banker, at this moment, as he led Mrs. Renwick to the table, -"for the diaries you saw last night." And then he pointed out in quick -succession the three articles of value that were grouped on the table. - -Mrs. Renwick glanced carelessly at the picture. "Yes, it is most -valuable," she assented quietly, "a Van Dyke. And so is this"; she -fingered Janet's choice. "But what is this?" she added suddenly, as her -eyes fell on the little Bible that lay at her elbow. - -"This is Philip's Bible," said the gentleman, "and it was selected by -Miss Nathalie--" - -"Why, Nathalie, my child, did you select my dear son's Bible?" As -Nathalie mutely assented, Mrs. Renwick motioned for her to come and tell -her why she had made this choice. With some embarrassment the girl gave -her reasons. As she finished, her aunt said: "Yes, my dear child, there -is nothing in the house I value as highly as Philip's Bible. Nathalie, -you have won the prize, and you deserve it, my dear, for you have not -only selected the most valuable thing, but you have learned what is the -most valuable thing in life." The old lady drew Nathalie close to her, -as she again kissed her on both of her flushed cheeks. - -But Nathalie drew quickly away, for a sudden thought had come to her. -"Oh, wait a moment!" she exclaimed hurriedly. "I'll be back presently," -and then, without waiting to be excused, she flew from the room. - -"Oh, Philip!" screamed the girl a moment or so later, as she rushed up -to her friend, who was reading in the hammock, "I want you to come with -me--quick! Oh--I--" she paused as if at a loss to explain, and then -added hurriedly, "Oh, do come! I have something to show you!" - -Philip looked up at the girl in surprise, but, instantly perceiving from -her bright, shining eyes, that she was more than usually excited, he -jumped from the hammock crying, "All right, Blue Robin, you look very -happy, so I suppose it is something very good to see, or good to eat." - -[Illustration: "Oh, it is Philip, my son!"--_Page 377._] - -Two minutes later the girl had pushed open the door of the mystery-room, -and was trying to pull Philip in with her, but that gentleman, on seeing -that strangers were present, had stepped back. - -"No, no, you _must come in_," cried the girl in happy excitement. The -young man, seeing the determination on his companion's face, somewhat -puzzled, silently followed her into the room. And then Nathalie swirled -him about so that he faced Mr. Banker, crying, "Mr. Banker, this is -Philip de Brie Renwick!" And then, without waiting for that gentleman to -acknowledge the introduction, she took Philip's hand and led him towards -Mrs. Renwick, who, as she saw the young man approaching, tremblingly -arose, and, with clasped hands, cried, "Oh, it is Philip, my son!" - -"No it is not Philip, your son," quickly answered the young man, who had -instantly divined who the old lady was, "but Philip's son, your -grandson, Philip de Brie Renwick." - -The next moment Philip was holding the old lady in his arms, while he -quietly tried to soothe her sobs, as she wept in happy joy on his -breast. As her sobs subsided somewhat, Philip said gently, "Mother -Mine,"--it used to be his father's pet name for his mother,--"here is -the ring you gave father when at college." He drew the seal ring from -his finger and held it up before his grandmother, who, with one look at -it, cried, "Yes, grandson, I know _he_ has gone, for he promised me--" -there was a quiver in her voice--"that the ring should never be removed -until--" she drew a deep breath that threatened to turn into a -sob--"until he was no more. But he has given me--you, his son. Oh, my -dear boy, my own grandson!" - - * * * * * - -Nathalie sat by her little sewing-table under the trees, gazing off at -her grand old friends, the purple-misted mountains. It had seemed hard -to do anything, this her last day at Seven Pillars, but gaze at the -lofty heights that stood forth so calm and beautiful in their mystical -splendor on this gloriously White Mountain day. But she _must_ read over -that letter to see if it was all right, so, in soft, low tone she read -slowly, - - "Dear Helen: - - "I have such good news to tell you that I can hardly - write,--for, oh, Helen! the little old lady who lived in the red - house is Mrs. Renwick, and Philip de Brie, the British soldier - whom we found up in the cabin on the mountain, is her grandson! - And I have won the prize. No, of course, it is not really a - prize, but the good-will and affectionate regard of Aunt Mary, - because--well--I made her happy by selecting her son's Bible as - the most valuable thing in her house. And now I have dandy news - to tell. She is going to send me to college. I have just lived - in a dream ever since I heard the good news. Yes, and I have one - hundred dollars for my _very own_, to do just as I like with--no - restrictions, reparations, or indemnities, but just for _wee - little me_. I think that blessed sum was given to me, because - the boys, when told I had won the prize, could not understand - anything so vague as going to college, but they did finger that - crisp bank-note with eager, curious little fingers when I showed - it to them. Sometimes I feel a little guilty, for _really_ - Cynthia's selection, a Van Dyke painting, was the most valuable - from a certain point of view. - - "And, oh, what I told you would happen about Philip and Janet is - true, for they are engaged, and go about looking into each - other's eyes in a state of beatific happiness. Now she will be a - grand lady, for she to live with her new husband, and mother, in - a beautiful mansion in Boston. And Cynthia. Well, Mrs. Renwick - was quite angry with her, but finally, after mother and I had - talked to her, and told her the disadvantages she labored under, - and how she wanted to marry Mr. Buddie, why she partly relented, - for she is to set Cynthia up in a studio in Boston, and try to - get her friends to buy her pictures, for she insists that - Cynthia is a real artist. - - "And Mrs. Renwick--mother says I must learn to call her Aunt - Mary--wanted Sheila to live with her, and as there was no - question of separating her from Danny, he goes to Boston with - her and is to be educated, and I know he will grow to be just a - splendid man. Mrs. Van Vorst has taken another one of my kids, - Tony. She has always been in love with those black eyes of his, - and she insists that he is going to be a great musician. Then - there was dear little Jean. Yes, he had to have something good - come into his life, too, so mother and I have decided to take - him to live with us. - - "And now for another bit of news. I had a nice, long letter from - the soldier-boy, Van Darrell, and isn't it too funny, but that - Blue Robin girl of his was just _me_ all the time. Now for the - fairy-tale part of my story. Do you remember my telling you - about writing a letter to a soldier-boy, and slipping it into a - comfort-kit that, with a lot of others, was to be given to the - boys at Camp Mills? - - "Well, Van got it. He says that it set him to thinking, and made - him realize that we were not only going into this war of wars to - get even with the Huns, but because it is our duty to give the - liberty that we enjoy in our country to all the nations in the - world. And he has been ordered overseas. Yes, and he says he's - going, ready to make the sacrifice if necessary, and to give his - life that all men may be free. Oh, I'm so glad I wrote that - letter, and to think it has done some one some good. Yes, and - I'm going to pray as hard as I can that the soldier-boy will - come back to his mother, and to his friend, Blue Robin. Yes, - indeed, I am glad that he is not just a conceited boy, as I at - one time feared. - - "So good-by, you dear little maid, serving the Lord so - faithfully with those busy fingers of yours. I think of you - every day, and pray for you every night, so, with a bushel of - love, I am, as ever, - - "Your own - "Blue Robin." - - THE END - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - DOROTHY BROWN - - By NINA RHOADES - - Illustrated by Elizabeth Withington - - Large 12mo Cloth $1.50 net - -[Illustration: image of Dorothy Brown book cover] - -This is considerably longer than the other books by this favorite -writer, and with a more elaborate plot, but it has the same winsome -quality throughout. It introduces the heroine in New York as a little -girl of eight, but soon passes over six years and finds her at a select -family boarding school in Connecticut. An important part of the story -also takes place at the Profile House in the White Mountains. The charm -of school-girl friendship is finely brought out, and the kindness of -heart, good sense and good taste which find constant expression in the -books by Miss Rhoades do not lack for characters to show these best of -qualities by their lives. Other less admirable persons of course appear -to furnish the alluring mystery, which is not all cleared up until the -very last. - -"There will be no better book than this to put into the hands of a girl -in her teens and none that will be better appreciated by her."--Kennebec -Journal. - - MARION'S VACATION - - By NINA RHOADES - - Illustrated by Bertha G. Davidson 12mo $1.25 net - -[Illustration: image of Marion's Vacation book cover] - -This book is for the older girls, Marion being thirteen. She has for ten -years enjoyed a luxurious home in New York with the kind lady who feels -that the time has now come for this aristocratic though lovable little -miss to know her own nearest kindred, who are humble but most excellent -farming people in a pretty Vermont village. Thither Marion is sent for a -summer, which proves to be a most important one to her in all its -lessons. - -"More wholesome reading for half grown girls it would be hard to find; -some of the same lessons that proved so helpful in that classic of the -last generation 'An Old Fashioned Girl' are brought home to the youthful -readers of this sweet and sensible story."--Milwaukee Free Press. - - For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of - price by the publishers - - LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., Boston - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - JEAN CABOT SERIES - - By GERTRUDE FISHER SCOTT - - Illustrated by Arthur O. Scott 12mo Cloth - - Price, Net, $1.35 each - - JEAN CABOT AT ASHTON - -[Illustration: image of Jean Cabot at Ashton book cover] - -Here is the "real thing" in a girl's college story. Older authors can -invent situations and supply excellently written general delineations of -character, but all lack the vital touch of this work of a bright young -recent graduate of a well-known college for women, who has lost none of -the enthusiasm felt as a student. Every activity of a popular girl's -first year is woven into a narrative, photographic in its description of -a life that calls into play most attractive qualities, while at the same -time severely testing both character and ability. - - JEAN CABOT IN THE BRITISH ISLES - -This is a college story, although dealing with a summer vacation, and -full of college spirit. It begins with a Yale-Harvard boat race at New -London, but soon Jean and her room-mate sail for Great Britain under the -chaperonage of Miss Hooper, a favorite member of the faculty at Ashton -College. Their trip is full of the delight that comes to the traveler -first seeing the countries forming "our old home." - - JEAN CABOT IN CAP AND GOWN - -Jean Cabot is a superb young woman, physically and mentally, but -thoroughly human and thus favored with many warm friendships. Her final -year at Ashton College is the culmination of a course in which study, -sport and exercise, and social matters have been well balanced. - - JEAN CABOT AT THE HOUSE WITH THE BLUE SHUTTERS - -Such a group as Jean and her most intimate friends could not scatter at -once, as do most college companions after graduation, and six of them -under chaperonage of a married older graduate and member of the same -sorority spend a eventful summer in a historic farm-house in Maine. - - For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt - of price by the publishers - - Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Boston - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - HANDICRAFT FOR HANDY GIRLS - - By A. NEELY HALL - - Author of "The Boy Craftsman," "Handicraft for Handy Boys," - "The Handy Boy" - - AND DOROTHY PERKINS - - Illustrated with photographs and more than 700 diagrams - and working drawings - - 8vo Cloth Price, Net, $2.00 Postpaid, $2.25 - -[Illustration: image of Handicraft for Handy Girls book cover] - -With the aid of an experienced craftswoman, A. Neely Hall, who is in a -class by himself as a thoroughly reliable teacher of handicraft, every -operation that he describes being first practically worked out by -himself, and every working drawing presented being original, new, and -actual, has opened the door for the great and constantly increasing -number of girls who like to "make things." Such girls see no reason why -the joy of mechanical work should be restricted to their brothers, and -with this book it need no longer be. The first part of the book is -devoted to a great variety of indoor craft that can be followed in -autumn and winter, while the second part, "Spring and Summer -Handicraft," deals with many attractive forms of outdoor life, including -an entire chapter on the activities of "Camp Fire Girls." - -"This book will be hailed with delight by all girls who have a -mechanical turn."--Watchman-Examiner. - -"Girls will love just such a book and will find interest for every day -of the year in it."--St. Louis Globe-Democrat. - -"Triumphs of ingenuity never dreamed of are to be found in this volume -of handicraft that girls can make, but its chief charm is to be found in -the practical value of most of the things to be made."--Lexington -Herald. - - For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt - of price by the publishers - - Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Boston - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - BOOKS BY RENA I. HALSEY - - Illustrated Cloth $1.50 each - - BLUE ROBIN, THE GIRL PIONEER - -Nathalie Page is just such a girl of sixteen as one likes to read about. -Obliged to exchange affluence in a large city for a modest home in a -small one, she develops into capable young womanhood by becoming a -member of The Girl Pioneers of America. - -"Any girl of a dozen years or more, or even less, will enjoy this -thoroughly, and anyone, young or old, will be the better for having read -it."--Pittsburgh Times-Gazette. - - AMERICA'S DAUGHTER - -[Illustration: image of America's Daughter book cover] - -This is a rarely good and inspiring story of girls in a select school in -Brooklyn who organize a club called "Daughters of America," and under -the care of a well-liked teacher take a trip to points on the New -England coast made famous in our history. One of the girls has been -brought up without knowledge of her own family, and so is called -"America's Daughter." In the course of the trip she unravels the mystery -of her birth and all ends happily and profitably. - -"It is an inspiring story, well told and will be appreciated by girls -who love an active, out of doors life."--Daily Press, Portland, Me. - - THE LIBERTY GIRL - -Nathalie Page, seventeen, bright and popular with all her mates, forms a -club called the "Liberty Girls" and enthusiastically does her bit to -help win the war. A surprising invitation to the White Mountains takes -her from organized activity with her companions, but a girl like -Nathalie will not be idle wherever she goes, and in carrying out the -principles of patriotic service she wins great and deserved credit. - - Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Boston - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber's Notes - - 1. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - 2. Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation in the original - document have been preserved. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Liberty Girl, by Rena I. Halsey - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIBERTY GIRL *** - -***** This file should be named 44928-8.txt or 44928-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/9/2/44928/ - -Produced by Demian Katz, Roger Frank and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (Images -courtesy of the Digital Library@Villanova University -(http://digital.library.villanova.edu/)) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Halsey</title> <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> <meta content="images/cover.jpg" name="cover" /> @@ -105,48 +105,8 @@ .nf-right { text-align:right; } </style> </head> - <body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Liberty Girl, by Rena I. Halsey - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Liberty Girl - -Author: Rena I. Halsey - -Illustrator: Nana French Bickford - -Release Date: February 16, 2014 [EBook #44928] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIBERTY GIRL *** - - - - -Produced by Demian Katz, Roger Frank and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (Images -courtesy of the Digital Library@Villanova University -(http://digital.library.villanova.edu/)) - - - - - - -</pre> - +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44928 ***</div> <div class='figcenter'> <a href='images/cover.jpg'><img src='images/cover.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' /></a> @@ -12681,383 +12641,7 @@ patriotic service she wins great and deserved credit.</p> <p class='c019'>2. Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation in the original document have been preserved.</p> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Liberty Girl, by Rena I. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Liberty Girl - -Author: Rena I. Halsey - -Illustrator: Nana French Bickford - -Release Date: February 16, 2014 [EBook #44928] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIBERTY GIRL *** - - - - -Produced by Demian Katz, Roger Frank and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (Images -courtesy of the Digital Library@Villanova University -(http://digital.library.villanova.edu/)) - - - - - -[Illustration: "Ah there, girls! How are you?"--Page 11.] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - THE - LIBERTY GIRL - - BY - RENA I. HALSEY - - Author of "Blue Robin, the Girl Pioneer" - and "America's Daughter" - - - ILLUSTRATED BY NANA FRENCH BICKFORD - - - - - [Illustration] - - - BOSTON - LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Published, August, 1919 - - - - Copyright, 1919 - By Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. - - ------- - - All rights reserved - - ------- - - THE LIBERTY GIRL - - - - Norwood Press - - BERWICK & SMITH CO. - NORWOOD, MASS. - U. S. A. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - INSCRIBED, - WITH DEEP APPRECIATION, - - TO - - THE SONS OF LIBERTY,-- - - ALL THOSE SOLDIERS, SEAMEN, AND AIRMEN, - WHO HAVE HEROICALLY GIVEN OF - THEIR BEST FOR THE - BROTHERHOOD - OF MAN - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - CONTENTS - - CHAPTER PAGE - I "God Speed You" 11 - II Giving Her Best 28 - III The Liberty Girls 46 - IV The Liberty Garden 60 - V The Liberty Pageant 73 - VI The Strange Letter 89 - VII The Visit to Camp Mills 106 - VIII Seven Pillars 121 - IX The Little Old Lady in the Red House 133 - X The Sweet-Pea Ladies 147 - XI The Ride Through the Notch 164 - XII Nathalie's Liberty Boys 179 - XIII "The Mountains with the Snowy Foreheads" 194 - XIV "Sons of Liberty" 211 - XV The Gallery of the Gods 222 - XVI Butternut Lodge 238 - XVII The Cabin on the Mountain 256 - XVIII The Liberty Cheer 275 - XIX "The White Comrade" 288 - XX The Liberty Tea 302 - XXI The Funnies 322 - XXII The Man in the Woods 334 - XXIII A Mystery Solved 348 - XXIV The Winner of the Prize 362 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - ILLUSTRATIONS - - "Ah there, girls! How are you?" (Page 11) Frontispiece - - FACING PAGE - "My name is Liberty, - My throne is Law" 76 - - "Is that your dog? Oh, I love dogs!" 184 - - The girl found herself gazing into the - sun-tanned face of a young man in khaki 232 - - Nathalie bent over in anxious solicitude 260 - - "Oh, it is Philip, my son!" 476 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - THE LIBERTY GIRL - - - CHAPTER I - - "GOD SPEED YOU" - - -"Oh, Nathalie, I do believe there's Grace Tyson in her new motor-car," -exclaimed Helen Dame, suddenly laying her hand on her companion's arm as -the two girls were about to cross Main Street, the wide, tree-lined -thoroughfare of the old-fashioned town of Westport, Long Island. - -Nathalie Page halted, and, swinging about, peered intently at the -brown-uniformed figure of a young girl seated at the steering-wheel of -an automobile, which was speeding quickly towards them. - -Yes, it was Grace, who, in her sprightliest manner, her face aglow from -the invigorating breezes of an April afternoon, called out, "Ah there, -girls! How are you? Oh, my lucky star must have guided me, for I have -something thrilling to tell you!" As she spoke the girl guided the car -to the curb, and the next moment, with an airy spring, had landed on the -ground at their side. - -With a sudden movement the uniformed figure clicked her heels together -and bent stiffly forward as her arm swung up, while her forefinger -grazed her forehead in a military salute. "I salute you, comrades," she -said with grave formality, "at your service as a member of the Motor -Corps of America. - -"Yes, girls," she shrilled joyously, forgetting her assumed role in her -eagerness to tell her news, "I'm on the job, for I'm to see active -service for the United States government. I've just returned from an -infantry drill of the Motor Corps at Central Park, New York. - -"No, I'll be honest," she added laughingly, in answer to the look of -amazed inquiry on the faces of her companions, "and 'fess' that I didn't -have the pleasure of drilling in public, for I'm a raw recruit as yet. -We recruits go through our manual of arms at one of the New York -armories, drilled by a regular army sergeant. Oh, I've been in training -some time, for you know I took out my chauffeur's and mechanician's -State licenses last winter. - -"One has to own her car at this sort of government work,"--Grace's voice -became inflated with importance,--"and be able to make her own repairs -on the road if necessary. But isn't my new car a Jim Dandy?" she asked, -glancing with keen pride at the big gray motor, purring contentedly at -the curb. "It was a belated Christmas gift from grandmother. - -"But I tell you what, girls," she rattled on, "I've been put through the -paces all right, but I've passed my exams with flying colors. Phew! -wasn't the physical exam stiff!--before a regular high official of the -army medical corps. I was inoculated for typhoid, and for paratyphoid. -I'll secretly confess that I don't know what the last word means. Yes, -and I took the oath of allegiance to the United States Government, -administered by another army swell,--and that's where my Pioneer work -proved O. K. And then we had the First Aid course, too, at St. Luke's. -The head nurse, who gave us special lessons in bandaging, said I was A -No. 1; and in wigwagging, oh, I did the two-flag business just dandy." - -"But what is your special work?" asked Nathalie, for the two girls were -somewhat surprised and bewildered by all these high-sounding, -official-like terms. To be sure, Grace had long been known as an expert -driver, but she had never shown her efficiency in any way but by giving -the girls joy-rides once in a while; yes, and once she had driven her -father to New York. - -But war work, thought Nathalie, for this aristocratic-looking, -sweet-faced young girl, whose eyes gleamed merrily at you from under the -peaked army cap--with its blue band and the insignia of the Corps, a -tire surmounted by Mercury's wings--set so jauntily on the fluffy hair. -To be sure the slim, trim figure in the army jacket, short skirt over -trousers, and high boots did have a warlike aspect, but it was -altogether too girlish and charming to be suggestive of anything but a -toy soldier, like one of the tiny painted tin things that Nathalie used -to play with when a wee tot. - -"Do? Why, I am a military chauffeur," returned Grace patronizingly, "and -in the business of war-relief work for the Government. At present I'm to -act as chauffeur to one of our four lieutenants, Miss Gladys Merrill. -Oh, she's a dear! I have to drive her all over the city when she is -engaged on some Government errand. You should see me studying the police -maps, and _then_ you would know what I do. Sometimes we are called to -transport some of the army officers from the railroad station to the -ferry, or to headquarters. Then we do errands for the Red Cross, too. - -"Why, the other day I helped to carry a lot of knitted things down on -the pier, to be packed in a ship bound for the other side; they were for -the soldiers at the front. We do work for the National Defense, and for -the Board of Exemption. I'm doing my 'bit,' even if it is a wee one, -towards winning the war," ended the girl, with a note of satisfaction in -her voice. - -"O dear, but wouldn't I like to drive an ambulance in France! But I've -got to be twenty-one to do that sort of work,"--the girl sighed. "But -did I tell you that brother Fred is doing American Field Service? I had -a letter from him yesterday, and he said that he and a lot of American -boys have established a little encampment of ambulances not far from the -front-line trench. They live in what was once a chateau belonging to -Count Somebody or Another, but now it is nothing but a shell. - -"Oh, Fred thinks it is glorious fun," cried the girl, with sparkling -eyes. "He has to answer roll-call at eight in the morning, and then he -eats his breakfast at a little cafe near. He has just black -bread,--_think of that_, coffee, and, yes, sometimes he has an egg. Then -he has to drill, clean his car, and--oh, but he says it's a great sight -to see the aeroplanes constantly flying over his head, like great -monsters of the air. And sometimes he goes wild with excitement when he -sees an aerial battle between a Boche and a French airman. - -"Yes, he declares it is 'some' life over there," animatedly continued -Grace, "for even his rest periods are thrilling, for they have to dodge -shells, and sometimes they burst over one's head. Several times he -thought he was done for. And at night the road near the chateau is -packed with hundreds of _marching_ guns, trucks of ammunition, and war -supplies and cavalry, all on their way to the front. - -"But when he goes in his ambulance after the _blesses_--they are the -poor wounded soldiers--it is just like day, for the sky is filled with -star-shells shooting around him in all colors, and then there is a -constant cannonading of shells and shot of all kinds. When he hears a -purr he knows it's a Boche plane and dodges pretty lively, for if he -doesn't 'watch out' a machine-gun comes sputtering down at him. He's -awfully afraid of them because they drop bombs. - -"But he says it would make your heart ache to see him when he carries -the _blesses_. He has to drive them from the _postes de secours_--the -aid-stations--to the hospitals. He has to go _very_ slowly, and even -then you can hear the poor things groan and shriek with the agony of -being moved. And sometimes," Grace lowered her voice reverently, "when -he goes to take them out of the ambulance he finds a dead soldier. - -"But dear me," she continued in a more cheerful tone, "he seems to like -the life and is constantly hoping--I believe he dreams about it in his -sleep--that he'll soon have a shot at one of those German fiends. Yes, I -think it would be gloriously exciting," ended Grace with a half sigh of -envy. - -"Gloriously exciting?" repeated Nathalie with a shudder. "Oh, Grace, I -should think you would be frightfully worried. Suppose he should lose -his life some time in the darkness of the night, alone with those -wounded soldiers? O dear," she ended drearily, "I just wish some one -would shoot or kill the Kaiser! Sometimes I wish I could be a Charlotte -Corday. Don't you remember how she killed Murat for the sake of the -French?" - -"Why, Nathalie," cried Helen with amused eyes, "I thought you were a -pacifist, and here you are talking of shooting people." And the girl's -"Ha! ha!" rang out merrily. - -Nathalie's color rose in a wave as she cried decidedly, "Helen, I'm -_not_ a pacifist. Of course I want the Allies to win. I believe in the -war--only--only--I do not think it is necessary to send our boys across -the sea to fight." - -"But I do," insisted Helen, "for this is God's war, a war to give -liberty to everybody in the world, and that makes it _our_ war. We -should be willing to fight, to give the rights and privileges of -democracy to other people, and our American boys are not slackers who -let some one else do their work." - -"_Our_ boys! You mean _my boy_," said Nathalie, with sudden bitterness. -"It's all right for _you_ to talk, Helen, but _you_ haven't a brother to -go and stand up and be mercilessly bayoneted by those Boches. And that -is what Dick will have to do." Nathalie choked as she turned her head -away. - -"Yes, Nathalie dear," replied Helen in a softened tone, "I know it is a -terrible thing to have to give up your loved ones to be ruthlessly shot -down. But what are we going to do?" she pleaded desperately, "we must do -what is right and leave the rest to God, for, as mother says, 'God is in -his Heaven.' And Dick wants to go," she ended abruptly, "he told me so -the other day." - -"Yes, that is just it," cried Nathalie in a pitifully small voice, "and -he says that he is not going to wait to be drafted. Oh, Helen, mother -and I cannot sleep at night thinking about it!" Nathalie turned her face -away, her eyes dark and sorrowful. No, she did not mean to be a coward, -but it just rent her heart to picture Dick going about armless, or a -helpless cripple shuffling along, with either she or Dorothy leading -him. - -"Oh, I would like to be a Joan of Arc," interposed Grace at this point, -her blue eyes suddenly afire. "I think it would be great to ride in -front of an army on a white charger. And then, too," she added more -seriously, "I think it takes more bravery to fight than to do anything -else." - -"Perhaps it does, Grace," remarked Helen slowly, "but when it comes to -heroism, I think the mothers who give their boys to be slaughtered for -the good of their fellow-beings are the bravest--" The girl paused -quickly, for she had caught sight of Nathalie's face, and remorsefully -felt that what she had just said only added to her friend's distress. -"But, girls," she went on in a brighter tone, "I have _something_ to -tell you. I'm going to France to do my 'bit,' for I'm to be stenographer -to Aunt Dora. We expect to sail in a month or so. You know that she is -one of the officials in the Red Cross organization." - -There were sudden exclamations of surprise from the girl's two -companions, as they eagerly wanted to know all about her unexpected -piece of news. As Helen finished giving the details as to how it had all -come about, she exclaimed, with a sudden look at her wrist-watch: -"Goodness! Girls, do you know it is almost supper-time? I'm just about -starved." - -"Well, jump into the car, then," cried Grace Tyson, "and I'll have you -home in no time." Her companions, pleased at the prospect of a whirl in -the new car, gladly accepted her invitation, and a few minutes later -were speeding towards the lower end of the street where Helen and -Nathalie lived. - -After bidding her friends good-by, Nathalie, with a _tru-al-lee_, the -call-note of their Pioneer bird-group, ran lightly up the steps of the -veranda. Yes, Dick was home, for he was standing in the hall, lighting -the gas. With a happy little sigh she opened the door. - -"Hello, sis," called out Dick cheerily,--a tall well-formed youth, with -merry blue eyes,--as he caught sight of the girl in the door-way. "Have -you been on a hike?" - -"Oh, no, just an afternoon at Mrs. Van Vorst's. Nita had a lot of the -girls there--" Nathalie stopped, for an expression, a sudden gleam in -her brother's eyes, caused her heart to give a wild leap. She drew in -her breath sharply, but before the question that was forming could be -asked, Dick waved the still flaming match hilariously above his head as -he cried, "Well, sister mine, I've taken the plunge, and I've come off -on top, for I've joined the Flying Corps, and I'm going to be an army -eagle!" - -"Flying Corps?" repeated Nathalie dazedly. "What do you mean?" - -"I mean, Blue Robin, that I'm going to be an aviator, a sky pilot," -replied the boy jubilantly. "I made an application some time ago to the -chief signal officer at Washington. I was found an eligible applicant, -for, you know, my course in the technical school in New York did me up -fine. To-day I passed my physical examinations, and am now enlisted in -the Signal Corps of the Signal Enlisted Reserve Corps. I'm off next week -to the Military Aeronautics School at Princeton University. It's an -eight-weeks' course. If I put it over,--and you bet your life I do," -Dick ground his teeth determinedly,--"I go into training at one of the -Flying Schools, and then I'll soon be a regular bird of the air; and if -I don't help Uncle Sam win the war, and manage to drop a few bombs on -those Fritzies, I'll go hang!" - -For one awful moment Nathalie stood silent, staring at her brother in -dumb despair. Then she turned, and with a blur in her eyes and a -tightening of her throat, blindly groped for the stairway. But no! -Dick's hand shot out, he caught the hurrying figure in his grasp, and -the next moment Nathalie was sobbing on his breast. - -"That's all right, little sis," exclaimed the boy with a break in his -voice, as he pressed the brown head closer. Then he cried, in an attempt -at jocularity, "Just get it all out of your system, every last drop of -that salted brine, Blue Robin, and then we'll talk business." - -This somewhat matter-of-fact declaration acted like a cold shower-bath -on the girl, as, with a convulsive shiver, she caught her breath, and -although she burrowed deeper into the snug of her brother's arm her -tears were stayed. - -"Dick, _how could you do it_? Think of mother!" Then she raised her -eyes, and went on, "Oh, I can't bear the thought of your getting ki--" -But the girl could not say the dreaded word, and again her head went -down against the rough gray of Dick's coat. - -"Well, Blue Robin, I'm afraid you have lost that cheery little -_tru-al-lee_ of yours," teased the boy humorously. "You've cried so hard -you're eye-twisted. In the first place, I don't intend getting killed if -I can help it. And I can't help leaving mother. You must remember I'm a -citizen of the United States--" the boy was thinking of his first vote -cast the fall before--"and I am bound by my oath of allegiance to the -country to uphold its principles, even if it means the breaking of my -mother's apron-strings," he added jokingly. - -"Oh, Dick, don't try to be funny," Nathalie managed to say somewhat -sharply, as she drew away from her brother's arm and dropped limply on -the steps of the stairs, in such an attitude of hopeless despair that -Dick was at the end of his tether to know what to say. He stared down at -the girl, unconsciously rubbing his hand through his hair, a trick the -boy had when perplexed. - -Suddenly a bit of a smile leaped into his eyes as he cried, in a -hopelessly resigned tone, "All right, sis, seeing that you feel this way -about it I'll just send in my resignation. It will let the boys know -I've laid down on my job, for if you and mother are going to howl like -two cats, a fellow can't do a thing but stay at home and be a sissy, a -baby-tender, a dish-washer-er-er--" - -"Oh, Dick, don't talk nonsense," broke in Nathalie sharply. "I didn't -say that you were not to go, but,--why--oh, I just can't help feeling -awfully bad when I read all those terrible things in the paper." Her -voice quivered pathetically as she finished. - -"Well, don't read them, then," coolly rejoined Dick. "Just steer clear -of all that hysterical gush and brace up. My job is to serve my -country,--she wants me. By Jove, before she gets out of this hole she'll -need every mother's son of us. And I've got to do it in the best way I -can, by enlisting before the draft comes. I'll not only have a chance to -do better work, a prospect of quicker promotion, but, if you want to -look at the sordid end of it, I'll get more pay. And as to being killed, -as you wailed, if you and mother will insist upon seeing it black, an -aviator's chance of life is ten to one better--if he's on to his -job--than that of the fellow on the ground. So cheer up, Blue Robin. I'm -all beat hollow, for I've been trying to cheer up mother for the last -hour." - -"Oh, what does mother say?" asked a very faint voice, just as if the -girl did not know how her mother felt, and had been feeling for some -time. - -"Say! Gee whiz! I don't know what she would have said if she had voiced -her sentiments," replied Dick resignedly. "But the worst of the whole -business was that she took it out in weeping about a tank of tears; all -over my best coat, too," he added ruefully. "You women are enough to -make a fellow go stiff. - -"Now see here, Blue Robin, don't disappoint me!" suddenly cried the lad, -as he stared appealingly into his sister's brown eyes. "Why, I thought -that you would be my right-hand man. I knew mother would make a time at -first, but _you_,--I _thought you had grit_; _you_, a Pioneer, too. -Don't you know, girl--" added Dick, rubbing the back of his hand quickly -across his eyes, "that I've got to go? Don't you forget that. I'm on the -job, every inch of it, but, thunderation, I'm no more keen to go 'over -there' and have those Hun devils cut me up like sausage, than you or -mother. But I'm a man and I've got to live up to the business of being a -man, and not a mollycoddle." - -But Nathalie had suddenly come to her senses. Perhaps it was the brush -of the boy's hand across his eyes, or the quivering note in his voice, -but she roused. She had been selfish; instead of crying like a ninny she -should have cheered. "Oh, Dick," she exclaimed contritely, standing up -and facing him suddenly, "I'm all wrong. I didn't mean to cry, and I -wouldn't have either," she explained excusingly, "if you had only let me -go up-stairs. - -"No, Dick, I would not have you be a slacker, or a mollycoddle, or wash -the dishes," she added with a faint attempt at a smile, "and we haven't -any babies to tend. Yes, old boy, I don't want you to lie down in the -traces, so let's shake on it, and I'll try to brace up mother, too," -added the girl, as she held out her hand to her brother. - -"Now that's the stuff, Nat, old girl," cried the boy with gleaming eyes, -as he took the girl's hand and held it tightly, "and while I'm fighting -to uphold the family honor and glory,--remember father was a Rough -Rider,--you stay with dear old mumsie. Keep her cheered up, and see that -everything is made easy for her. Do all you can to take my place here at -home. Yes, Blue Robin, you be the home soldier. Gee whiz, you be the -home guard!" added the boy in a sudden burst of inspiration. - -"The home guard! Yes, that's what I'll be," cried the girl, her eyes -lighting with a sudden glow. "And then I'll be doing my bit, won't I? -I'll cheer up mother, and do all I can," she added resolutely; "and -don't worry any more, Dick, for now,"--the girl drew a long breath, -"I'll be on the job as well as you." - -And then Nathalie, with a wave of her hand at the boy as he stood gazing -up at her with his eyes fired with loyal determination, hurried up the -stairs, straight on and up to the very top of the house to her usual -weeping-place, for, oh, those hateful tears would not be restrained, and -if she did not have her cry out she would strangle! - -Ah, here she was in her den, the attic. Dimly she reached out her hand -and pulled the little wooden rocker out from the wall and slumped into -it, and a minute later, with her face buried in the fold of her arm, as -it rested on the little sewing-table, she was weeping unrestrainedly. - -Presently she gave a sudden start, raised her head and listened, and -then was on her feet, for, oh, that was her mother's step,--she was -coming up after her. Oh, why hadn't she waited until she had a hold on -herself. The next moment the little wooden door with the padlock opened, -and Mrs. Page was standing in the doorway gazing down at her. - -"Why--oh, mother!" Nathalie cried in surprise and wonder, for her mother -was smiling. The girl's eyes bulged out from her tear-stained face in -such a funny way that her mother broke into a little laugh. Then her -face sobered and she came slowly towards her. - -"No, daughter mine, mother is not weeping. Yes, I heard what you and -Dick said, and you are patriots, and have shamed mother into trying to -be one, too." Mrs. Page took the girl in her arms with tender affection. - -"And Dick is a dear lad. Oh, Nathalie, in our grief at the thought of -parting with him,--perhaps of losing him,--" her voice weakened -slightly, "we have forgotten that he has been fighting a greater battle -than we. - -"It is surely a great thing," continued Mrs. Page sadly, "for a young -man in the buoyancy of youth and the very heyday of life, to give it all -up. For youth clings more tenaciously to life than older people do, for -to them it is an untried and shining pathway, flowered with hope, -anticipation, and the luring glimmer of unfulfilled aims and ambitions. - -"And then to have to face about," her voice lowered, "and silently -struggle with one's self in the great battle of self-abnegation, to end -by taking this glorious life and casting it far behind you,--this is -what makes a hero. Then to face the dread ordeal of a battlefield, and -go steadily forward, buoyed only with a feeling of bravery,--the heroism -of doing what you believe to be right,--and, taking your one chance for -life in your hands,--plunge into the unknown darkness and the horrifying -perils of a No Man's Land." - -There was a stifled sob in Nathalie's throat, but her mother went -steadily on: "No, Nathalie, we must not weep. We must smile and be -cheerful. We must inspire Dick with courage and hope, and if it is meant -that he is to give his life, we must let him go with a 'God speed you,' -his memory starred with the thought of a mother's love and a sister's -courage, and with the soul-stirring song of the victor over death. - -"And, Nathalie, Dick belongs to God; he was only loaned to me,--to -you,--and if the time has come for God to call him home, we must not -complain. We must gladly give him back. Then we must remember, too," -went on the patient mother-voice, "that, after all, life is not the mere -living of it, but the things accomplished for the betterment of those -who come after. And if Dick has been 'on the job,'" Mrs. Page smiled, -"no matter how small his share in this great warfare for the right, he -will be the better prepared to enter into the Land where there is no -more suffering, or horrible war, but just a glorious and eternal peace." - -The last word was almost whispered, but, with renewed effort, she said: -"Now, Nathalie, let us be brave, as father would have had us,--the dear -father,--and go down to Dick with a bright smile and inspiring words of -cheer." Mrs. Page bent and kissed the girl lightly, but solemnly, on the -forehead, and then she had turned and was making her way towards the -door. - - - - - CHAPTER II - - GIVING HER BEST - - - "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free." - -Nathalie sat in the big rocker on the veranda, sewing a star on a -service-flag. Yes, as soon as Dick had gone to do his "stunt," as he -called it, in the great warfare,--gone with all the honors of war, as -his mother had laughingly declared as he kissed them a noisy -good-by,--Nathalie had felt that it was incumbent upon her to sustain -the honor of the family, and had run lightly up to the attic. Here, in -the big piece-trunk she found a bundle of Turkey red, a bit of white, -and then, after begging a snip of blue from Helen for the star, she had -set to work. - -She was sure that star would not come off, for she had double-stitched -into every angle and on every point. She held up the patriotic square, -bordered with red, and sorrowfully stared at that one lone star, -although a thrill of pride stirred at her heart and caused her eyes to -beam. - -She must hang it up. And then she was busy tacking the little flag to a -small staff, which she had fastened to the roof of the porch so it could -be seen. Ah, the wind had caught it, and it was waving in a salute to -its many mates curling from the neighboring porches, and to the Red -Cross insignias that starred a window here and there, ofttimes -overshadowed by the graceful sweep of the Stars and Stripes. - -But Nathalie's heart was still sore, for although she had given up Dick -with as good a grace as she could muster, and had tried to show that she -possessed the true American spirit, yet it did seem as if it was a -needless sacrifice. With a sudden turn on her heel, the girl burst into -a new patriotic air that she had heard somewhere, as if hoping that it -would drive away the rebellious thoughts that jarred her attempt at -cheer, and hurried into the kitchen. - -As Nathalie stepped to the window and stared carelessly out, her eyes -were caught by the gleam of yellow crocus and purple hyacinth as they -peeped up at her from their beds of green. Somehow their flaunting -colors reminded her of the spring blooms that used to nod so gayly to -her from the flower-beds in her beautiful city home in the upper part of -New York. - -She could hardly believe it was a year since her father's death. The -poignant grief she had suffered then again caused her eyes to fill with -tears, and her mind dwelt upon the sorrowful circumstances surrounding -her loss, the changes that had followed, in their financial losses, and -the many sacrifices it had entailed. - -She again saw the sorrowful farewell to the first and only home she had -ever known; she again felt the grief that came to her in the giving up -of the many things that had made life so happy,--her schoolmates, her -many enjoyments, and her hope of going to college. She again experienced -the dolefulness that had assailed her mother, her brother Dick, her -younger sister, Dorothy, and herself, on their coming to the humble -cottage home in Westport, the being associated with strangers, and the -many people who at first had seemed so different from their city -associates. - -Yes, there was the tree where she had found the nest of bluebirds. The -girl's eyes gleamed amusedly as she peered down the garden at the old -cedar tree, and remembered that she had called them blue robins, thus -giving Dick an opportunity to nickname her, Blue Robin. - -Nathalie attempted to smile, but the thought of Dick's going away -aroused her slumbering grief, and once more the tears flowed silently -down her cheeks. But she bravely brushed them away and went on with her -reminiscences,--the remembrance of spraining her ankle up in the woods, -and how it had led to her meeting Helen Dame, her next-door neighbor, -and _now_ her dearest friend. - -How lovely Grace Tyson had looked that day, and dear old Barbara with -her near-sighted eyes, and the girls' favorite, Lillie Bell, with her -gracious charm and dramatic poses. The girl smiled again as she -remembered Edith Whiton, the sport, and her harum-scarum oddities. Yes, -they were all dear girls. And how glad she was that she had become a -Pioneer, and a real blue robin, by joining the Blue Bird group. - -And what a dear Mrs. Morrow, the Pioneer director, was that day the -Pioneers called. Oh, that was the day the "Mystic" had passed. Who would -have thought she would turn out to be Mrs. Van Vorst, who was so lovely. -And that ride with Dr. Morrow to the big gray house, and then she -mentally saw herself, with that handkerchief over her eyes, talking to -the Princess, Nita, the little hunchbacked girl. And what good friends -they had become through those history lessons! - -The many useful things she had learned from the Pioneer hikes and -crafts, and the joys she had experienced from their many sports and -activities had certainly proved worth while. And the "overcomes" she had -fought for by adopting the Pioneer motto, "I can," had certainly meant -something in her life. - -But they did have gloriously good times at Camp Laff-a-Lot at Eagle -Lake, with the Boy Scouts, Miss Camphelia, Miss Dummy, and all the other -good sports. Then, too, there was the surprise, on her return to learn -the good that had come to Dick through the money so kindly loaned by -Mrs. Van Vorst. Indeed, that one year had brought many new things into -her life, for--O dear, there was all that silver to be cleaned! For, now -that her mother kept no maid, this duty, with many other menial tasks, -had devolved upon Nathalie. Oh, how she hated that job! - -With a resigned air, however, she managed to carry the basket of silver -from the sideboard to the kitchen table, and then returned to the -dining-room for the tea-service. After getting her cleaning cloths, her -brushes, and the scouring-powder, with vigorous determination she began -to rub and polish. - -But somehow everything acted aggravatingly mean, for she dropped the -polish, and the powder flew all over; then she knocked the tray and the -knives and forks clattered to the floor. O dear! what ailed things -anyway? And how her arms ached trying to polish those horrid tarnished -stains on the teapot! The tableware had never seemed so obdurate, nor -the means for making it bright so utterly ineffective. - -"Oh, I guess I am the one who is ailing," she exclaimed glumly, as she -suddenly realized that her mind was not on her task, and that the -elation of playing at being a patriot had departed, with Dick evidently, -leaving her as limp as a rag. Oh, it does seem such a shame that we had -to get into that war--Nathalie bit off her thought like a thread, -resolved not to let her mind dwell on that forbidden topic. But how -angelic her mother had acted when Dick went. Well, she was a dear, -anyway, so brave. But suppose he _never_ _should_ come back after all. -Something suddenly seemed to snap in the girl's breast, and down went -her head on the tray, into a heap of powder, while a great sob strangled -out of her throat. - -O horrors! Nathalie's brown head bobbed up from the tray, not very -serenely either, for she had heard a step on the kitchen porch. Oh, -Helen always came in that way! "Where _is_ my handkerchief?" The girl -grabbed desperately at something white lying on the tray, dimly seen -through a blur of tears, and began to scrub her nose energetically with -alas, not her handkerchief, but the powder-cloth with which she had been -polishing the silver! "Ah chee! Ah chee!" sneezed Nathalie again and -again, while groping frenziedly, but blindly, for her handkerchief. She -must have dropped it. And then Helen's arms were around her, and she was -kissing the flushed cheek. - -"What's struck you, honey girl?" she asked in that gentle way of hers. -"Have you got the influenza? But here's a very necessary article at -times, if that's what you're after," she finished with a laugh, as she -stooped and picked up Nathalie's handkerchief from the floor. - -"Influenza? No," blurted out Nathalie savagely, tortured to a pitch of -desperation at her unfortunate predicament. "I've been rubbing my nose -with that dirty old piece of rag I clean the silver with. Serves me -right, I suppose, for being such a fool as to cry when I should be 'on -my job,' as Dick says." She shamefacedly tried to hide her red eyes from -her friend's keen gaze. - -"Oh, well, it will do you good to cry, Nathalie, dear," advised Helen -softly, as she stroked the brown head caressingly, "for you were quite a -heroine when Dick went away, so courageous and cheery. Mrs. Morrow says -you are the nerviest Pioneer she knows." - -"But I'm not," confessed Nathalie honestly, "in fact, I'm beginning to -think that I'm a bluff. But anyway, I'm glad to get a bit of praise, -something to warm me up, for I have felt like a congealed icicle for the -last few days. Yes, I have smiled and smiled like the poor Spartan boy, -while the fox of Grief was gnawing a hole into my internals. That sounds -like one of Lillie Bell's dramatics, doesn't it?" she smiled -pathetically into her friend's kindly eyes. - -"But, Helen, you are a dear, anyway," cried Nathalie in a sudden burst -of admiration for her tried and trusted friend, who was always such a -stanch and timely comforter. "And do you know," she added, swinging -about in her chair with the teapot in one hand and the despised -polishing-cloth in the other, "you grow better-looking every day. Oh, I -think you are just lovely!" - -"_I lovely?_" mocked Helen, opening her eyes in surprise at this -unexpected praise. "Well, Blue Robin, what started you on that trail? -You must have been kissing the Blarney Stone, for you are handing me out -'the stuff,' as the boys say, for fair. Poor me, with a knob on my nose, -a wide mouth, and green eyes--to call me lovely is a libel on the word." - -"Oh, Helen, your eyes are just lovely--every one says that, for they are -so expressive," retorted her friend loyally; "and as for the knob on -your nose, no one would know it was there if you weren't constantly -telling them about it. But I don't care what you look like anyway," she -added determinedly, "for I think you are a love of a friend. But when do -you go to France?" she finished abruptly. - -"I don't quite know yet," replied the girl; "perhaps not until a month -or so. But mother is brave about letting me go. She says it will be a -fine experience for me,--as long as I don't have to go 'over the top.' -Oh, you finished your service-flag! It's a Jim Dandy!" Helen plunged -recklessly into another topic, again blaming herself for her trick of -alluding to forbidden subjects, for she had seen Nathalie's lips quiver -as she said "Over the top." - -"Yes, I finished it, and now the neighbors know where _we stand_, even -if _you_ consider me a pacifist," said the girl a little defiantly. -"Well, perhaps I shall think differently some day," with a quickly -repressed sigh. - -"Yes, and that day is coming very soon, too, Blue Robin," rejoined -Helen; "for I'll bet you a box of candy that you won't be a pacifist -after you hear Mrs. Morrow talk on liberty. Surely you haven't forgotten -that we are to go to a Liberty Tea at her house this afternoon?" she -inquired as she saw her friend's face settle down into an expression of -gloom. - -"Oh, I don't think I'll go," retorted Nathalie quickly, "for I don't -feel a bit Pioneery this morning, and then I have all this silver to -clean." - -"But, Blue Robin," returned her friend cheerily, "I'm going to help you -finish up that silver, and then I'm going home to dress for this -afternoon. Then I'm coming over here and just make you go to that -Liberty Tea with me. You know, Nathalie, it would be mean for you to -desert Mrs. Morrow," she added wisely, "for you are the leader of the -band and should help to entertain the girls." - -Whereupon, Helen caught up one of Nathalie's kitchen-aprons, and a few -moments later the two girls were laughing and chatting in the best of -spirits, as they rubbed and polished with youthful ardor, every bone and -muscle keyed to its task. - -Yes, it was enlivening to be so warmly welcomed by her hostess, Nathalie -decided, as she greeted her a little later in the afternoon, and her -depression vanished. And how perfectly lovely Mrs. Morrow looked in that -blue gown; yes, it was just the color of her blue-gray eyes. Under the -fascination of this lady's charming personality Nathalie was soon flying -about, showing the girls how to start sweaters, or to purl, as this task -had been delegated to her by the director, who herself had taught -Nathalie. - -When the tea was served it was Nathalie who occupied the place of honor -at the little tea-table, decorated with the United States flag, and who -dispensed the dainty little china cups filled with what was -patriotically called _Liberty Tea_ in honor of the young ladies who had -given it its name over a hundred years ago, and who the Pioneers had -impersonated last year in their entertainment of "Liberty Banners." - -After the teacups had been removed, and one or two announcements of -coming events had been made, Mrs. Morrow, with sudden gravity, said: - -"We have gathered here to-day, girls, to commemorate the Spirit of -Liberty, the one great principle that has budded like Aaron's rod, and -brought forth other qualities as splendid and compelling as itself, as, -for example, the principles represented in our national emblem. The -principle of humanity, which means living the Golden Rule by taking -thought for your neighbor; democracy, the equal rights of mankind, which -in turn gives rise to justice, loyalty, and unity,--the principles that -have not only given us that wonderful, mystical something called -Americanism, but the principles that mean the Christianity of Christ." - -After the girls had discussed the meaning of liberty and summed it up as -standing for man's right to self-expression, either by words or actions, -and made it clear that it had to be governed by the law of self-control, -as too much freedom would mean license or lawlessness, Mrs. Morrow -continued her little talk. - -"Liberty is not something that sprang into being with the coming of the -settlers to America, for it is as old as man himself; but under the rule -of king-ridden states it has been fighting its way through many long -centuries, because the peoples of the Old World failed to grasp its -meaning. - -"Under the stimulus of the Reformation and the Revival of Learning, -induced by the printing of the Bible and other books, the early comers -to America, as they endeavored to worship God as they thought right, not -only left the intolerant forms and bigoted narrowness of the Old World, -but threw the first light on liberty by teaching man his right to -freedom of the soul. The Pilgrims and Puritans were the Pioneers of -liberty, for they not only gave us religious freedom, but, by -establishing a government for and by the people without the aid of king -or bishop, laid the cornerstone of a great commonwealth, and gave us -democratic liberty. - -"If you girls would make a study of the history of the Thirteen -Colonies," went on their director, "you would learn that not only each -Colony contributed to the principles embodied in every stripe, star, and -color of our spangled banner, but that a universal love of freedom seems -to have animated the settlers. Each individual group, to be sure, had -its own peculiar belief, but, in the working-out of their cherished -ideals and aspirations, liberty was the bone and sinew of every colony. - -"It was under the influence of these early settlers--the giving of their -best to mankind in their struggles for freedom--that the ideals and -beliefs of the New World were molded into higher and better -institutions, purified and strengthened by a new significance. Their -ideals and aspirations were essentially different from anything known -before,--ideals peculiar to this soil, which were absolutely American, -not only in religious freedom, but in the institutions of local -government and the union of all states into one, which gave rise to the -United States of America. - -"Now we have come to the great subject of the hour, the war, and a -question I have heard several of you girls ask, 'Why are we in the -war?'" - -Nathalie felt her face redden, and shifted uneasily in her seat. O dear! -she did wish she had not come. Of course the talk was very interesting, -but still she didn't want to think of this terrible war. - -"I have heard it said," pursued Mrs. Morrow, "that we are in the war to -avenge the sinking of the _Lusitania_, and that we must not allow the -Germans to break the international law by killing our sailors and -seamen. I have heard it said, too, that if they conquered the Allies -they would come over here and fight us. These are all sufficient reasons -in a sense." - -The lady paused, and then, with grave solemnity, said: "And I have heard -it put forth that we are in the war to maintain our national honor and -integrity. I think I hear some of you girls say, 'But we haven't done -any wrong: we have kept neutral; our principles are not involved.'" - -Nathalie's eyes were aglow as she bent forward, and with parted lips -anxiously awaited Mrs. Morrow's reply to this question. - -"Now that we realize the depth and grandeur of the principles given to -us by the founders of this nation, and know that every time our flag is -unfurled it tells the world that religious and democratic liberty were -born on these shores of America, are we going back on these principles? -Are we going to allow other nations to say that our principles are just -in the flying of our colors, that they stand for nothing but self-praise -and the nation's glorification? - -"No," cried the lady with grave emphasis, "by our love for our flag, by -our love for our birth-land, by our reverence for the men who taught us -these principles we swear to defend every time we hoist our colors, we -must get into this war. We must prove that our flag is in the right -place, and that we carry it in our hearts. We must strive to show with -our soul's might that we are living these principles by being true to -ourselves and to our nation's honor, and carry our feelings into action. - -"We must forget self, our desire for selfish ease and pleasure. We must -align ourselves with the suffering masses of people across the sea, and -help them to rid themselves of the iron-shod heel of one-man power. We -must stand side by side with the Allies for humanity, democracy, and -liberty. We must show the world that the so-called divine right of kings -is a worn-out belief of savagery, and prove by the principles back of -our flag, prove by the living of these principles, the sacredness of -God's heritage to man, the right of the world's people to know, as we -know, the principles that have made us the freest people in the world. - -"Each one of you girls must not only do your bit, but must give of your -best to your brothers and sisters over the sea. And if the best means -the giving-up of those who are so dear to us, we must prove that we are -true daughters of liberty, and send them forth cheerfully, to give -freedom and liberty to the world." - -There was an impressive silence, and then Mrs. Morrow's voice broke into -song. In another moment the girls had joined their voices with hers, and -were loudly sounding forth the old-time tune and the well-beloved words: - - "In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, - With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me; - As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, - While God is marching on. - - "He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; - He is sifting out the hearts of men before his judgment seat; - Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet; - Our God is marching on!" - -Later in the afternoon, as the girls hurried happily out from the white -house on the corner, each one chatting merrily, intent on telling what -she had done or intended to do for the war, Nathalie alone was silent, -weighed down, as it were, by a strange sense of shame. Yes, she had been -blindly selfish, and had failed to realize the momentousness of the -great questions of the day. When she had been called upon, to give love -and sympathy to her neighbors, the poor suffering masses of people over -seas, she had selfishly turned her back to the call--she had failed to -show herself a daughter of liberty. Why, she was not a patriot,--no, not -even an American; and in the spirit, if not in the letter, she had -dishonored Dick, yes, and her father, who had always been so steadfast -and true to everything that was American. - -That night Nathalie could not sleep, but tossed restlessly from side to -side, as parts of Mrs. Morrow's speech kept forcing themselves upon her -memory. And just as she had succeeded in driving them away, and also the -remorseful thought that she had not given her best, that she had failed -to show greatness, the song the girls had sung that afternoon, with the -luring, old-time air and the soul-stirring words, flashed with vivid -distinctness: - - "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, - While God is marching on." - -The girl sat up in bed, and in a crooning whisper hummed the whole verse -through, repeating again and again, - - "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free." - -The beauty as well as the significance of the words had made their -appeal. Christ had died to make men holy; she must give of her best to -make men free. She must show herself great, but what could _she_ do? - -But even as the question came, so flashed the answer, and Nathalie was -again softly humming, - - "Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet; - Our God is marching on." - -And then suddenly a thought stamped itself upon her mind. The girl -caught her breath. Yes, she had given Dick up because she had been -forced to do so, but now she would make the sacrifice, give the best of -herself; she would stop once and forever all useless repining. She would -keep herself cheered by the thought that she was glad--she gritted her -teeth determinedly--that she had Dick to give to help make people free. - -Yes, but she _must do something_--she must give _her best_; no, it might -not be anything very great or big, but she must show she was a true -daughter of liberty. Ah, she knew what she could do, and then Nathalie -fell back on her pillow, and although she lay very still, her brain was -alert, thinking and planning. Yes, she could get the girls together; she -would begin the very next morning. She would have every one in it, for -liberty wouldn't be liberty unless it was free to all. And then one -thought and another kept popping into her mind, until finally the tired -brain went on a strike and refused to register any more thoughts, and -Nathalie, without a word of protest, tumbled into the land o' dreams. - -The next morning she was up betimes, and was soon singing cheerily at -her work, every now and then stopping in the midst of some favored -melody, to repeat softly, - - "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free." - -In such a state of cheerfulness time flew swiftly, and soon Nathalie was -up in the attic writing a note. Yes, it sounded all right, she decided -as she read it over slowly. And then her hand was again flying over the -paper, and another note was written, and then another, and still -another, until, with a sigh of relief, Nathalie found that she had them -all finished. No, she wasn't going to leave any one out. Quickly -gathering up the notes the girl was off, running lightly down the -stairs, and then flying swiftly across the lawn to see what Helen would -think of the thing she had planned in the stillness of the night. - - - - - CHAPTER III - - THE LIBERTY GIRLS - - -"Yes, we must prove that we have the true spirit of liberty, the spirit -of humanity," Nathalie spoke very earnestly, "and that is why I have -asked Marie Katzkamof to belong to the club. She is the little lame -girl, _you know_ who she is; she sits at the news-stand on the corner of -Main and West streets, and sells the papers when her father is at -business. She is always knitting--sweaters for the soldiers, she says. -It makes me feel ashamed when I realize how hard she works to do her -'little bit.'" - -"You are right, Nathalie," replied Helen thoughtfully, "for you have -struck something big in your idea that we are all Americans, and that -the club should be free to all. But hurry over, and see what Mrs. Morrow -has to say. I believe she'll think the whole scheme is fine." - -But Nathalie was already at the door, her brown eyes sparkling with -suppressed excitement, and her cheeks flushed with the soft pink that -all the girls admired, and _some_ envied. And then she was making her -way across the road to the white house on the corner, still softly -humming, - - "As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free." - -The Tuesday that Nathalie had designated in her notes to the invited -girls had arrived, and the girl, somewhat pale from nervousness, was -standing before a small table in the living-room of her home. Facing her -were a dozen or more girls, all more or less in an attitude of expectant -interest as they sat, some on chairs, others on the couch in the hall, -while the Pioneers, as was their wont when chairs were limited, were -seated in a circle on the floor. - -"Now, girls," cried Nathalie, determined to plunge ahead and get the -thing started before her enthusiasm and nerves collapsed to a frazzle, -as she told Helen afterward, "I have asked you all here to-day, to form -a club in the interest of liberty. The Girl Pioneers know just how big a -thing liberty is, for they had the pleasure of hearing Mrs. Morrow, our -Pioneer director, in her little talk on liberty. Oh, Lillie Bell, would -you mind repeating what you remember of Mrs. Morrow's speech?" Nathalie -broke off abruptly, turning towards that young lady, one of the most -popular of the Pioneer girls. "I know you have a good memory, Lillie," -Nathalie pleaded, "and are such a good elocutionist that you can do it -better than any one else I know." - -This calling upon Lillie Bell was a stroke of finesse on the part of -Nathalie. For Lillie, when she had learned that the club was to be so -democratic that the daughter of her newsdealer, a Russian Jew, had been -invited, had loftily declared that although she was a good American, and -wanted to do all she could for liberty, well, she didn't know that she -cared to chum with all the Jews in the town. - -Nathalie had been keenly alive to the desirability of having Lillie a -member, because she was not only bright and efficient, but because she -was such a good entertainer. This declaration of Lillie's, however, had -caused her spirits to fall below zero, and she began to fear that the -whole thing would prove a fizzle. But when so many girls had responded -to her invitation, all keyed to expectant curiosity--Lillie among -them--her spirits had taken a leap into the nineties. Immediately her -alert mind had begun to plan in what way, and how, she could interest -Lillie in the club, so that she would take an active part in its doings. -And here was her chance. - -Lillie Bell, with her usual timely poise, gracefully and smilingly rose -to the occasion. In her most luring manner she not only repeated Mrs. -Morrow's speech, but interpreted it with such a stirring American -spirit, that not only was Nathalie electrified, but the whole audience -were inspired to such a pitch of enthusiasm that they broke into hearty -applause. - -As soon as the clamor subsided, Nathalie cried earnestly, "Now that we -all know what liberty means, and the possibilities that lie before us, I -propose that we form ourselves into a club to be known as 'The Liberty -Girls.'" - -Another outburst of approval brought the speaker to a halt, but only for -a moment, and then she went on smilingly, "Well, I am glad that you like -the name, for it means something." Then she briefly told of the -seventeen young girls, who, over a hundred and fifty years ago, had -formed a club called "The Daughters of Liberty." - -"They did their bit," smiled the girl, "by sewing all day on homespun -garments to prove that the colonies could be independent of the -mother-country, and swore that they would drink no tea until the tax had -been removed. They also declared that they would have nothing to do with -any of their young gentlemen friends who dared to drink the detested -beverage. - -"But, girls," said Nathalie rather hurriedly, as she stepped from behind -the little table, "if we are to form ourselves into a club, we shall -have to have a chairman, for although the idea originated with me, that -does not mean that you have got to have me for a leader," she ended -modestly. - -"But we don't want any one but you," called out some one -enthusiastically, which cry was so emphatically echoed by others, that -Nathalie stood hopelessly bewildered, a wave of color dyeing her face a -rose-pink. - -But in this crucial moment Helen came to her rescue, and jumping on her -feet cried,--even Lillie, Grace, and Edith bobbed up too,--"Girls, I -make the motion that we form ourselves into a club to be known as 'The -Liberty Girls,' and that we elect for president, Miss Nathalie Page. All -in favor of this motion stand up!" - -There was a quick, simultaneous movement of many feet, and then, as -Helen sensed that Nathalie had been duly elected leader by her mates, -she called out, "Well, Nathalie, you will have to be president, for -every one wants you." - -"Yes, and we won't have any one else," added Edith quickly, with a -sudden clap of her hands. This was the signal for the girls to start up -a loud clapping in approval of the newly elected president, whose -rose-pink cheeks had deepened to scarlet as she stood bowing, somewhat -confusedly, to them. - -Whereupon Lillie Bell gracefully came to the fore, and dramatically -seizing the hand of the young girl while leading her back to her seat, -in an impressive manner cried, "Allow me, Miss Nathalie Page, to lead -you to the seat of honor, as the president of the club, 'The Liberty -Girls.'" - -Nathalie bowed and laughed with embarrassment, but she determined to -carry off the honors bestowed upon her with a good grace, and as soon as -the somewhat noisy demonstrations of pleasure from the girls had ended, -she said modestly, "Girls, I thank you for wanting me to be your leader, -and only hope I will make a good one." - -There was more plaudits, and then Nathalie, with grave seriousness, -said: "Girls, now that we have pledged ourselves not only as a club, but -as individuals, to further the cause of liberty, I would suggest that -our watchword be, 'Liberty and humanity--our best.' Humanity means to be -helpful and kind to our neighbors, our best means to work with a -strenuous will to do everything we can to that end. Our neighbors at the -present moment loom very large and big as the needy and suffering ones -overseas, as the sick, the wounded, the dying, the prisoners, the -refugees, and all those who are fighting on land and sea: yes, and those -in the air, and all those who are helping to care for the ones I have -mentioned, as the doctors and nurses, for they, too, all need help. If -we can't fight, we have got to help those who are fighting in our stead. -Yes," she added solemnly, "and we must be prepared even to have the -desire to do what we can for our enemies, for as liberty makes no -discrimination as to who shall enjoy it, so in the doing of humane acts -we should remember all." - -As Nathalie, highly elated by the enthusiasm shown by her audience, -stood waiting for quietness, suddenly her eyes rested on little lame -Marie Katzkamof, whose big black eyes shone like two stars from her -pale, sallow face. Nathalie had another inspiration. - -She bent forward and in a low, earnest voice cried, "Do you think, -little Marie, that you would enjoy being a member of this club? Wouldn't -you like to do something--yes, _your best_--to help the poor refugees in -France and Belgium, and the brave soldier boys who are fighting, so that -the whole world can enjoy liberty?" - -"Yiss, ma'am; I have a glad on liberty," the girl giggled nervously, -"but it's like this mit me, I likes I shure I don't make you no -trouble." - -"But it won't be any trouble to us, Marie," answered Nathalie with a -smile. "We will all help you; humanity means to help others." - -"But, Missis Page," the girl's face was scarlet, her big eyes mournful. -"It's like this mit me, I ain't stylish like these young ladies; I make -nottings mit them, for I ain't shmardt, hein? Und this leg it ain't yet -so healthy. Und, Missis Page, I'm lovin' mit liberty, but I ain't lovin' -much mit Krisht, for I'm a Jewess." - -Nathalie faltered a moment, for she had seen a smile creep into the eyes -of the girls, which she knew would become a laugh if she did not say the -right thing. "Yes, you may not love Christ, as we Christians," she -answered quickly, "but if you love the liberty, perhaps you may learn to -know what it means to love Him. And then, Marie, that will make no -difference, for as long as you want to help the suffering ones, and show -humanity, that makes you an American, no matter who, or what you are." - -"Thank you, Missis Page," the girl's face had lighted with repressed -joy, "sure I'm an American. I can't do nottings mit the fight, like the -soldiers, but you bet yer life I can knit for them, hein?" And the -little daughter of Israel held up a strip of wool with its two shiny -needles. "Shure und my hands are straight," she continued pathetically, -"even if my legs ain't healthy." - -Nathalie's eyes blurred, but she answered smilingly, "Why, that will be -lovely, Marie." Then, turning towards the girls, she cried, "Every one -in favor of appointing Marie Katzkamof captain of the Knitting Squad, -please hold up her hand." And every hand went up. "And we'll call you -Captain Molly," went on Nathalie, "in memory of that brave young woman, -Molly Pitcher, who, when her husband fell dead at the battle of -Monmouth, during the Revolution, took his place,--she was carrying water -to the soldiers,--seized the rammer of his gun, and fired it. And she -kept on firing it," cried Nathalie with glowing eyes, "with the shot and -shell flying all about her, until the battle was over. And with that -name and the bravery of _that_ Molly--for I know you are brave, Marie--I -know you will do _your best_ for liberty, and for the soldiers who are -on the firing-line, doing their best, as the Sons of Liberty, for the -right of every man in the world." - -After Lillie Bell had been duly elected vice-president of the club, and -several other club matters had been disposed of, Nathalie proposed, as -an inspiration to the girls, that they form a circle in the center of -the room, and stand with clasped hands, to show the interdependence of -one upon the other. "Then in turn," she explained, "let each girl tell -of some woman, or girl, who, by her bravery in doing what she could for -some one else, or for the world, has given of her best to mankind, and -shown that she was a true lover of humanity, and a daughter of liberty." - -The girls, quickly grasping Nathalie's idea, were soon standing in a -circle, hurriedly trying to concentrate their minds on some one woman -who had given of her greatness to mankind. - -"Can we tell about the Pioneer women?" asked a Girl Pioneer timidly. - -"Yes, indeed," answered the young president, "and we ought to hear about -them first, too, for they were the ones who really taught us what it -means to love liberty. Although they were not the first women who did -great things for their fellow-beings, they were the ones who made clear -to us that real liberty means humanity, justice, and democracy for all." - -Helen now started the liberty chain by clasping the hand of her neighbor -on each side of her and telling of the women of the _Mayflower_, who, by -their acts of sacrifice, and stern determination to worship God as they -thought right, gave us religious freedom. - -Nita told of the coming of the ship, the _Arbella_, to Gloucester with -John Winthrop, the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the two -noted Puritan brides, the Lady Arbella and Anne Bradstreet, the latter -our first American poetess. And gave testimony of their devotion to -Puritanism, and their desire to benefit mankind. - -One Pioneer told of America's first club-woman, Anne Hutchinson, -portraying her trial and banishment from Boston, in her efforts to -benefit mankind by teaching them freedom of thought. Another told of -Mary Dyer, the noted Quakeress, and how she was hanged from an old elm -on Boston Common because she believed in freedom of religion. - -Margaret, the wife of John Winthrop, the governor, and Susannah, the -mother of John Wesley, both beloved for their sweet piety and charity, -were cited as examples of having given of their best in being the ideal -wife and mother. Lillie Bell told of Florence Nightingale, the young -English woman who gave up a life of luxury to help the soldiers during -the Crimean War in 1854. She became known as "The Lady of the Lamp," -from a statue of her as she stands with a nurse's lamp in her hand, -erected in a church in London. - -A Girl Scout told of Dorothy Dix, that wonderful woman who made it her -life-work to visit prisons and insane asylums, in order to institute -reforms for the care and comfort of the inmates. She also did much for -the relief of wounded soldiers during the American Civil War. - -Jenny Lind, the great Swedish singer, was cited as having given to -humanity when she gave her time and voice to raise thousands of dollars -for the benefit of broken-down musicians and writers. Mrs. Harriet -Beecher Stowe gave of her best, Edith declared, when she wrote her book, -"Uncle Tom's Cabin," and showed the world the evils of slavery; as also -Mrs. Julia Ward Howe when she wrote that wonderful patriotic song, "The -Battle Hymn of the Republic." - -The two noted women astronomers, Caroline Herschel and Maria Mitchell, -when they studied the heavens in the interest of science, gave of their -best. Also Charlotte Cushman, the great actress, who raised large sums -of money by her acting, and gave it to the Sanitary Fund, during the -Civil War, was quoted as a lover of humanity. - -The Baroness Burdett-Coutts and Miss Helen Gould, two of the world's -noted philanthropists, as well as Miss Louisa Alcott, in her writings -for the youth of America, and other women writers were added to the -growing list of Liberty Daughters. Dolly Madison, the beautiful First -Lady of the Land, showed herself a true American during the War of 1812. -When the British burned Washington she refused to leave the White House -until the portrait of Washington was carried to a place of safety, while -she herself took the Declaration of Independence, with its autographs of -the signers, away with her, so that it would not be lost to America. - -Even Marie, alias Captain Molly, caught the inspiration of the Liberty -Chain, and told of a young Russian girl, who, rather than betray the -secrets of a great man, from a paper that had fallen into her hands, -allowed herself to be exiled to Siberia. Then came the war stories, as -that of the noted Quakeress, Lydia Darrach, who, during the Revolution, -on learning the secrets of the British officers who were quartered at -her house, endured untold hardship in traveling many miles in the dead -of winter to reveal them to the American patrol, so as to save the -Continental Army from disaster. - -Hannah Weston, who filled a pillow-case with pewter-ware when she heard -that a certain town was in need of ammunition, and carried it many miles -through the woods at night, was cited for her bravery and her sacrifice, -in her effort to help others. The story of Betty Zane and how she ran -from the palisade of a Western fort to her brother's hut for a keg of -powder in the fire of a tribe of Indians, although a familiar one, was -listened to with glowing interest. - -Ruth Wyllis, who hid the charter of Connecticut in an oak tree, and Katy -Brownell, the color-bearer at the battle of Bull Run, who stood by the -flag in the face of the advancing foe, and who would have been shot to -death if a soldier had not pulled her away, were but two recitals of -brave deeds for the sake of humanity. - -But at last the liberty chain came to an end by Nathalie telling of -Saint Margaret, a plain, uneducated Irish woman, who, after losing her -husband and child, devoted her life and every penny she made to the -cause of orphan children. A statue, she said, had been erected in New -Orleans to this noble woman, who gave of her best to humanity when she -devoted her life to these little waifs. - -After the girls had returned to their seats, Nathalie appointed seven -squads. She had made it seven, she said, not only because it was a lucky -number, but because there were just seven letters in the name, -_Liberty_. Helen was made the captain of the Florence Nightingale Squad, -since she had gained many honors, as a Girl Pioneer, as an expert maker -of bandages. - -Nita, with a Girl Scout as a running mate, was made captain of the -Scrap-Book Squad, which meant the making of scrap-books for the -convalescing soldiers in the hospitals. Lillie Bell and a Camp Fire Girl -were placed at the head of the Garments Squad for the cutting and sewing -of garments for the refugee children of France and Belgium. Two Girl -Scouts were made captains of the Flower Squad, with the purpose of -raising and selling flowers for the Liberty Loan fund. - -Jessie Ford had charge of the comfort-kits for the soldier-boys, while -Barbara Worth, who was an expert knitter, was appointed to work with -Captain Molly, the Russian Jewess. Nathalie was unanimously chosen as -the captain of the Liberty Garden, with Edith Whiton and several other -Girl Pioneers. They were not only to raise vegetables and fruits in -their garden-to-be, but they were to do canning as well. - -After some discussion it was decided that the club members wear a -uniform consisting of a white shirtwaist, with the letters L. G. in red -on the arm, on the corners of their white sailor-collars, and on the -hatbands of their white sailor-hats, and to wear white or khaki skirts. - -Nathalie had just appointed a committee to scour the town for a parcel -of ground to use as a flower and Liberty garden, when a sudden noise was -heard. The girl looked quickly up, to see Mrs. Morrow standing in the -doorway leading from the dining-room, with her arms filled with flowers. -In her hand was a large bell, which she was jingling softly, while her -blue eyes smiled down upon the girls with radiant good-will. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - - THE LIBERTY GARDEN - - -Nathalie stared in amazement, and then, recovering her usual poise, she -cried, "Oh, Mrs. Morrow, please come right in, for I want you to meet my -Liberty Girls." As the girl spoke she advanced towards her unexpected -guest, who was coming slowly forward, as if not assured of her welcome. -But the cordiality expressed in the tones of Nathalie's voice and the -fact that the girls had all risen on their feet,--her own girls at -attention in the Pioneer salute,--with their faces aglow with pleasure, -quickly assured her that her welcome was a hearty one. - -With a sudden movement she turned to Nathalie and asked, "May I have the -floor a moment, Miss President?" As the girl assented, although somewhat -mystified, Mrs. Morrow took her place behind the small table, and with a -quick nod of greeting to the faces upturned to hers, cried: "Girls, I am -greatly pleased to see you here to-day, and to know that our Pioneer -Blue Robin's little plan to make you all work with a keener zest for -liberty, has succeeded so well. I also want to assure you of my hearty -cooperation, and my wish that all of you, those who are Pioneers, and -those who belong to other clubs, will be inspired to better work in your -own organizations by the fact that you have banded together to stand -unitedly as Daughters of Liberty, in order to show that you are all -_loyal Americans_. In proof of my good wishes I am going to present the -club with a bell. It is needless to say that it is not _the_ Liberty -Bell, but a facsimile in miniature. - -"Wait, I have not finished," laughingly protested the lady as she held -up her hand,--for some of the girls had started to clap. "I want you to -know before your president rings it,--it is to be rung to call you -together in the sacred cause of liberty,--that way up in the top has -been inserted a very tiny chip from the real Liberty Bell,--the bell -that was rung over a hundred years ago to announce that the thirteen -colonies had become the United States of America. I hope, girls, that -when you hear this bell ring you will feel the same inspiration to do -your best as animated the patriots in the war of 1776." - -As Mrs. Morrow paused, the long-delayed clapping burst forth with such -vigor that she and Nathalie--she had drawn the girl to her and was -pressing the bell into her hand--had to smile and bow again and again. -But the clapping only halted for a space, for when Nathalie saw that -quietness reigned, she rang the liberty bell so loudly and determinedly, -while a mischievous twinkle glowed in her eyes, that it broke forth -again. - -As soon as the demonstration was over and the bell-ringing had subsided, -Mrs. Morrow's voice was heard again: "Now, Liberty Girls, I am going to -ask your president to take a vote to get your opinion as to _who you -think_ told the best story about great women in your liberty chain. - -"Perhaps you do not know," the gray-blue eyes deepened, "but I was in -the dining-room, although not purposely an eavesdropper, and had the -pleasure of hearing the stories told. I have formed an opinion as to the -best story-teller, but would like to know if your opinion coincides with -mine." - -But alas, there were so many different opinions as to the best story, -and as to who was the best narrator, that to even matters Mrs. Morrow -had to take her big bouquet of flowers and divide it into three or four -nosegays. But a smile of satisfaction gleamed in the eyes of many when -Marie, the little Jewess, received a bouquet and a few words of -commendation from the giver. The little captain's delight was so -genuine, and her eyes beamed so joyously, that every one rejoiced with -her. - -After the flowers were distributed, and the girls had sung a few -patriotic songs, they filed out into the sunshine, happily aglow with -the joy of the meeting and the inspiration it had brought to them. - -Several weeks later we find Nathalie coming slowly down the garden-walk -with its old-time hedge, from the big gray house. The tall pines--now -good old friends--that bordered the path bowed their tops in a cheery -good-morning, as she walked beneath their shade. - -She had just given her usual morning lesson of two hours to her young -friend, for Nathalie, on her return from Camp Laff-a-Lot last summer, -had found that her studies with Nita were to be continued. Yes, and she -had banked every penny that she could spare from her weekly salary of -ten dollars. It had seemed such a big sum at first, but alas, now that -her mother's income had slowly dwindled, and she had been compelled to -use it for her own personal needs, and to lay part of it aside every -week to repay Mrs. Van Vorst the loan for Dick's operation, it seemed a -mere pittance. - -But to-day she felt unusually joyful, for the last penny of that -haunting debt had been paid, and she was now free to call her money her -own. If there had been many disappointments in life--the going to -college was still a luring hope--and self-denials, added to the -unpleasantness of doing housework since their coming to Westport, there -had been several compensations that had cast their rosy shadows across -the darkness. - -One was the joy and the profit she had gained from being a Pioneer, and -the other was the great pleasure that had come to her in the knowledge -that she had a purpose in life. Yes, she had told Helen many times, "I -think it is one of the delights of life to be legitimately busy, and to -know that you are really doing something that is a help to yourself or -some one else." And now, added to these compensating joys had come the -thrills and joys from the new organization, the Liberty Girls, for that -little patriotic club now numbered almost a hundred. And it had thrived -so well, and Nathalie had gained so many honors from being its founder, -that sometimes she feared that she, too, would become a bird of the air, -like Dick, only in a different way, from sheer conceit. - -But if she had been overmuch praised, and had found it a pleasant -diversion to plan and dream over the club's future successes, she had -also found hard work and great discouragement. Discouragement, too, over -such small things, when the girl came to face them in the coolness of -after-thought, that she had felt like throwing the whole thing up, or -else just letting things drift, and taking what pleasure she could, -without so much conscientious worry over doing _her best_. - -But through all the storm and stress Helen had buoyed her with the -frequent, sensible remark, that if it had taken the world thousands of -years to comprehend the true meaning of democracy and liberty, she must -expect her girls would be slow in realizing many things. But it was -tiresome to hold the reins of government, and yet sometimes be unable to -stop their silly chatter, or useless argument over mere trifles, all the -while holding back the legitimate work by their dallying. - -Yes, and it had been an awful strain to manage that Liberty Garden. Of -course the Pioneers were all good workers, and she had given each one -some one thing to study over, but still she had had to know about these -things herself, so as to be sure they would do the right thing. - -But it was something worth while, she reflected sagely, to know that -there are three kinds of soil, how to test it with litmus paper to see -if it was sour or not, and, if it was, how to neutralize it, or sweeten -its acidity. Then she had had to know what kind of chemicals acted as -food to the soil, so as to know what each plant or vegetable required to -enrich it and to sustain life. She had also learned how to draw moisture -from the land and how to fertilize it. - -By placing seeds on wet blotting-paper in saucers she had demonstrated -how long it would take them to germinate, so as to be able to to write -her germinating-table for the girls. How old seeds should be before -planting, how deep to plant each kind, the method of planting, and how -many seeds to plant, and the distance apart, had all seemed tiresome and -trivial things to many, but it was necessary knowledge to a would-be -farmer. - -Ah, she had reached the bank. She was going to get that ten dollars -deposited before it melted away. Suddenly her eyes became pools of -brightness, and the dimples twinkled in the red glow of her cheeks, for -there, right in front of her, stood Mrs. Morrow, with a kiddie boy, as -the girl called the twins, on each side of her. There was such genuine -pleasure in the lady's smiling blue eyes, that Nathalie impulsively -cried, "Oh, Mrs. Morrow, this is just lovely! I'm so glad to see you! -When did you get back?" for her good friend had been away for several -weeks. - -"Last night, Nathalie, and I am so pleased to meet you," was the cordial -greeting, "for I have heard so many reports about the Liberty Girls' -club that I am anxious to hear all about it from you." - -"Oh, it is just the dandiest thing, Mrs. Morrow," cried the girl -jubilantly. And then, lured by the kindly interest in her friend's eyes, -her tongue unloosened, and she was soon busy telling about the club's -many experiences, and the good that had come from the industry of its -members. - -"And Helen is a dear," Nathalie rattled on, "for she has taught her -girls the most wonderful things, and now they have all enrolled as Red -Cross members. She had been reading to them from Florence Nightingale's -'Notes on Nursing,' and now she has taken up other works on the same -subject. Lillie, too, reads to the girls at the club meetings about -great women, while I inspect the work. The Garment and Comfort-Kit -squads meet together, and Jessie Ford not only tells them about the -French villages and the towns that have been destroyed by the Germans, -but reads to them from the 'Prince Albert Book.' - -"We are to have our Liberty Pageant to-morrow, and all the people who -live on the line of parade have been perfectly lovely, for they have -sold tickets for the seats on their verandas, and are to give the money -to us for the Liberty Fund, so we can buy Liberty bonds. And the day -after," continued Nathalie, "we are to have a liberty sale on Mrs. Van -Vorst's grounds, the Pioneers' meeting-place, you know. Indeed, we are -almost over the tops of our heads in work, and we have enough plans to -last the rest of the summer. Mother declares I am the busiest girl she -knows." - -"And the Liberty Garden, has that turned out well? I understand it is -the work of my girls, the Pioneers." - -"Indeed, yes," returned her companion: "it has been said to be one of -the beauty spots of Westport. We have bordered it with nasturtiums, -poppies, marigold, sweet peas, and all sorts of old-time posies. But _we -had_ a time getting the ground, for this year every one was hysterically -wild to cultivate every inch of ground for a war-garden, and nobody -wanted to loan any. Finally, however, Edith and Lillie tried their -powers of persuasion on old Deacon Sawyer,--you know he's one of the -pillars of the old Presbyterian church, and he let us have an old lot of -his on Summer Street, about a hundred feet or so square. - -"And how we have worked over it, for of course it had to be plowed. -Peter, Mrs. Van Vorst's gardener,--he's the kindest-hearted thing -alive,--offered to plow it for us, but we declined with a vote of -thanks, for we felt _that_ wouldn't be our work. So Edith scoured the -town until finally she borrowed an old nag from the livery-stable -man,--he was just ready to crumble to pieces,--and Nita got a plow from -Peter, and we plowed it ourselves. - -"But the time we had with that old steed," Nathalie's eyes gleamed -humorously, "for just as he would be going nicely across the field, he -would be inspired to take the 'rest-cure' and stand stock-still, and no -amount of pulling--we all got behind him and pushed--or coaxing would -induce him to budge a hair. O dear, we worked over him until we thought -we should expire with the heat, our faces all red and perspiring. - -"Then Edith took to pulling his tail; she said she had read that would -make a balky horse go. Oh, it was funny to see her!" Nathalie laughed -outright. "But, dear me, it only made him lift one leg, very slowly, and -then the other, and then settle down in the same old rut, as still as -the wooden horse of Troy. - -"You know Edith is a stick-at-the-job sort of person," commented -Nathalie confidentially, "and what do you think? She actually got a -firecracker and set it off under that beast. But even that fiery -commotion only caused him to wink one lash and then resume his restful -pose. But finally the spirit moved him, and so suddenly," laughed the -girl, "that Edith went sprawling on the ground, and Jessie tumbled in a -most humble attitude,--on her knees,--minus the reins, while our noble -steed went careering at a loping gallop across the field, while we, like -a lot of mutes, stared at him in stupid wonder. - -"Well, after we got the land all plowed," resumed Nathalie, "we had -irrigated it, by making a little ditch to let the water run down from -the hilly slope at one end, we planted our vegetables in rows. But -alas," the girl gave a sigh, "when the plants began to come up we found -that the whole field was filled with coarse rye-grass which had roots, -and which had simply been cultivated, one might say, by the plow. - -"We did not know what to do at first, until we remembered our Pioneer -motto, 'I Can,' and then we set to work with a will, and spaded every -inch of that lot; and it meant hard labor, too, for the grass was like -gristle. When the little plants began to come up and a girl would pull a -blade to see how it was doing, part of the plant would come up with the -roots. When we planted the different kinds of beans, using the string -and stakes, and pressing down the ground hard with our feet, on _five_ -different occasions a violent rain came up during the night, and the -next morning we found all the seeds uncovered and washed down into -little piles at the end of the garden, and everything had to be done -over again. - -"After we had planted rows and rows of hills of corn and rejoiced to see -coming forth little green plumes three inches high, we went to the -garden in our uniforms one day, laden with our garden-tools, ready for -work. But alas! we found that the crows had pulled out the corn from -almost every hill; the little black imps had bitten off the kernels and -gulped them down, and the stalks lay withering on the ground. - -"Oh, I shall never forget the expression on Edith's face that day," said -Nathalie thoughtfully, "when she saw the havoc wrought by those crows; -it was such utter despair. I thought she was going to cry, but she -didn't--just hurried to the little shed where we keep our tools and -things. When she reappeared her face was a sunbeam all right, as she -exclaimed, 'Well, girls, let's get the better of those crows, and plant -all over again.' - -"Really, Mrs. Morrow, Edith inspired me to such respect for her -indomitable courage and pluck," went on the girl candidly, "that I shall -always keep a very warm place in my heart for her, notwithstanding that -she sometimes gets on my nerves. Things went on swimmingly then until -that awful drought came. We had no way of watering the garden except by -watering-pots, and then we couldn't do our weeding, or cultivating, -until late in the afternoon on account of the hot sun. But we did our -best, and we have been repaid," smiled Nathalie, "although we did not -produce as much as I had hoped. Still--well, you'll see at the pageant -to-morrow." Nathalie, suddenly realizing that she had kept Mrs. Morrow -standing for some time, while she rattled on about that garden, now bade -her a hasty good-morning and hurried into the bank. - -The young president of the Liberty Girls' club passed a somewhat -troubled night, oppressed with the anxiety of her onerous -responsibility, knowing that the following day would be a well-filled -one. As the proposer and planner of the pageant there were numerous -details to arrange at the very last moment, and she was so afraid that -she would oversleep, that she awakened several times with a nervous -start, only to find everything enveloped in darkness. - -Arousing finally, to see the East streaked with red, and the golden rim -of the sun gleaming above a silver line of clouds, she sprang out of bed -with a devout little prayer of thankfulness that the day at least was to -be a sunshiny one. An early breakfast, a hurried doing of her customary -duties, and then she and Grace--in the latter's car--were off to inspect -the floats, eighteen of them, all ready in barns, or garages, awaiting -her word that they were properly equipped for the liberty parade, which -was to set forth on its journey through the town at two in the -afternoon. - -And then, with many misgivings, fearing that the whole thing might prove -a fizzle,--for of course, many things had been wrong,--she hurried home -for luncheon. Then came a hurried dressing, a whirl in an automobile, -and she was dazedly taking her seat, a post of honor, on the front row -of the grand-stand, erected by the Boy Scouts and Peter, in front of -Mrs. Van Vorst's high garden-walls. - -She barely had time to realize that the notables of the village were -seated to the right and left of her, and to exchange a few greetings -with one or two old-time friends, when she heard the ringing of a bell, -the bell in the tower of the old Presbyterian church. This was the -signal that the Liberty Pageant, way up at the other end of the town, -was to issue from its shelter of green trees in front of the brick -schoolhouse, and set forth on its march down through Main Street, the -most important thoroughfare of the sleepy little town, with its wide, -asphalted road shaded by noble old elms. - - - - - CHAPTER V - - THE LIBERTY PAGEANT - - -Nathalie was sure that she would never forget those tense, anxious -moments as she stared with strained eyes, trying to catch the first -glimpse of the coming show, while listening with alert ears to the -oncoming tread of many feet, the noise and bustle of moving equipages, -and the buzz and hum from the excited voices of the paraders and the -onlookers. High above the tumult floated snatches of patriotic song, as -sung by the Liberty Girls, and the loud outbursts of applause from the -villagers, who lined the street. - -Ah, there it was! The girl's heart leaped in wild bounds, she bent -forward eagerly, and then she was sitting with nervously clasped hands, -gazing with wide-open eyes at the slowly passing floats of the Liberty -Pageant. It was heralded by a procession of small maidens costumed as -Greek goddesses, who, while moving and swaying rhythmically, and holding -festoons of white flowers high above their heads, were singing Thomas -Paine's "Liberty Tree." As they burst out with the old familiar words: - - "In a chariot of light from the regions of day, - The Goddess of Liberty came;" - -Nathalie was forcibly reminded of the time when she had last heard that -song. Yes, it was almost a year ago, on Mrs. Van Vorst's lawn, when the -Girl Pioneers had held their little playlet of "Liberty Banners." - -But her thoughts were again on the series of living pictures, and she -smiled with her neighbors at the two small boys, one gowned as a doctor -of the law, and the other as a brass-buttoned, blue-coated guardian of -the peace, mounted on small horses caparisoned in white, whose trappings -were marked in gold with the words "Law" and "Order." As the diminutive -doctor removed a pen from behind his ear, and peered learnedly through -his goggles at a ponderous volume of law resting on a rack in front of -him, while his companion on the neighboring flower-bedecked steed -flourished a somewhat formidable-looking club, in token of the duties of -his office, roars of laughter broke from the spectators. - -But as their eyes wandered on to the snowy chariot, where the Spirit of -Liberty stood with outstretched hands, one holding a branch of -evergreen, and the other a lighted torch, their laughter ceased, and a -strange hush stilled their noisy clamor. For this beautiful maiden in -loosely flowing garments, with eyes as bright and shining as the starry -chaplet that wreathed her golden, unbound hair, was the little hunchback -of the big gray house, Nita Van Vorst! - -High above the "angel face," as Nathalie heard some one designate the -girl's countenance, beautiful in its inspiration of happiness and -patriotism--her deformity hidden by her white wings--was a large banner -inscribed with the words: - - "Enter at Freedom's porch,[1] - For you I lift my torch, - For you my coronet - Is rayed with stars - My name is Liberty, - My throne is Law." - -Guarding the Spirit of Liberty, while holding the streamers that floated -from the banners above, were three more white-robed figures, -representing the three great principles for which the world was -striving. The unbound tresses of each were banded with white, and the -first bore the word, "Democracy," the girl holding a white dove on her -hand. The second was Humanity,--who cuddled a little Belgian refugee in -her arms; and the third was Justice, who held aloft a pair of scales. - -Nathalie's eyes radiated with gladness as she heard her neighbors voice -their commendations in praises of the snowy chariot, the symbol of -freedom, man's divine heritage from God. She began to feel that the many -hours that she and Helen had spent in devising and planning the details -of this float and its mates, after all, might be appreciated. - -The second picture was a marriage scene, a float marked "Virginia, -1607," and bore the famous words of its well-known orator, "Give me -liberty, or give me death." It was decorated with white flowers in honor -of the bride, Pocahontas,--impersonated by a Camp Fire girl in an Indian -deerskin robe wondrously embroidered, and gay with many-colored -beads,--who stood by the flower-decked pulpit amid a bower of green, -being united in the holy bands of matrimony to John Rolfe. - -The pose of the Indian maiden, the sweet seriousness of her tawny-dyed -face and melting black eyes, the dignified pose of the Virginia planter, -so vividly portrayed the romantic episode of the first American colony, -that the many onlookers broke forth into shouts of approval. The -quaintly attired figures of the Jamestown settlers in the foreground, -and the group of Indian warriors with their war-plumes and dabs of paint -were backed by a miniature tower. Some one inquired if it was a -monument, much to the young president's disgust, as she considered it a -noble work of art, which had been laboriously built of old bricks by the -Girl Pioneers to represent the ruined tower of Jamestown. - -[Illustration: "My name is Liberty, - My throne is Law."--Page 75.] - -Massachusetts was identified by the words, "The Founders of Liberty," -and a simulated boulder, which Blue Robin watched with great trepidation -for fear the blithesome Mary Chilton, who stood victorious on this -Forefathers' Rock, in too zealous jubilation would shake it too much. -But the sprightly Pilgrim maiden, in gray cape and bonnet--it was the -Sport--remembered the perilous foundations, and her scorn was discreetly -tempered with caution as she gazed at the somewhat crestfallen John, who -stood with one foot on the rock, and the other in a miniature shallop, -where the Pilgrim Fathers stood dismally regarding this forerunner of -the progressive American girl. - -New York's contribution to the cause of freedom was a float brilliantly -rampant with the Stars and Stripes, and a little white flag with a black -beaver on it, the State's emblem. This float, which bore the words, "The -Sons of Liberty," was in commemoration of the brave lovers of freedom on -the little isle of Manhattan, who, in February, 1770, raised the first -Liberty Pole in America at what is now known as City Hall Park. To be -sure, it was cut down twice, but Liberty was afire, and it was finally -hooped with iron and set up the third time, this time to stay. - -"Liberty Hall," the name of the home of a one-time governor of New -Jersey, was conspicuously seen on the next float. The girls had had some -difficulty in getting an appropriate design for this little garden State -that could be conveniently staged on a small-sized platform. But they -had evidently succeeded, for the quaintly gowned young maiden who acted -her role in pantomime was loudly applauded as she flew to an improvised -window, only to exhibit wild alarm, and then in frenzied haste scurried -to an old-time escritoire. Here she rummaged a moment or so, and then -extracted a bundle of letters, which she hurriedly secreted behind a -loosened brick beside a simulated fireplace. In explanation of this -silent drama Nathalie told that the young girl was Susannah, the -daughter of William Livingston, the governor, who, when she saw the -redcoats marching towards the house in her father's absence, quickly -remembered his valuable papers and hid them for safety. - -Five girls in homespun gowns, sewing on a United States flag, composed -the New Hampshire float, which flew the State emblem, with its motto of -Liberty inscribed on its side. The flag-makers, out of their best silk -gowns, were making, in accordance with the description in the resolution -just passed by Congress, June 14, 1777, the first Stars and Stripes that -floated from the _Ranger_, to which Captain Paul Jones had just been -commissioned, and which became known as "the unconquered and unstricken -flag." - -The Connecticut float bore the words, "The Liberty Charter," while a -Liberty Girl, in a good impersonation of Ruth Wyllis, stood by a ladder -resting against a somewhat strange simulation of the Charter Oak, -handing the supposed charter to the redoubtable Captain Wadsworth, who -quickly secreted it in the hollow of the tree. - -Terra Marie, the land of Mary, not only blazoned the words, "The Rights -of Liberty," but portrayed Margaret Brent, the first woman suffragist, -as she stood before the Maryland Assembly and pleaded with those -worthies, with masculine energy, for her right to a say in the affairs -of the little State, the State noted for its Toleration Act of 1649. -Surely the good woman, as the representative of the deceased Governor -Calvert, who had given his all to her with the words, "Take all, and -give all," had a right to demand that she be heard. - -The "Daughters of Liberty" made a brilliant showing in big letters on -the little Rhody float, to honor the seventeen young girls who, in 1766, -met at the home of good old Deacon Bowen, in Providence, and not only -voiced their disapproval of the Colonies' tax on tea and on cloth -manufactured in England, but formed the first patriotic organization -known in America. It was the same inspiration of liberty that impelled -their emulators to adopt their name, and to plan and push through the -demonstration of which every one was so proud. As these Liberty maidens -sat and spun at their looms, or whetted their distaffs on the float -before the gaping crowd, they were guarded by two impersonations,--one -the father of toleration, Roger Williams, who looked benignantly down -upon these devotees of freedom, and the other, America's first -club-woman, the learned and martyred Anne Hutchinson. - -Ah, but who is this riding astride a horse of sable blackness, curveting -and prancing with chafing irritation at the tightened rein of its rider, -who - - "Burly and big, and bold and bluff, - In his three-cornered hat and coat of snuff, - A foe to King George and the English state, - Was Caesar Rodney, the delegate."[2] - -Of course there were a few who were not familiar with this little -incident in the history of Delaware, and how the aforesaid Rodney, a -member of the Continental Congress, spurred his horse from Dover to -Philadelphia, a distance of eighty-one miles, to reach Independence Hall -before night, in order to cast the vote of Delaware for freedom and -independence. It was, indeed, a great ride, and the townspeople must -have appreciated it, for the horse and rider were heartily cheered as -they read the words on the banner: "It is Liberty's stress; it is -Freedom's need." - -North Carolina proved most interesting, with the inscription, "The First -Liberty Bell of America," on a big hand-bell resting in the center of -the float. The inscription and the bell aroused so much curiosity as to -why it should take precedence of the old Liberty Bell at Philadelphia, -that Nathalie was called upon by a group of friends sitting near, to -explain that it really was the first Liberty Bell used in the Thirteen -Colonies, having sounded its peal for liberty when rung by the patriots -of that State in 1771. - -"These patriots," went on the young Liberty Girl, "were the farmers and -yeomanry of that State, who, in a vigorous protest against the tyrannous -acts, misrule, and extortion during the administration of Governor -Tryon, banded themselves into a company known as the Regulators. This -bell was used to call them together in their struggle to maintain the -rights of the people. These Regulators were not only hounded, -persecuted, and sometimes executed as if they were rebels, but many of -their number were killed at the battle of the Alamance,--so named -because it took place on a field near that beautiful river,--when called -upon to defend themselves, when fired upon by the governor and a company -of the king's troops. This battle has been called by some the first -battle of the Revolution," continued the young girl, "and really -inspired the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, the forerunner of -the noted Declaration signed at Philadelphia. Some historians claim that -'God made the flower of freedom grow out of the turf that covered these -men's graves.'" - -After this little story, the inscription, - - "And well these men maintained the right; - They kept the faith and fought the fight; - Till Might and Reason both - Fled fast before the oath - Which brought the God of Freedom's battles down - To place on patriot's brow the victor's crown!"[3] - -on the float was eagerly read and doubly appreciated. By the bell stood -a tiny maid in the long skirt of the days of colonial childhood, wearing -a long white apron. With the crossed kerchief and two bright eyes -peeping from beneath the golden curls that strayed from below the little -one's Puritan cap, she looked so sweet and demure that murmurs of -admiration surged through the crowd, as they recognized that this -diminutive lady represented the first white child born in America, -little Virginia Dare. - -Perhaps only a few knew that the white fawn that she was holding by her -side featured the legend of the white doe that was said to haunt the -isle of Roanoke for many years after the return of John White, who found -only the word _Croatan_ to tell him that his dear little granddaughter -had disappeared, never to be found. The legend was so suggestive of the -romance of North Carolina that the girls could not forbear giving it -prominence on the float. They had had some trouble to find a white doe, -but they had succeeded, and as Nathalie gazed at it she was again -reminded of how the legend told that it used to stand mournfully gazing -out to sea, on a hill of the little isle. The Indians, tradition -asserted, had failed to kill it, until one day it was shot and killed by -a silver bullet from the hand of an Indian chieftain, who claimed that -the bullet had been given to him by Queen Elizabeth to kill witches, -when a captive in England. As the beautiful doe sank upon the green -sward and expired it was said to have murmured, "Virginia Dare! Virginia -Dare!" - -South Carolina, glaringly conspicuous with red and blue bunting, was -marked "Liberty" in honor of one of the most famous flags used in the -Revolutionary War. It was an ensign of blue with a white crescent in one -corner, said to have been designed by Colonel Moultrie, of Carolina -fame, and was declared to have been the first flag raised for liberty in -the South. - -In the center of the float a miniature trench had been raised, on the -parapet of which stood a young lad waving this little blue flag, in -honor of that gallant hero, Sergeant Jasper, who, when the flag was shot -down during the bombardment of Fort Moultrie, June 28, 1776, leaped -fearlessly to the top of the ramparts, received the colors, and held -them in his hand until another staff was found. - - "Lo! the fullness of time has come, - And over all the exiles' Western home - From sea to sea the flowers of Freedom bloom." - -This little quotation was an apt one, from the Poet Whittier, but it was -not necessary to make known to those gazing at it, that it stood for the -strongest and proudest of the sisterhood of States, the home of freemen -and heroes, of Robert Morris, Dr. Franklin and our good brother, William -Penn. - -This promoter of tolerance, independence, and the equal rights of men -was fittingly portrayed by a Boy Scout. Benignant of face, mild of eye, -with long hair falling from beneath his broad-brimmed hat, this friend -of the friendless stood surrounded by a group of Indian warriors, -resplendent in all the trappings of their tribes, making one of the -numerous peace treaties. - -But the Georgia float, buried in white to represent bolls of cotton, in -memory of Eli Whitney, aroused such loud and long cries of admiration -that Nathalie feared that after her hard labor the other floats had not -received their due mead of appreciation. But no, it was the rousing -melody of "Marching through Georgia," with its telling lines of, - - "So we made a thoroughfare for Freedom and her train, - Sixty miles in latitude--three hundred to the main;" - -and the inspiration that always comes to every Northern heart when they -think of that gallant Son of Liberty, Sherman, and his triumphant march -to the sea, that had created the sudden tumult. - -The few men in regimentals of the Union army,--in real life, boys in -brown from Camp Mills,--who were playing fifes and bugles on the float, -and the straggling darkies in the rear, who were shouting with verve and -gusto, as they followed in the wake of "Massa Sherman," intensified the -appeal. - -Ah, but now comes another edition of Liberty; this time no less a -personage than Lillie Bell, who, in the old costume worn over a year ago -on the lawn of the big gray house, was standing on a chariot, an old -farm wagon ablaze with the colors of Freedom, driven by four soldiers, -representing France, England, Belgium, and America. The young goddess -with sad and tragic eyes shining from beneath her helmet, gazed straight -before her as she held a drawn sword clasped closely to her breast, in a -graceful pose beneath the colors of the Allies floating gayly above her -head. - -Yes, there was no doubt, as Helen had often said, Lillie was born for -stellar roles, for somehow she had the happy faculty of always falling -into the desired attitude and mood of the part she was to portray. A -sudden silence gripped the line of people standing on the curb, as they -saw this familiar figure of Liberty, in a new and strange role. On a -beflagged chair of state good old Uncle Sam was seated, driving -America's symbol of Freedom with reins of roses. Yes, roses to typify -that the good protector of the United States' joys and interests was on -the job,--as the Sport expressed it,--but doing it with the silken reins -of love. - -In the rear of this float a very small one appeared, but it was large -enough to display a cannon and a pile of cannon-balls, and also a member -of the United States Marines' crack quartet of machine-gunners. As he -was the genuine article, as one of the girls declared,--being one of the -town's boys home on a leave of absence, and held a Lewis gun, he was -received with wild cheers. A Jackie was perched on what was supposed to -be a conning-tower, apparently on the watch for a submarine, while -another soldier of the seas was ramming an old cannon, which created -much laughter. - -It wasn't much of a naval display, Nathalie thought regretfully, but it -was the best they could do with their poor equipment, for these -Daughters of Freedom were resolved to give due honor to these brave -guardians of the sea. - -A contingent of husky young chaps from Camp Mills were lionized as soon -as their khaki-clad figures were sighted on the next float, which was -marked, "Liberty Boys." A somewhat crude representation of a trench, -piled with sand-bags, with a few boys in tin hats, with guns in their -hands, clambering over it, represented to the spectators an "Over the -Top" scene. In the rear of the trench a few soldiers were grouped around -a camp-fire, presumably in a rest _billet_, having "eats." Every moment -or so a soldier on this float would break forth into some war-song, -which was quickly taken up by his comrades, and which helped to make the -scene very realistic. - -A small float with the Red Cross insignia, bearing the words, "The Cross -of Liberty," with a few nurses seated around a table making bandages, -now appeared. A white cot, with a soldier boy in it, suddenly silenced -the cheers,--it was so suggestive of what every heart held in silent -dread and fear, ever since the United States had buckled to the fray. - -But the sudden quiet was broken as the next, and last, float hove in -sight. It was so artistically gotten up as a Liberty Garden, and -represented so much freshness and beauty with its Liberty Girls, each -one dressed to represent either a fruit or a vegetable, that it was -wildly cheered. Masses of fruit piled up here and there peeped from -bowers of green leaves, or hung in festoons across the float. Potatoes, -green and red peppers, onions, cucumbers, and many other products of the -garden were lavishly in evidence. Carol, the Tike, was arrayed as a -pumpkin, a row of yellow leaves standing above a bunch of green ones. -Carrots, cucumbers, turnips, even beans, beets, and strawberries were -ingeniously represented by crepe paper. - -But the love of every heart were the Morrow twins, standing in the front -of the float in blue overalls, wide-brimmed hats, and blue shirts, with -rakes and hoes in their hands, as farmerettes, each one vigorously -waving a flag. This float completed the series of pictures that Nathalie -now felt had been duly admired, and she smiled happily at the many -plaudits that again burst forth. But when the farmerettes and these -living representations of fruits and vegetables broke into[4] - - "Yes, we'll rally round the farm, boys, - We'll rally once again, - Shouting the battle cry of 'Feed 'em.' - We've got the ships and money - And the best of fighting men, - Shouting the battle cry of 'Feed 'em.' - - "The Onion forever, the beans and the corn, - Down with the tater--it's up the next morn-- - While we rally round the plow, boys, - And take the hoe again, - Shouting the battle cry of 'Feed 'em!'" - -it captured every heart present, and such prolonged applause rent the -air that Nathalie was duly satisfied. - -As she turned to leave the grand-stand it seemed to the tired girl as if -every one in town stopped to shake hands, and to congratulate her on the -huge success of the Liberty Pageant. When she finally arrived home, it -was some hours before she reached her couch, for she found the family -unduly excited, all eagerly talking; no, not about the pageant, but -about a rather strange letter that had been received by Mrs. Page that -afternoon. - ------ - -Footnote 1: - - "Liberty Enlightening the World," E. C. Stedman. - -Footnote 2: - - "Rodney's Ride." Poems of American History. B. C. Stevenson. - -Footnote 3: - - "The Mecklenburg Declaration," Wm. C. Elam. - -Footnote 4: - - "Patriotic Toasts," Emerson Brooks. - - - - - CHAPTER VI - - THE STRANGE LETTER - - -"Oh, Helen, mother received the strangest letter last night," cried -Nathalie suddenly the following day, as she stood with her friend and -Nita in the Red Cross booth at the Liberty Sale. "And I am afraid it -means," the girl's eyes shadowed, "that I shall have to resign as -president of the club." - -"Resign?" exclaimed Helen and Nita simultaneously. "Oh, Nathalie, you -must not do that." - -"Well, I fear it will be necessary," sighed the girl dolefully, "for the -home duties come first, especially the duties to mother, and she wants -to go--she really needs the change--and--" - -"Go where?" questioned Helen sharply. "Oh, Nathalie, you are talking -Dutch to us, and--" - -"Sure she is," voiced Nita quickly, "jumbling letters and resignations -all together in a very queer way. Now suppose, young lady," she -commanded imperiously, seizing her friend by the arm impulsively, "that -you unravel our tangled brains and tell us what you are aiming at." - -"Well, I guess I shall have to, from the stew you two girls have sizzled -into," replied Blue Robin laughingly. "Well, as I said," she continued -more soberly, "mother received a letter last night. But I shall have to -tell you a bit of family history, if you want to understand," she added -hesitatingly. - -As the two girls laughingly assured her that that would only make her -explanation more interesting, Nathalie gathered up her threads and went -on with her story. "Father had an older half-sister, whose mother--who -came of very wealthy people in Boston--left her all of her money, so -that she was quite wealthy, and in due time became very eccentric. -Father said she was spoiled with her pot of gold. - -"She married when quite young and had one son, who, shortly after the -death of his father,--as soon as he was graduated from college,--went to -Europe, fell in love with a pretty girl, and married her. I have never -heard the details of this marriage, but I believe the girl was French. -No, she may have been English; anyway it was quite a romance, and the -young couple were quite happy. - -"My aunt, however, was deeply wounded to think that her only son, her -idol, had spoiled all her plans and married some one whom she considered -beneath him. So when Philip came to America with his young wife, my aunt -refused to see her. This angered him so deeply that they quarreled, and -Philip rushed from his mother's presence, declaring that she should -never see his face again. - -"And she never did," asserted Nathalie with grave emphasis. "Presumably -he immediately returned to Europe with his young wife, for although Mrs. -Renwick soon repented of her folly, as father called it, and wrote her -son again and again, she heard nothing from him. After employing -detectives by the score with no result, she finally went abroad and -endeavored herself to find some trace of him, but was not successful. -She finally returned to America and started to seek him here, but found -no clew to his whereabouts. - -"As time passed--I think the matter preyed on her mind--she began to -have queer spells. No, she wasn't crazy, or anything like _that_, but -just worried and unhappy, going off alone by herself for months at a -time, presumably still trying to find her boy. After a time she would -return from one of these erratic journeys, but she never told where she -had been, and never mentioned her son's name. - -"Now we have come to the letter mother received yesterday. It was from -my aunt's lawyer, who summers in Littleton, New Hampshire. You see, Mrs. -Renwick had considerable property in Boston and other places, but she -was very fond of the White Mountains and always summered on Sugar Hill, -where she had a lovely place called Seven Pillars, only a few miles from -Littleton, and just a short distance from the mountain village of -Franconia. - -"The lawyer," continued Nathalie, who by this time had quite an -interested audience, "writes mother that Aunt Mary went off on one of -her queer jaunts over a year ago and has not returned. In accordance -with her wishes,--she always leaves a letter of instruction when she -goes off this way,--mother and two cousins of mine from the West have -been invited to spend the summer at this place on Sugar Hill. Mother -wants to go, and I feel that she needs the change, so I shall have to go -with her, and give up being a Liberty Girl." - -"But why should _you_ have to go?" questioned Nita insistently. -"Couldn't your cousin, Lucille, or your sister, Dorothy, go with her? -And then, oh, Nathalie, you could stay with us! Oh, that would be the -dandiest thing! Oh, say yes, Nathalie; say yes." - -"Yes, Nita," smiled Nathalie teasingly, as she placed her arm -affectionately about the young girl, "it would be just dandy, as you -say, for indeed I would like a rest myself this summer, because when the -warm weather comes, housework does drag on one so. But Lucille is going -to California to visit some cousins of hers, and has planned to take -Dorothy with her. Dorothy is wild to go, and mother would not disappoint -the child for the world. And then, too, the lawyer wrote mother that I -was to come with her, as my aunt had given instructions. Oh, I just hate -to give up my Liberty work!" - -"But you will be back in the fall, Nathalie," suggested Helen, "so why -not let Lillie Bell take charge--she is vice-president--for the summer? -It will give her something to think about, too, for she is possessed -with the idea of going on the stage, and her mother is worrying herself -ill over it." - -"Lillie wants to go on the stage?" repeated Nathalie in surprise. "Why, -I didn't know she had aspirations in that line. But do you think she -would care to take charge of the club? O dear!" she broke off abruptly, -"we had planned to do so many things this summer." The girl's voice was -almost a wail. - -"Why not carry your plans to the mountains with you," inquired her -friend, "and form a club of Liberty Girls up there? I am sure there will -be some one who will be glad to belong, and you have such a fine way of -getting people interested in things, Nathalie." - -"Possibly mother may change her mind and decide not to go," returned -Nathalie, brightening a little, "for she wants to be near Dick; you know -he is now stationed at the Aviation Camp, Hazlehurst, at Mineola, near -Camp Mills. And then, too, she says she hates to leave the house alone -for so long a period." - -"Why don't you rent the house for the summer?" suggested Helen -practically. "You know that Westport is getting to be quite a -summer-resort since the new hotel was built on the bluff." - -"No such good luck for us, I'm afraid," answered Nathalie dejectedly, -"but I'll look up Lillie and see what--" But Helen had hurried away in -answer to a call for the captain of the Red Cross Squad. Nathalie stood -a moment watching her friend, as she helped one of the "white-veiled" -girls into her white head-covering, starred with its cross, and then -went slowly out of the booth. - -As her eyes swept over the lawn in search of Lillie her glance fell upon -the little flag with its Red Cross insignia floating cheerily from the -top of the booth she had just left, as if in a salute to its companion -cross placed below on the front, so that its arms stretched outward, -dividing the booth into two sections. - -Ah, here was the poster drawn by Barbara Worth representing a Red Cross -nurse standing by an invalid chair, in which sat a soldier boy with -bandaged eyes. The girl's face saddened at its implication, and then she -had bent forward and was reading the placard persuasively held forth by -the nurse, on which was written: - - "Please buy a Liberty bond of me, - It's for the soldiers across the sea, - Bravely fighting to make the world free, - Wounded, and dying, for you and me." - -But now her eyes were held by the poster of a white-robed -figure,--representing the Spirit of Liberty which had heralded the -pageant of the day before,--waving a flag victoriously above her head, -while holding a shield with the Biblical quotation: - - "I have fought a good fight ... I have kept the faith." - -The face of this water-color sketch of Freedom, although bearing no -resemblance to Nita's, was so bright with hope that it thrilled the -girl's heart with the suggestion that the Allies, by their faith in God -and their desire to do right, would finally win a victory over sin and -wrong. - -At this moment she heard the voice of Nita as she called her to come and -see the display of small dolls, miniature Red Cross nurses, to be used -as weights, door-holders, or pincushions, which were on sale. But some -real dolls, as Nita called them, proved more interesting to Nathalie, -because they were the work of a shut-in, as her bit towards winning the -war, and because they were impersonations of some of the crowned heads -of the allied nations. They were queer little things, stiff and -stilted-looking, although several were excellent imitations, especially -those of their majesties, King George and Queen Mary, and the little -Princess Marie of Belgium. - -The girl could not forbear giving Shep--a big, tawny-colored collie -belonging to the Morrow twins--a love-pat, as he stood in front of the -booth with red-hanging tongue and patient resignation in his brown eyes, -while several young nurses fussed over him. They were trying to fasten a -strip of white cloth around the center of his body, with a red cross on -each side, in imitation of a war-dog who had served with a Red Cross -hospital in France, and who had become famous by his acts of bravery, -running into shell-holes and dug-outs in search of wounded soldiers. - -But Shep was no patriot, and evidently did not realize the honor of that -big red cross, for suddenly he gave his huge body a shake, slipped from -beneath the fussing fingers, and bounded away after his young masters, -leaving a gentle friend to humanity lying sprawling on the grass. - -As Nathalie turned, her eyes traveled slowly from one booth to another. -There were seven of them, three on the left and three on the right of -the Red Cross booth, which was in the center of the lawn, at one end, -fronting its sister booths. The war booth, on the left, ablaze with the -flags of the Allies, was curiously decorated on its front and posts with -the paper coverings from magazines and books. On its counter were -displayed the latest war books,--all donated after a sharp drive by the -hostesses, the Camp Fire Girls, who wore embroidered deerskin robes -aglisten with many-colored beads, and trench-caps stuck jauntily on one -side of their heads, which gave them a very coquettish and natty -appearance. - -Scrap-books, in which were pasted funny verses, tidbits of news from all -over the world, with many-colored pictures, and songs and rhymes to -amuse the convalescents in the hospitals, were also on sale. Little -candles of paper added to the attractiveness of this booth's display, -while one or two Camp Fire Girls were in attendance, who, on the payment -of a nickel, taught the uninitiated the knack of making these -trench-candles. - -But the booth that held the first place in Nathalie's heart was the -Liberty-Garden booth, a leaf-embowered tent. Here were brilliant -splashes of color from the vegetables piled on wicker mats, as carrots, -turnips, beans, onions, beets, and other products, artistically softened -by the light green of lettuce, the red of beet-leaves, and the delicate, -lacy leaves of the carrot. - -Here and there herbs tied in bunches, as thyme, caraway seeds, catnip, -sweet lavender, and other herbs, suggested the days of long ago, when -these little garden accessories held a higher place with the housewife -as necessities of the day. Unwieldy tomatoes and potatoes, lazily -resting on plates, added to the picturesque effect of the display, as -well as the festoons of peppers, radishes, parsnips, and vegetables of -similar character that were hung from side to side of the tent. - -This booth was certainly a brilliant showing of the work done by the -Pioneers. Oh, how they had scrubbed and polished those vegetables to -bring out their colors, so they would not be messy or huddled-looking! -And the time it had taken to print the little labels so neatly fastened -to each exhibit! - -Yes, through the sweat of her brow Nathalie had come to realize that -gardening was not merely a matter of digging, plowing, or even planting -or weeding, but that it meant straying into many paths of knowledge that -hitherto had been closed to her. Then, too, there was the trench -warfare, as she called the unceasing onslaught against the bugs, -insects, and garden slugs, by a constant fire of hand-grenades and -bombs, as the girls had come to call the spraying and powdering of the -plants. - -Ah, there was Lillie, with a number of Girl Pioneers, who, in -bright-colored overalls and shirt-waists, and coquettish little -sunbonnets tied under their chins, were rather gay editions of -farmerettes, as they stood in picturesque attitudes, with their rakes -and hoes. But a moment later Lillie was forgotten, for as Nathalie -reached the booth she burst into a sudden squeal of delight on suddenly -perceiving, on the top of a wall of canned vegetables, a little green -imp, ingeniously made from a string-bean. He not only had a most rakish -air, with his tiny soldier-hat cocked on one side, as he stood at -attention with a flag for a gun, but he held forth a little placard on -which was written: - - "Little Beans, little Beans, whence did you come?" - "We came from the ground at the sound of the drum." - "Little Beans, little Beans, why are you here?" - "We were scalded and canned by a Girl Pioneer." - -"Oh, who wrote that?" merrily inquired the girl of one of the Pioneers, -for it was something she had not seen before. - -"Why, one of the Pioneer directors," answered the farmerette smilingly, -pleased at the young president's surprise. - -A moment's inspection of the fine display of canned goods, and Nathalie -turned to seek Lillie, but that young lady had mysteriously disappeared. -One of the girls, suggesting that Lillie had gone to the Liberty Tea -booth to regale herself with a cup of tea, Nathalie hurried on to that -booth, where the Daughters of Liberty, attired in quaint, old-time -costumes, dispensed that beverage. - -But Lillie was not drinking tea, and again Nathalie hurried across the -lawn, on her way to the opposite booth, a mass of vines and flowers, the -result of the labors of the Girl Scouts in their garden, which they had -named the Garden of Freedom. - -Ah, here was Lillie talking to a brown-clad soldier-boy by the big -Liberty pole that had been erected in the center of the lawn, facing the -Red Cross booth. It flew the Stars and Stripes and the club's ensign, a -little red banner blazoned with the white stars of hope, while a big -liberty bell was hung from a cross-beam. On its flag-bedecked platform -Carol Tyke was stationed as the bell-ringer, for later in the afternoon -she was to strike the big bell to announce some patriotic speech, or -fiery oration, to be made in a sharp drive to sell the Liberty bonds. - -Lillie, seeing Nathalie coming in her direction, advanced towards her, -and immediately presented her soldier-friend, and in a few moments the -three young people were having a sprightly chat. But Nathalie, soon -recalled to the business on hand, turned and told the young -vice-president why she was so anxious to see her. - -"Yes; yes, indeed, Nathalie," cried the girl quickly. "I am Hooverizing -this summer, and as I do not expect to leave town until late in the -fall, I shall be most delighted to accept the office of acting president -for the summer." - -A few moments later, relieved of her anxiety as to what would become of -the Liberty Girls in case she went to the mountains, Nathalie thanked -her friend, and hastened over to the Garden of Freedom, where -nasturtiums, pink poppies, sweet peas, phlox, and other old-fashioned -blooms peered at her in a riotous flaunt of color. - -The Girl Scouts, who were charmingly gotten up to represent flowers, -beamed with pleasure as their president complimented them on the -splendid display they made, and the honor they had won by their hard -labor. They not only sold cut flowers, but potted plants, as well as -toothsome sweets, made without sugar, they declared, as they coaxingly -tempted Nathalie to sample a few. - -But she had time only for a nibble or two, and then she was off to the -knitting booth, where a bewildering assortment of sweaters, helmets, -mufflers, socks, and other knitted articles stared at her in a -"homespuney" sort of way that reminded her of her grandmother. She -remembered how, as a child, she used to watch her as she sat by the fire -knitting, and the fun it was when the ball went rolling under the table -and she scrambled after it. - -No, she could not hurry by this booth, for Marie's eyes, big but shy, -and bright with a beautiful soft blackness, shone so pleadingly from the -clear pallor of her ivory-tinted skin, that they could not be resisted. -"Oh, Mees President," cried the girl in her soft musical voice, "I shall -tell somethings on you. I likes that you look at mine table--iss it not -shmardt, hein? My mamma she says it iss stylish. Shure, und the -peoples--oh, they buys und buys lots and lots of sweaters, und mufflers, -und the helmets--yiss, ma'am, they have a glad on them, for they go fast -mit the wind." - -"Yes, isn't it lovely, Marie," returned Nathalie, smiling into the -limpid eyes, "to think that every one is so patriotic, and so anxious to -make the soldier-boys who are to fight for us, happy and comfortable?" - -"Shure, Mees, that iss because they are lovin' much mit the liberty. Oh, -here comes mine papa. He buys sweater of me. I likes that you speak mit -mine papa, Mees," exclaimed the little Jewess shyly, as her eyes again -pleaded with Nathalie. - -The young president turned, to see a rather crumpled, mussy-looking -little man by her side, who stared at her with sudden embarrassment as -she quickly extended her hand in a cordial greeting to him. - -Mr. Katzkamof seized the outstretched hand and shook it nervously, while -his bright black eyes beamed with good-natured surprise. "I be glad to -meet young Mees," he cried hurriedly, "who makes mine little girl be so -happy. She sing, she smile all the day mit the liberty that you gives to -her." - -"But _I_ didn't give it to her," answered Nathalie quickly. "God gave it -to her. I am only trying to show her how to give it to those who haven't -learned what liberty means. But you," she added quickly, "you are an -American,--you love the liberty, too?" The girl raised her eyebrows -inquiringly, somewhat frightened at her temerity, for she suddenly -remembered that she had heard Edith say that the newsdealer was a fiery -socialist. - -"Yes, Mees, I be an American. I vote for the President. But I no like -the war," the black eyes hardened. "It makes me cold in mine heart. I -think it no right for the people to fight mit one und the other, likes -the cat und the dog. They spill much of the blood. I am lovin' mit the -peace. I no fight." - -"Yes, it is a terrible thing to have to fight and kill one another," -replied the girl sadly. "And the mothers,--oh, I feel so sorry for them, -when they have to give up their boys to go and fight. But it must be -done," she added valiantly, although there was a catch in her breath as -the thought of Dick came to her. - -"Oh, no, Mees, if all the people say _no fight_, they be no soldiers, -they be no war, we have the peace." - -"Yes, but what kind of a peace," exclaimed the girl. And then a sudden -thought looming big. "Ah, Mr. Katzkamof, you love the Christ. Did He not -die to make men free? Shall we not die to give liberty to the world?" - -"No, Mees, I ain't lovin' mit Krisht. I make nothings mit Him." The -man's tone was surly, although he shrugged his shoulders carelessly. - -"I beg your pardon," cried Nathalie with reddening cheeks. And then, as -if to recover lost ground. "But you believe in God, _your_ God, _the -God_ who brought the Israelites dry-shod over the Red Sea? And did _He_ -not command you to fight and drive out the enemies of God, the heathen, -who did not serve him, and who were in the Promised Land? And is not the -Kaiser a Hun, a heathen, when he tortures and kills little children and -women? Yes," continued Blue Robin, impelled by some indefinable feeling -to rush blindly on, "this is _God's_ war. He has commanded us to fight, -to do away with tyranny and oppression. They must be overcome, so that -all the world shall have liberty, and then,--why then we shall have -peace, a peace that the Germans can't destroy." And then Nathalie -smiled, although her heart was leaping in great bounds at her sudden -boldness. But another thought had come, and, turning towards her -companion, for she had turned to leave him, she added smilingly, "And I -am sure that you are big-hearted enough to be willing to fight, so that -you can give to others the liberty that gives so much happiness to you." - -The man's eyes had brightened with a sudden strange light, and he opened -his mouth to reply, but Nathalie had passed on, angry at herself for -being so outspoken. But O dear! she felt so sorry for those poor -ignorant people, who thought and did violent things just because they -couldn't reason, and didn't understand. - -But she had reached the Love booth, the name given by the girls to the -tent where the comfort-kits were sold. By a pile on a seat in the rear -she knew that business had been brisk, and that people had not only -donated kits and then bought them back again, but had patriotically -returned them to the sellers, so that they could be given to the -soldier-boys. - -Blue Robin stood a moment and watched the girls, who, busy as bees, were -selling their wares, as they chatted merrily over their sales, and then -she turned to cross the lawn to the Red Cross booth. She had not gone -more than a step or so, however, when a sudden clang of the liberty bell -brought her to a halt. Oh, some one had bought a Liberty bond; yes, -three bonds, for the three clangs of the bell announced the number sold. -Oh, it was still ringing! What did it mean? - -She started to rush towards the booth where the bonds were being sold, -and then glanced back at the booth she had just left, to see that the -girls, in their eagerness to know who was buying so many bonds,--for the -bell was still clanging,--had dropped their work and were rushing in -frantic haste towards the booth. - -Nathalie smiled, and turned to follow after the group of girls who were -speeding past her, when a sudden thought leaped into her mind. She -halted and again glanced back at the Comfort-Kit booth. Not a girl was -to be seen. Ah, now was her chance to get rid of that letter. The next -moment she had turned and was flying back to the now deserted booth. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - - THE VISIT TO CAMP MILLS - - -As Nathalie reached the booth she glanced quickly about; no one was in -sight. With a hurried movement she drew a letter from the bag that hung -from her wrist, and after glancing at the written words, "To whomsoever -this Comfort Kit may come, greetings and good wishes," she slipped out -the enclosure and slowly read: - - "Dear Mr. Soldier Boy: - - "Please remember that you are going to fight under the banner of - the Cross, which means that you belong to a Christian nation - whose motto is, 'In God we Trust.' Hold to the feeling that you - are a gentleman by the culture--not 'Kultur'--that comes from - kindliness, courtesy, and consideration for all people, so - please don't kill anybody unless you have to. - - "Don't forget that you are an American patriot, and that your - heart is seared with the Stars and Stripes, which means the red - of courage, the white of purity, and the blue of royal devotion - to the right, and starred with the divine fire of liberty. - - "Remember you are fighting for the mothers and children: yes, - fighting so the mothers and children of all nations may have - liberty and peace. Be strong and brave in the thought that this - war is to maintain the principles back of our flag, the ideals - given to us by the founders of this nation. As Christ died to - make men holy, so these men suffered and shed their blood that - you might have the joy and independence that comes from the - liberty which God has given to us. Be happy with the thought - that no matter what comes to you you will not have lived in - vain, but will have fought for the grandest and greatest things - in life,--liberty and humanity. The best of luck to you, - - "Blue Robin." - -Nathalie returned the letter to the envelope, and then rummaged under a -pile of kits that had been filled and fastened, ready for the boys at -camp, until she found one way down beneath the pile. She quickly opened -it. Then something stayed her hand. - -"No, it will not be a wicked thing to do, for it can't do any harm," she -reasoned doubtfully; "and yet I just _hate_ to do it, but I feel that I -must do something to try to help some boy, who, perhaps, has a lagging -spirit, whose heart may fail him when he thinks of what is before him, -or who, perhaps, fails to realize the greatness of what we are fighting -for, the way I did. This letter may spur him on, give him courage to do -_his best_, perhaps, when he realizes the truth. And _no one will know_ -who Blue Robin is, and yet it will do for a name, as mother always says -it is not considered fair to send an anonymous letter to any one, and I -surely would not sign my own." - -Nathalie heaved a deep sigh, and then, as if she would not let herself -have any more misgivings, she seized the letter and dropped it into the -bag. A moment later she was on her way to the Red Cross booth, to learn -who had won the prize for buying the first Liberty bond. - -"Oh, Nathalie, Dr. Morrow bought fifteen bonds!" came in an excited -chorus from a group of girls, who were standing in front of the booth, -chatting excitedly over this unlooked-for event. - -"Fifteen? Oh, isn't that just too lovely," answered the girl. And then -she hastily made her way towards the Morrow group, where the doctor, -with the twins clinging excitedly to his coat-tails,--trying to climb up -his back, he declared,--was signing the bond-certificate that made each -one of them the possessor of five bonds, and his wife the owner of five -more. - -A Liberty button was now fastened to the doctor's coat as a guarantee -that he was a good patriot, and then he was presented with the prize, a -box of Liberty candy from the Girl Scouts' booth, something he never -indulged in, he laughingly asserted, as he stood with the box in his -hand, lookingly helplessly at it. But the twins did, and they quickly -relieved him of it and were soon blissfully happy as they munched on the -sweets. - -A good beginning must have brought the girls good luck, for as soon as -Mrs. Van Vorst heard of this sale she followed the doctor's example and -invested in ten bonds, five for herself and five for Nita. A few more -followed suit, some buying two or three, while others only took one, but -every little helped, the girl delightedly cried, jubilantly happy at the -many sales they were having. And then a surprise came, as her cousin -Lucille pushed her way through those surrounding the booth, and bought -three bonds,--one for herself, one for Dorothy, and one for Nathalie. - -"Oh, Lucille, don't do that!" cried distressed Nathalie with flushed -cheeks. "It is too much to give me." - -"Indeed, it is not," insisted Lucille smilingly, who could be very -generous at times, as her cousin knew by the gift of her Pioneer -uniform. "I think you have worked hard enough for these Liberty Girls to -have that much at any rate." And several must have agreed with -her,--judging by the nods and claps that came from those who were -standing near and heard this remark. - -As Nathalie, sometime later, sat gathering up her certificates,--she had -been kept busy all the afternoon making out the little blue and pink -receipts that certified as to her many sales,--Lillie came flying up. - -"Oh, Nathalie, hasn't it been a big success!" she cried with gleaming -eyes. "And the patriotic speeches and recitations have been just fine. -But, O dear!" she added with a sudden note of disappointment in her -voice, "there are a lot of things that have not been sold. Of course -they will all go to the boys at camp, but I was in hopes that everything -would be sold, so as to add to our fund for the bonds." For those who -had purchased that afternoon had patriotically returned the things they -had bought, as their donation for the boys at camp, thus giving the -girls an opportunity to use the purchase money for Liberty bonds. - -"Yes, we have several sweaters and mufflers left," announced Barbara, -who had been talking to Nathalie, "and poor Captain Molly is quite -disappointed, as she was so sure that we should sell everything we had." - -"And we have a number of flowers and potted plants that have not been -disposed of," added a Girl Scout in a disappointed voice. - -"But we can give those to the hospital," answered Nathalie quickly, "and -give some sorrowful heart a bit of cheer." - -"Well, we have some boxes of candy, too," added the Girl Scout -dolefully, "and they won't do for the sick ones for--" - -"And we have some books left over," interrupted another bystander. - -"Oh, I have an idea, a big one, too," broke in Helen, her eyes all of a -glow. "Why could we not have an auction sale? Of course a good many will -return what they buy,--and I think it will be lots of fun." - -This idea was voted a good one, and a few minutes later Dr. Morrow -announced from the Liberty platform that he was to act as auctioneer. A -few brief words of explanation and the auction was on. First a box of -candy was bid for, which, after much laughter, was finally knocked down -for one dollar, a much larger sum than it would have brought earlier in -the afternoon. A few books were now disposed of, a pile of canned -vegetables, a number of comfort-kits, and so on, until everything, even -to the posters and decorations, had been auctioned off. - -As the girls were counting up the proceeds of this expected sale, old -Deacon Perkins came up, and, after a few hems and haws, told the girls -that if they wanted to make a raid on his cherry-trees the next morning, -they could do so, and carry the fruit to the boys. They were to visit -Camp Mills the following afternoon, and present their many donations to -the young soldiers. - -"Oh, isn't that jolly good luck!" "Oh, that's just glorious!" and many -similar outbursts of joy caused the old deacon to beam with complacent -benignity. The Sport, with a little giggle, whispered to Lillie that she -knew old Perkins had never felt so goody-goody in his life before,--he -was called the meanest man in town. - -"Yes, girls," admonished Nathalie, after the old deacon had been -overwhelmed with thanks, and had gone smilingly on his way, "you will -all have to get up very early to-morrow morning if you want those -cherries, for you know we are to start for Mineola at an early hour, for -it is some drive. Mrs. Morrow kindly offered me her car, so I asked her -to be one of the chaperons. Mrs. Van Vorst is the other, and then Grace, -you know, will take some of the party in her car. - -"I am sorry," her face sobered a little, "but there will only be room in -the three cars for the officers of the Club, and,--yes, I think we ought -to ask Marie, Captain Molly," she explained, "to ride with us, for you -know, of course, that she can't walk far. The rest of you girls will -have to go by train, that is, those who want to go." - -"But we all want to go," called out several voices eagerly, "and we -expected to go by train, for Lillie and Helen have given us a -time-table, so we shall know just what to do, and we'll meet you at the -camp." - -The raid on the cherry-trees proved "a lark," Edith declared, as, an -hour or so before the girls started in the cars, she and Grace whizzed -up in the car, filled with several baskets of cherries. A little later -the three cars started for the camp, passing two or three groups of the -girls on the road, en route for the depot. But they were soon left far -behind as the cars whirled along the Merrick road, every one in the best -of spirits, the little newsdealer so buoyantly happy to think that she -was riding in the same car with the young president, that it did one -good to look at her face, keenly aglow with delight. - -Nathalie's eyes were sparkling, too, for the little Jewess had just -cried, "Bend down your head, Mees President, for I likes I shall whisper -mit you in your ear." And then, as the girl had smilingly complied, she -heard the happy announcement, "My papa, he says like that you iss my -friend, und so my papa he buy me a Liberty bond, for he says you are -loving now mit me." The owner of the pink ear into which these words had -been loudly whispered, dimpled with pleasure, and then came the thought, -"O dear, I wonder if my little liberty lecture had anything to do with -papa's buying the bond?" - -There was a short stop at the Military Police guardhouse, to learn the -way around the encampment, where several soldier-boys, with the big -letters M. P. on their arms, were viewed with much curiosity by the -girls. A call at the hostess house now followed, where the gifts for the -soldiers--the knitted articles, the books, candy, and fruits--were left, -the girls reserving the baskets of cherries to distribute to the boys -themselves. - -The slow ride through the encampment, with its streets flanked by brown -and white tents, reminded Nathalie somewhat of an Indian encampment, and -she gazed about with eager interest, as this was her first visit to an -army post. The girls were specially interested in the prisoners,--two or -three men here and there guarded by a soldier-boy,--who were acting as -White Wings by gathering up flying papers, or debris of any kind lying -about, while other groups were digging ditches or performing similar -duties. - -"But see," cried one of the girls, "the prisoners carry clubs, while the -guard in the rear hasn't any." - -"No, but he carries an automatic pistol in his trousers' pocket," -answered Mrs. Morrow quickly, who had visited the camp many times; "and -if he should fire it, a crowd of soldiers would immediately surround the -prisoners and disarm them. And then, too," she added, "you must remember -that these prisoners, as a rule, are not real jailbirds, but just young, -thoughtless lads who have probably been punished for what we would -consider a very slight misdemeanor." - -But they were now in what Mrs. Morrow called the "chow" quarters, that -is, where the mess-tents were. It was quite an interesting sight to see -a long line of soldiers, with their plates, cups, and pans in their -hands, standing waiting for the "eats" at one of these tents. - -The girls, alert-eyed, watched them with more than the usual curiosity, -for when they were supplied with food they came straggling out of the -line with their "chow" and sat down here and there in groups, while -others sat down on the street-curb and began their meal, using their -laps for a table. This elicited many exclamations of surprise, -especially when their director told them that Uncle Sam's soldiers were -not allowed to sit at tables, but had to dine standing. Their -denunciation of this system and their expressions of pity were loud, but -when they were told that it was these very hardships to which a boy had -to be inured that made him a well-trained soldier, they became somewhat -reconciled to what they had seen. - -Just at this moment a sudden inspiration came to Nathalie, and, leaning -forward, she whispered softly to Mrs. Morrow. That lady smiled and -nodded approval evidently, and immediately brought the car to a -standstill so that Nathalie and Helen could alight. Going swiftly -towards a couple of boys who were sitting on the curb, their eyes bright -and keen, and their faces tanned to a rich brown, Nathalie said, -somewhat timidly, "I beg your pardon, but wouldn't you young -gentlemen--er--soldiers--" she hastily corrected herself laughingly, -"like to have some cherries to eat with your dinner?" - -"Most assuredly we would," responded one of the lads, a tall -broad-shouldered chap with dark hair, from whose sun-tanned face two -dark-lashed eyes looked down at her, with a half-smile in their blue. -The boys had courteously risen and were standing at attention when the -girl spoke. - -Nathalie's cheeks took on a deeper pink, and then she turned, and the -two girls walked back to the car with the boys in their wake. But -unfortunately, as she attempted to lift one of the heavy baskets over -the edge of the car, something jarred her elbow, and the next moment the -basket had fallen to the ground with the cherries rolling all over the -road. - -There was a loud shout from the boys, and then a dozen or more -khaki-clad figures had rushed to the girl's assistance, and presently -soldier-boys and girls were all scrambling about in the dust of the -road, gathering up the fruit. Indeed, by the time it was replaced in the -basket,--for, of course, the girls had to polish off the dust from the -luscious red fruit--they had all become very merry with one another. - -Several minutes later, as the car whirled around the corner of the long -street, they saw the soldier lads gathered about the basket, while -laughing and joking with one another in good-natured banter. Suddenly -one of the boys looked up, and as he spied the now disappearing car he -took off his cap and waved it in a parting salute. Nathalie smiled back, -for she recognized this good-by as coming from the boy with the -dark-lashed, blue eyes. - -"Wasn't that young solider a handsome boy?" queried one of the girls -admiringly, as the car flew along the level road. "And what lovely blue -eyes he had." - -"Yes, and that boy with the light hair was nice-looking, too," chimed in -Helen. "He had such a frank way of looking you right in the eye. I'll -warrant you he's no coward." - -But the cherries and the boys in the "chow" quarters were forgotten as -the girls drove by a group of buglers, who were sitting on the grass -near a large tent, practicing on their bugles. Every eye was curiously -watchful as the three cars went slowly past, for Mrs. Morrow, who was -driving, had slowed up as she saw "the camp alarm-clocks," as she called -them. Every head was bent forward and eyes grew big with alertness, for -had the girls not set out that morning with the avowed intention of not -missing anything worth seeing, and surely a group of soldier buglers was -an interesting feature of the camp. - -They were a merry-eyed crowd, those boys with their happy, care-free -faces under the brown hats with their gay-colored cords. All on undress -parade, Helen declared, as she noted their brown flannel blouses and -belts, as they knelt or stood upon the grass, blowing on their golden -horns as Captain Molly called their brass instruments. - -Evidently they were not worrying about going overseas, or losing their -lives in No Man's Land, but were good examples of live-wire American -lads, with the grit inherited from their ancestors, the Yanks, inspiring -them to make good when called by Uncle Sam to the job of making war. - -The girls were alert and watchful, as they spied into open tents, or -behind flying flaps, at the rows of tiny white cots, or at a few stray -articles of clothing seen here and there, yes, even a pair of shoes set -out in the sun to dry were objects of their silent adoration as they -swung along the road. - -But now the scene had changed as they whirled along, for, instead of -tents, the streets were lined with little wooden houses, or cabins, the -barracks of the United States Aviation School at Mineola, which adjoined -Camp Mills. A stop at the hostess house was next in order, where a call -was sent in for Dick. - -Twenty minutes later Nathalie was blithesomely happy, as she and her -brother, over in a corner of the little wooden building, chatted about -home news,--how mother was getting along, yes, and about the wonderful -events that had occurred in the last few days. Then Nathalie turned -inquisitor, and Dick was subjected to a series of questions in regard to -his life as a war-eagle. In fact Nathalie's questions were so many and -so swiftly put that her brother declared that one would have thought -that he was being interviewed by some expert reporter. - -Yes, reveille was at five in the morning, followed in half an hour by -breakfast. His sister immediately asked, somewhat anxiously, if he got -enough to eat. - -"You bet your life I do," was Dick's laughing rejoinder. "The 'eats' are -O. K.--nothing to be added. At six," he continued, "I report at -headquarters for flying, and then, with an instructor, learn a few -flying stunts. I return to barracks at ten, and from eleven until -two-thirty have a 'do-as-you-please time,' which includes luncheon, and, -generally, a nap, for, by Jove!" exclaimed the young aviator, "this -flying business makes a fellow feel drowsy. - -"Then we drill for a while, listen to a lecture," he went on, "and then -again for a space I am a bird of the air. We dine about half-after -eight, and at ten comes taps, or 'lights out.' Anything more you would -like to know, young lady?" he inquired teasingly. But Nathalie was -satisfied, for surely her brother's ruddy cheeks, tanned skin, and -glowing eyes attested to what he called the "joy-time of his life," and -a few moments later the little party started for the aviation field. - -Here Dick conducted them around the field and showed them many kinds of -aircraft, as aeroplanes, dirigibles, kite-balloons, serviceable in war; -in fact, they were so well instructed as to the uses and mechanism of so -many different machines that Mrs. Morrow declared that they would be -well-versed in aeronautics. But the little personal stories that Dick -told about the heroism of well-known war-eagles over in France made a -stronger appeal to the girls, especially when he explained the several -varieties of aviators and their special work. - -To the girls' disappointment there was no flying going on while they -were on the field, but they were partly appeased when Dick showed them a -group of students, aviation observers, he called them, who were learning -to sketch from a miniature battlefield, and in this way learn how it -would look from the air. As they were about to leave the field they saw -some students bringing out a machine, to get it ready for flying, as -testing the motor and so on. - -At this particular moment one of the girls uttered a sudden cry, and as -all eyes glanced upward with newly awakened eagerness, they were -rewarded by seeing an aeroplane returning from a training flight. As -Nathalie gazed eagerly at the machine that flew like some strange -monster above their heads, the perils of flying in space came to her -with a sudden, keen realization, and, with a sickening pang as to what -might happen to Dick some day, her eyes darkened with apprehensive -terror and she turned hastily away. But Dick, catching sight of the -girl's pale face and fear-haunted eyes, as if to divert her mind from -dismal forebodings, called attention to the camp mascot, a little yellow -police-dog, who was standing by his master, equipped, like him, with -goggles. The girls were soon laughing heartily as Dick told of the dog's -alertness in doing "stunts," and the eagerness he showed when waiting to -take a flight in one of the machines. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - - SEVEN PILLARS - - -Nathalie, seated in a low chair at one end of the broad white veranda, -gazed with rapt intentness at the sun-hazed landscape, rising in green, -undulating waves against the purple blur of the towering -mountain-heights, that stretched in wide expanse before her, with a -strange, mystical beauty. - -Into her eyes, city-tired, came rest, as they swept over the velvet -green of the meadow, splashed with the bloom of wild flowers, its -scrubby bushes aglow with pink spires, and its spruces and maples -standing upright with the slimness of youth, as it sloped gently down to -the glen below. The trees of the glen, closely massed in a rich, -feathery green, sombered by the darker line of the pines and firs, to -the girl seemed weird and mysterious. - -Her eyes quickly gathered in the stillness of the sunny slopes that rose -from the darker hollow in squares of yellow cornfields, or the light -green of unripe wheat or grain, and the brown of mountain meadow-land, -dotted with browsing cows. Here and there a lone farmhouse stood forth -on some higher knoll, or, from a background of forest land, came the -bright red of a solitary barn; while still higher, a hotel, its gables -and chimneys spying upward, glimmered picturesquely from the green. And -beyond all, high and dark, with majestic brooding silences, rose the -jagged ridge of mountain blue, its peaks looming with a strange -distinctness against the clear, soft blue of the sky, while sweeps of -white cloudlets trailed like films of spun silk across their tops. - -The girl closed her eyes as if to imprint upon her subconsciousness the -rare loveliness of the scene, and then, as if fearful that in some -passing, whimsical mood the picture would flash out of view, she opened -them quickly. At that moment a passing breeze fluttered the pages of a -letter lying on a table by her side. With sudden recollection she caught -them up, and then as if to impress upon her mind what she had written, -in a soft, low tone read: - - "Dear Helen: - - "I presume you are now in glorious _La France_, wondering why - you have not heard from me. But my excuse is this magnificent - mountain scenery, and my new duties, which have taken every - minute of my time until to-day. We came up on the fifteenth from - New York. Mother knitted and read during the ten-hour ride, - while I wished inexpressibly good things for Mrs. Van Vorst for - renting our little dovecote, and planned liberty work. I have - decided to adopt the club's motto, 'Liberty and Humanity--our - best,' for the summer's watchword. As it means to try and be - helpful and kind to people, whether I like them or not, wish me - success, for I have undertaken something big. - - "Mr. Banker, my aunt's lawyer, met us at the Littleton station - with his car. He is a tall, lean man, but his brown eyes have a - quizzical gleam in them that makes you feel that you are - affording him some amusement. The seven-mile ride up one - mountain slope and down another, in the shade of the woods that - gloomed dark and weird on each side of the road, with the hush - of the gloaming in their moist depths, was most enjoyable. - - "From out of their rustling shadows the white birches and - poplars peered at us like ghosts, while the resinous aroma from - the pines made us sniff with delight. Mountain villages with a - straggle of white cottages, and grizzly gray churches in a - setting of purple mountain-peaks, strangely somber and still, as - they stood forth from feathery masses of clouds tinted with - sunset's glow, with gossamer wreaths of mist floating above - them, stilled us to a mute ecstasy of sheer joy. - - "Stone gate-posts, beds of old-time posies, backed by - cobble-stone walls with hedges of green, and a little white - house, like a keeper's lodge, peered curiously out of the silver - shadows of the rising moon as we whizzed up the roadway to Seven - Pillars, and came to a stop under the _porte-cochere_ of a - large, white mansion, set on a green knoll, facing the rocky - heights of far-distant mountains. Here square glass lanterns - threw yellowish gleams on the wide, low veranda, with its seven - magic pillars,--round, fluted columns reaching high above the - second-story windows, as with lofty stateliness they held the - pointed dome above the portico. - - "Passing through the quaint, white-columned doorway, with its - tiny panes of glass and shiny brass knocker, we stood, dazed and - tired, in a broad, gloomy hall, where, in the flare from a - snapping log-fire, numerous trophies of the hunt eyed us - glassily, as we were welcomed by my cousin, Janet Page, and her - sister, Cynthia. - - "Janet is a winsome thing. We have already become great chums, - although she is a few years older than your lonesome. She is - short and plump, with a white, satiny skin, and apple-blossom - cheeks that make you feel that you want to kiss the pink of - them. Her eyes fairly beam with kindliness as she looks at you - from under her short, wavy brown hair. She's a pacifist and a - suffragist, and aims to be a farmerette. Although she has - decided ideas on the war and voting questions, they are rather - vague on farming, but she goes about saying, 'God speed the plow - and the woman who drives it.' - - "Cynthia Loretto Stillwell--she always insists on the Loretto, - as it is the sole heritage from some Italian ancestor, famed for - his noble birth and deeds of valor--is not my own cousin, as she - is the daughter of my uncle's wife, who was a widow when they - married. She is distinctively tall, somewhat angular, with sharp - features, a drooping, discontented mouth, and a sallow skin - which she endeavors to hide by dabs of white and pink powder. - Her eyes are large and dark, and would be handsome, if they did - not repel you at times by their hard, metallic glitter. Her - coiffure is a wonderful combination of braids, curls, and puffs, - and made me wonder how she did it. She greeted us effusively, - but somehow its warmth seemed cold and artificial, and--well, I - don't believe I'm going to like her. - - "After our hunger was appeased,--Janet said she got the supper, - as we shall have to be our own maids up here,--Mr. Banker - 'personally conducted' us through many high-ceiled rooms with - recessed window-seats, big doors, and dark closets, up winding - stairways and through rambling corridors. The antique furniture, - carved and black-looking, musty-smelling and stuffy, made one - feel as if long-ago-dead people were peering at you from the - eerie shadows of the hide-and-seeky nooks. - - "Mr. Banker then read my aunt's letter of instruction,--an odd - document, as it stated that each one of 'we girls,'--as Cynthia - calls us,--she's almost as old as mumsie,--during our stay is to - search the house for the most valuable thing in it. And the - lucky finder of the 'mysterious it,' as Jan and I call the - valuable thing, is to inherit something. Whether this something - is property, or money, or just some personal effects of my - aunt's, I don't know, for that letter was so queer it made me - feel creepy. And once when I glanced up, it really seemed as if - her eyes were glaring menacingly at me from a large portrait of - her which hangs over the library mantel. - - "Each one of us is to keep a diary, and if we have not looked - for 'It' each day, we are to state what particular thing - prevented us. We can search every nook and corner in the house - but one room, the _mystery room_, as we call it, which is on the - second floor, and barred and locked so that no one can enter. - Mother only laughs when Janet and I talk about 'It,' and - declares that the whole thing is just my aunt's eccentric way of - doing things. You know mother spent a summer up here with her - when I was a wee tot, and my aunt grew very fond of me. - - "Although I have had no time as yet to search for the mystery of - mysteries, my first entry in my diary reads: 'Arose at 7 A. M. - and prepared breakfast. Cooked three meals and did housework all - day, and am too tired to do anything but go to bed. Jan meant to - help me, but she had to hurry with her plowing, and Cynthia - Loretto says she never does housework, as it makes her hands - rough.' - - "You would laugh if you could see Jan scratching the earth with - a baby rake. She was going to plant before she plowed, and - hadn't the slightest idea as to the proper time and way of - planting her seeds. But she looks a dear in a smock and a big - pink sunbonnet that matches the pink in her cheeks and on her - nose, for her dear little snub has burned to the same color. - - "It is great sport to see her take the stump, as I call it, and - hold forth on woman suffrage. She talks beautifully, is so - earnest and looks so sweet, and, as mumsie says, knows so little - about it from a commonsense point of view. But when Cynthia - Loretto suddenly appears and squelches her eloquence by - witheringly ordering her to do something for her,--she bosses - her dreadfully,--poor Jan drops from her pedestal and crawls - about with the meekness of a mouse for the rest of the day. - - "I was afraid my dreams of teaching liberty were doomed to - oblivion, for there don't seem to be any girls about to form a - club, when one day, while reading the paper, an inspiration - came. _Fi-fo-fum_, I have written to Mrs. Van Vorst, and she is - going to send me three little slum boys, and I am not only going - to give them the joy-time of their lives, but teach them - 'Liberty and Humanity--your best.' When I asked Mr. Banker if - there would be any objection to having these little waifs, he - not only consented, but said he would pay their way up here. - Isn't that the dandiest thing going? - - "Mother objected at first, but when I said I would teach them to - wash the dishes--how I hate that job!--and to do chores about - the house, she only said, 'Well, you will have to make the bread - then, for three hulking boys will eat a cartful,'--you know - mother is the bread-maker. Then her eyes twinkled, and I had to - hug her good and tight, for I knew she was just testing my 'I - can' motto. - - "Janet thought the idea fine, but when Cynthia Loretto heard of - it she declared that she hated boys, they were such horrid, - smelly things,--one would have thought they were weeds,--and - that _she_ would not have them in the house. Well, I was not - going to be bossed by her, so promptly told her in my bestest - manner--I am always very cool and sweet when _awfully mad_--what - Mr. Banker had said. Well, that silenced _her_, but I can - foresee that she will make trouble for my little liberty kids, - for that's what they're going to be. - - "Did I tell you that Cynthia is an artist? Her studio is up in - the little square cupola, or tower that crowns the house. Here - she paints, and sleeps until all hours of the morning, for she - slumbers in a beauty-mask--Janet let that out--and it has to be - kept on until noon. Janet has to bring up her coffee every - morning. At dinner my lady with 'the manner' and artistic - temperament appears in a freakish get-up. Yesterday she was a - Neapolitan maiden in a red skirt and blue bodice, with a rug for - an apron, and a white cloth on her head. She dresses this way to - create atmosphere, she declares, as she is her own model, and - paints herself in a big mirror, that she got Sam to lug up from - one of the lower rooms. - - "She can be extremely disagreeable, for yesterday, while I was - on one of my mountain prowls--mother was taking a nap--she was - sitting on the veranda in one of her outlandish costumes, when - an odd, little old lady came along in a black poke-bonnet, - carrying a basket on her arm. As soon as Cyn saw that basket she - jumped up and ordered the old lady off the premises, saying that - we could not be bothered with peddlers. - - "The poor old soul immediately turned about and hobbled away, - muttering and mumbling to herself, for Jan heard her as she came - up the path from her miniature hillside farm. Mother was quite - annoyed when she heard about it, for she said that she was - undoubtedly one of the neighbors, and had brought us something - in a basket to be friendly, as country people do. I think - Cynthia should have allowed her to rest on the veranda, even if - she was a peddler. - - "I must close my letter if I want to get it in this mail, as I - have to walk almost a mile to post it. So, with a bushel of - kisses and good wishes, I am as ever your friend - - "Nathalie Page. - - "P. S. Be sure you tell me all about your work, and if you are - anywhere near the front-line trenches. I am wild to know. Again, - with love, - - "Blue Robin." - -As Nathalie stood by the window putting on her hat in front of the -old-fashioned dresser, her eyes suddenly widened. "Why, isn't that the -strangest?" she queried, as she stepped nearer the casement and stared -down at the farther end of the lawn, where, from between the fringe of -woodland on the side dividing their garden from their neighbor's, came -the glimmer of a little red house, fronting the road. - -"Why," said the girl, almost wonderingly, "that red house glimmers -through the trees in the form of a cross." Then her eyes brightened with -the sudden thought, "I do believe it has come that way on purpose, and, -yes, I am going to let it be my Red Cross insignia, warning me that I -have work to do this summer by not losing my temper, and by being kind -to people, even if it is _that irritating Cynthia Loretto_. - -"I wonder who lives in that little red house," soliloquized the girl. "I -must ask Sam. Ah, I remember now. I saw an old lady with silver-gray -hair, the other day, poking about in that little flower-garden; she -seemed to be weeding. Well, those flowers certainly repay her for her -care, for they are a mass of bloom and color." And then Nathalie, -humming a snatch of melody, turned away and hurried down the stairway. - -Some time later, on her way to the post-office at the near-by village of -Sugar Hill, as she passed the red house she again saw the old lady with -the silver hair, in a flopping sunbonnet, digging in the garden. She -raised her head as she heard Nathalie's footsteps, and the girl, with -smiling eyes, pleasantly bowed a good-afternoon. But, to her surprise, -the old lady stared at her rudely for a moment, and then, without -returning her greeting, went on with her weeding. - -"What a disagreeable old lady!" was the girl's sudden thought, the blood -rushing to her cheeks in a crimson flood. "Why, I always thought country -people were pleasant and chatty with their neighbors. Well," she -murmured ruefully, in an attempt to ignore the slight "perhaps the poor -old thing is near-sighted. No, I won't worry, for, as mumsie says, it is -just as well not to be in a hurry to think that people mean to be rude -to you." - -So the little incident was forgotten, as she wended her way along the -road, cool and dark with the moisture and shade from the woodland that -fringed it on each side. On one side the trees screened green hills and -sloping meadows, while on the other they guarded Lovers' Lane, a narrow -footpath, skirting the base of Garnet Mountain, that rose upward in -scrubby, brownish pasture-land to its summit, crowned with dense masses -of green foliage. - -Nathalie hummed softly, in tune to the ripple of a tiny brooklet from a -spring near by, that trickled and splashed in a low murmur over its -pebbly bed in the ditch fringed with straggling wild flowers in -flaunting July bloom. They were too luring to be resisted, and presently -the beautiful dull pink of the Joe-Pye weed, saucy black-eyed Susans, -yellow buttercups, wild carrot, and blue violets, nodded gayly from the -nosegay pinned to her blouse. - -A short walk and the woods had been left behind, as the girl stood on a -wide-spreading knoll with the rock-lit eyes of Garnet Mountain peering -down at her on her right, while on the left grassy meadows stretched -away into velvety slopes. Their green was crossed by low stone walls, -patched with the gray of apple orchard, and ribboned with avenues of -stately trees, or fringes of woodland, but always ending in the rugged -grandeur of craggy summit. - -Nathalie drew a deep breath of the sweet-scented mountain breezes, as -her eyes dwelt on the scene before her, for to her every blade of grass, -or feathery fern, as well as each peeping floweret, wide-spreading tree, -or gray bowlder, were but details that added to the charm of each day's -mountain-picture. The rare splendor of the scene inspired her, as it -were, to new thoughts and feelings, vague and undefined, but the shadow -of things to come, in the birth of ideals and words that were to find -expression later on. - -But now she was strolling along under an avenue of stately maples, -bordered by a stone wall almost hidden with clambering vines, until -presently she had passed by another silent greenwood, to arrive at a -little white church, set on rising ground. A swift turn and she was -walking down the flagged street of the mountain village, sheltered with -friendly old trees, and lined with the usual straggle of white cottages, -blurred with the red of an old barn, while just beyond, against the -pearl gray of the horizon, rose the jagged line of the Green Mountains. - -She glanced admiringly at the tiny Memorial Library perched -conspicuously on a terrace opposite, and then she was at the -post-office, once a small white cottage, but now used by Uncle Sam as a -mail distributor, the lounging-resort of aged mountaineers and sons of -the soil. Here, too, the village gentry, as well as the citified summer -folk from the boarding-houses and hotels on the upper slopes of Sugar -Hill, lingered for a chat or a word of greeting when they came for the -mail. - -After slipping her letter into the box, Nathalie found that although the -mail had come in it had not been distributed, so she decided to wait for -it. With ill-concealed impatience, for she hated to linger in the stuffy -little store, she leaned idly against a glass case, in which one saw the -yellow-brown of maple-sugar cakes, the red and white of peppermint -sticks, as well as post-cards of mountain views, and pine pillows. As it -was the only store within a radius of some miles its wares were numerous -and varied, as almost anything, from a loaf of bread, a lollypop, or a -case of needles, to a bottle of patent medicine, was on sale. - -Suddenly, as if impelled by some unknown power, the girl raised her eyes -to encounter the bold stare of a tall young man in a gray Norfolk -jacket, knickerbockers, and high leather boots, who was nonchalantly -leaning against the opposite counter, with his cap pushed on the back of -his head, smoking a cigar. - - - - - CHAPTER IX - - THE LITTLE OLD LADY IN THE RED HOUSE - - -The girl turned her head quickly aside, for there was something in the -ill-concealed admiration in the man's black eyes that caused the color -to rush in a wave to her cheeks. Several minutes later a careless glance -in the man's direction, as she casually surveyed the other occupants of -the store, impelled her to stare curiously, as she perceived a rather -peculiar motion,--a sudden twitching shake of his head, repeated every -moment or so. Realizing that the man was the victim of some nervous -affliction, her eyes involuntarily softened with pity, and then noting -that there were several letters in her box, she hurried forward to get -them. - -Slipping them into her bag, she hastened from the store, drawing quickly -back, however, as the man who had been staring at her brushed rudely -against her. Nathalie glanced up with annoyance, but as he begged her -pardon, with a sweep of his cap in an exaggerated bow, and another bold, -somewhat mocking glance from his eyes, the pink in her cheeks deepened -angrily. - -Nathalie, irritated at the incident, walked slowly down the narrow path -leading to the flagging, but suddenly remembering her determination to -explore the little village set in the hollow of a hill, the unpleasant -occurrence passed from her mind. Attracted by the many flower-beds that -bloomed so luxuriantly with such vivid coloring in the door yards of the -little New England cottages beyond the post-office, she turned about and -slowly strolled in that direction. - -Presently she came to a sudden pause to gaze admiringly across the road -at a white, gable-roofed house, with bright green blinds, on a grassy -terrace, peeping from beneath a mass of vines and leaves. It was -surrounded by a garden from which came the gleam of many colors, in the -tall, flowering rows of sweet peas that flanked its sides. But it was -not so much their beauty that held her eyes as the small east wing of -the building, where a wide, roomy porch was surmounted by the sign, - - The Sweet Pea Tea-House - _Come in and have a cup of tea_ - -Nathalie would have enjoyed going over and having a sip of that social -beverage, lured by the daintiness of the house and its sweet-pea garden, -but, on discovering that she had left her purse at home, she continued -her walk. A few steps down the road, and she was staring up at a -timeless clock--looking as if its hands had been swept away in the mad -rush of the hours--in the steeple of a church some distance back from -the road. Then she was watching a horseshoer pounding with a noisy -"Clank, clank" on the hoof of a horse, patiently standing in front of -the blacksmith shop. - -A half-hour later, as she stood in front of a little neglected cemetery -at one end of the village, staring in melancholy mood at its -time-scarred stones, gleaming with a dulled whiteness from the rank and -overgrown shrubbery, she heard the purr of an automobile. - -Turning carelessly, she noticed a bright red car, with the glossy, shiny -look of newness, coming slowly in her direction, and quickly perceived -that its only occupant was the bold-eyed man who had annoyed her in the -post-office. She quickly glanced in another direction, but, to her -surprise, the car came to a sudden stop, and as the man threw away his -cigar, while doffing his cap, he said, pleasantly, "You have chosen -rather a dreary place to linger, have you not, on this beautiful -afternoon? Would you not like a little ride,--just a help up the hill, -you know?" - -For a moment Nathalie was tongue-tied with astonishment, and was about -to walk quickly away, when sudden resentment at the man's impertinence -overwhelmed her. Swinging about, with marked emphasis she answered in -stiff formality, "Possibly I might--with friends." The next second she -was hurrying down the road, without waiting to see the man's eyes darken -with annoyance, as he emitted a low whistle. With the peculiar motion of -the head already referred to, he started up the car, and a moment later -whirled around the bend out of sight. - -Nathalie in her haste, caused by her anger and annoyance at the man's -impertinence, was oblivious to the fact that the clouds had been -gathering for a thunderstorm, until she heard a loud clap of thunder and -a drop of rain swirled into her face. She was tempted to start and run, -for she was an arrant coward in a thunderstorm, but remembering that a -swiftly moving object is apt to attract the lightning, she curtailed her -speed, trying to make as much headway as she could by extra long -strides. - -Oh, it was coming down in great big drops! What should she do? But with -her heart thumping nervously, she kept resolutely on her way, covering -her face with her hands in a spasm of terror every time a streak of -lightning zigzagged before her eyes. Oh, she had reached the tea-house! -She would take refuge on the wide veranda. - -The next instant she was racing across the road; but before she gained -the desired haven, a deafening clap of thunder, followed by a blinding -glare of red flame, came bolting through the trees, causing her to utter -a loud, frightened scream, as she stumbled blindly up the steps. Another -instant and the door of the house was flung wide, as a sweet-faced lady, -with pleasant, smiling eyes, hurriedly beckoned for her to hasten in. - -Nathalie, with a little cry of relief, made a wild rush for the door. As -the lady closed it, with shaking limbs and white lips, but with an -attempt at a smile the girl cried, "Oh, you are very kind to let me come -in, for I am just about drenched"; quickly pulling off her hat as she -spoke, and then shaking her wet, clinging skirts. - -"Oh, my dear child! you must come in and take off your wet things," at -this moment came in sudden call from an adjoining room, whose door was -standing ajar. Nathalie started in surprise, for the voice was -singularly low and sweet, in strange contrast to the somewhat -high-sounding, rather unpleasant voices of the few villagers whom she -had heard conversing, when waiting for her mail in the post-office. - -Fearing she would be intruding,--she had noticed that the lady who had -opened the door for her, although she smiled pleasantly, had not -seconded the invitation,--she shook her head. "Oh, no," she protested -with evident embarrassment, "I shall not take cold. I can stand here -until the storm is over. I am sure I shall be all dry in a moment or -so." - -But as the voice insisted that she come in, and the woman with the -smiling eyes laid her hand on her arm as if to lead her into the room, -she reluctantly entered. As she attempted to stammer forth her thanks, -and her fear of trespassing upon their kindness, she saw that the owner -of the voice was an elderly lady, evidently an invalid, for she sat in a -Morris chair by the window, propped up with pillows. As she motioned for -the girl to come nearer, and slowly and awkwardly put forth her hand to -feel her wet skirts, Nathalie noticed that her hands were swathed with -white cloths. - -"Dear me," she murmured worriedly, "you are wet. I am afraid you will -take cold. But just take off your blouse and skirt, and Mona will dry -them for you in a few moments by the kitchen fire." - -Then, with a few strange motions of the bandaged hands to the -sweet-faced woman,--which immediately revealed to Nathalie that she was -deaf and dumb,--the wet garments were quickly removed and taken out to -the kitchen to dry. Presently the girl, with humorous amazement, found -herself snugly wrapped in a silk Japanese kimono, seated in a big chair -by the invalid lady, gazing at her in silent admiration. - -It was a face that could lay no real claim to beauty, and yet to -Nathalie there was a singular charm in the clear-cut outlines of the -delicate features, and the soft, warm tints of a complexion that, -although many years past youth's fresh coloring, resembled a blush-rose. -But it was the eyes that held Nathalie, black-lashed, deep-set, with a -calm, peaceful expression in their deep blue; and the brown hair, -slightly threaded with gray, parted in the middle, and curling in a -natural wave on each side of her face, gave it the quaint sweetness of -some old-time miniature. - -Fascinated, as it were, by the charm of the lady's personality, the girl -was soon chatting volubly, as she told how she came to get caught in the -storm. "I am sure I should have reached home before the rain came," she -cried in an aggrieved voice, "if it had not been for that _horrid_ man. -For I intended going home by the road he took, which is much shorter, -but he had made me so nervous by his rudeness that I took the longest -way back, for I was afraid I should meet him again." - -"Oh, you must not feel annoyed at receiving an invitation to ride in an -automobile when trudging up these mountain roads," laughed the lady, -"for it is quite the customary thing to give a pedestrian a lift up the -hills. But I think, in your case," she added more soberly, "that you did -right in refusing the man's offer, for he was rude, as you say, and all -young girls should be careful." - -Won by her companion's sympathetic interest, Nathalie told that they -were spending the summer at Seven Pillars, up near "Peckett's on Sugar -Hill," but she was cautious not to tell of the peculiar conditions of -their stay, or of her aunt's strange letter. Miss Whipple, as that -proved to be the lady's name, said that she had known her aunt, Mrs. -Renwick, and considered her a very interesting woman, although, to be -sure, she was somewhat eccentric. Nathalie also told about her Liberty -Girls, a subject that was always close to her heart, and how she was -going to try to teach liberty to the little settlement-boys, who were -coming up to stay with her for a few weeks. - -The invalid, and also her sister, were both greatly interested in -Nathalie's merry chatter; for Mona had come from the kitchen and seated -herself on a low stool by the feet of her sister, who would interpret to -her as the girl rattled on. In return for Nathalie's confidences she -told how she and her sister, although having been born in the White -Mountains, had lived since childhood in Boston. On the death of their -parents, after meeting with some reverses, she explained, they had -determined to come up to the old homestead and start a sweet-pea farm, -as her sister was passionately fond of flowers. - -It was delightful work, she said, and it meant so much that was -beautiful and joyous to her sister, who, of course, on account of her -infirmity, was deprived of many pleasures that other people enjoyed. -They had an old farm-hand who had lived with them when they were small -children, who did the rough gardening, and who made the farm pay by -selling the flowers to the mountain hotels. - -"The tea-house was my sister's inspiration," continued Miss Whipple, -"and has always been a source of great enjoyment to us both, as so many -of the young people from the hotels and boarding-houses would drop in of -an afternoon for a cup of tea, or a little dance, as I always used to -make it a point to be on hand to play for them. My sister," she added a -little sadly, "although deprived herself of the joys of girlhood, has -always been passionately devoted to the young, and has spent any amount -of labor in trying to make our little tea-room attractive. - -"But now, as I cannot play any more,--you see I am the victim of -inflammatory rheumatism,"--she held up her bandaged hands -pathetically,--"the young people do not come in as much as they did. It -is a great disappointment to us both," concluded the invalid dolefully, -"although perhaps my sister is partly compensated by her work among her -flowers. - -"But I am wrong to complain in this way," she hastened to add, a sudden -expression of contrition darkening the sweetness of her glance, "for -every one has to endure disappointment and sorrow, sooner or later, as -my mother used to tell me when I was a girl; and, after all, ours might -have been much worse. I try to comfort myself with the thought that all -these little jars of life are just 'helps' to fit one for the greater -life beyond. Indeed," she added softly, "I grow ashamed of myself for -thinking I am even disappointed, when I think of the renunciation, the -sufferings, and the agony of the Man of Sorrows, that we might have -joy." - -Nathalie made no reply, not only because she was at a loss for words to -express her sympathy, but stilled, possibly, by the beautiful look of -calm peace that had crept into the sweet eyes. - -"But I am wearying you," smiled the invalid, her eyes lighting with a -warm glow, "making you think I am a great martyr because I am deprived -of a few things that I think needful to my happiness. Perhaps I am in a -particularly rebellious mood to-day, for I am so anxious to read a book -a friend sent me, but with my poor hands I cannot hold it, and it makes -my neck ache to read from the bookstand. But here comes Mona with your -dried clothing; yes, and to bring me off my cross of martyrdom by her -sweet patience, for she is always cheery and smiling under _her_ great -deprivations." - -"Oh, and she can't even read to you!" lamented Nathalie impulsively, -suddenly reminded of what it must mean to live with a person who could -not talk to you. - -"Yes, and that is one of the nails in the cross," said the shut-in, with -whimsical sweetness, "for I not only want some one to talk, to read to -me, but sometimes I just yearn for the sound of a human voice. Oh, but I -am getting selfish again--for,--Yes, as soon as you get your gown on, -you must go with Mona to see her sweet peas; she would love to show them -to you." - -"And I would love to see them," replied the girl as she dropped the -kimono and slipped into her skirt, "for I, too, adore flowers." And -then, as Nathalie fastened up her blouse, and put on her belt, Miss -Whipple made her sister understand that their guest wanted to see her -bunches of sweet peas. - -Mona's face lighted happily as she comprehended, and in a few moments -she and Nathalie were standing in an outer shed, where masses of the -dainty flowers were piled in heaps, waiting to be tied into bunches, -their delicate odor filling the place with quite perceptible fragrance. -Nathalie watched the deaf-and-dumb woman tie a few bunches, dimpling in -gratified embarrassment as she softly touched the blossoms. She held a -beautifully pink-tinted one against the girl's cheek, to indicate that -they were of the same hue, and then smilingly fastened a big bunch to -her waist. - -By this time the worst of the storm was over, and Nathalie, seeing that -it had settled down to a slow drizzle, decided that she must hurry on, -for fear her mother would worry. So, after thanking her kind hostesses, -and declaring that she would return their umbrella very soon,--she had -promised to make them a real visit, as Miss Whipple called it, in answer -to their repeated urgings,--she hurried out into the rain and was soon -on her homeward way. - -It was not a pleasant walk, this plodding over a road deep with mud, and -in some places running in tiny rivulets, for the girl had no rubbers on, -but she kept up her cheer by whistling softly, for not a person was in -sight until she reached the road through the woods, leading to Seven -Pillars. Here she spied a queer-looking little figure in black, hobbling -on ahead of her with a cane, but no umbrella. - -Something, perhaps it was the basket the woman carried, suggested that -she might be the old lady who had called the afternoon before, so the -girl hurried her steps, hoping, by the proffer of her umbrella, to atone -for the seeming rudeness of her reception of the previous day. - -As she reached the black figure, she pantingly cried, "Oh, won't you -come under my umbrella, for I am sure you must be wet." As she spoke she -peered at the woman's face, almost hidden by the wide brim of an old, -rusty-looking black bonnet. But the bright blue eyes in the withered -face, under its halo of black, only stared coldly, stonily, while the -drooping mouth, seamed with a network of fine wrinkles, and deep lines -of worry and disappointment, narrowed into a tightly compressed slit of -red. - -But Nathalie, notwithstanding the disdainful glare, and the woman's -oppressive silence, pushed her umbrella over her head, and, somewhat to -her own amusement, after a shuffle or two, was soon walking in step to -the old woman's hobble. - -"It has been quite a storm, hasn't it?" ventured the girl, although her -cheeks were flushed with embarrassment under the ill-timed silence of -the woman, who acted not only as if she could dispense with the shelter -of her umbrella, but with her company as well. - -The only reply to the girl was a sniff,--sounding almost like a -sneer,--but, determined not to be daunted by the old woman's surliness, -Nathalie kept up her chatter, telling how charmed they were with the -mountains, especially with Seven Pillars, with its magnificent view, and -expressed her regret that they had not been at home the afternoon -before, explaining that her mother had been lying down and did not know -of her call. - -Presently, with a sudden movement, the old lady came to a halt. Before -Nathalie could understand what she was stopping for,--her umbrella was -held so closely over her companion's head that she didn't perceive the -splash of red peeping from between the trees,--she had turned in at a -little gate and the girl suddenly realized that the queer old lady was -her neighbor of the little red house! - -For a moment she was speechless; then a smile dawned in her eyes, as she -suddenly understood why her greeting had not been returned when passing -by earlier in the afternoon. Quickly recovering her wits, however, she -stepped forward, and as she held the gate open for her new-found -neighbor to pass through, she cried, "Oh, I am so glad I met you, and -know that we are near neighbors. Mother will be very pleased to meet -you, I am sure, and will soon run over to see you." - -But no reply was forthcoming, and Nathalie, her patience at a boiling -point, hurried on, inwardly vowing that she was never going to speak to -that cantankerous old woman again, for had she not done her best to -apologize for an unintentional slight? As she reached the veranda with -its magic seven pillars her eyes gleamed humorously, as she suddenly -realized how funny she must have appeared, hobbling along with that old -woman. What a funny way she had of sniffing, and _that_ old black -poke-bonnet. Then she wondered if the rest of their neighbors were as -peculiar and queer as the old lady in the little red house. - - - - - CHAPTER X - - THE SWEET-PEA LADIES - - -Nathalie, with girlish eagerness, hurried into the house, and was soon -telling her mother about her "adventure day," as she called it, dwelling -at length upon her experiences at the Sweet Pea Tea-House, and, with -some show of resentment, on her encounter with their neighbor in the -little red house. - -Mrs. Page became intensely interested in the Sweet-Pea ladies, as her -daughter designated them, but cautioned her against cherishing any -resentment at the rudeness of the little old lady in black, as, -naturally, she was offended that her overtures of friendliness had been -slighted by the city folks. She and Nathalie would go very shortly and -call upon her; she did not doubt but that her apologies would be -accepted, and that the unpleasant incident would be forgotten. - -The next morning, while Nathalie was gathering some lettuce in the -garden near the barn, she met Sam, the tow-headed young farm-hand, who -looked after the place, and who, with his buxom young wife, lived in a -small white house a short distance down the road. He was a thick-set, -sturdy, young fellow, with a broad, good-natured face, from which -white-lashed, piglike blue eyes peered bashfully out above his shiny red -cheeks. When he met any of the city folks, as he called the inhabitants -of Seven Pillars, he would grin bashfully, and slowly drag off his old -straw hat in a greeting, growing very red from embarrassed shyness if -called upon to engage in conversation with any of them. - -But Nathalie, who had had to depend upon Sam for a certain amount of -necessary knowledge in relation to the house and garden, had not only -grown to depend upon him in many ways, but had become quite friendly -with him. She had learned that he was a level-headed, well-meaning young -man and that his eyes could twinkle responsively, even if he was -somewhat slow of tongue. - -As he began to show Nathalie how to select the heads with the soundest -hearts, she told him how she had been caught in the thunderstorm the -afternoon before and the kindness of the inmates of the Sweet Pea -Tea-House. - -"Sure, Miss, they be nice ladies," assented Sam. "I've knowed them this -long time. They were born in that old house, but when the old man -Whipple growed rich--some relative or t'other left him a pile o' -money--they went skylarking down to Boston--thought we country folks -weren't smart enough fur them, I reckon. But when the old man's luck -went agin him and he died, them gals come home to roost. I feel right -sorry for them, for the Lord knows they don't have no stuffin's to their -turkey these days. Too bad about the tea-house er goin' to shucks, for -sure it use ter bring in er penny er two in the sellin' o' them posies. - -"I see ole Jakes, with his old flivver a wheezin' and blowin' up these -ere hills, er takin' them to the hotels er pile er times. By Gosh, that -Jakes sure is ole, fer he's been er luggin' round these parts with one -foot half-buried fer the last ten years. When he goes off the handle -what'll become of the poor ole ladies--the folks hereabouts are er -guessin'. That deaf-and-dumb one--she makes me feel sort er lonesome." -Sam suddenly confided, "with no gift of gab to er, and t'other one with -the rheumatics, sure they do be afflicted." - -Nathalie also told Sam about meeting their neighbor in the little red -house. But when she questioned him as to who she was, and if she lived -there all alone, his face became impassive and he grew evasive in his -answers. Surmising that he might possibly be a relative of hers--as she -had seen him working about the place, she said no more, but hurried into -the house, her mind intent on the Sweet-Pea ladies and their pathetic -little story, as told by Sam. - -"What a misfortune," she mused, "to be poor, an invalid, and with only a -deaf-and-dumb sister to depend upon. O dear! what terrible things people -have to suffer when they grow old. Well, I shall have to go this -afternoon and return that umbrella, and--yes, I just wish I could do -something to help them in some way, for Miss Whipple is a dear!" - -But, as she hastened to her room to make her customary entry in her -diary, the two ladies were forgotten. This daily duty the girl found -quite irksome, especially when she had forgotten, and had to make her -entry at night when she was tired and wanted to tumble right into bed; -and then, too, she did not see how the everyday doings of _her_ life -could interest any one. And as for searching for the most valuable thing -in the house, this she had never found time to do. Possibly she had not -tried very hard to find time, as deep within her heart she considered -the whole thing sheer nonsense. And how was she going to judge the value -of the things in the house, anyway, she questioned rebelliously, for was -it not just an old curio shop filled with strange, odd junk, that her -aunt had brought from the other side? - -But when she hinted this to her mother, she had been duly rebuked, -although Mrs. Page agreed with her daughter that it would be a difficult -task to determine the value of anything she might select. She said, -however, that she considered that Nathalie, as a courtesy to her aunt, -who was giving them such a delightful summer up in those beautiful -mountains, should do all that she could to comply with her request, even -if she thought it absurd. - -"I doubt if the finding of this very mysterious valuable thing would -bring either money or property to any one," continued the lady, "as I -understand that Aunt Mary left the bulk of her estate to some charitable -institution as long as no near relative or heir appeared. But she was, -as I have told you before, very queer in some ways, and probably took -this method of giving away some of her personal effects. It is not at -all likely, Nathalie, that you will be the lucky finder,"--there was a -smile in Mrs. Page's eyes,--"but still you should make it a point to -search for it, no matter how you feel." - -"Oh I intended to hunt for the old thing, anyway," returned Nathalie -excusingly, "but I have been a little slow, perhaps, because Cynthia has -been so obsessed with the idea, that I hate to be as silly. Jan says she -spends most of the day hunting in the attic and through the house when -we are down-stairs. She is wild to get into that mystery room, for she -thinks it is hidden there. - -"But you should have seen her last night, mother," giggled Nathalie. "I -was coming through the hall and suddenly saw a flash of light on the -stairs. And there was Cynthia, down on her knees, peering under the -stair-carpet and poking about with her flash-light. She seemed quite -annoyed when she saw that she was discovered, and, jumping up quickly, -scurried down the hall. Dear me! she is the queerest thing." - -"Well, let her look," replied Mrs. Page kindly. "Perhaps her efforts -will be rewarded, for, as I understand, she is engaged to a Mr. Buddie, -and he is very poor, Janet says. I presume it would make them both very -happy if Cynthia came into a little money, or found something of value, -for perhaps they could be married." - -"But, mother, Janet hasn't looked once. She hates this mystery prowl, as -she calls it, as much as I do," emphasized Nathalie, "and I have hard -work making her write in her diary. She is busy writing a speech on -suffrage, which she expects to deliver this fall. Just imagine, mother, -Janet making a speech," and Nathalie smiled at the thought. - -Later in the day, dust-begrimed and with her hair all of a frowse, -Nathalie came trudging wearily up the staircase. She had been searching -for two hours in the library, a great dark room, lined with bookcases, -and whose wainscoted walls were hung with family portraits,--Nathalie -called them the Renwicks' Honor Roll,--interspersed with medallions of -great authors and musicians, and valuable etchings. - -The girl had laughed at Cynthia for prowling about, but as she threw -herself on her bed, tired and aching from stretching her arms and -climbing step-ladders, in order to peer behind the pictures and -cornices, she felt that she would never laugh at her again. For the more -she had searched, the more her interest had increased, and with it the -conclusion that her aunt, for contrariness, had _really hidden_ -something of great value, in order to try the patience of the searchers, -in some eerie corner or nook. - -But was Mrs. Renwick really dead? This was a question that assailed the -girl whenever she passed the mystery room, whose door loomed big and -dark, with its heavy crimson curtain, in the long hall. Somehow, she had -confessed to Janet, whenever she hurried by that door she had a strange -feeling, a feeling of nearness to some one,--the way one would feel, she -imagined, if they looked up suddenly and found some one watching them -with a strange, fixed stare. - -Could it be that some one was hidden in that room? But she always -dismissed the thought with a half-laugh, as being very silly. -Nevertheless she always raced by that door, especially at night, when -the hall was wrapped in an uncanny gloominess from the dark shadows that -came from the big grandfather's clock, the heavy, black-looking wardrobe -at one end, and other ponderous and carved pieces of mahogany resting -against the wall. - -The following afternoon Nathalie set forth to return the umbrella to its -owners, laden with a basket of fruit, in appreciation of their kindness -to her. As she walked cheerily along, a sudden thought loomed big in her -mind; she had been thinking how she was going to live up to her -watchword, "Liberty and humanity--our best," when it had occurred to her -that one way would be to offer to read to Miss Whipple every day. The -girl's eyes glowed, and then she wavered. "Oh, no, I don't see how I can -do _that_, for I have so much to do at home, and I do not want to miss -my walks." Her face clouded as she silently struggled with herself, -divided with the desire to cheer her new friend, and yet not to have to -forego her walks. - -She found the invalid lying back in her chair, looking pale and wan, but -when Nathalie inquired if she was suffering, she hastily answered, "Oh, -no, I am just pure tired, for I have been trying to read my new -war-book, and it has made me ache all over." - -"Oh, Miss Whipple," broke from the girl impulsively,--somehow she could -not be selfish,--"wouldn't you like to have me come and read to you for -a little while each day?" - -"Oh, you dear child, that is most kind of you," the lady's eyes -brightened. "Indeed, I should be delighted, but it would be selfish to -keep you indoors on these beautiful mountain days." A little sigh ended -the sentence. - -"But you would not be keeping me in," insisted her companion, "for I -should just love to read to you, and I know I shall find plenty of time -to walk somewhere every day." And then, as an added plea to her request, -she told of her mornings with Nita Van Vorst, and how their taking turns -at reading to one another had been a source of great instruction to them -both. - -In a short time Nathalie was happily reading to her friend, who listened -with keen enjoyment. After a time, fearing the girl would tire, they -stopped for a little chat, and it was during one of these chats that -Nathalie told of meeting their queer neighbor who lived in the red -house, and how rudely she had been repulsed by the old lady, when she -had tried to atone for her reception of the day before. - -"A little old woman in a black bonnet, with a basket?" repeated Miss -Whipple in a puzzled tone. "Why, that is strange, for I didn't know that -any one lived in that little red house. Some years past Mrs. Renwick -allowed a poor old woman to live there rent free, but she died a few -years ago. I shall have to ask Jakes about it, for he knows every man, -woman, or child who lives on these mountains." - -During one of these pauses Mona came in, and her sister, noting the -wistful look in the patient brown eyes, surmised that she, too, would -like to enjoy Nathalie's youth and charm. And so, in a few moments, the -girl was out in the sweet-pea garden, delighting Mona with her -enthusiastic interest in the delicately tinted flowers that grew in -tall, long lines on each side of the house. - -Here, too, she met Jakes, an old white-haired man, bent almost double -with age. He made up for her companion's enforced silence, by showing -the many different varieties of these exquisite flowers, which, on their -rough stems, with their tendril-bearing leaves, peeped coyly at her, in -almost every tint of their varying colors. - -But the girl glanced up with quick surprise, when she heard the old man, -in his quavering, broken voice, softly repeat: - - "Here are sweet peas, on tiptoe for a flight; - With wings of gentle flush o'er delicate white, - And taper fingers catching at all things, - To bind them all about with tiny rings." - -As the old man saw Nathalie glance up at him in ill-concealed -astonishment at his aptness in repeating the poetic quotation, he smiled -and said, "Ah, Miss, I have planted, transplanted, trained, tended, and -watched these sweet posies for many a long year as carefully as a -mother-hen tends her tiny chicks. But it was my dear lady, herself, who -taught me that verse, and sure I have never forgotten it, although I do -not know the name of the poet-man who wrote it." - -Nathalie, with her hand in Mona's, who seemed to love to hold it, was -now led by her into the little shed, where she was soon busily employed -in helping her tie the sweet peas into bunches, to be delivered the next -morning to the hotels by Jakes. - -From the making of bouquets she wandered into the tea-room, where Mona -had hurried, on seeing a couple of young ladies come in, who wanted to -buy some post-cards. While they were selecting them the deaf-and-dumb -woman hastened into the kitchen for her tea-tray. Nathalie, meanwhile, -waited by the little glass case in one corner of the room, carelessly -studying the mountain-views that lined it, and where boxes of maple -sugar, pine pillows, and various knick-knacks that Miss Whipple said she -had made before her hands had become so helpless, lay scattered about -for sale. - -As she turned restlessly away from the case, her glance fell on the two -girls, who stood examining the cards on the wall near, and she half -smiled at their grotesqueness, as she called their modish style of -apparel. For the girls, fair samples of the average fashionable summer -girls, wore their hair plastered down on the sides of their faces in -deep scallops, while their cheeks were carmine-tinted, and their noses -whitewashed with powder. With their long, thin necks rising in kangaroo -fashion from their turn-over, low-necked collars, and with their -short-waisted belts and narrow skirts, high above their high-heeled, -white boots, they reminded Nathalie of some funny French dolls that she -had seen once in a museum in New York. - -She was wondering why so many girls of the present day thought it -improved them to make themselves so ungainly and painted-looking, when -one of the girls suddenly turned her face to her. A sudden exclamation, -and she had stepped towards Nathalie, who was now staring at her in -puzzled recognition. - -"I declare, if it isn't Nathalie Page. Why, don't you remember me?" she -shrilled excitedly. "I'm Nelda Sackett. You remember we used to be -deskmates at Madame Chemidlin's?" - -"Why, Nelda, how do you do? Yes, I remember you now," smiled Nathalie -cordially. "How stupid of me not to have recognized you before. But dear -me, you have changed!" And then, fearing that the girl might detect her -lack of admiration for her modish appearance, she hastily added, "Oh, -you have grown to be quite a young lady." - -"Young lady! Well, I should say that I was," flashed the girl in a -slightly aggrieved tone. "Why, I'm eighteen, and Justine,--you remember -Justine Guertin,--she is nineteen." - -By this time Justine had joined them, and after greeting Nathalie with -condescending graciousness, the three girls were soon chatting about -their school-days and former friends. The girls were both very curious -as to their old schoolmate's life in her new home. Nathalie determined -to hold her own and not be cowed by their ultra-fashionableness, and, -despite the jarring realization of the fact that they knew of her -changed circumstances since her father's death, bravely told about her -new life in their little home on Main Street, in the old-fashioned Long -Island town. She not only dwelt with persistent minuteness on the many -details of her more humble life, but told of her connection with the -Girl Pioneers, the pleasure it had brought her, the fineness of its aims -and purposes, and the wholesomeness of a life lived in the open, with -its knowledge of bird and tree lore, and the many new avenues of -knowledge it opened to a girl. - -This sort of thing, however, did not seem to appeal to these New York -girls, and they stared somewhat coldly, although a bit curiously, at -Nathalie during her recital, and then abruptly changed the subject by -telling of their own gay life in the city. Oh, and what a time they were -having at the Sunset Hill House, playing golf and tennis, and dancing in -the evening with gay college boys and other young men. - -By this time Mona had returned, and, as Nathalie saw her trying to wheel -a small tea-table into the room with both hands full, she hastily flew -to her aid. And later, when she returned for some needed articles in the -kitchen, the young girl arranged the teacups and saucers on the tray -before the girls, as they had asked that they might be served with a cup -of tea a la Russe. - -The girls continued to chatter in a desultory fashion for awhile, -although Nathalie, whose intuitions were keen, sensed that they had -grown a little less cordial in their manner towards her. Presently, -finishing their tea and paying for it, they nodded Nathalie a careless -good-by and hurried out, somewhat to the girl's surprise, who had -naturally supposed that they would invite her to come and see them at -the hotel, or express a desire to visit her at her home. - -With reddened cheeks and a disappointed expression in her eyes Nathalie -watched them as they crossed the road to the flagged walk opposite. It -was true, she was lonely up there in her new surroundings, with no -special friend to run in and chat with, as she had been accustomed to do -with her friend Helen. She wanted young company, and the meeting with -her former schoolmates had revived old memories and worn-out longings. - -Although she did not approve of their style of dress, or their airy -manners, still they were something that belonged to her former life in -New York, and she would have enjoyed having a chat with them once in a -while for the sake of "Auld Lang Syne." - -With the quick thought that they were not worth a pang of regret, for -they had shown that they had become very snobbish, she turned away, and -aimlessly wandered over to an old piano that stood on one side of the -room. As if to ease the hurt feeling that still jarred her -sensitiveness, she sat down and carelessly ran her fingers over the old -yellow keys. A sudden call from the invalid in the adjoining room,--the -door stood open,--for Nathalie to play something, brought the girl to -herself with a sudden start. - -"Oh, I do not know anything to play," she weakly pleaded, "for I am no -musician." Nathalie spoke the truth, for she not only had no special -talent for music, but the little accomplishment that she had acquired in -that line had been sadly neglected since she had taken up housework. - -But as the invalid's plea was insistent, and the girl did not want to be -disagreeable, she again swept her hands over the keyboard, this time -unconsciously falling into one of Chopin's waltzes, something that she -supposed she had forgotten. From this she wandered into a few rag-time -airs, and then came snatches of old-time melodies, until finally she was -playing a well-known reverie by a noted composer. - -But suddenly realizing that she had heard nothing from the next room, -and fearing that she had wearied Miss Whipple, she hastily arose and -hurried to her side, to find her lying back in her chair with a strange -restful expression on her face, but with closed eye lids, through which -tears were slowly trickling. - -"Oh, Miss Whipple, I should not have played so long," exclaimed the girl -remorsefully. "Perhaps I have made you feel sad." - -"No, no, my child! Your playing has brightened me up." The invalid sat -up quickly, as she shamefacedly wiped away the stray tears. "Indeed, my -dear, I pay you a compliment when I cry, for if the music did not go -right to my heart the tears would not have come. No, I would never -regret being an old shut-in if I could hear music once in a while. But -that was a lovely little thing you played last; it is one of my -favorites." - -"Oh, I must try to get Janet to come down and play for you," cried -Nathalie with a relieved sigh, "for she is a _real_ musician, and plays -for us every evening as we sit on the veranda in the moonlight. But it -is getting late and I must go, for I have supper to get. When my boys -come, perhaps I shall have more time, for, you know, I am going to put -them through their paces and teach them to be helpful." - -After a hasty good-by, Nathalie was hurrying across the road, while -waving her hand to the sweet, patient face smiling at her from the -window. Some twenty minutes later she arrived at Seven Pillars, her eyes -happily aglow, as she told her mother of the readings to be, to help -lighten the burdens of her new friend, the shut-in. - -Several days later Nathalie, with her mother, walked slowly down the -garden-path, with its border of oldtime hollyhocks and peonies and white -stones, to the gate-posts. A step or two, and they stood before the door -of the little red house, as the girl, with pleased eyes, cried, "Well, -mother, she's in, for I saw her sitting at the window as we came up the -path, so we can get this ordeal over." - -But unfortunately she reckoned without her host, for although they -knocked and knocked, Nathalie even pounding on the door with her -parasol-handle, for she had planned to take a walk after the call, no -one came to the door. After a time she peered at the window, but some -one had drawn the shades down so that nothing was to be seen. - -"Mother, she is _so angry_ she just won't let us in," cried the young -caller with flushed cheeks. "Oh, I think she must be a very disagreeable -old lady, and I do not think there is any use in trying to be nice to -her." - -Mrs. Page had evidently come to the same conclusion, so they slowly -turned and retraced their steps back to the house, and in a short space -she was seated on the veranda with her darning, as Nathalie started for -a walk. As she passed the red house, and caught sight of the -silver-haired old lady knitting at the window she quickly turned her -head away, determined to ignore her in the future. "And so this is the -end of our acquaintance with our next-door neighbor," she mused -ruefully, as she passed on down the road. "Well, it certainly did not -prove very progressive. Of course I don't really care,--she's just an -old lady,--but still I do wish Cynthia Loretto had stayed up in her old -studio, and not made trouble for us by her unkind ways." - - - - - CHAPTER XI - - THE RIDE THROUGH THE NOTCH - - -Notwithstanding that the inmates of Seven Pillars were neighbored by a -disagreeable old lady, as Nathalie had mentally dubbed the occupant of -the red house, the time passed pleasantly to the girl, although she had -days when she longed to see Helen, to open her heart to her in -confidential mood. But the lonesomeness gradually lessened, occupied as -she was with her manifold household cares, her exploring trips, her -visits to the Sweet-Pea ladies, and the sometime prowl for the -mysterious _It_. To her satisfaction she soon found that by hurrying a -little over her morning tasks, she not only had time to read to her -friend, and to help Mona at her work, but that she did not have to miss -her walks. - -She finally succeeded in getting Janet to go with her to the tea-house, -and that volatile young woman was so won by the charming personality of -the invalid, and the sweet patience of Mona, that she not only played -during her call, but made arrangements to come down twice a week and -give them a musical afternoon, to the great joy of the invalid. - -On one of these days a party of ladies from the Hotel Look-off, out for -an afternoon constitutional, dropped in for a rest and a cup of tea. -They were so pleased that they told others about these musical -afternoons, so it soon became quite the fashionable thing to drop in at -the Sweet-Pea Tea-House, especially on Wednesdays and Saturdays. On -these days a score of ladies, old and young, could frequently be seen -having a social chat over the teacups, while listening to some popular -ragtime air, or a classic from one of the old composers, while knitting -for the soldiers. - -There had been one unpleasant occurrence that had jarred Nathalie -extremely, and that was that Cynthia Loretto, when she learned of the -Sweet-Pea ladies and the musical afternoons, was quite insistent that -Blue Robin take some of her paintings and etchings down, and hang them -up so that they could be seen, in the hope of making a sale. - -Nathalie, at first, had refused to accede to this request, and then she -began to argue with her conscience, giving for her refusal many reasons -that only existed in her imagination. Finally, Mrs. Page, with her -motherly intuition, perceiving that her daughter was at war with her -better self, one day led the conversation to the subject, by saying that -she thought it was almost pathetic the way Cynthia yearned to make money -so she could marry Mr. Buddie. - -"You must remember, daughter," she persuaded, after listening to the -girl's objections in regard to the paintings, "that even if you are not -attracted to Cynthia, she has feelings, hopes, and disappointments as -well as you. Some day, perhaps, you may be old and alone in the world -with your living to earn, and will be almost willing to make a bore of -yourself if you can only earn a little money so as to give yourself some -pleasure." Nathalie made no reply, but somehow she began to question if -she were really trying to live up to her motto to be helpful and kind, -or was it just a _make-believe_ thing with her, as she called it. The -next day she reluctantly broached the subject to Miss Whipple, and, to -her surprise, found that she would be very pleased to have the paintings -and etchings on the wall. "The room really needs papering," the lady -explained, "and they will help to hide such disfigurements as stains and -tack-holes on the faded paper." This conclusion settled the matter very -satisfactorily to Cynthia, and made Nathalie rejoice that she had, after -all, come out conqueror in her fight with self. - -The girl had begun to wonder why she did not hear from Mrs. Van Vorst as -to when her boys were coming, when a letter arrived. To her great joy it -announced that they would be due at the Sugar Hill station the following -Saturday, as they would leave New York in the White Mountain express, -probably reaching their destination about seven in the evening. - -Nathalie was somewhat disappointed that the boys were not to go on to -the Littleton station, where Mr. Banker had planned to meet them. But -alas, she could not ask him to come all the way over to the Sugar Hill -station, and then, too, she knew that he and his wife generally took -little outings through the mountains every week-end. - -Deeply perplexed, she pondered over the matter with no little anxiety, -and then suddenly it came to her that she would see if Miss Whipple -would not let her hire her machine, and then go for the boys herself. -She had learned to know the mountain roads in riding with Jakes when he -went to the different hotels to deliver the sweet peas. He had often let -her drive, as she had previously learned to handle a car from her many -rides with Grace, and had even secured a license through the insistence -of her friend. - -Hurrying through her work, she hastened down to the tea-house, where she -found the two ladies in a state of unusual excitement, for Jakes, Miss -Whipple explained, was quite ill, and they were at a loss as to how they -were to get their flowers to the various hotels the following day. And -the Profile House had sent in a special order, for there was to be some -kind of a festivity there that evening, and they wanted the bunches of -sweet peas for prizes. - -"Oh, don't worry over that," cried the girl quickly, as she perceived -their distress, "for I can deliver the flowers for you. I can drive and -I know the roads, for I have been about so much with Jakes and Mr. -Banker." - -After some little hesitation the two ladies consented that Nathalie -should deliver the flowers, insisting, however, in return for her -kindness to them, that she should have the car for her own use in the -afternoon, to drive to the station for the boys. - -To Nathalie it was quite a new experience, to get up in the cool gray of -early dawn, dress hurriedly, swallow a hasty breakfast,--her mother was -to act as housekeeper for the day,--and then hurry down to the -tea-house. It did not take her long to load the car with its flowery -burden, and then she was speeding through Sugar Hill village, and on to -the Long Green Path, as she called the road through the woods that led -to Seven Pillars and Franconia. The air was so cool from the moisture of -the night dew that still lay in glistening gems and silvery cobwebs on -the hilly greens, the leaves, ferns, and wild flowers, and bracing from -the ozone of the mountain breezes that heralded the new-born day, that -the girl's pulses throbbed with buoyant exhilaration. - -There was a moment's stop at Seven Pillars for Janet, who had consented -to accompany her, and then they were off, Nathalie happily waving her -hand to Sam as he came through the pasture with the cows. A few moments -later they were whirling past Roslinwood Farm, with its big white barn, -and then past a long, low, white-gabled, red-chimneyed building, with -the old-time hostelry sign, "Peckett's on Sugar Hill," swinging from its -porte-cochere, with its flower-garden, riotous with many-colored blooms, -across the road, almost under the shadow of Garnet's sloping meadow. - -Now they were flying down the long sloping hill, around the tiny white -schoolhouse at the cross-roads, and then they were passing Garnet's -grassy hillside, as it nodded a greeting to its taller fellows, the -Franconia Range, that towered on the girls' right. Its verdant meadows -were squared with cobble-stone ledges, and awave with the glossy plumage -of stately trees, as it rose upward from the road, until its slope was -lost in a tangle of feathery treetops which crowned its summit like a -cap of green. - -"The Echoes," a homey little hotel nestling at the base of the green -hill, with its square white tower, peeped picturesquely from the -protecting sweep of graceful willows and silvery poplars. Here they had -a magnificent view of the mountains as they rose from their mists of -gray, their rugged crests, spires, and domes sharply outlined against a -glorious riot of sunrise color. - -Lafayette, the king of the range, towered his grizzly head in blue-hazed -grandeur far upward, standing like some giant up from the mists that -covered the valleys below like a silver lake, while Lincoln's rounded -summit, with its twin slides, was almost hidden by trailing wreaths of -pearly gray. The gaps between the Sleeping Infant, sharp-peaked -Garfield, the North and South Twins, and the Sleeping Giant, were so -thickly silvered with mist that the peaks of these mountains looked like -islets of green on a shimmering gray sea, with their tops scarfed with -pink and violet streaks, that floated mistily against the golden -splendor, reflected from the crimson-hued ball in the east. - -Directly before them rose the undulating slope of Breakneck Hill, bowing -in gentle humility to the more rugged beauty of the lofty range -opposite, while between the widening gap, far in the distance, loomed -the Presidential Range, their tops white-wreathed with cloud. Mount -Washington, with majestic stateliness, soared far above his comrades, -while the smaller mountains below and on the left, scattered here and -there through the cleft between the two ranges, gleamed gray, purple, -and pink, as they peered at them from their hoods of gray. - -It was a swift whirl down the half-mile hill, and then they were passing -through the little mountain village of Franconia, with its white -cottages, its stone sidewalks, its beautiful Gale River, with its -bush-fringed banks and little stone tower, surrounded by level stretches -of green pasture-land, merging into the low foothills that skirted the -higher range. It was a wonderful ride through that five-mile Notch, in -the glint of the rose-tipped sunlight, with the ever-changing flash from -one mountain-picture to another, each one gripping you with the witchery -of the illusive charm of Nature in her varying moods, now frolicsome, -gay, or blithe, or strangely stilled in the grandeur of a sunrise calm. - -As the girl came down the steps of the Profile House, her first -stopping-place, she paused a moment and peered up at Eagle Cliff, a -precipitous wall of rock opposite, rising to the height of fifteen -hundred feet above the road. It was thickly set with evergreens, -climbing birches, maples, and spruces, and intermingled with patches of -a softer green, from where purple-tinted bits of rock, like giant's -eyes, looked down upon the wayfarers that traversed the road beneath. - -Nathalie had heard that the cliff had received its name from the "Arabs -of the air," which at one time had lodged in its airy heights. But -evidently they had long since departed, and after a disappointed glance, -as her eyes swept the tall steeps, she rejoined Janet in the car, and -was soon guiding it through the green-wooded road to her next -halting-place, some few miles beyond. - -This was the Flume House, a long, low, yellow building, grouped about -with mountain crags,--the gateway to the Flume, a remarkable fissure in -Liberty Mountain, over fifty feet deep, and several hundred long, where -an ice-cold cascade dashed with snowy spray, to flow in more quiet mood -over ledges of granite rocks between perpendicular walls. - -After leaving their flowers at the office the girls started on their -homeward way. The distance was soon traversed as they chattered of the -scene before them, sometimes hushed into stillness by the sudden -surprise of some wonderful trick of Nature as they flew swiftly past. - -As they reached the little schoolhouse at the crossroads Janet descended -from the car to walk up the hill to the house, while Nathalie continued -on her way. She had soon passed the artist's bungalow, with its studio, -on her left, and Hildreth's maple-sugar farm, with its big barn, coming -out shortly at the little red Episcopal church, with the deserted, -falling-to-pieces hotel, the Marimonte, just beyond on a knoll. - -It did not take her long to ascend the long hilly slope to the Hotel -Look-off, where a basket of sweet peas were left, and then she had swung -her car around and was speeding down the declivity to the Sunset Hill -House, where she again brought her car to a halt. - -As she neared the big entrance-door, heavily burdened with her flowers, -she came face to face with her two New York friends, who were sauntering -carelessly from the office, evidently having lingered over a late -breakfast. As the girl sighted the familiar faces she forgot their -apparent slight of a few days before and nodded pleasantly, her cheeks -dimpling with pleasure. But, to her surprise, a rigid stare was their -only response to her greeting, and, with a sudden start of shocked -dismay, the girl hastened past them into the office, where she was -relieved of her flowers by one of the bell-boys. - -Smarting from the rankle of the insult, but still dazed at the -suddenness of it, she walked slowly down to the car and mechanically -stepped into it. As she glided down the road she sat stiff and erect, -her mind apparently on the steering-wheel, although in reality her -senses were in a maze of dumb bewilderment. - -A half-hour later, after running the car into the stable, for she was to -use it again later, she made her way into the house, up to her room, and -to her closet. Here, with her face buried in the blackness of hanging -skirts and coats, she stood silently for a few moments, trying to argue -herself out of the hurt feeling that would not be downed. - -"Oh, what a little ninny I am," she exclaimed at last. "_What do I care_ -if they did give me the 'go by,' as Dick says." She gave a half laugh, -that quickly merged into a long sigh as the thought came, that, after -all, the girls had not really hurt her as much as they had hurt -themselves. "No, I will not allow myself," she closed her mouth -determinedly, "to be so small as to let it hurt me any more." - -She had a very restful afternoon, with a good long nap, and a nice time -reading out in the hammock, and then, a little before six, she set out -on her ride to the station in a tense state of expectancy, for she was -anxious to see her Liberty boys, as she had elected to call them. - -The drive was a delightful one after the burden and heat of the day, and -she bowled swiftly along, slackening her speed every now and then to -admire an unusually fine landscape view, or the golden, violet-tinted -clouds that drifted up from the west. She had just turned into her last -lap, as she called it, for she knew that she must be very near the -station, when, with a sudden skidding motion, her car came to a -standstill. She got out and cranked it, but although there was plenty of -gasoline still on hand, it refused to go. She poked about, here and -there, to see what had caused the stoppage, but although she cleaned out -her carburetor and saw that her spark-plugs were all right, she failed -to discover what was wrong. Her heart began to beat feverishly, for she -was well aware that, although she could drive a car, in reality she knew -little about its mechanism, and therefore could not remedy any very -serious trouble. She got down and crawled under the car, to examine -first one part and then another, but alas! it was exasperatingly -useless, for she could see nothing wrong, and she finally crawled out -again, covered with dust and grime. At this moment she heard the -far-distant whistle of an oncoming locomotive, realizing with a pang of -despair, that it was the White Mountain express, and that she would not -be at the station to meet the boys. - -Suddenly her face gleamed hopefully, for at that moment she heard the -near hum of an automobile, and the next second saw it whirl around the -curve in the road. "Oh, perhaps it will be a man who can help me," -quickly flashed through her mind, as she peered intently at the nearing -car. And then she almost laughed aloud from sheer joy, for, yes, the car -was driven by a man, who, with one quick glance at the girl's flushed -face, and the stranded vehicle, brought his car to a standstill and -jumped quickly out. - -As the man came towards the girl, who had begun to pleadingly explain -her mishap, and the hurry she was in, Nathalie caught her breath with a -startled gasp, as she suddenly was made aware that he was the bold-eyed -man who had accosted her in the post-office a week or so before, and who -had spoken to her near the cemetery. But she was so distressed and -fearful that she would miss the boys--poor little things, what would -they do if there was no one there to meet them!--that this fact was -submerged in the greatness of her need. - -In a moment or so she had regained her customary poise, as the young -man, after a cursory glance over the machine, discovered what was wrong. -Ah, it was a short-circuit. With a wrench he took from his pocket, he -soon adjusted the difficulty, and then turned smilingly towards the -girl, and with another of his bold stares assured her that her car was -all right. - -Nathalie involuntarily stepped back, and then, half ashamed of her -timidity when the man had been so kind, cried hastily: "Oh, I am so much -obliged to you! I do not know what I should have done, if you had not -come along. Thank you, very much," she ended abruptly, then, pleading -that she must hurry, she cranked her car, and, with a little stiff bow, -stepped into it, and a moment later was whirling down the road. - -But she had not gotten rid of her helper as quickly as she thought, for -it was only a second, as it seemed to her, when, on turning her head as -she heard the throb of a machine in her rear, she saw, with a sudden -qualm of fear, that the man was following her. "Oh why does he do that?" -she thought in nervous apprehension. "Yes, he must be following me," she -mentally decided, "for he was going in the opposite direction when I -hailed him." - -But sensibly determining to pay no attention to him, she kept on her -way, although an aggravating dread assailed her that she could not -account for, that the man might waylay, and try to rob her, the bold -glance of his eyes having filled her with a feeling of distrust. - -Ah, she was at the station. As she glided up to the little wooden -platform she peered anxiously around, but no one was in sight. Bringing -her car to a halt, she jumped hastily out and scurried around to the -other side of the platform, only to see the ticket-agent locking up the -waiting-room, as he prepared to depart on his nightly journey home, as -the station was only open for certain trains. - -"Did you see any little boys get off the White Mountain express?" -inquired the girl breathlessly. - -"Why, yes," replied the man, as he slipped the door-key into his pocket, -"I saw three,--no, four boys. They waited around here for some time, and -then they went away. They looked like foreigners; one little chap must -have been an Italian, for he carried a violin under his arm, and wore a -queer embroidered vest." - -"Did you notice in what direction they went?" cried the girl, while a -chilled feeling swept over her as to the fate of the boys. Oh, suppose -they should get lost in those mountain woods! - -No, the man had not noticed, and Nathalie with a dejected attitude, -turned away, nervously wondering what to do, and where to look. Well, -she must do something, for those boys must have been the ones Mrs. Van -Vorst had sent to her. Once more she was in her car, and then, in sudden -desperation, she determined to try every road in succession,--for there -were several leading from the station,--until she found them, for surely -they could not have gone very far, as they were walking. Buoyed with -this thought, she plunged into the graying shadows of the road nearest -to her, dimly conscious that the bold-eyed man in the automobile, who -had been circling around the little square of green in front of the -station, was close behind her. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - - NATHALIE'S LIBERTY BOYS - - -On and on she rode, peering through the gloaming until her eyes ached, -ever conscious of the "throb, throb," of the car directly behind her. -What a mistake, she thought dismally, to have ventured on these lonely -roads alone. And, O dear! how her mother would worry when she failed to -arrive home on time. - -Suddenly she stopped and stared fixedly through the gray light, and then -her heart leaped, for down the road a little distance, trudging slowly -and uncertainly beside the mountain-ditch, were four little figures. Oh, -they must be those boys, but she had sent for only three. - -With a glad thrill of hope urging her forward, the machine responded to -her touch, and in a moment she had reached the boys, one of whom, at the -sound of the oncoming car, had swung around, and was staring at her with -large, liquid brown eyes. The girl suddenly decided that he must be the -Italian lad, who the ticket-agent had said wore an embroidered vest, and -carried a violin under his arm. Yes, there was the violin! - -Nathalie brought her car to a sudden stop, and called out, "Hello there, -boys; hello!" - -At the sound of the girl's call all four swung about and faced her, -while a boyish, gruff voice answered: "Hello yourself. What do you -want?" - -Nathalie laughed happily, for a sudden intuition told her that her -search was over. And then she said: "Why, I am looking for some little -boys, who were to have come from New York on the White Mountain express. -Are you the ones?" - -A chorus of trebles piped excitedly, "Yes, mum; we comed off the train," -while the tallest lad, to whom a smaller child of six or seven was -nervously clinging, stepped forward. As he lifted his ragged cap he -cried politely, "Be you Miss Nathalie Page?" The girl, as she stared -down at the questioner, saw a close-cropped head of reddish hair, and a -freckled face of an unhealthy pallor, from which two sharp blue eyes -were anxiously peering. - -"Yes, I'm Miss Nathalie Page," responded the girl, with a note of relief -in her voice, not only glad that she had found the boys, but at the -sudden thought that her tormentor would now let her alone, for, with -four boys to keep her company, he would not dare to molest her. - -"I'm awfully sorry not to have met you at the station," she went on -regretfully, "but something happened to my machine and I was detained on -the road. But I did not know that there would be four of you," she added -a little doubtfully. But before she could finish her sentence, the lad -who had constituted himself the spokesman for the group, silently handed -her a letter. - -Nathalie tore it open, and then hastily read it. She was so excited, -however, by the many events that had crowded one upon the other that she -did not sense its full meaning. Recognizing the signature, "Elizabeth -Van Vorst," she cried hastily, "Well, it's all right, boys; jump into -the car," as she stuffed the letter into the pocket of her coat. -Nathalie immediately saw that a second invitation would not be needed, -as the boys made a wild lunge forward, scrambling and pushing each -other, as if to see which one would get there first, all but the little -chap, who stood whimpering by the side of the car. - -"Now, boys, no pushing or pulling," cried Nathalie with a laugh in her -voice, "for there's plenty of room, and you're all going home with me. -But here, you big one, get out and put that little kid up by me, for the -poor tot must be hungry and tired." - -"Sure, he is, Miss," replied the older lad, who evidently was his -brother, jumping down and lifting him up into the seat by Nathalie, -despite his kicks and protests that he wanted to sit with Danny. - -"Ah, there, kid," coaxed the bigger boy softly, "don't be a girl. Show -you're a boy. Sit up there nice-like. Sure the leddy won't eat yer." -This suggestion of being a girl had a magical effect upon the child, for -he immediately ceased to whimper, and settled back in the seat with a -repressed sniffle. - -Nathalie turned the car around,--the man who had been following her had -long since disappeared in the darkness,--and was soon speeding towards -home. She glanced every now and then at the three figures on the back -seat, who sat as still as three blind mice, snuggling up to each other -for warmth, while the little chap at her side clutched her frantically -as he lurched forward every time the car swung around a corner, or -bumped over a "thank-you-ma'am." - -"Here, kiddie," cried the girl presently, suddenly looking down at the -child, whose big, reddish-brown eyes were staring up at her half -fearfully from out of a wan, white face. "Put your head on my lap! -There, that's it," as the child, to her surprise snuggled up to her, and -then silently obeyed. "Now look up," she added laughingly, "and count -the stars." - -Although this injunction brought forth a chuckle from the back seat, it -sufficed to keep the little one quiet, and the girl, as she drove -rapidly on, could hear him droning, "One, two, three,--" until, with a -drowsy little sigh, the counting ceased, and the girl saw that he was -asleep. - -It was almost nine o'clock when Nathalie whirled under the dimly burning -lantern of the porte-cochere at Seven Pillars, where, on the veranda, -Janet and her mother were anxiously watching for her. - -"Oh, Nathalie, I have been so worried about you," began her mother -plaintively. "I will never let you go off this way again." But her -lamentations were cut short as her daughter cried, "Oh, it's all right, -mumsie; something happened to the car and detained me. But do help me -get these hungry boys into the house, for the poor things are just dead -with the long ride and for something to eat." - -Several minutes later, as the girl came hurrying from the kitchen, where -she had been to see if the boys' supper was ready, she found them lined -up in the hall, four pathetically weary little figures. Their pale faces -were smeared with railroad dust, and their foreheads oozed perspiration, -but their eyes were bright and expectantly keen, on the alert for the -something good that they knew was coming. - -As her eyes swept smilingly down the line, the smile suddenly wavered, -as her glance was arrested by the thin, emaciated face of a strange -grayish whiteness,--of a peasant lad, who, bewildered with dumb -amazement, was staring at her with a dogged look, his dark eyes haunted, -as it were, by an expression of fear. - -He was huddling something in his right arm, a yellowish-brown thing that -squirmed and twisted uneasily, while the left sleeve of his soiled -shirt-waist, strapped with one suspender, was pinned to his shoulder in -an empty, flat way that was infinitely pathetic, for the little lad had -only one arm! - -The girl stared back at the boy with a suppressed cry, as into memory -flashed the many stories she had heard of the Belgian and French -children who had been so mercilessly ill-treated and maimed by the -German soldiers. Oh, this must be one of those refugees. Yes, she dimly -remembered now, seeing the word "Belgian" in Mrs. Van Vorst's letter, -which she had read so quickly. With sudden effort, her natural -kindliness coming to her aid, she smiled into the fear-haunted eyes, -crying gently, as she softly touched him on the one arm, "Is that your -dog? Oh, I love dogs. What is his name?" - -A sudden flash of joyful relief radiated from the boy's face, -momentarily driving away that dulled, cowlike bewilderment from his -eyes. It was a look that caused Nathalie's heart to quiver with pain, -for it was the look of some dumb animal that had been wantonly punished -or brutally hurt by the hand it loved; a look that haunted her for many -days, constantly urging her to try and say something, or do something, -so as to drive it away. - -The next moment a little yellow-brown terrier was crouching on the floor -at his master's feet, while thumping the floor with his tail, and -licking his hand, then trying to crawl up his trousers' leg, as if to -get back to the shelter of that one lonely arm. - -[Illustration: "Is that your dog? Oh, I love dogs!"--_Page 184_.] - -"Oh, the poor animal must be hungry," exclaimed Mrs. Page, just as the -boy had given his name as Tige. "But come, children," she added, "and -get your suppers; and the dog, too," patting the brown head of the -refugee, while a look of infinite pity shone from her kindly eyes. - -The boys needed no further urging, as Danny, with a wild hoot of -delight, yelled, "Come on, fellers; it's eats." And then, -notwithstanding Nathalie's well-laid plans that each one should have a -good wash-up before eating, they made a straight run for the kitchen. - -Here they were soon putting down everything in sight in a way that -almost frightened the girl, as she suddenly realized the care and -responsibility she had taken upon herself. And that _one-armed boy_! O -dear! she had never thought of such a thing as _that_. - -But if they didn't have their wash before supper, they had it very soon -after, as the girl marched each one separately to the washbowl in the -bathroom, and, after making him duck his head in the water, proceeded to -give it a vigorous shampoo, notwithstanding sundry squirms and twists, -for Nathalie believed in taking things by the forelock, and they just -_must be clean_. - -Then the scrubbed one, after being supplied with towels and soap, was -informed that he must give himself a good scrubbing in the tub, and if -he failed to do it properly, he would have to do it all over again. -Nathalie's somewhat severe admonition was met with stony silence on the -part of her victims, unless it was a rather loud, "Gee whiz, fellers; -here's me for a swim!" that involuntarily escaped Danny, the older boy, -when he found himself before the well-filled bath-tub. - -When it came to the little chap's turn, Nathalie's young heart revolted -at letting him go through the washing process all by himself, as he was -so little, tired, and sleepy, so she said that she would give him his -bath. To her surprise he began to whimper, while his older brother -protested most vehemently that he could bathe him. - -"Oh, no," returned the young lady decidedly; and a few moments later her -charge was standing in the bath-tub, ready for his scrubbing, Nathalie -meanwhile talking to him gently, as if to quiet his fears. - -Some time later, with a red, heated face, the young girl emerged from -the room, dragging a little white-robed figure by the hand, whose face -was, strange to say, wreathed in dimples. "Here, dear, you get into Miss -Natty's bed," said the girl, leading the child into her room, "and -brother will stay with you until I return," motioning to Danny, who had -been waiting outside the bathroom, with a strange, worried look on his -face. - -"Oh, mother," exclaimed Nathalie a moment later, as she came rushing out -to the porch. "What do you think? Oh, I never was so surprised in my -life!" - -"Why, Nathalie, what is the matter with you?" ejaculated Janet, as she -placed her arm caressingly around the girl. "You are as white as a -ghost, and you're all of a tremble." - -"Oh, I've had such a scare,--such a _terrible_ surprise," stammered the -girl. And then she broke into a little laugh as she cried: "Oh, mother, -you know the littlest chap? Well, he isn't a boy at all; he's a girl!" - -"A girl!" echoed three voices simultaneously, and then Mrs. Page gave a -laugh, a laugh in which every one joined. - -It did not take Nathalie long to relate her experiences in the bathroom, -and then she remarked: "I wonder if Mrs. Van Vorst knew he was a girl. -It's awfully funny. Oh, I'll read her letter again." - -The next moment, with the letter opened before her, she was slowly -reading aloud: - - "Dear Nathalie: - - "I am sending you four boys instead of three. The fourth lad is - a one-armed Belgian refugee, and his story is so pitiful I am - sure, when you come to learn it, you will be glad I sent him to - you. A Buffalo lady sent word to the Belgian Relief Committee - that she would take one of a number of refugees recently arrived - from France. But when she found that the poor lad had been - mutilated by the Germans, her heart weakened. She claimed that - she could not stand unpleasant things--what about the sufferings - of the boy?--and returned him to the committee. - - "A member of the committee, hearing that I was looking for some - boys, and being greatly distressed over the cruelty of the case, - begged me to send him to you, if only for a little while, so as - to give them a chance to place him later. I, of course, will be - responsible for any expense he will be to you. I am sorry, but I - had no opportunity to clothe him. He seems a strange, docile - child. I think he is still living in the horrors of hell, from - those terrible eyes of his. Oh, it is heart-breaking, but I know - that you love children, dear, and I am sure that you are just - the one to bring something of the child in him back to his face - again. - - "His story is one of many. His village was overrun by the German - soldiery, and the brave little lad, while trying to defend his - mother from the atrocity of a German officer, was bayoneted, and - finally lost his arm. His mother was carried away into Germany, - but the boy believes her dead. I will not tell you the rest of - the story, for some day he may want to unburden his child mind - and tell you his pitiful take himself. His little yellow dog has - been his comrade through all of his weary wanderings, the _only - thing_ that remains to him of his once happy home, and no one - had the heart to take it from him. - - "The Italian lad was found wandering in the streets on the East - Side, making an effort to support himself by playing on his - violin, as his aged grandfather,--he seems to have been an - orphan,--who was a hurdy-gurdy man, had just died. The two - brothers were found living in a cellar, where Danny, the older - one, had been trying to support his brother, after the death of - the aged woman who had had charge of them. He sold papers, but, - when sick and unable to do so, was found half-starved in the - cellar. It is hoped that the bracing breezes of the mountain - air, with good healthy food, will make new children of these - boys. - - "Dear Nathalie, if you could only realize the bigness of the - work you have undertaken in taking these slum children into a - wonder-land of healthy living, the beauties and wonders of which - will mean to them a new and glorified world. God bless you, - dear, is all I can say and pray. - - "Your friend, - "Elizabeth Van Vorst." - -"No, this letter proves that Mrs. Van Vorst did not know that the child -was a girl," said Nathalie, as she tucked the letter in her shirt-waist. -"But, mother, what _shall_ I do about it?" she continued, in such a -dejected voice that her mother burst out laughing. - -"Don't do anything about it, daughter," Mrs. Page replied, still -laughing. "A girl is as good as a boy any day, and we will just set to -work, this very minute, and rig up some clothes from some of your old -things, for the child to wear." - -"Oh, I think she will make a lovely girl, with those great brown eyes of -hers," cried Janet, enthusiastically. "And she has dimples, too. I know -we can make the sweetest thing of her, and--" - -But Nathalie didn't wait to hear the rest. She was so overjoyed to think -it had turned out all right, that she was in a hurry to reassure Danny, -whom she realized had been greatly worried over the circumstance. But -how did they come to dress the child as a boy? she queried as she -hurried into the room, where the now little girl had fallen fast asleep -in Nathalie's bed, while her brother watched beside her with a white, -frightened face. - -"Tell me, Danny," inquired Nathalie gently, as she laid her hand on the -boy's head, "how did you come to make a boy of your sister?" - -A quick sob broke from the lad. And then, with a stiffening of his chin, -as if with the resolution that he would not give way, while furtively -wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he told how, when Granny -Maguire died, and his little sister's clothes, after a time, wore out, -he had been compelled to clothe her in his cast-off rags, because he had -no others, and he didn't know where to get them. - -"She didn't like it no way at first," the lad's blue eyes twinkled, "but -she got kind o' used to it, an' then I promised that when she growed big -I'd let her be a girl. And whin the leddy that does the settlement work -comed round and wanted me to go ter the country I couldn't leave the -kid, and when she said he could come too, I didn't squeal on meself, but -jest kept mumlike, for they wouldn't have let her come wid me if they -knowed she was a girl. Sure, marm, we'll have ter wait till morning to -go back," the lad tried to steady his voice, "fur the boss wid the brass -buttons on the train told me there ain't no train till then. Can we walk -to the station, do yer think?" he inquired pleadingly. - -"But you're not going back, Danny," replied Nathalie. "You're going to -stay right here with me, as long as you're good and mind me. It doesn't -make a bit of difference if your sister is not a boy. I wrote for three -boys, for I thought boys could take care of themselves in a way. Then, -as we have no servants here, and I get tired sometimes with so much to -do, I thought that boys would be more of a help. But we'll dress your -sister as a girl, and--Oh, don't cry, Danny," for the boy had turned his -head aside, and was silently struggling with his sobs. - -But they were sobs of joy, as Nathalie soon discovered, as, with a final -shake of his thin shoulders, he faced about and cried: "Oh, thank you, -ma'am. No, I ain't no blubberin' calf, but sure I just couldn't let the -kid go back alone--and--But Gee, leddy, it sure is heaven up here with -these big hills--and the green trees--and the flowers--And, leddy," he -pulled at Nathalie's sleeve as she turned to go away, "I kin be a sight -o' help ter yer, for I knows how to wash dishes, and I kin cook too, a -good bit." - -"Oh, that will be just fine, Danny," enthused Nathalie, "for I am wild -to have a man chef, and I'll let you wash all the dishes you want to, -for that's a job I hate. And, Danny," said the girl, patting the boy's -shoulder gently, "we are going to make it as near like Heaven up here as -we can. But come, son, you must be tired." And then she led the boy -up-stairs to the upper floor, where, in a large corner-room, she had -taken the other boys, who were undressed and ready to tumble into the -three beds. - -After directing Danny to sleep in the double bed, as he was the largest, -so that each one of the smaller boys could have a bed to himself, she -showed them the closet and how to hang up their clothes,--what little -they had, they had brought tied up in handkerchiefs, or on their -backs,--she turned to go. "Yes, and you must be sure to get up, _every -one of you_, when you hear the big bell ring in the morning." - -She had reached the door, after bidding them goodnight, when a sudden -thought turned her back. And then Nathalie had her first solemn moments -with her boys, as she told each one that, before getting in bed, he must -say his prayers, so as to thank God for the good things that had been -given them that day. The little Italian lad immediately drew out his -rosary and began to say his beads, but Danny scratched his head in a -dubious sort of way, and mumbled that it was so long since he had said -his prayers that he couldn't remember what he was to say. - -But this forgetfulness on Danny's part was soon remedied, as the girl -made him kneel by her in the moonlight that streamed through the window, -and solemnly repeat, "Now I lay me down to sleep," adding a few words as -a suggestion to the boy as to what he should add to the prayer. Danny, -with a brighter face, now began to prepare for bed, and Nathalie, as she -again turned to leave the room, stopped to speak with the refugee. And -then the girl's eyes grew moist, for he had stolen into the darkest -corner of the room, and, with his one hand solemnly upraised, was -repeating a prayer softly to himself, while the little yellow cur stood -at attention by his side. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - - "THE MOUNTAINS WITH SNOWY FOREHEADS" - - -It was something of a surprise the next morning to Danny's companions, -to see a little maid, clothed and in her right mind, as Janet expressed -it, come shyly into the dining-room,--a little maid who bore a very -strong resemblance to the brown-eyed, curly-haired, whimpering little -lad of the day before. The black eyes of the Italian boy, Tony, widened, -and then, with a shy gleam of humor in their liquid depths, he nodded at -the little girl, crying under his breath, "Oh, Boy!" But the little maid -proved herself competent to manage the situation to her satisfaction, as -she quickly made a face at him, for which she was properly rebuked by -Nathalie, who, however, was on the verge of a laugh, while a ripple of -amusement gleamed in her mother's eyes. - -Jean, the Belgian refugee, stared with some perplexity at the small -girl, and did not comprehend the curious situation until the children -had left the breakfast-table, when Nathalie made it plain to him. - -The girl found that the morning hours were well-occupied, as she started -right in to put her boys through their paces, as she called her -drilling, so as to prepare them not only for a very happy, but a useful, -summer's stay. She had noticed, during the morning meal, that the -children, with ready sympathy for the maimed boy, had been rather -officious in trying to help him, and that his thin, sickly face had -flushed with embarrassment and over-sensitiveness at the fact that to -them he was an object of pity. - -Instantly divining how she would have felt under like circumstances, -Nathalie managed to get Danny and Tony together, when Mrs. Page, whose -mother-heart had gone out to the boy, had taken him down to the barn to -show him where he could keep his dog, and Janet had taken possession of -the little maid. - -In a few words she told them the tragic story of the Belgian, and, after -gaining their interest, made it clear to them how they themselves would -have felt if they had been different from their mates, and warned them -about being too open in their method of helping him. She suggested that -little acts of subtle kindness would be more appreciated, as they would -not offend his sensitiveness. - -Danny was now installed, with a big apron tied around his waist, in -front of the kitchen sink, taking his first lesson in Nathalie's method -of washing dishes, with Tony, the second helper, as the dish-dryer. -Divining that it would not only be better for Jean, the refugee, to have -employment so as to fill his mind with something besides his sad -experiences, and realizing that he would naturally want to do as the -other children, Nathalie made him her right-hand man, as she called it, -and showed him how he could assist her in a number of ways. In a few -moments he was laboriously carrying out, with one hand, the food to -Nathalie, who quickly placed it in the ice-box, or closet, while little -Sheila removed the soiled dishes to the kitchen, happy at being on the -job, as Danny said. - -From dish-washing, preparing the vegetables for dinner, sweeping the -kitchen and shed, and dusting the dining-room, it was bed-making. Jean -was made captain of the Working Squad, eager to help by doing what he -could with his one hand, while seeing that the boys did their work as -Nathalie had instructed them. - -Fortunately for Nathalie, she was a fair French scholar, and as the -Belgian lad had lived in one of the Walloon provinces, where French is -generally spoken, she had no difficulty in conversing with him. He could -speak a little English, but in a queer, hesitating way that made him shy -over it. - -When the morning duties were finished, and they were not done with a -magician's wand by any means, but with the exercise of great patience on -the part of their young instructor, and a good deal of drilling on the -children's part, they all hurried out into the sunshine. Here they raced -about, enjoying the fresh air, the green trees and the flowers, and the -beautiful mountain views, and then they made the acquaintance of Sam, -who not only introduced them to the fascinations of the barn,--as the -cows, pigs, and chickens, the soft cooing doves who flittered over the -barn-roof,--but to the one dray-horse. This animal proved a source of -unfeigned joy to the boys, as Sam taught them how to harness it, and -then allowed each one to ride it bareback, even Jean, whose pale face -glowed with a strange joy, as he held the reins with his one hand, and -rode up and down on the road in front of the house. - -From the barn there was an inspection of the farm, going down a green -slope to watch the sheep as they quietly browsed, and then on to the -orchard, where they had their fill of fruit, while in the vegetable -garden many hands proffered willing assistance to Nathalie, as she -gathered what was needed to replenish the vegetable larder. From here -they all trooped down to pay a visit to the farmerette, whereupon Janet -set them all to weeding. Strange to say, Jean pulled up the greatest -number, to Nathalie's surprise, who, by this time, began to understand -that real industry, even if one-handed, can accomplish a good deal. - -Finally Nathalie lined her charges up under the trees on the lawn at -attention, and undertook to teach them the military salute, but before -she was through she was somewhat puzzled as to whether she or the boys -was the instructor. After they had saluted the flag, which Sam had run -up on the top of the barn for that very purpose, and which was to be the -boys' duty in the future, they had a little soldier's drill. - -A few words were then read, very softly, by Nathalie from the Bible. She -had concluded that this would be a good way to give them a bit of -religious instruction, especially for a beginning. She had begun the -reading by getting them interested in the book, on whose fly-leaf was -written the name, Philip Renwick, by telling them how she had found it -in a little room on the upper floor of the house. She then told them -about this boy who had left his mother to travel abroad, how he had -married, and had then come home, only to leave his mother and return to -Europe, never to be seen by her again. They were much interested in the -story, especially when she showed them the picture of the young man in -the library, and from that time onward the little Bible seemed to -possess a peculiar interest to them, and thus led them to become more -interested in the every-day Scripture lesson. - -After the "Star-Spangled Banner" and several patriotic songs had been -sung, and the "Marseillaise" had been given with much spirit by the -boys, Janet, who had just come up from her farm, appeared, and -patriotically kept time with her rake. She became so interested in the -little singers that she volunteered, to Nathalie's delight, to drill -them in the national anthems of the Allies. - -Whereupon Jean, with a new eagerness in his bewildered eyes, up with his -hand, and made Nathalie understand that he could sing, too. Nathalie -smilingly encouraged him, and in a few moments the lad's thin, quavering -voice, that grew deeper as he caught the spirit of the words, gave them -Belgium's song of cheer. This inspired Tony, and he became the soloist, -and sang Italy's national anthem. - -There was a "do-as-you-please time" after dinner down on the lawn for an -hour or so, and then the boys were mustered in the bathroom and -initiated as to how to manipulate a tooth-brush, in a tooth-cleaning -drill, Nathalie having supplied herself with three new brushes in -anticipation of this procedure. Sheila, who was not one of the -drillers,--only three brushes having been provided,--looked with envious -eyes upon this performance, and, when Danny had finished, in a -plaintively aggrieved voice complained to their young teacher that he -would not let her have his brush so that she could clean her teeth, too. - -Explanations were now in order. Nathalie smiling amusedly at the idea of -loaning a tooth-brush, and then they were all made as presentable as -possible, considering their ragged clothes, which had begun to prey upon -Mrs. Page's mind, as well as Nathalie's. But the clothes part was -something that had not presented itself to the girl when she had planned -the boys' coming, and she was at a loss to remedy the trouble. - -Certainly something must be done to do away with Tony's old velveteen -embroidered vest, his greatest treasure, and Jean's soiled white shirt, -which seemed to be the only one he possessed. Danny's clothes, although -they had been queerly darned and glaringly patched, and were miles too -small for him, _were clean_, and he did have a change of underclothing, -to Nathalie's relief. - -However, the general shabbiness of the boys' apparel had not affected -their merry spirits, the girl decided, as she sat knitting on the -veranda, and heard the happy, joyous voices that floated up from the -lawn, as they played leap-frog, ran races, and turned handsprings. Even -Jean, caught by the contagion of the moment, turned a somersault, to her -breathless amazement. - -She was beginning to realize what Mrs. Van Vorst meant when she spoke of -what the glorious wonders of these mountains would mean to the half-fed, -sickly little waifs of humanity from the East Side of New York. Yes, it -meant a new world, with no more squalid, stifling two-by-two rooms, or -damp, moldy cellars. No more nauseating smells, odors from the backyard -garbage-can, the rattlety-bang of heavy trucks and milk-wagons, or the -jarring creak of the Elevated. For, as Sheila expressed it, they were in -a "big green world, with high blue walls, with flower stars a-peepin' at -'em from the grass, and little teeny birds a-singin' and rockin' their -babies to sleep in tall trees, that nodded to 'em with a swishy -whisper." - -Suddenly the serenity of Nathalie's cogitations received a shock, as a -horrible swear-word came, no, not floating, but yelling, its way across -the green. The girl jumped up and rushed down under the trees, to see -Tony, with his soft, appealing ways, and Danny, with the blue eyes that -she had already begun to trust for the frankness of their gaze, rolling -on the lawn, locked in a vice-like grip, as they pommeled and pounded -each other in a way that made Nathalie gasp. - -Sheila, with squeals of delighted glee, was circling about the -combatants, piping shrilly. "Give 'im a plug in the snoot, Danny! Pound -'im in the mug!" to the accompaniment of big, forceful oaths that rolled -from the mouths of the fighting boys. As the little maid sighted -Nathalie, she ejaculated, with a broad grin, "Ain't them kids fierce!" -which caused poor Nathalie to gasp again. - -"Oh, boys, you mustn't fight!" the agonized girl cried, as she reached -down and tried to separate the young pugilists, with her limbs all of a -tremble. But her efforts were useless, and, regardless of her screams -and expostulations, the punching and scratching continued, punctuated by -defiant yells, and such horrifying language that the girl shivered. - -As she stared as if fascinated by this new and revolting experience, she -saw a little trickle of blood oozing down Danny's face, for Tony, who -was the underdog, was an expert at nail-digging. It was a _fearsome_ -sight, and Nathalie, appalled by the thought that he might dig out an -eye or so in his blinded wrath, in frenzied horror screamed, "Oh, Tony, -you're killing Danny!" But the only result of her cry was, "Yer bet yer -life he ain't!" and the hair continued to fly, as Danny yelled -triumphantly, "Gee! I knew I could lick yer wid one hand!" and the gory -battle continued. - -Then, in sheer desperation, hopelessly wringing her hands, she started -in the direction of the house to call her mother. Suddenly she stopped. -Oh, no; her mother would send them away, and then--O dear! Ah, she knew -what she would do. Terror speeded her feet, and two minutes later she -reappeared on the lawn, and with one swing of her arm there came a -terrific "Clang! Clang!" as the girl, with big excited eyes, thrust the -still clanging bell between the faces of the boys. - -The effect was magical, for the lads, with screams of terror, unlocked -their arms, hands, and legs, and rolled apart, while gazing with dilated -eyes, as if they had heard the crack of doom, at the bell that Nathalie -had thrust into their faces. - -A few moments later, almost unclothed, dust-begrimed, blood-besmeared, -and both sniffling from nerve-shock, but still breathing out dire -vengeance one upon the other, Nathalie led her two charges up-stairs and -thrust one into the bathroom and the other into a dark closet. Jan, at -this moment, appeared in the hall, and the girl excitedly dragged her -into her bedroom, and, in a hushed, nervous whisper, made known the -proceedings of the last few moments. - -But Jan, who at home was a district nurse, and had witnessed many slum -fights, burst into a peal of laughter. And then, with her face still red -with mirth and laughter, demanded, "Well, young lady, what else did you -expect if you will take ragamuffins and street Arabs to your bosom?" -Nevertheless Janet's sympathies were aroused, for Nathalie, if not for -the boys, and in a few moments the two girls were industriously making -the boys presentable once more. - -And then Nathalie led the culprits into a chamber apart, and began to -upbraid them, trying to impress their young minds with the enormity of -the wrong-doing of which they had been guilty. - -But the spirit of the cave-dweller was not yet subdued, and, -notwithstanding the girl's persuasiveness, and her pleading attitude in -her endeavor to make them see the error of their way, they kept up a -wrangling duet of recriminations, each one accusing the other of -punching him first, while stubbornly crying, "Now, ye didn't lick me." - -Presently Nathalie, under the strain of overwrought nerves, and the -sudden realization of the unforeseen responsibility of her position, -burst into tears. Lo, to her amazement, her tears acted like oil on -troubled waters, for the next instant a grimy hand tugged at her sleeve, -as Danny, with troubled eyes, in a sudden wave of contrition, cried: -"Oh, Miss Natty, don't take on like that. Sure and I'm never goin' to -fight no more." - -Meanwhile Tony's black eyes, in dumb entreaty, grew bigger and bigger, -until he, too, in sudden repentance, began to stroke her hand -caressingly as his soft, musical voice pleaded, "Please Mees Natta, -Tonee, he lova you--he fighta no more." - -Peace was making its way into each heart, when the purr of an automobile -was heard, and as Nathalie hurried to the window, she saw Mr. Banker -whirling under the porte-cochere. As the boys, paroled on their honor, a -little later hung around the car, discussing its many merits, they were -duly presented to the newcomer. That gentleman evidently liked small -boys, for he immediately made arrangements to call for them some day, -and take them to Littleton for an all-day good time. - -The following afternoon Nathalie, holding Sheila by the hand, with Jean -by her side, and the two boys in front of her, started to show them the -mountains. At the post-office at Sugar Hill village Jean, who had been -delegated to act as postman the coming week, was duly initiated into the -business of opening the mail-box, an office he accepted with a sudden -lighting of his dazed eyes, which Nathalie began to fancy were already -losing some of their fear-haunted expression. - -A short visit was paid to the Sweet-Pea ladies, where they were treated -to some maple sugar, Mona very earnest in her endeavors to show sympathy -for the little refugee, and her admiration for Sheila. As they hurried -away, a bunch of sweet peas was seen on each little breast, pinned there -by that gentle lady. - -A walk on the long, curving board-walk up the hill, with a rest on one -of the benches under the maples, to Hotel Look-off, now followed. The -three boys were anxious to start that very minute to climb Iron -Mountain, but were soon persuaded that it was too warm a day for a -mountain hike. From the long veranda of the hotel they were lured to -admiration of the hilly, wide-spreading green sward, and the magnificent -views of the mountains, as they rose and fell, receded and advanced, -with their jutting pinnacles of rock, gloomed with the green of mountain -forest. - -After slacking their thirst at the little spring-house in the grove, -they sauntered down the board-walk to the Sunset Hill House, and as they -interestedly watched the golfers in their bright-colored coats on the -velvety green links, Danny proudly informed them that he knew how to -caddy. But their enthusiasm grew tense when they stood on the little -observation tower in front of the hotel, and Nathalie pointed out the -Presidential Range, with Mount Washington towering six thousand feet up -among the clouds. - -She then showed them the Franconia Range, explaining that the great -mountains were divided into clefts, or notches, from which flowed four -long rivers and many smaller ones, several of them being named after the -Indians, who, in the early times, lived on the mountain passes. - -With the help of the chart they soon learned that Lafayette was the -highest peak of this smaller range, and that Pemigewasset, seemingly the -nearest peak to the hotel, had been named after a great Indian -chieftain. The adjoining peaks, as the Kinsman and the Three Graces, -proved of interest; also Cannon, or Profile Mountain, when the young -girl explained that it not only had a stone, shaped like a cannon, on -its top, but that from one of its sides a great stone face was to be -seen. - -Nathalie now told her young listeners how the mountains were first seen, -over four hundred and fifty years ago, a cluster of snowy peaks, by John -Cabot, from the deck of his ship when sailing along the New England -coast. They were called Waumbekket-meyna, the White Hills, and sometimes -"The mountains with the snowy foreheads," by the Indians. - -The first white man to ascend these heights, she related, was an -Irishman named Field, who, two hundred years after they had been seen by -Cabot, with a few white companions, climbed to the topmost crag of the -highest peak. "Field found a number of shiny crystals which he thought -were costly gems," laughed the girl merrily, "but, alas, they proved to -be only beautiful white stones, but, on account of this occurrence, the -mountains came to be called Crystal Hills. - -"The Indian guides who had accompanied Field part way up the mountains," -continued Nathalie, "refused to go any farther, for fear that the Great -Spirit, who they believed lived in a magnificent palace on the highest -peak, would destroy them if they ventured too near him. They were so -surprised to see Field return in safety a few hours later that they -decided he was a god, for during his absence a great storm had arisen, -which they believed had been sent by the Indian Manitou to kill him. The -redmen not only believed that the Great Spirit sent forth the frost and -snow, as well as the rain and fire,--the lightning--but declared that -the thunder was his voice." - -The Indian legend of Pawan was eagerly listened to, as Nathalie told how -the Indians asserted that when the earth was covered with water and -every one was drowned, he and his wife, carrying a hare, had ascended to -the highest peak. When the waters began to abate, Pawan sent forth the -hare, and when it did not return he and his wife descended to the earth -and dwelt there in safety, for the waters had dried up from off the -land. From this man, the Indians declared, every one on the earth had -descended. - -During the recital of these stories, Sheila's red-brown eyes darkened to -black, and every mountain peak assumed a weird and wonderful personality -to her imaginative mind, fed, as it had been, by stories of fairies, -pixies, and gnomes, as told to her by Danny, when playing the little -mother. - -But the tourists now found that their appetites had been whetted by the -keen mountain air, and gladly started on their homeward way to enjoy the -supper that awaited them. After tea they gathered on the veranda, and -Tony entertained them by playing on his violin. Nathalie soon discovered -that he not only played with considerable skill, but that Danny could -whistle like a bird, while Jean and Sheila could pipe forth snatches of -song in clear, childish trebles. - -The boys were rendered exuberantly happy a few days later at the -unexpected arrival of Mr. Banker, who had come to give them a day's -outing at Littleton. Morning chores, military tactics, and other -occupations were quickly forgotten, as Nathalie and her mother made them -tidy for the trip, Danny, by the way, having kindly washed Jean's one -shirt the day before,--a housewifely occupation that he had become -proficient in, from sheer necessity,--and Nathalie had ironed it. - -It was long past tea-time when the boys returned from their pleasure -jaunt, and told in high good spirits of the "bully" time they had had, -what they had seen at the movies, and many other sights. Nathalie's joy -almost equaled the boys' when they descended from the car, and she saw -three smartly equipped lads, each one in a khaki suit, with brown shoes, -a brimmed hat, a knapsack, and, the most prized possession of all, a -gun! The girl's eyes filled with tears, and she had rather a tremulous -time of it as she thanked Mr. Banker for his kindness, and especially -for those _much-needed clothes_. - -Nathalie, with her brown-suited boys,--Tony with his violin and his -embroidered vest, as he had soon discarded his khaki suit, Jean with his -empty sleeve, and yellow-brown terrier,--and Sheila, in a pink -sunbonnet, soon became familiar objects on the mountain roads. They were -always greeted with pleasant smiles and nods from the passing tourists, -Jean being regarded with more than the usual curiosity, as his story had -been rumored about. - -Many of them would stop and give him money, until he had so many silver -coins that Nathalie had to make him a bag to keep them in, as he had -declared that he was going to save them to take him back to France, so -he could find his father. It was not long before they had not only -become hardy mountaineers, but familiar with all the near-by walks in -and around Franconia and Sugar Hill. Jean, too, had begun to show a -decided improvement, not only having gained flesh and color, but having -a brighter and more cheerful expression in his eyes. - -And so the sunny days passed, cementing the bond between Nathalie and -her charges, and each one learning something that would be of help in -the days to come. And then, one day, Nathalie had an inspiration! - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - - "SONS OF LIBERTY" - - -One day Nathalie led the boys to a terrace, a few feet back of a -brown-shingled cottage across the road from Peckett's, and which stood -on a lower spur of Garnet Mountain, facing the Franconia Range. Here, on -this grassy ridge, gently sloping down to a green meadow below, skirted -by a tree-fringed road edging the rocky pasture-land which gradually -merged into the lower slopes of the range, she pointed out King -Lafayette, and his lower mate, Lincoln, with his two slides. The -Sleeping Infant, lying between the latter and Garfield's sharply defined -peak, was immediately heralded by the little maid, Sheila, as the -long-lost infant, which some kind-hearted fairy some day, with her magic -wand, would awaken. The Twins, and the huge Sleeping Giant, and some of -the lower peaks, all came in for a share in the mystic doings of the -little girl's fanciful imagination. - -The atmosphere was so translucent that each shaggy crest, pointed dome, -and spire of the range, sharply defined against the sapphire-blue of the -sky, stood forth with a strange lucidity, seemingly so near that one had -the inclination to put forth a hand to touch them. - -Lafayette's craggy foretop, standing up from the deep green-verdured -gorge that cleft one side of it, was startlingly like some huge -elephant's head, with a mouse-colored, wrinkly and baggy-skinned trunk. -The boys accentuated the resemblance by locating two big rocks, which, -they declared, were the beady eyes of the animal, while Sheila insisted -she could see the eyes move. - -As they rested on the ledge of a little circling wall of cobble-stones, -evidently the unfinished foundation of a stone tower, Nathalie told how -Lincoln's rounded dome had been named in honor of a great American named -Abraham Lincoln. "Some people used to call him 'Old Abe,' or 'Father -Abraham,' not from any disrespect," continued the girl, "but because he -was so kindly in his nature, his heart so filled with love for mankind, -that it was a title of honor, and showed the love of the people for -him." - -"Ain't he the gink that got to be President of the United States, and -made the darkies free?" inquired Danny eagerly. - -Nathalie nodded, and then led the boy on to tell how Lincoln, from a -long-legged, ungainly pioneer youth, brought up in a log cabin in the -wilds of Indiana, ended his career as the hero of the greatest republic -in the world. - -The little newsie told his story importantly, proud to think that he had -remembered these odd bits of knowledge from the little schooling he had -received. And what he didn't remember Nathalie did, dwelling at length -on the part this leader of men took in freeing the slaves, and what -slavery meant to the negroes of the South. - -As the little group listened with wide-eyed interest, the girl suddenly -cried, "Oh, children! think what it would mean to you if you were not -allowed to move about as you pleased, but were forced to do what you did -not want to do, although you might be tired and hungry, and were driven -about like cattle, and lashed if you disobeyed your master!" - -She then explained that all men were born free and equal, and that God -never intended that any man should be a bond-servant to his fellow-men. -"Every one," she emphasized, "has the right to enjoy the beautiful -things of life without being subjected to cruel treatment, and forced to -hard labor, as the slaves had been, just because their skin was black -instead of white. - -"But there is another kind of slavery." said Nathalie earnestly, "which, -although it may not mean the slavery of the body, like that of the -negroes on a plantation, is the slavery of the will. That is, a man may -not be lashed on his back, but his will is made subject to another man's -will, and he has to obey and direct his life the way this man says, -whether he wants to or not. All over the world, for centuries, the -people of different nations have been forced to obey the will of one -man, that is, the ruler, or the king, of the nation to which they -belonged. The peoples of the world have not been free; they have not had -the right, or the liberty, to do as they thought or felt." - -She then tried to make the children understand that liberty was -something as high and wide, and as vast, as the beautiful mountains -which rose before them. "It is like the air," she said, "or the -atmosphere, which stretches about you on every side, and around the -great earth like a gray blanket. It is so big it can't be seen, like the -mountains, or measured, and yet it can be felt. For if you were shut up -in a box without any air, or atmosphere to breathe into your lungs, you -would die. So liberty, God's special gift, is so dear and sweet to man, -that without it he can't grow or expand, for he is like a man shut up in -a box without air. He is like a little Tom Thumb, for he can only grow -just so high." - -Nathalie now interested the children in the story of the Pilgrims, the -pioneers of liberty in America, telling how, because they were not -allowed to have liberty under the rule of the English king, they came to -this new world and sought to worship God as they deemed right. In doing -this, she explained, they not only founded a colony where they had the -right to worship God as their conscience dictated, but they made -religious freedom possible for the people who came after them. By the -signing of the Compact in the cabin of the _Mayflower_, they gave this -nation democratic liberty, by giving every man the right to express his -thoughts and feelings, thus giving him a say as to how the people should -be ruled, which meant a government for and by the people. - -Nathalie now told of the patriots, and how, in the War of the -Revolution, they fought the mother-country, England, in order to -maintain the liberty given them by the founders of the nation. "By -uniting the thirteen colonies into one, they not only added unity to -justice and liberty, but gave us the United States of America. - -"These lovers of liberty also organized a society, in New York, which -became known as the Sons of Liberty, all the members determined to -defend with their lives the liberty and principles given them by their -forefathers. As liberty means the right to express our thoughts and -feelings, it also means that these thoughts and feelings must be good -and pure, _the best within us_," added the girl with sudden gravity. -"And these Sons of Liberty were so called not only because they _fought -for liberty_, but because _they gave of their best to mankind_." - -Danny added another link to this story of liberty by telling about the -Declaration of Independence, and how the Liberty Bell was rung from the -old State House in Philadelphia, so that every one should know that a -new nation had been born. The ride of Paul Revere was described with -spirited impressiveness by the boy, as well as what had occurred on -Lexington common, and the famous battle by the old North Bridge at -Concord. - -Whereupon Nathalie pointed out Mount Washington's cone-tipped crest, -majestically rising above a wreath of silver-gray clouds, and explained -that, although the Indians had named it Agiochook, in later years the -white people had named it Mount Washington, in honor of the great man -Danny had been telling about. - -After dwelling upon Washington's magnificent character, and recalling -little incidents from his life, Nathalie said that, like the great -mountain that towered so far above its fellows, so George Washington, -the first President of this great nation, was known to civilization as -one of the greatest men in the world, because he had given of his best -to help his fellow-men, and proved that he was a _true_ Son of Liberty. - -Jefferson Mountain, its crest rising in low humility near Washington's -greater height; Adams, whose stony front stood forth in rugged grandeur -on the left; and Madison, Monroe, Franklin, Clay, and Webster, as well -as other peaks, were pointed out to the children, each one named for -some great American, who had proved his right to be known as a Son of -Liberty. - -To be sure, some of the peaks were shrouded in a veil of mystical haze, -while others were but dimly discerned, as they peeped between the gaps -made by their nearer mates, but each and every one served to illustrate -in whose honor it had been named, and why he was a lover of what every -one loved--liberty. - -Nathalie now drew the children's attention to Mount Lafayette, and said -that this peak had also been named in honor of a great man, also a Son -of Liberty, although he was not an American. The children had heard the -name of Lafayette mentioned so often in connection with the present war, -that they listened with greedy avidity as the girl told about this "Boy -of Versailles," as some one had called him, when, as the young Marquis -de Lafayette,--a mere boy,--he used to lead the revels at that famous -French palace in helping the girl queen, Marie Antoinette, make merry at -her garden parties, when her boy husband was too busy in his workshop, -taking some old clock apart, to entertain his guests at court. - -She told how the little marquis loved to walk behind the brave soldiers -of the day, the one ambition of his life being his longing to be a -soldier. She told, too, of his life in the lonely castle among the -southern mountains of France, where his only companions were governesses -and masters, all intent upon drilling him to dance, to bow with courtly -grace, to pick up a lady's handkerchief, and other accomplishments of -the court. - -After leaving the College du Plessis, where his education as a courtier -was completed, he returned to his estate, now the heir to great wealth, -where he used to spend his time making friends with the peasants,--the -people who lived on his lands,--thus becoming acquainted with their mode -of life. In this way he learned the need of liberty, the liberty that -gave people the right to think and feel, and to express their thoughts -and feelings, and the great need that the people of the nations in the -world should have a voice in their own government, and thus learn to -govern themselves. - -Nathalie then told how, when the patriots of America began to fight -against King George in order to gain their rights, that the young -nobleman, now tall and slender, with reddish hair and bright eyes, heard -of it, and, although an officer in the French army, he determined to go -to America and help these people of the colonies to win their liberty. -He had a young and lovely wife,--they had been sweethearts when -children,--and yet so inspired was he to help the Americans that he left -her. With a friend, the Baron de Kalb, he eluded the spies and officers -of his own country, and in various disguises finally reached Spain, -whence he embarked for America, and gallantly fought with the American -patriots during the War of the Revolution, winning fame not only for his -bravery, but for his great friendship for Washington. - -"Indeed," said the girl, as she finished her recital, he was a real Son -of Liberty, and it is a splendid thing to think that these two grand old -mountains, facing each other in such magnificent grandeur, should now be -the monuments to these two wonderful men, monuments, too, that can only -perish when the mountains turn and flee away at the command of the Most -High God. - -"Lincoln, whose life-story you know," Nathalie pointed to the -green-wooded heights of Mount Lincoln, "also proved himself a Son of -Liberty when he gave of the noblest and best that was in him to the -people, in his great struggle to free the slaves. In fact," the girl -spoke a little sadly, "this great man was not only a Son of Liberty, but -he was a martyr to Liberty." And then she told how he had lost his life -because of his heroic determination to do what he thought was right. - -"Children," cried the girl suddenly, facing the row of intent, eager -faces regarding her, "can any of you tell me who to-day are proving -themselves true Sons of Liberty?" - -"The soldiers who are fighting in the trenches!" burst from Danny -quickly. - -Before Nathalie could assent, a thin, quavering voice burst out with the -ringing cry, "Vive la Belgique! Vive la Belgique!" - -"Good for you, Jean," cried the girl, as she enthusiastically clapped -her hands in approval. "_It is long_ _live Belgium_. Yes, Jean, the -soldiers of Belgium, of France, England, and America, too, now, are -proving themselves Sons of Liberty, because they are all fighting to -give liberty to the world. And brave Belgium," patting the shoulder of -the refugee, whose pale face was strangely illumined, "every man in that -little country has proved that he is a Son of Liberty, when, rather than -dishonor the great principles of liberty and justice, he took up arms -and defended it against the Germans when they made their mad rush to -Paris. They not only saved France, but every nation as well, saved it so -that each man in it could fight and thus give liberty to the world. Now, -children, let us cry with Jean, 'Vive la Belgique.'" - -When this cry ceased, Tony's velvety black eyes, with a sly gleam of -humor lurking in their shadows, became scarlet flames, suddenly -remembering that his native land was also in the war, and, with dramatic -fervor, he yelled, "Viva l'Italia!" - -Danny, not to be outdone in this burst of patriotism, immediately -started in with the lusty shout of, "Hurrah for the United States! -Hurrah for the United States!" - -Altogether it was a very patriotic little company that stood by the old -stone ledge facing those blue-hazed mountains on that sunny afternoon -and "yelled their heads off," as Danny said, in honor of the Sons of -Liberty, who were fighting in the trenches across the sea to give -liberty to the world. - -After the shouting and demonstration of the patriots had begun to wane, -Nathalie put up her hand for silence, and then, in her simple way, the -way that somehow always seemed to go right to the heart of every child, -said very softly, "And now, children, let us show that we, too, each one -of us, want to do what is right, to give of our best to make others -happy. Let us show that, although we cannot go and fight in the -trenches, we are still Sons of Liberty, by keeping a big, deep place in -our hearts for the boys in the trenches, not only our American boys, but -the boys of the Allies, every soldier of every nation who is fighting -for the victory of peace and right. - -"I know you all want to belong to the Sons of Liberty, that you would -like to show that you are real soldiers, fighting for the right; and so, -will you not bow your heads for a moment, and down in the big, deep -place in your hearts, silently say a little prayer? Just ask God that He -will bless the soldiers, these Sons of Liberty across the sea, who are -fighting for you and me, and give them a great victory in this world's -battle for the rights of men, a victory that means happiness, love, and -peace for every one in the world." - - - - - CHAPTER XV - - THE GALLERY OF THE GODS - - -There was a frightened look on the faces of the children for a moment or -so, and then Sheila cried in a distressed tone, "But, Miss Natty, I -don't know how to pray that way." - -Danny immediately flung about and flashed an annihilating look upon the -little girl, but Nathalie, drawing the child close, explained what a -silent prayer meant. Then, as she solemnly bowed her head, every little -head went down, and for the space of a moment or so, up there on that -high mountain,--that Nathalie always felt must be very close to -God,--there was a reverent silence, a sacred moment, as from each -child-heart went up a prayer. Perhaps it was only a dumbly spoken word, -or a reverent desire, but surely God heard. - -As Nathalie raised her head, and the children followed her -example,--evidently there had been some peeping eyes,--all but Jean, who -still kept his head down, his pale lips slowly moving, there was a -moment's quiet, and then Nathalie exclaimed, "Oh, boys, what do you say -to calling these rocks a fort?" - -"Crackie! that will be dandy!" responded Danny quickly. "And, Miss -Nathalie," he added, his face lighting with sudden thought, "why can't -we call it Liberty Fort?" - -And so the round ledge of cobble-stones was named Liberty Fort, and -then, before Nathalie realized what the suggestion carried, Tony -proposed that the path at the foot of the terrace on which the fort -stood, on the summit of the lower slope leading down to the meadow, be a -trench. - -Other suggestions followed, which culminated in a lengthy discussion, -leading the children the following afternoon to the woods, where they -gathered dried leaves, and little pebbles and twigs, to fill some bags, -which Janet and Nathalie had made out of some old potato-sacks, to -represent sand-bags to pile on top of the trench. The two girls -meanwhile sat in the fort and not only made epaulettes for the young -soldiers' shoulders, but also gas-masks, which these Sons of Liberty -vociferously declared that they must have, or they would be gassed. - -After the Stars and Stripes, with the various flags of the Allies, had -been fastened to a pole and mounted on the fort, the battle of the Marne -took place, represented by these small soldiers, with guns held high, -leaping over the sand-bags and rushing madly down the slope to the -meadow below, which had been named "No Man's Land." Here, with eyes -aflame and hair all tousled, they fought frenziedly with the imaginary -gray uniforms of the German soldiery, who were supposed to have rushed -towards them from their entrenchments, the stone wall by the road just -beyond the meadow. - -It was great sport, notwithstanding that their helmets--old tin -pails--would insist upon falling over their faces just when some very -wonderful capture was about to be made. But they soon learned not to -mind a little thing like that, as Danny observed with officer-like -brusqueness--he was the general-in-chief of these liberty forces--that -only slackers or mollycoddles would stop fighting for a hat. So they -fought most furiously, imitating in every way possible the maneuvers and -tactics of the soldiers in France. - -They took possession of a rustic seat on the ridge near the woods for an -outpost, and here Sheila, with a big paper soldier's cap on her head, -was posted to parade with military precision before it as a sentry. -Danny, meanwhile would climb a tree, to watch a make-believe enemy's -aeroplane, or to play the role of a bird-man, getting ready to fly in a -patrol over the enemy's entrenchments. - -The parts the little girl played were numerous, sometimes acting as a -canteen girl, selling lemonade and make-believe "smokes,"--twigs trimmed -to represent cigarettes,--or again, playing the part of a captured -Boche, always insisting that she was a prince, or some high German -official. She entered into the playing of holding up her hands in token -of surrender, while calling "Kamerad" with dramatic fervor. Then, as if -suddenly reminded that she was a scion of royalty, she would take to -fighting and kicking furiously to be released, bringing her teeth into -action, and inflicting sundry bites on her captor with such energy that -Nathalie, or Janet, tricked out with a white head-gear, starred with a -red cross, would hurry to the scene, and bind up with soft rags the -wounds of the afflicted one. - -Jean, who had begun to prove that his real self was only lying dormant -beneath a shroud of sorrow, was triumphantly happy as the bugler, and -one day suggested that they have a tank,--he had seen one on a -battle-field. An old tin can was then procured from Sam, which had done -duty in holding chicken-feed. It was now made to roll, in a horribly -queer way, down the slope and over No Man's Land, maneuvered by Jean, -who was inside of it, and who proved that he was a keen trailer of the -Boches, as the lad always called the Germans. - -The boy frightened Nathalie, sometimes, by the intense hatred he -displayed whenever the Germans were mentioned, as his face would grow -tense and a sudden fire would flame up in his eyes, while his one hand -would clench rigidly and his little form trembled with the force of the -passion within his breast. - -But the children did not always play at war in France, for sometimes -they were Indians, and would wriggle over the grass snake-fashion. They -were all sachems, or big chiefs, named after some red-skinned hero of -some Indian tale Nathalie had told them, each one intent on scalping -some white man. Sometimes Jean would teach the boys how to play some of -the games played in Belgium, as _jet_, a game which seemed to be played -with a stick on a stone, and which they all seemed to enjoy. Then again -they would play hopscotch in Jean's way, and which he called "Kalinker." -But always at the end of their play they would line up in the circling -ledge of stones, and, as if inspired by Nathalie's suggestion on the day -of their first visit to the fort, stand very still as they again bowed -their heads in a silent prayer for the boys who were fighting "over -there." - -Then, one morning, a telephone message came from Mr. Banker that he -would be up that afternoon and take the children to the Flume. Whereupon -they all became so exuberantly happy that Nathalie had rather a hard -time pinning them down to their usual duties. - -After a delightful drive, in which Nathalie and Mr. Banker were kept -busy answering the many queries propounded by the sightseers, as they -gazed in awed wonder at the strange rock formations with their purple -and green tints, the silvery waterfalls, and the many natural beauties -of the Notch, they arrived at the Flume. - -Here, opposite the Flume House, they climbed a zigzagging path up a hill -backed by two massive mountains, and then went through a belt of -woodland to inspect the Pool. This was a mountain freak, a great basin -over a hundred feet wide and forty deep, hollowed out by the -Pemigewasset River's age-old tools, sand and water, as they flowed over -its rocky bed. - -The lustrous green of its waters rippling between lichen-covered cliffs, -and canopied by overhanging trees--that looked as if they would fall -from age--was so transparent that the children could see the shiny -pebbles at the bottom of the Pool. - -On returning to the road they started for the Flume, passing over a -wooden bridge, and then up an incline, a sort of up-hill-and-down-dale -road, as it followed the mountain brook flowing from the cascade that -dashed over the rocks at the head of the gorge. The wild picturesque -beauty of this "Gallery of the Gods," as Mr. Banker called it, not only -elicited many exclamations from the children, but brought forth more -weird fancies from Sheila, which challenged the humorous gleam in that -gentleman's eyes many times. - -The child's mind was so rich in imagery, that every hooded mountain or -queer-shaped cliff, every passing cloud or glint of sunlight as it -filtered down through the leaves in the forest, and the soft patter of -the raindrops as they danced on the window-pane in a storm, were sources -of constant delight. In childish prattle she would tell Nathalie what -the wind said as it swept through the trees, or came with a soft rustle -around the corner of the veranda on a breezy day. The soft twirl of a -leaf, the trill of a bird in the silent forest, were all pixie-whispers. - -She would pick up a leaf from the road, beautiful to her in its satiny -greenness, or some gay-petaled flower, and talk to it as if it were her -dolly, or some tricksy creature from fairy-land, always giving it some -fanciful name that was keenly suggestive of its nature. Animals she -caressed and fondled with the fearless confidence and love of trusting -childhood. - -They finally reached the remarkable rock gallery in the very heart of -the mountain, which Nathalie now introduced to them as Liberty Mountain. -She explained that it was cut in two by the deep gorge, or fissure, -known as The Flume, whose walls reached to a perpendicular height of -fifty or seventy feet, while at its farther end a mountain-brook came -dashing down with great splashes of white foam. - -The children were hushed to profound wonder at the frowning gloom of the -great wall that reached so high and dark above their heads, with its -patches of green moss, and where, from its many crevices, young birches -had fastened their roots, and ferns and vines clung to soften its harsh -gray. Every now and then a tiny white mountain-flower could be seen -peeping down at them, like a fairy, Sheila declared, from a mossy bed of -green. - -They climbed up and up, stepping from rock to rock, to clamber at last -over the slippery smoothness of the granite ledges. Here the cascade had -simmered to a lazy flow, to eddy with a silver tinkling into the many -hollows that perforated the rocks, making tiny glistening pools, which -gave the children unfeigned delight as they dipped their hands in its -soft trickle. - -But when they reached the narrow foot-bridge, sometimes only railed by a -single birch pole, or a rope that clung tremblingly to one side of the -steep wall, and looked down into the gorge below, they came to a sudden -halt. With a haunting fascination they watched the brook as it now -dashed with a mad plunge, splashed with patches of snowy foam, over the -masses of green-embossed boulders, that looked as if they had been -tossed, helter-skelter fashion, into the narrow slit of rock, in angry -mood, by old Father Time. - -With strange awe they glanced up the gorge, through the weird gloom of -the scene, at the pearly glitter of the falling water, with its blur of -green background, that appeared as if some miraculous hand had suddenly -wrenched the earth apart to send forth its flashing spray. And then they -grew curiously still as they spied the eerie shadows on the high black -wall, where the sunlight, as it glinted down into the glen in wanton -sport, played hide-and-seek with golden glimmer. - -But the silence was broken as Mr. Banker pointed out a huge tree-trunk -that had fallen across the stream, reaching from side to side of the -gorge, making an aerial pathway high above their heads. When the -gentleman said it was called "The Devil's Bridge," and that sometimes -people had walked on it across the gorge, their tongues began to -clatter. - -Fired by curiosity, the boys regained their nerve and pushed manfully up -the foot-bridge, barred with slats, like a horse's plank, while Mr. -Banker, holding little Sheila by the hand, followed close behind. -Nathalie, with a strange timidity, hesitatingly followed, always being -oppressed by an odd, queer feeling when ascending any great height, a -feeling that she wanted to cling to something more tangible than space. -But there was nothing to cling to but that shaky old railing, and little -Jean was hanging to it fearsomely with his one hand, his little form -shaking tremulously, and his eyes black with an odd fear. - -Stirred to pity, Nathalie drew the child to the other side of her, near -the high wall, away from that gaping rut in the earth beneath, and then -caught him firmly by the shoulder. Then suddenly, perhaps it was a quick -glance down into the depths below, she felt a strange, indefinable -sensation pass through her. A deathly faintness seized her; she closed -her eyes, and then she felt herself falling, falling---- - -But a pitiful cry from the boy, "Oh, Mademoiselle Natty! No, you not -fall! Jean will hold you," aroused her, and she opened her eyes to see -the white face of the boy, as he stared up at her while clutching her -frantically with his one hand. - -"Oh, no, Jean; I'm all right now," but even as she spoke that same old -sensation again thrilled her. She felt sick and faint again, and -then---- - -"Rather steep just here, isn't it? But cling to that rail, and you'll be -all right; you can't fall." - -The girl turned quickly, once more roused from the sudden fear that had -assailed her, and found herself gazing into the sun-tanned face of a -young man in khaki. He had slipped his arm back of her, against the -railing, as if to prevent her from falling, while from under the shadow -of his wide-brimmed hat two dark-blue eyes, heavily lashed, smiled down -at her reassuringly. - -Nathalie heaved a deep sigh. Oh, it was such a relief to see that -strong, brown hand grasping the rail. And then, with a quick little -smile, in sudden realization of her foolish fancy that she was slipping -down into the gorge below, she cried, "Oh, I don't suppose I could fall, -but something---- O dear! I know I am very foolish, but I always feel so -queer when I stand on any great height, especially when I look down." - -"That is a sensation that is shared by many people when they get up in -the air, I guess," was the kindly response. And then, as if to give the -girl time to regain her poise, he turned to Jean. "Do you see that place -between the walls?" directing the child's gaze to a place midway between -the top of the gorge and the brook below. "Well, ever since the Flume -has been known to white men," he continued, "a great rock, or boulder, -was wedged, or suspended, between the two walls. It was like a nut in a -cracker, a most curious sight. - -"I remember it as a child, when up in the mountains," he related, "and -always had a strange fear that it would tumble down. But every one -asserted that it was an impossibility, for it would take an earthquake, -or some great convulsion of nature, to dislodge it. Nevertheless I -always fought shy of it, and would scurry by as if a witch was after me. -But, strange to say," continued the young man, smiling, and showing his -even white teeth, "the prophets were away off, for it fell just a few -years ago, and without the aid of an earthquake." - -"Oh, did it fall on any one?" gasped the girl quickly. - -"No, luckily for the wise-alls; for it fell in the middle of the night, -and no one was hurt." - -Nathalie drew a relieved sigh. "What an escape! Oh, suppose it had -fallen when some one was passing beneath it!" - -[Illustration: The girl found herself gazing into the sun-tanned face of -a young man in khaki.--_Page 231._] - -"Well, they would have been pulverized," laughed the young man. "I beg -your pardon, Miss, but would you not like to have me help you to the -top? For I see you have the little boy with you, and, as you are timid, -I do not think I would risk it alone." - -"Oh, thank you; you are very kind," replied the girl hastily, her face -dimpling, for she had begun to feel like her old self. "But no; I don't -think I will venture any farther. I guess I am too timid. I will go -back." She glanced down at Jean, who was gazing up at the young soldier -with worshipful awe in his eyes. - -"Let me assist you down, then, to where you will not be affected by the -height." And Nathalie, glad to think that she did not have to turn back -and go down that plank alone, allowed the young man to pilot her down, -firmly grasping her by the arm, until she stood where she asserted she -felt no fear. She would wait there on the rocks, until the rest of her -party came down, she said, after thanking her rescuer. - -The young man bowed silently, lifted his hat, and turned to ascend the -foot-bridge again, while Nathalie sought a rock where she and Jean could -sit down. But in a moment he was back at her side, crying, "I beg your -pardon," Nathalie noticed that he had a pleasant voice that somehow had -a familiar ring to it, "but perhaps the little boy would like to go up -to the top, as every one likes to see the cascade as it plunges over the -rocks. I will take good care of him if he would like to go," glancing at -the little empty sleeve with a compassionate expression in his eyes. - -Nathalie was on the verge of saying, "Oh, no; I think Jean would rather -stay with me," when she caught a sudden expression in the boy's eyes -that caused her to say, "Jean, would you like to go to the top with this -gentleman? Mr. Banker and the boys are up there, you know." - -There was no doubt as to the child wanting to see and to do as the other -children, or his evident trust in the young soldier, and a minute later -the young man, with Jean's hand held firmly in his, was guiding the -child's steps up the foot-bridge. - -Some time later, as the car glided along the road on its homeward -journey, a short distance from the Flume House, Mr. Banker showed the -party a singular rock-formation, caused by the undulations of the -topmost ridge of Liberty Mountain. The outlines were those of a huge -recumbent figure, wrapped in a cloak or shroud, and bore such a close -resemblance, especially the contour of the forehead and nose, to those -of General Washington, as after his death he lay in state, on view to -the public, that it had been called "Washington in State." Many people, -he asserted, claimed that the great American's body should lie at rest -on this mountain ridge, named for what the great man had striven so hard -to maintain, liberty, and thus be his everlasting mausoleum. - -A six-mile ride and they descended from the car, to walk to the shores -of Profile Lake, a few feet from the road. But it was not to look at the -sunlit sheen of silver water, embedded like a gem in a green and purple -forest setting, but to gaze with awesome wonder at a huge stone face. It -was the Old Man of the Mountain that gazed forth with a stony stare from -a steep and craggy setting, twelve hundred feet high above the lake, on -the battlemented spires of Profile, or Cannon Mountain. - -It was another weird formation created by Father Time, that Mr. Banker -claimed looked as if it had been stuck on the huge mountain-cliff, like -the head of some criminal of medieval days, when spiked on the stone -gateway of some kingly stronghold for some dastardly deed. - -"But this face is not that of a felon, for note the calm majesty, the -beautiful benignity of its expression. To me," commented the gentleman, -"it is an unchangeable token and an everlasting confirmation that there -is a Creator, and bears witness to the account in Genesis where it says -that God created man in His own image, 'in the image of God created he -him.'" - -Mr. Banker explained that the face was composed of three masses of rock, -one forming the forehead and helmet, another the nose and upper lip, and -the third the chin, and that the whole length of the rock-face was -eighty feet from the top to the bottom. When viewed at a close range it -lost its contour, and seemed but a few huge rocks tumbled one upon -another, with no regularity of form or feature. - -After the boys had studied the gigantic "face in air," as Sheila called -it, and deciphered many oddities upon it, evoked by her imagination, -Nathalie told them the story of "The Great Stone Face." - -They were all greatly interested in Hawthorne's tale, and readily -grasped its meaning, that, after all, it was goodness and greatness -gained by studying the great and good in others, the giving of our best -to our fellows as Sons of Liberty, Nathalie tried to explain, that -helped one to become godlike. - -Mr. Banker then told the legend called Christus Judex, which told of an -artist, who had resolved to paint a picture of Christ sitting in -judgment, and how he wandered up and down the world from one place to -another, seeking in art galleries, palaces, or churches, a face that -would serve him as a model for his great masterpiece. But alas, it was -not to be found, not even among the paintings of the old masters, and -finally, lured by some wayfarer's tale, he crossed the sea, and in this -great stone face found the countenance that embodied the features and -the expression that satisfied his ideal. - -After walking a short distance around the lake, to view its beauties, -and picking out the stone cannon on the top of the mountain, they drove -to the Basin, another rock-wonder, a miniature edition of the great -Pool. Giant's Heel, a rock-formation of a human leg and foot, seemed to -possess a luring charm to the children, and after they had studied it, -and then discussed it with curious wonder and awe, the little party -started on their homeward drive. - -On the way Mr. Banker pointed out various stone formations, among them -the Elephant's Head and the head of a dog, while Echo Lake, alight with -the calm glow of a setting sun, revealed so many tempting bits of -lake-wonders that the children begged that they might spend a day there, -as it was not far from Franconia village. - -Nathalie was unusually quiet on the homeward ride, not only feeling -almost too tired to talk, but pondering with a puzzled air over the -young soldier-boy. She had a vague feeling that she had seen his face -before, but where? She finally determined to push the matter from her -mind, when a sudden smile leaped to her eyes. Oh, what a ninny she was, -for he was one of the soldier-boys she had met at Camp Mills, to whom -she had proffered the cherries! And he had not only helped to gather -them up from the dust of the road, but _he_ was the boy who had waved -his hat to them in a parting salute as the car whirled out of sight! - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - - BUTTERNUT LODGE - - -One afternoon, as Nathalie was preparing to take the children on a tramp -to Butternut Lodge, an old farmhouse on the opposite side of Garnet -Mountain, that had been fitted up for picnic parties by the proprietor -of a near-by hotel, her mother called her. - -"Nathalie," she said, as the girl appeared in answer to her call, "I -wish you would run over to the little red house and see Mrs. Carney. Sam -tells me she is ill, and that his wife, who generally looks after her, -is visiting some relatives. It would be only neighborly if you would -take her some fruit custard; there is plenty in the ice-box, left over -from dinner." - -"But mumsie," pleaded the girl in an annoyed tone, "I can't go this -afternoon, for I have promised to take the children to Butternut Lodge. -And then," she added rebelliously, "I don't want to go to see that -horrid old woman. Why, I thought that you had decided not to have -anything to do with her, after the disagreeable way she acted!" - -"Yes, that is so, daughter," replied Mrs. Page with a slight smile, -"but, like a good Christian, I changed my mind, a privilege I reserve to -myself when occasion warrants. When I heard from Sam that the poor -creature was alone in the world, I made up my mind to play the part of -the good Samaritan. We can well overlook the oddities of the aged, and -it must be trying to lie there all alone, with no one to give you a -helping hand or a comforting word." - -Nathalie was not conquered, as she had a stubborn will, and she had been -rudely repulsed so many times that she felt her duty did not require her -to accept any more humiliations. She was about to argue the case, when -suddenly the motto that she had vowed to make her own that summer, -flashed before her mental vision with a vivid distinctness. - -Making no reply, she slowly walked out on the lawn, where the children -stood waiting for her. After explaining her reasons for giving up the -afternoon hike, she turned to hurry into the house, determined to get -the disagreeable task over as soon as possible. Halfway up the steps she -paused, her eyes lit up with an amused thought evidently, for, with a -half-laugh, she turned and hurried back to the group standing with -woe-begone faces, trying to think what they could do to ease their -disappointment. A moment later they were crowding about her, listening -eagerly as she talked, their faces keen and bright, as if with the -inspiration of a novel appeal. - -Some time later, Nathalie, with a queer little smile dimpling the -corners of her mouth, knocked softly on the screen-door leading into the -little red house. As she heard a faint "Come in!" in answer, she gently -pushed the door open and entered. In her hands she carried a bowl, while -behind her, all cautiously tiptoeing, as if afraid of making the -slightest sound, came four small figures, each one carefully holding -something for the invalid, whom they found lying on a couch in the front -room. - -"Good afternoon, Mrs. Carney," said Nathalie, and then, in a distressed -tone, "Oh, I'm afraid we have disturbed you, but Sam said you were not -feeling well, and mother sent me over with the boys, to see if we could -not help you in some way. We have brought you something, too, that may -possibly make you feel better." - -The girl was in the throes of despair, as no reply came from the -recumbent figure, only the slow-moving of a big fan. O dear! she -thought, perhaps her little ruse to relieve the awkwardness of a most -curious situation was not going to succeed. - -But at this instant, Sheila came forward. Her sympathies had been -aroused on learning about the curious old lady, and on finding that -there was nothing for her to carry to the sick one, she had gone out to -the roadside and gathered a big bunch of wild flowers, to her a panacea -for every ill. - -These she now thrust towards the figure on the couch, crying, in her -sweet childish treble, "I'm sorry, lady, you're sick, but here's some -flowers; I picked 'em for you." The child spoke in a half-frightened -tone, somewhat at a loss to understand the silence beneath the -handkerchief-covered face. - -Suddenly the handkerchief was withdrawn, and the old lady sat bolt -upright, with a startled exclamation, gazing in amazed wonder at the -four small figures, with their pleading eyes and offerings of sympathy, -standing in a row before her. - -"Bless me!" she cried, a half smile dawning in her sharp eyes. "Where -did these children come from?" - -"Oh--why--they're my Liberty boys," answered Nathalie quickly, with a -sudden flash of relief that at last the old lady's silence was broken. - -"Your Liberty boys?" she questioned with some bewilderment, as she -peered keenly at the slim young figure. "But you're too young to have -these boys." - -"Oh, but they're not mine! I'm not married." exclaimed Nathalie, a merry -note in her voice. "Why, I've just adopted them for the summer, so I -call them my boys. I suppose they're what you call Fresh-Air-Funders; -that is, they live on the East Side in New York, and I'm afraid the poor -things wouldn't have had any outing if I hadn't brought them up here to -get a breath of this mountain air, and--" - -But at this point, Jean, scrupulously faithful to Nathalie's drilling, -took a step forward, and, holding out his plate of fruit, in his fright -forgetting the little English he knew, cried, "Voici du fruit!" - -The woman peered at the boy, and then, with a slight cry as she saw the -little empty sleeve, drew him to her, as she took the plate of fruit -carefully from his hand. "Why, you poor lad!" she exclaimed in sudden -tenderness. "So you have some fruit for me. Is he a refugee?" she -queried softly, turning inquiringly towards Nathalie. - -As the girl nodded dumbly, Tony pushed forward his offering, a covered -dish of milk toast. Quickly removing the cover, he smacked his lips with -gusto, while his velvety eyes glanced in a smile, as if to say, "Here's -something nice for you, too!" - -By this time Nathalie saw that the atmosphere had cleared, and after she -and Danny had proffered their gifts,--some chicken soup and -custard,--with the help of the boys she drew a table to the side of the -couch. Deftly unfolding a napkin for a covering, she spread out the -toothsome dainties before her hostess, while Sheila, in childish -prattle, entertained her new friend by telling about the fairies, whom -she insisted lived in the flowers. - -As the old lady partook of the edibles that had been prepared for her, -the children, won by her seeming interest, with childish confidence told -her about their lives in the city, how they liked the beautiful -mountains, all about their many battles down at the old stone ledge, and -how they were all learning to be Sons of Liberty. This drew Nathalie -into the conversation, and she was soon animatedly telling how she -happened to become a Liberty Girl, and how she was not only trying to -carry out her plans in regard to liberty up there in the mountains, but -was anxious to help the children know what it meant to become good -Americans, and to understand why our nation had sent soldiers across the -sea to fight the Hun. - -Tony needed but one invitation, and the violin was brought forth from -under his arm,--he always carried it,--and presently he was playing some -little Italian airs, after which Jean sang Belgium's national anthem, at -Mrs. Carney's request, and Danny recited a war-poem that Janet had -taught him. Even Sheila contributed her quota to the impromptu -entertainment and recited "Betsy's Battle Flag," as she, too, was a -pupil of Janet's, that young lady having become so interested in the -children that she had not only helped her friend to teach them to sing, -but had taught them to recite. - -But now it was time to go, as Nathalie did not want to weary Mrs. -Carney, although, to the girl's surprise, that lady insisted that her -sick headache had disappeared, cured, she laughingly confessed, by the -young visitors, who had entertained her so charmingly. - -With the promise to call again with her charges, Nathalie hurried them -away, happily content that she had followed her mother's suggestion and -tried to be helpful and kind to her seemingly odd little neighbor. "It -pays to be pleasant with people," she remarked sagely, as she related -the results of the visit. "For even if you don't like them it gives you -a pleasant feeling to think that you have done 'your bit' in keeping the -chain of brotherly love well oiled." - -Mrs. Page sat knitting on the veranda the following morning when -Nathalie came hurrying out of the house with an angry light in her eyes. -"Oh, mother, what do you think?" she exclaimed irritably. "Cynthia has -set the children all looking for that _mystery thing_. Did you ever hear -of anything so absurd? And they have gone wild about it, and are running -around the attic and the upper floors, pulling things about in a most -disorderly fashion. Oh, I do think she is the limit!" - -Mrs. Page looked at Nathalie in silence for a moment, and then said, -with some amusement in her eyes, "It is absurd, but don't get wrought up -about it. Cynthia hasn't stopped to think. She is so anxious to find it -that it has become an obsession with her. But it won't do to let the -children get mixed up in anything of that kind." Her face sobered, and -for a space the only sound was the clicking of her knitting-needles, -while Nathalie, with a frown on her face, pondered how she was going to -undo the mischief that Cynthia had wrought, keenly realizing what would -follow if the children were not stopped in looking for something that -she knew they would never find. - -"Go and tell the children to come here, Nathalie," said her mother, "and -we'll have a little talk." The girl, with a brighter face, complied, as -she always felt greatly relieved, when anything went wrong with her -boys, to have her mother straighten things out. - -In a moment they were on the veranda, looking very much bedraggled and -dust-begrimed, as, with faces eagerly alert, they told what they had -been doing, after a little adroit questioning on the part of Mrs. Page. -It did not take the good lady long to make it clear to the -mystery-seekers that this _valuable thing_ that they had been searching -for was something that only concerned Nathalie and her cousins. - -She now made it clear to them that the searching was undoubtedly a whim -on the part of the former inmate of Seven Pillars, and that the finding -of it simply meant a reward to the one of the three girls who had proved -the most industrious in looking for it. She ended by saying that it -would not likely be of any great value, adding, "And, children, it would -not be yours even if you found it." - -"Oh, but we're going to give it to Miss Natty!" came a chorus of -determined little voices. "And Miss Cynthia said it was something awful -rich," added Sheila, "and I just guess that it must be a great big -jewel, or a pot of gold." "Sure, and we want Miss Natty to have it," -ended Danny, with big, disappointed eyes. - -This was not the first time that Mrs. Page had had to do away with a -seeming mystery connected with Mrs. Renwick's peculiar instructions. For -the mystery-room had proved a source of morbid curiosity to the -children, as they questioned as to what was behind that great, dark red -curtain. They would scurry by the door with bated breath and big, -excited eyes, in whose depths lurked a latent fear of some unknown -terror, until Mrs. Page had ordered the curtain down, declaring that the -door simply closed, and barred, would end the mystery. - -Fortunately the children's attention was now turned to other matters, -but Nathalie, somehow, could not put the incident from her mind. She had -a vague, conscience-stricken feeling that _she_ would never gain the -reward for being industrious, for although she had not failed to make an -entry in her diary, she _had failed_ to search as diligently as she -should have done. Whereupon, with a silent vow that she would put aside -an hour every day for this disagreeable task, she hastened upstairs to -put her plan in execution. - -Nathalie was lying in the hammock in the moonlight a few evenings later, -half-drowsing. She was more than usually tired, for they had spent the -day at Butternut Lodge. It had been an all-day hike, setting forth in -the forenoon with a climb up old Garnet, starting in at the log -gate-posts opposite Peckett's flower-garden. - -Ascending a grassy incline studded with rocks, where mountain-sheep and -a gray donkey meandered, nibbling the coarse grass, they entered the -cool damp of the forest gloom, where hundreds of trees confronted them. -Age-ringed and gnarled, their limbs twisted in eerie contortion to -grotesque shapes, they stood in the dim cathedral light bristling with -shadows, a battalion of ghoulish-looking sentinels, guarding the -rock-crowned heights. - -But on they climbed, up the pine-needled path, stepping from -lichen-covered rocks to gnarled tree-roots, or clambering deftly over -blackened, flame-licked tree-trunks, that barred their way like yawning -chasms. Every now and then they would stop to gather some tiny wood posy -peeping coquettishly from the crevice of a broken crag, or a -crimson-dyed leaf on a mossy patch, or to brush aside the black loam to -burrow among dead leaves for feathery ferns, or one of the tiny -umbrellas, as Sheila called the many-colored toadstools that grew by the -path. But when the little maid spied a _fleur des fees_, a -daintily-colored anemone, her delight was beyond bounds. - -Sometimes they would pause to listen to the mountain-wind as it swayed -the tops of long rows of trees, that, with the daring recklessness of -new life, stretched their bare-limbed trunks upward to catch the golden -sunlight on their glossy leaves. But the sweetest melody, perhaps, was -the wind that swept in solemn-toned harmony through the twisted boughs -of the old mountain-guard. - -But the wind was not the only musician that sunny morning up there in -the stilled hush of the green wood, for sometimes it was the soft note -of a belated bird's warble, coming with a haunting sweetness from the -dim recesses of the shadowed gloom, or the hammer of a woodpecker as he -plied his tool of trade. - -But feathered songsters and musical wind were forgotten when the -children struck the Red Trail,--splashes of red paint smeared at -intervals on the bark of the trees to keep travelers in the path. The -boys, as they scurried ahead, soon discovered a Yellow Trail, and then a -Blue Trail, sign-posts to the lone woodchopper, perhaps, as he comes -down the woodland path in the deep snows of winter. The Yellow Trail, -they discovered, led down the mountain, coming out on the road near -Lovers' Lane, the wooded path opposite Seven Pillars. Nathalie now -showed them how to blaze a trail that belonged exclusively to the Girl -Pioneers, and their interest became tense with excitement as she became -their leader and deftly bent the twigs in the shapes that meant so many -things to the Pioneers. - -A little log cabin nestling beneath a clump of pine trees, on the edge -of a slope, just below Agassiz's Rock, tempted the children to wander -from the beaten path. But they soon returned, and, in wide-eyed wonder, -declared that they had seen a pair of shoes by the door. Sheila was -quite insistent that some fairy godmother lived there, whereupon she was -rudely told by the boys that fairies never wore shoes. The children, -however, were loth to leave the spot, curiously wondering as to who -lived in the log hut. - -But as no one was to be seen, either within or without the cabin, they -followed Nathalie, and were soon standing on a jagged rock on Garnet's -top, in a wonderland of views that made them feel that they were indeed -birds of the air, skimming swiftly through a dim, mystical atmosphere. -With hushed breath and wide-seeing eyes they gazed down upon low-lying -valleys,--dabs of green between craggy rocks and lofty steeps, gemmed -with silver water, yellow corn-fields, and brown pasture-land. And above -all, in picturesque grandeur, towered a rim of battlemented crests and -ridges, silhouetted against curtains of crystalline blue, where sweeps -of white cloud drifted in gossamer veils. - -On the wide green slopes surrounding the farmhouse the children reveled -in a summer-land of daisies and buttercups, that jeweled the softly -creeping grass. While Sheila wove a wreath of mountain posies Nathalie -told how, some years before, a bag of gold had been found in a log of -wood in the old farmhouse. This added a new glory to the scene, and -there were many surmises in regard to this find, while the Girl Pioneer -plied her craft and showed them how to make leaf-impressions in their -little note-books, as each one had gathered a leaf from many trees on -their way up the mountain. - -After Danny had made a camp-fire and they had had a hike lunch of -frankfurters, roasted potatoes, and many toothsome edibles found in -their lunchboxes, they hurried back to the old farmhouse, and while the -children peeped into the old-fashioned brick ovens in search of another -pot of gold, Janet played on the yellow-keyed piano. Then came a stroll -to a weather-beaten barn, where an old coach was stored, which had once -been the mountain's only method of conveyance, some decades ago, and on -which was the name "Goodnow House." Of course they all had to mount the -rickety steps and crawl inside on the wide leather-cushioned seat, large -enough to hold almost a dozen children. Danny and Tony, however, soon -clambered out and mounted still higher, up to the two-step-driver's -seat, where they pretended they were driving a tally-ho, with Sheila and -Jean sitting back, within the railed top, as outside passengers, while -Nathalie and Janet, on the wide old seat within, acted the part of -tourists traveling to the top of Mount Washington. - -Wearying of these childish sports, Nathalie and Janet hied themselves -back to the farmhouse, where, after resisting the inclination to drowse, -induced by the lulling hum of the bees as they darted busily about in -the sweet-scented, sunny air, they sat down on the little porch and took -out their knitting. - -Suddenly the deep silence that they had drifted into, lured to thought -by their active fingers, was broken by loud squeals, mingled with boyish -shouts of laughter. And then a thrill came, as Nathalie suddenly -perceived the old stage-coach, drawn by Danny and Tony as horses, while -Jean, as the driver, was exultantly happy, perched up in the driver's -high seat. Sheila, meanwhile, bewreathed and betwined with wild posies, -sat within the coach, posing as a beautiful white princess who had been -captured by bandits. - -Nathalie's heart swung in wild leaps as she saw the one-armed boy's -perilous position, as the ramshackle, clumsy coach rocked like a cradle, -and realized what it would mean if anything happened to it, as it was a -most valuable relic to the proprietor of the hotel. - -With a sudden cry she jumped to her feet, and a moment later was -excitedly explaining to the would-be bandits the wrong they had -committed. In disappointed silence Jean was helped down from the top of -the coach, and Sheila, in whimpering protest, was hauled out. Then, amid -a profound and tragic stillness to the children, they managed, with the -help of the two girls, to get the stage back in the barn. Whereupon, -Nathalie closed the door and marched her charges off in another -direction, while pondering how to amuse them, for she had learned that -their active brains and nimble fingers must be kept busy or mischief -would brew. - -A low cry from Sheila roused her, to see a few feet away, on the -outskirts of the wood, a baby deer, gazing at them with mild eyes of -wonder. But the cries from the boys caused it to leap wildly into the -woods. - -Such had been the events of the day. - -Nathalie stirred uneasily, as a ray of moonshine fell athwart her face. -She rubbed her eyes, and then sat up in the hammock, staring about in a -bewildered, sleepy fashion. "Why, I must have been dreaming," she -thought, vaguely conscious that she had been living over again the long -day with its many adventures. - -"But it must be late; the children should be in bed." She could hear -Danny and Tony down on the lawn, their voices in loud and excited -argument. O dear! she hoped they were not going to fight again, and then -she gave a hurried "Tru-al-lee!" - -At the familiar call the boys came hurrying across the lawn, when, to -her surprise, she saw that Sheila was not with them. As she questioned -them sharply as to her whereabouts, they insisted that they supposed -that she was with her. The girl, somewhat alarmed, for the little lady -was inclined to wander off by herself, instituted a search. The barn, -grounds, Lovers' Lane opposite, and even the little red house were -peeped into, but all to no purpose. - -As Sam was in Littleton for the night, the boys were dispatched to Sugar -Hill village to make inquiries, while she and Janet, who had just -returned from a stroll in the moonlight with Mrs. Page, started to look -on the road leading to "The Echoes." Some time later the searchers -returned to Seven Pillars to report that no clews as to the child's -whereabouts had been discovered. Suddenly distracted, -conscience-stricken, Nathalie gave a low wail. - -"Oh, I do believe she has gone to the top of Garnet Mountain!" The girl -had suddenly remembered that for several days Sheila had been telling -how one of the boarders at Peckett's--a lady as white as snow--had told -her that every moonlight night at twelve o'clock the fairies came out of -the woods and danced on the top of Garnet. She had even suggested that -if Sheila could see them, she might be rewarded by receiving some of the -beautiful garnets that were hidden in the rocks, and which only the -fairies knew where to find. - -There was a grim silence at Nathalie's cry, as each one stared at the -other with a white, dismayed face, while Nathalie, with clasped hands, -nervously swayed herself to and fro. - -A sudden scuffle of small feet caused them all to swing about, to see -Danny hurrying towards the door. - -"Oh, where are you going, Dan?" cried Nathalie in a choked voice, -staring at the lad with bewildered eyes. - -"I'm going to find my sister--Sheila--" came in a strangled sob from the -boy. - -"But don't go alone. I will go with you," exclaimed Nathalie, quickly -springing to his side, as he stood with his face buried in his elbow, -while his slim body heaved convulsively. - -It was soon decided that Janet and Dan would climb the mountain-trail -that came out near Lovers' Lane, Mrs. Page and Tony would hurry in the -direction of Hildreth's farm, while Nathalie and Jean would follow the -Red Trail of the mountain, opposite Peckett's hotel. - -Twenty minutes later Nathalie and Jean, breathless from their hurried -climb, paused for a moment by a big tree that stood ghoulishly somber by -the path. As the girl, still panting, leaned against it, a ray of -moonlight filtering through the canopy of leaves overhead showed that it -was the Seat Tree, as they had named it on their climb that morning, on -account of its singular formation. - -By some freak of nature, from its main trunk, a short space from the -ground, another trunk had sprung, giving it the appearance of two trees -in one, and in this hollow some kindly-intentioned person had placed a -seat. As the girl perceived the seat she sat down, and feeling Jean's -soft breath come puffing against her cheek, drew the tired boy down on -her lap. Tige, the yellow terrier, crouched at their feet, his red -tongue hanging out of his mouth like a signal-light in the weird -darkness. - -Fortunately the darkness of the ascent had been lightened at intervals -by the moon, which was at its full, so that the girl had not been -compelled to use her flashlight except in the deeply shadowed places. -When they had begun to climb, Jean had whistled, his customary way of -calling Sheila, while Nathalie had not only called the child by name, -but had given her Pioneer call of "_Tru-al-lee_." - -But these calls had only re-echoed through the cathedral arches with -such a dismal, dirge-like sound that they had desisted. Feeling sure -that the child would keep near the path, Nathalie had kept her eyes busy -peering on all sides of her, thinking that she could easily discern -Sheila's white dress if she was anywhere near. - -All at once a low cry escaped the girl, as, with a convulsive clutch of -Jean's slight body, she bent forward, and peered through the eerie -tree-shadows to a dim, flickering light that shone some distance beyond -in the deep recesses of the forest. As the boy's eyes followed her -glance, in a tense whisper he cried, "Oh, Mademoiselle! see, there is a -man digging in the ground!" - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - - THE CABIN ON THE MOUNTAIN - - -Yes, it was a man digging in the ground. The quivering, yellowish glare -from a torch that had been stuck in the ground by his side--as it -flickered and flared, sometimes almost extinguished by the night air, -and then suddenly blazing to a vivid flame--silhouetted his form in -sharp outline against the high rock by which he was standing. - -As the girl's eyes dilated in puzzled wonder as to who the man was, and -why he was digging in the woods at this hour of the night, a queer, odd -quiver, or twitching of his head at times, as he bent over the spade, -aroused within her a vague consciousness that she had seen some one -before who had that same peculiar motion. - -Tige, the little yellow dog crouching at their feet, at this moment gave -a low growl, a warning that he might betray their presence. Nathalie, -quickly pushing Jean from her lap, grabbed the dog, and snuggled him -close to smother the growl, afraid that the man would discover that he -had been seen. Assailed by a nameless fear, she seized Jean's hand and -pushed on up the incline, stepping cautiously, almost noiselessly, on -the fallen leaves and stones, ever and anon glancing back, as if fearful -that the man would pursue them. - -Recalled to herself at Jean's wide, frightened eyes, and the tremor of -his slight form, she whispered with assumed courage, "Oh, I guess the -man is only burying some dead animal, or something of that kind up here -in the woods." Nevertheless she was almost as frightened as the child, -and was devoutly thankful when they reached a little clearing nearer the -top, where the moon shone down with the brightness of day. - -Yes, it would be about here that Sheila would come, for it was not far -from the jutting rock where they had seen such beautiful views that -morning. With keen eyes the girl peered around, but only craggy rocks, -scrubby bushes, tree-stumps--weird black objects in the moonlight--here -and there, backed by a forest of heavily-branched trees met her gaze. -Oh! what was that tiny glimmer of light over by the tree yonder? Was it -a light held by the man who had been digging, and who was perhaps -watching them from behind the tree? - -Nathalie's heart gave a wild leap, again shaken by that nameless fear, -and then, to her intense relief, she saw that the light came from the -little log cabin the children had found that morning in prowling about -the clearing. Yes, some one must live there. But suppose it should be -the man they had seen? Ah, they would hurry on, and gripping Jean's hand -in a closer pressure, she started forward. But no; Jean stood -obstinately still, with low-bent head, as if listening. - -What was it? Oh, it was a noise,--a low sound like a moan. Could it be -Sheila? Was she lying somewhere there in the woods? Why, it sounded as -if it came from the little cabin! Nathalie's head went up as she peered -resolutely through the gloom. No, she would not allow her foolish fear -to master her. She would go forward and see what it was--perhaps. A -moment or so later the girl, still frenziedly clinging to the little -boy's hand, her heart leaping with anxious agitation and nervous fear, -tapped loudly on one of the log posts of the open doorway, which was -hung with what appeared to be a large dark-colored shawl that waved -dismally in the wind. Almost immediately, in answer to her rap, the -shawl was pushed hastily aside and a man stood in the doorway. - -From the weird red gleam of a lantern that hung from the center of the -cabin, Nathalie perceived that the man was young, with a strange pallor -on his lean, brown face, which was lighted by large, densely black eyes, -that were peering down at her from beneath a tangle of soft, wavy black -hair. - -Inwardly quaking, but determined not to show her fear, Nathalie -inquired, "Have you seen anything of a little girl about?" Without -answering, the man turned and was pointing towards a log couch built up -against the wall, spread with an old army-coat. Nathalie gave a hurried -glance, and then made a wild rush forward, for the little form lying so -strangely still on the coat was Sheila! - -But the man's hand stayed her as he said in a low, but pleasant-sounding -voice, "Sh-sh! I would not awaken her. Poor little thing, she cried -herself to sleep." He then briefly explained how he had been awakened by -the low whimpering of a child, and, on going out to the clearing, had -found her sitting on a rock, crying piteously for the fairies to come -and get her. He was moved to question her, and then, by a little -coaxing, and the explanation that the fairies had all gone back to -fairyland, as it was long after midnight, he had coaxed the child into -the cabin, and finally she had fallen asleep. As Nathalie bent over her -in anxious solicitude she saw the undried tears still on her lashes, -while low, whimpering moans--the sounds that had arrested her -attention--came at intervals from between the soft, red lips. - -As the girl pondered as to how she was to get Sheila home, Danny's -policeman's whistle, as he called it, followed by Janet's shrill -"hoo-hooing," announced that the rest of the party of searchers had -arrived. In a short space they were all in the little cabin, animatedly -discussing how to carry the little girl down the mountain. Danny, -meanwhile, had hastened to the couch and was down on his knees, softly -kissing the little hand thrown over the side, in the abandon of sleep, -while the young man stood at one side, quietly watching the little -group. - -It was soon decided, at his suggestion, that they leave the little girl -there in the cabin with Danny until morning, when there would be more -light to get her down the mountain. This difficulty settled, with -relieved hearts they were about to set forth on their return journey -down the trail, when Nathalie, whose eyes had been wandering about the -rustic hut, cried, "But do you live here all alone up on this mountain?" - -The young man's eyes lighted. "Why, yes, I live alone up here. It is not -much of a summer-resort," he said, with a rarely winning smile. "Still -it answers my purpose, for I am guaranteed plenty of pure air. I am an -English soldier," he volunteered somewhat slowly, "and have recently -come over here from England. I was wounded,--" he glanced down at his -arm with its gloved hand, and which Janet had been eying rather sharply, -for it hung down in a strangely stiff way,--"and I thought the mountains -would benefit me. But I am very glad I found the child," he broke off -abruptly, as if he had been revealing something he did not care to talk -about. "I hope she will be none the worse for her adventure," he -continued kindly, "even if she failed to find the fairies." Nathalie had -explained how the child had come to wander away. - -[Illustration: Nathalie bent over in anxious solicitude.--_Page 259._] - -Early the next morning Danny and Sheila appeared, the little girl now -quite wide-awake, but she grew very shamefaced when Mrs. Page scolded -her gently for giving them such a fright, dwelling upon the deep anxiety -she had caused Miss Natty, when she had been so good to her, too. The -tears came into the brown eyes at this rebuke, and, impulsively running -to the girl, she protested with a stifled sob that she would not run -after any more fairies. - -Of course Nathalie had to kiss the woeful little damsel, but perceiving -that the auspicious moment had arrived to impress her with a fact that -she should know, she took her out on the porch, and then gravely and -carefully made clear to the little mind that there were no fairies, but -just beautiful fancies that existed in the brains of people, who put -them in stories so as to make them interesting to children. - -But Danny, apparently greatly distressed, now drew Nathalie to one side, -and confided to her that he believed that the young man must be hungry -and very poor, for there seemed to be no food in the cabin. And he had -heard him mutter,--when he thought the boy was asleep,--as he counted -some loose change he had taken from his pocket and thrown on the table, -"Well, that won't get much food." And then he had sat very quiet for a -long time, as if thinking. - -Nathalie immediately rushed to impart this news to her mother, with the -result that, a half-hour later, Danny and Tony, each with a basket -filled with food, started up the mountain-trail. In his pocket Danny -carried a note written by Mrs. Page, in which she not only thanked the -young man again for his kindness to Sheila, but made it clear that the -food came from the child, a thank offering to him, and that she hoped he -would find it acceptable, as she knew that it must be a difficult matter -to obtain much food up there on the mountain top. - -Some time later the two boys returned in a state of great excitement. -They claimed that they had found the young man asleep on the couch, and -although they had tried to awaken him, and had "hollered and hollered -right into his ear," as Danny expressed it, he had not even stirred. The -faces of the listeners grew grave as they heard this, and Janet, with a -sudden sharp exclamation, turned and rushed up-stairs, to reappear in a -moment with a medicine-case and her hat. Her training as a district -nurse was now to be put to a real test. "I just believe that boy has -been starved to death," she ejaculated, her blue eyes luminous with -sympathy, "for I could see by the look of him last night that he was in -a bad way." - -Of course Nathalie would not let Janet go alone, and so the two girls -and the boys again hurried up the mountain to the cabin, where they -found the young man not dead, as Nathalie had vaguely feared, but in a -state of unconsciousness. Under Janet's able ministrations he was -finally brought to, and after Nathalie had warmed some broth--Danny had -made a fire in the open--it was gently fed to him by Janet. As Nathalie -watched her, she opened her eyes in amazement at the girl's deftness and -gentleness in handling her charge, for this indeed was a new phase of -her cousin's character. - -Won by the girls' sympathy and interest, Philip de Brie--as that proved -to be the young man's name--said he had been wounded at the battle of -Loos, and then wounded again and taken a prisoner at the battle of the -Somme. After many months, under most harrowing circumstances, he had -made his escape, and finally reached England, only to find that his -mother had died in the meantime. "As I was alone," there was a -perceptible quiver in his voice,--"my father had died when I was a -lad,--I decided to come over here. - -"My father was an American," he continued. "I was born in America, and, -as I knew that I had a grandmother living here, now my only relative, I -felt that I wanted to see her. But I found that she, too, had died," the -young man's eyes saddened, "and, well, once up on these grand old -mountains, somehow I wanted to stay, they seemed so restful after the -nerve-shocked life of a battle-field and my prison experience. I found -this old shack up here one day in wandering about, and, after finding -its owner, hired it for the summer. You see, my arm was bayoneted by a -German," his mouth set in a hard line, "and was never properly treated -in the German camp. Sometimes I fear I will lose it altogether. But you -have been very kind to me--I shall get along now." He attempted to rise, -but Janet, forcing him back, insisted upon ripping open the sleeve -covering the bayoneted arm, notwithstanding his protests, and here she -found a condition that made her eyes grow very grave. - -After cleaning the wound and applying what remedies she had on hand, she -rebandaged the arm, which made the patient feel much better, he -affirmed. After giving him a soothing draught, and fixing him as -comfortably as she could with the meager bed-clothing in the cabin, so -he could sleep, she and Nathalie withdrew outside. - -Under the trees the two girls sat and discussed the situation with much -perplexity, for Janet maintained that it was a serious case,--that the -young man's temperature was not only rising, but that his arm needed a -surgeon's care. But what were they to do? And the girls' eyes grew -tragically grave as they realized that the young man was an object of -much solicitude, alone and ill in a strange country, and evidently -without any means. - -It was finally decided that they take turns in caring for him, with the -help of Danny, who was not only sympathetically interested, but who was -quite a handy man in many ways. He said he had learned to care for -Sheila, and for the old woman whom he called his nurse, who had cared -for them, and who was not only very aged, but miserably ill for some -time before she died. - -But the next morning, unfortunately,--Janet and Danny had remained -during the night,--the patient's condition was worse and Janet, with -tears in her eyes, besought Nathalie to go to the village and see if she -could get help. - -As the girl hurried down the trail her mind was active. Oh, she did hate -to make the young man a public charge, as he looked so refined, and had -such a noble, winning way with him. And he was a soldier, too; yes, a -"Son of Liberty," as she confided to Tony, who was by her side. For had -he not been fighting in France to give liberty to the world? "Why, there -isn't anything too good for him," lamented the girl, "and yet there he -is up there alone, perhaps at the point of death for want of proper -care." And yet where was she to get the money to call a physician, and -where could she find one, were perplexing questions. - -As these thoughts ran rapidly through the girl's brain, sometimes spoken -aloud in her stress, inspired perhaps by Tony's unspoken sympathy, as he -gently patted her hand, she caught her breath quickly, and a bright -flash illumined her eyes. - -"Yes, I will do it," she muttered aloud, absent-mindedly returning the -boy's caresses. "I will take the money. I was saving it. O dear!" -Nathalie almost wailed, "shall I ever be able to save even a _sou_ -towards going to college? Well, it can't be helped. I'll just have to -take it and see if I can't get some one to tell me where I can get a -physician." - -Hurrying into the house, Nathalie informed her mother as to the -patient's condition, and then told that she intended taking the money -she had saved and call a doctor. Mrs. Page kissed the girl softly with -troubled eyes, saying gently, "Never mind, Nathalie, you are investing -your money at a greater per cent of interest in giving it to this -unknown stranger, than if you used it for yourself. And then, who knows, -dear? Something may turn up some day----" - -"Oh no," cried Blue Robin in a discouraged voice, "_nothing_ will ever -turn up." And then, with a feeble smile, she cried, "But, as you often -say, mumsie, things are foreordained, and so perhaps it wouldn't be for -my good to have my wish. And then, anyway, I shall have the -satisfaction," the brown eyes were sparkling again, "of knowing that the -'drop in the bucket,' is going to do some good to some one." - -After finding Sam, who was rarely ill and could give her no information -as to where to get a physician unless it was at Littleton, she started -for the village. As she passed the little red house she ran in for a -moment to tell Mrs. Carney about the man in the cabin, as she had become -much interested in the young man's story. The queer old lady and the -girl had become very good friends since that visit with the children, -for Nathalie had learned that the sometimes sharp gray eyes covered a -kindly nature, notwithstanding the old lady's brusque, queer ways. - -"Yes, it just breaks my heart to take my college money," she dolefully -confided. Then, half-ashamed of her repining, she tried to explain how -college had been the dream of her life, and how many times she had been -disappointed. A kindly gleam in Mrs. Carney's eyes, however, assured her -that the old lady understood how she felt, and after a hurried good-by -she was on her way to the post-office. - -Nathalie feared she was going to get no more information here than what -Sam had imparted, when suddenly a lady, who had been standing near, and -who had been interested in her story, informed her that there was a -famous surgeon from New York up at the Sunset Hill House, and that -possibly she could get him. - -Thanking her warmly, the girl hurried up the board walk to the -hotel,--the children tagging on behind her,--feeling extremely nervous -as she realized her boldness in asking a big physician, who had probably -come to the mountains for a rest, to be bothered with a poor patient. -And then, too, who knew what terribly high prices he might ask for his -services? Nathalie began to feel that her "drop in the bucket" might not -prove of any help after all. - -But, bracing to the ordeal, she told the children to wait at the little -Observation Tower, as she called it, in front of the hotel, and hurried -to the office. She had just nervously cleared her throat to question the -clerk when the sudden cry, "Oh, Nathalie! Nathalie! where did you come -from?" caused her to swing about. The next moment Nita Van Vorst had her -arms about her, and was hugging and kissing her excitedly, while her -mother stood by with pleased, shining eyes. - -After a hearty greeting from Mrs. Van Vorst, Nathalie cried laughingly, -although the sudden revulsion from nervous anxiety had brought tears to -her eyes, "Oh, where did you come from, and when did you get here?" - -"We arrived last night," replied Nita, bubbling over with delight at -being with her friend again. "Our coming here is a surprise _for you_, -and we were just going to see if we could get some information as to -where Seven Pillars was, so as to motor there." - -"Oh, I'm so glad to see you, and now you can see my boys!" And then, -after Mrs. Van Vorst had led them into one of the little side-rooms -opening from the long hall, where they could converse without being -heard, she told all about her boys,--Sheila, the boy-girl, as she called -her, the good times they were all having, and about the young man who -was lying so ill up on the mountain, and what had brought her to the -hotel. "I am so nervous," sighed the girl, as she finished her story, -"for I don't know this big man, and I dread to speak with him, for fear -he will be brusque and sharp with me, but _something_ must be done for -that poor soldier boy." - -"Excuse me a moment," exclaimed Mrs. Van Vorst after she had conversed a -while; "I want to go and see if I have any mail." But, to Nathalie's -surprise, she did not go in the direction of the desk, but hurried after -a tall, rather stout gentleman who at that moment passed through the -hall. - -But the little incident was forgotten, as Nathalie and Nita had so much -to say to one another that they both talked at once, as if their tongues -were hung in the middle. Nita insisted that her friend would have to -remain to dinner with her, as she had so much news to tell, especially -about the Liberty Girls, that it would take hours to tell it. - -In the midst of these many bits of enjoyed information, Nita's mother -returned, and Nathalie in a moment was dazedly bowing to the tall -gentleman, whom her friend presented as Dr. Gilmour. "He is the surgeon, -Nathalie," she added smilingly, "whom you came after. As he is a very -old friend of mine, and a good American to boot," she nodded at the -gentleman, "he has consented to go with you up the mountain to see your -Son of Liberty, as you call him." - -"Oh, I am so glad! I am so glad!" burst from the girl with a -joy-thrilled voice. "And, oh, I thank you so much; it is so kind of -you," she added with misty eyes, turning impulsively towards the -physician. - -But the big man, with an amused smile in his keen gray eyes, patted her -on the shoulder as he said, "My little lady, I think that every true -American should stand ready to do anything to help any man, or boy, who -has been brave enough to face those fiendish Huns." - -"Oh, I think so, too," cried the relieved girl, a wave of color flushing -her cheeks, "and I think it must have been that thought that gave me the -courage to come and ask you." - -"Oh, isn't it just dandy!" enthused Nita, as Dr. Gilmour hurried away to -get his little black case, while Nathalie led her friend down the steps -of the veranda to where three little figures sat patiently waiting for -her on the tower-steps. - -But the girl's eyes widened as she suddenly perceived that they were not -alone, for a brown-clad figure with soldierly bearing, but with a -golf-bag slung over his shoulder, with one foot on the steps, was -bending down and talking to the children. And then a sudden thrill -stirred her as she recognized the soldier lad who had helped her down -the foot-bridge that day at the Flume, and who had so kindly taken Jean -to see the cascade. - -As Nathalie reached the children, she became embarrassed, as she -suddenly realized that she did not know the name of the young soldier. -But her embarrassment was momentary, as Nita called out merrily, "Hello, -Van. Is _that_ what you are doing, making love to the kiddies? I thought -you were going to play golf." - -"That was my intention," replied the boy, straightening up and lifting -his hat, and then his dark blue eyes brightened quickly, as he perceived -Nita's companion. - -Nathalie was now introduced to Mr. Van Darrell, the son of a friend of -Nita's mother, and then the little group were chatting merrily as they -waited for Dr. Gilmour, and Mrs. Van Vorst, who had gone to order the -car to take them to the foot of the Trail that led to the top of Garnet -Mountain. - -All at once young Darrell turned towards Nathalie as he said, "But, Miss -Page, have we not met before? Were you not one of the girls at Camp -Mills one day last month, who asked a party of us if we did not want -some cherries? And then, if I remember rightly, we all helped you to -gather up the fruit after you had knocked the basket from the car." - -"Oh, yes, I remember you," dimpled Nathalie. "No, not when I met you -that day at the Flume, although your face haunted me as being familiar, -but it all came to me on the ride home." - -"But I knew you right away," said the boy half shyly, "although I did -not like to make myself known, for, of course, I did not even know your -name." - -"Or I yours," laughed Nathalie. And then, with her mind filled with -thoughts of the young English soldier, she told his story to Mr. -Darrell, who immediately became so interested in Tommy Atkins, as he -called him, that he begged Nathalie to let him go with her, quite -assured, he declared, that he could be of some assistance to him. - -Before the girl could reply a new voice suddenly shrilled, "Oh, -Nathalie, how do you do? Did you come up here to call on us?" - -The girl, thus addressed, stared with some bewilderment, to see her two -New York schoolmates hurrying towards her. They looked very fetching in -their modish golf-costumes, with their bags slung carelessly over their -shoulders, as each one seized her hand and shook it cordially, while -smiling down upon her in a most friendly and chummy way. - -For a full second the girl simply stared, dazed and confused, as it -suddenly flashed into her consciousness that the last time she had met -these girls they had snubbed her, deliberately turning their backs upon -her, when she greeted them, the day she had come to the hotel to leave -the sweet peas. Ah, a sudden red leaped into Nathalie's cheeks, her eyes -flamed angrily, and she was about to return their snub by turning her -back upon them, for she had intuitively divined that they were nice to -her because they wanted to be introduced to her friends. Yes, they -wanted to know the soldier-boy. - -But something deep within the girl, her finer nature, whispered, "Never -mind, ignore their slight, and show that you are above them by acting -the lady." With simple dignity the girl coolly returned their effusive -greeting, and then, with cold formality, introduced them to her two -friends. Oh, how delighted they were to meet Miss Van Vorst; they had -heard all about her from a friend of hers,--Nita never was able to -discover this friend. Then, turning from Nita as quickly as possible, -they made an onslaught upon the soldier lad. Oh, how pleased they were -to meet him, they had been just wild to know him ever since they had -sighted his uniform. Was he a New York guardsman? What regiment did he -belong to? These and a score of similar questions were quickly hurled at -the young man, somewhat to his embarrassment. Nathalie could not hear -all they said as she chattered with Nita, but vaguely realized, as they -rattled on, with an angry flutter of her heart, that they were again -ignoring her, as she heard them urging Mr. Darrell to join them at a -game of golf. - -But a few moments later, when Nita waved a good-by to her mother from -the car, she was seated between the soldier lad and Nathalie, with the -children crowding upon their laps, and the doctor in front with the -chauffeur. - -As the car whizzed away from the hotel Nita gave Nathalie's sleeve a -sudden twitch as she cried, "Oh, look, Nathalie; there's the _Count_!" - -"The _Count_," repeated her friend in mystified wonder, as she bent -forward to gaze after a young man who had just flashed by in an -automobile. But suddenly, with a curious gleam in her eyes, the girl -drew back, a slight flush on her cheeks. - -"Oh, no, he's not a _real Count_," informed Nita with some amusement in -her eyes; "but every one calls him that because they think he's so -Frenchy-looking, with his dark skin and big black eyes. The girls seem -quite wild about him, for he takes them riding in his car. Some one told -mother that he was from Chicago, and was quite wealthy." - -But Nathalie manifested no further interest in the gentleman whom Nita -had dubbed the Count, although she immediately recognized the young man -as the one who had repaired her car the day she had gone after the -children. But, alas, she felt that he was no gentleman, for had he not -stared at her rudely in the post-office, and then accosted her near the -cemetery a short time later? - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - - THE LIBERTY CHEER - - -After Nita's arrival the two Pioneer-Liberty girls were so occupied with -things to see and do, that at the week's end it was hard to realize it -was not a month since her coming. - -In the order of events had been the anxious moments waiting to know the -doctor's decision as to the condition of the young English soldier. This -had been followed by Nathalie's deep joy when she realized that her -"drop in the bucket" was doing its bit. Yes, the doctor announced that -the young man's condition was serious, induced by his gangrenous wound -and the life he had lived for the last two years. Still, as he had a -good constitution, and youth is a ready up-builder, with proper care and -food,--emphasizing the word "food,"--he would be all right in a short -time. Yes, Janet had sensed the situation when she had proclaimed that -she believed the man was more than half starved. - -Under the care of the skillful surgeon, with Janet's good nursing, -assisted by Nathalie and Nita, who had begged hard to be allowed to -help, the patient soon began to improve. Possibly the atmosphere created -by having three young nurses, the soldier-boy as orderly, Danny as handy -man, with the other children as servitors, with nourishing food, had -done as much as medicine and skill in giving renewed ambition to a man -who had been dragging out his life on half-rations, in the solitude of a -friendless existence. - -The most important aid to the convalescent's recovery, undoubtedly, was -the thought of being able to refill an empty pocketbook, for Mrs. Van -Vorst, as soon as she learned that he was a proficient French -scholar,--he had lived in France, his mother being a French woman,--and -was graduated from Oxford, had immediately made the suggestion that he -give Nita French lessons. With her usual tact the suggestion had been so -delicately made, pleading it as a personal favor to her, so as not to -offend the fine sensibilities of the young man, that it had been soon -arranged. - -The young soldier's peculiar situation had been noised about, and -general interest and sympathy being awakened, many of the guests from -the near-by hotels had climbed the mountain trails, with offerings of -fruit or some delicacy for the invalid. - -When the fact became known that Nita was to take French lessons from -him, other young ladies at the hotels were eager to be his pupils, among -them Nathalie's two New York schoolmates, who ardently sounded the -praises of the handsome English soldier, whose refined scholarly face, -tall, athletic figure, his romantic story, bade fair to make him a -possible rival of the Count, who was considered the most eligible -_parti_ at the hotel. But the fact that the young man up in the cabin -had played a soldier's part in the present war, was an asset that -carried more weight than mere wealth, in the minds of the ladies, -particularly when it was fashionable to be patriotic. - -Possibly Nathalie's two friends seized upon this opportunity to make -themselves one of a very happy party of young people, who somehow -managed to have a most enjoyable time in ministering to their charge. As -soon as the sick man was able, he was made comfortable in a hammock -under the trees, on a clearing near the cabin, where each one vied with -the other to cheer him. - -Sometimes there would be a reading, then again just a merry chat, but as -the meetings gained in numbers, stories became the vogue, the -story-teller generally relating some tale about the mountains, or an -Indian legend, while the listeners sat and knitted for the soldiers, as -even Sheila and the boys,--all but poor Jean,--had become expert -knitters, under Nathalie's tutelage. As the patient had brightened so -perceptibly at these little mountain-top gatherings, Nathalie had dubbed -them Liberty Cheers. - -When Blue Robin saw that her two schoolmates had foisted themselves upon -the party, she felt indignantly grieved, as the snub they had -administered to her still rankled. She had been on the point of -revealing the incident to Nita, in one of their little confidential -chats, when that young lady had remained at Seven Pillars over night, as -she loved to do. But second thoughts stayed her, as she knew her -friend's loyal devotion to her, and her vehement way of disposing of -people when they displeased her, the result of her spoiled childhood. -Nathalie, also, was afraid to offend the two girls, for fear they would -not continue to take lessons of Philip de Brie, and she knew that would -mean a loss to him. - -Van Darrell, the Camp Mills soldier, and Philip had fraternized as -"mates"; for the latter, by his life on the battlefield, and in the -trenches, and with his experiences in a German prison-camp, had a stock -of information at his command that Van was greedy to devour. With the -wholehearted patriotic enthusiasm of our young American boys when called -to the colors, he was keen to be on the "firing-line," so as to get a -chance, as he expressed it, "to get a few jabs at the Big Willie gang." - -Philip's deep appreciation of Nathalie's kindness to him, and also that -of her friends, was not only expressed in words, but by the warm, -eloquent glances of his dark eyes. His deferential courtesy to all, his -chivalrous manner towards her and Janet, and his kindly, winning way of -making friends with the children, had won the girl's admiration. -Nevertheless she had noticed that it was Janet who had won his deepest -regard. It was to her that he turned with questioning eyes when anything -of moment came up, on her that his admiring, ardent glances fell when -that young lady appeared in some simple, but fluffy, bewitching little -costume, which she had taken to doing lately, somewhat to Nathalie's -surprise. - -When he grew tired and showed a restlessness, a desire to be free of the -merry-makers, a pleased look would dawn in his eyes when they left him -to the ministrations of the head nurse. The somber shadows in his eyes -would light with a strange glow as she hovered about him, trying to make -him comfortable, or giving him the medicine that he probably would have -forgotten if she had not been there to give it to him. - -And Janet? Well, she had been, as it were, curiously transformed into a -new creature, seemingly, by the sweet pity in her soft eyes, and the -flush on her winsome face, as, with tireless patience and quiet -diligence, she performed her duties. Evidently, for the nonce, her -vocation of mingled pacifist, farmerette, and suffragette had been -relegated to the past. - -Oh, no, the girls did not spend all their time with Philip, for, as this -was Nita's first visit to the White Hills, there were many things to -see. One of the first places she had been taken by her friend was to the -Sweet Pea Tea-House, to meet the invalid and the deaf-and-dumb lady. She -was not only charmed with their garden of gardens, but enthusiastic in -her warm admiration of the charms of its owners. And it was not long -before she was alternating with Nathalie in reading to Miss Whipple, for -Nathalie had managed, with her many duties and joys, to keep up the -readings to the shut-in. - -Mrs. Carney, of the little red house, also received a call, and the -young girl had come away curiously impressed with the oddities of the -queer little old lady, whose small black figure, with her basket of yarn -for knitting, always in that funny poke-bonnet, was a familiar sight on -the road. - -Janet, Nita declared, was "just lovely," and that this admiration was -reciprocated was evidenced by Janet taking her down to her farm, -although sadly neglected at present. Here Nita not only did her share of -weeding, but returned with such glowing accounts of the farm's -luxuriance, expatiating so glowingly upon its fertility, and what -wonders Janet had been able to accomplish so late in the season, that -Nathalie forebore poking fun at it, as she generally did. - -Nita had gazed at the mystery room with a keen desire to peep within, -had read Nathalie's diary of each day's doings, and had prowled all over -the house, intent on selecting what she thought was the most valuable -thing for Nathalie to select, as she, too, was anxious that she should -"win the prize," as the children called it. She had even visited Cynthia -in her sanctum sanctorum, to Nathalie's astonishment, the artist -apparently having taken a great fancy to the hunchback girl, being -particularly cordial to her, and returning Mrs. Van Vorst's call, to the -amazement of Mrs. Page, before that lady had had a chance to do so. - -But the reason therefor was apparently explained, when it became known -that she had suggested to Mrs. Van Vorst that she allow her to paint -Nita's portrait, insisting that her golden hair and violet eyes would -show up beautifully on a canvas. Nathalie was still more surprised when -that kind-hearted lady, whose income was amply sufficient to allow her -to indulge in many whims, consented, and Cynthia was in a glorified -state at the success of her plan. - -Liberty Fort had proved a good inspirer of patriotism, as Nita not only -became, for the time, a most valiant Son of Liberty, entering with great -zest into the children's sham battles on the meadow below, but she -introduced an element of war that was hailed with delight. This was a -battery gun, which she contrived to make, with the help of Jean, out of -an old lead pipe found in the cellar, and which was placed on wheels, -the remains of an old hayrack, and installed at the top of the terrace -in front of the fort. - -She had also helped the boys to make wooden swords out of sticks, and -also hand-grenades of thick paper filled with gravel, which would have -had a most disastrous effect upon the enemy if the latter had not been -imaginary. - -It was here one afternoon, as the boys were having a battle with all the -horrors of war, that young Darrell appeared, and as he and the two girls -sat on the stone ledge, he told them how he was "all in" by having had a -boxing-match with a prisoner when on police duty. - -"The chap was a foreigner," he explained. "He could only speak a little -English, and I had heard him mutter to himself several times in rather a -queer way. Suddenly, when I was off my guard, he let his club fly at me -and gave me a whack on the head that knocked me silly. I saw stars for a -moment, and then I let out on the chap,--he was a big fellow, as strong -as an ox,--and was just about to use my automatic when the Military -Police rushed up and in a few moments they had him as tight as a drum. -It turned out that he was off his nut, and I believe he is now in some -asylum. Anyway he put me in the hospital with a cracked skull for a -while, and then I was granted a furlough, and came up here with mother." - -The girls, under the spell of the military, were inclined to make a hero -of the soldier-boy, with the long-lashed, merry blue eyes and cheery -laugh, in their minds at least, if not openly. Later, when he was -sitting alone with Nathalie, in a burst of confidence, with sudden -gravity, he lamented that he feared that he would never reach the -"firing-line" overseas. When Nathalie expressed her surprise at his -fears, he explained that he had been detailed to sanitary work in the -hospital, and then he added, with gloom-shadowed eyes, "And it looks to -me as if it would be steady company; but it is up to Uncle Sam, and a -soldier is no soldier if he kicks at his job." - -"Oh, I just wish I were a man, so I could go over there," sighed -Nathalie a little dolefully. "Sometimes I wish I had a million lives so -I could give them to my country, and go over and fight." - -"Ho! ho! Blue Robin! You have changed your mind then, haven't you?" -good-naturedly jeered Nita, who had just come up behind them. Her blue -eyes gleamed mischief as she continued laughingly, "Surely that was not -the way you felt a short while ago." - -"No, that is true," replied Nathalie with reddened cheeks, "but I was -selfish then, and failed to read the handwriting on the wall." - -As Nathalie looked up in a shamefaced way at the young soldier she saw a -strange expression flit across his face as he gazed down at her. - -"Did you call Miss Page Blue Robin?" he asked hurriedly of Nita, with a -sudden, strange interest. - -"Oh, that is just a nickname," began Nathalie, "and----" - -"No, it isn't a nickname," returned Nita, with a defiant toss of her -head. "It is just your own particular name. Shall I tell Mr. Darrell how -you came by it?" And then, without waiting for permission, she told -their companion the story of how Nathalie found the nest of bluebirds in -the old cedar tree and thought they were blue robins. And when the Girl -Pioneers claimed that she must become one of them, she had to join the -Bluebird group. "Because, you see, she was a real bluebird," ended the -girl. - -It was then that Nathalie, who hated to be the subject of a -conversation, began to tell the young soldier of her many trials in -training her boys in military tactics. To her joy he offered to give -them a lesson, whereupon the young Sons of Liberty were lined up, Nita -and Sheila with them, and drilled in a simple manual-of-arms,--how to -stand as a sentinel on post, how to salute an officer or civilian, and -how to stand at attention when the national anthem, the "Call to the -Colors," or "To the Standard," were played, and when the flag went by. - -There was a drill in calisthenics, and then the young military -instructor explained to his youthful audience the necessity for a Son of -Liberty--he had caught the phrase from Nathalie--to have clean hands, -face, teeth, and finger-nails. "No boy or young man," he emphasized, -"will ever make a good soldier who will not discipline himself in these -small things. It is also essential for a soldier not only to be clean, -but to be courteous, helpful, and kind, especially to the aged and -weak." - -The drill was conducted in such a masterful, soldier-like way, and the -little talk made significant by so many points that Nathalie was -laboring to teach her boys, that the girls were greatly impressed, and -also the children, if one were to judge by their alert attention and the -worshipful glances they cast upon the young soldier as they went through -their war maneuvers. - -Nathalie and the boys were anxious to show Nita their mountain walks, -and so, with young Darrell, they spent many an afternoon, from glen and -vale, in studying the mountains, with their rugged crests and beautiful -cloud-effects. Their ever-changing beauty, their gigantic immensity, -their awe-inspiring silences lifted the newcomers to a reverent calm, as -they gazed at these everlasting memorials to the omnipotency of the -Creator. - -Sometimes the little party would walk four or five miles, something that -the little hunchback had never been able to do until she became a -Pioneer. The visit to the Flume was not only repeated, but they visited -the Lost River. The weird mystery of the silver stream, as it gleamed -luringly between massive gray bowlders, tempted them down the little -ladder, to slide over rocky ledges, and climb stony declivities, until -at last they were standing beneath the rocks in Shadow Cave. The Giant's -Pot Hole, with the shiny water peering at them from between the stone -walls, so suggestive of giants and strange dragons, with its weird, -mystical stream, made the underground trip to Mother Nature's caverns a -revelation and a delight to all of the party. - -They ascended Mount Agassiz at Bethlehem, where they tried to signal to -Philip and Janet on the top of Garnet, through the sun's rays shining on -a mirror, but although this method of signaling was greatly enjoyed, it -was not very successful. With all of the merry times, however, the young -invalid on the mountain was not forgotten, although he and Janet--with -Mrs. Page for company sometimes--passed many hours in each other's -company. - -Then came a cool, sunny afternoon in August, when they all gathered -around a trench camp-fire on the top of Garnet, for Philip had -convalesced sufficiently to do a little climbing, and had a luncheon in -the woods. And it was the two young soldiers who boiled the potatoes in -a pot that hung from a green pole, fastened in crotches on two upright -saplings over the fire-pit, from which a trench a foot deep branched out -on each of its four sides. This new kind of fire, as Sheila called it, -was a real soldier's fire, for it was where Philip had cooked his meals -before he was visited by Nathalie and Janet, his good angels, as he -called them. - -With keen satisfaction the children watched Philip toast the sweet, -nutty bacon for his guests, while Van showed the girls _his way_ of -making flapjacks, as he tossed them so high in the air that a shrill, -"Oh, you'll lose it!" almost unnerved the would-be cook. - -But no such dire catastrophe happened, and soon they were all enjoying -the brown cakes spread with maple sugar, and war-bread sandwiched with -bacon between. After the edibles had been disposed of and the fire was -banked, as Philip called it, for a later meal, Danny and Tony made a -Pioneer Camp-fire, and around its glowing embers--for the wind was keen -that cool August day up there on those craggy heights--they held a -Liberty Cheer. - -As they were about to cast lots as to who should tell the first story, -Van, who never tired of listening to Philip's experiences, begged him to -tell the girls something of his life as a soldier fighting in France. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - - "THE WHITE COMRADE" - - -Philip, who sat leaning against a tree, with his arm around Jean, softly -stroked the lad's dark head. Somehow he had shown more than the usual -interest in the little refugee, undoubtedly drawn to him in recognition -of the fact that he was also a victim of German barbarity, and because -they both spoke the same language. Nathalie, with a thrill of joy, had -noticed his tender, protecting watchfulness over the boy, and how Jean's -big eyes would gaze up at the young man with a gleam in their depths -like that of some adoring dog, who yearns for the hand of his master in -silent caress! - -"There is not much to tell," returned Philip after a pause, with the -hesitancy of one who dislikes to talk about himself, "for you must know -I am no hero." He smiled at the girlish faces so eagerly watching him. -Suddenly he sat bolt upright, unconsciously pushing Jean from him. "I am -an American," he exclaimed abruptly, "for my father came of good old New -England stock, although I was born in the South. But my heart has been -strangely stirred since I came over here, for the Americans are -asleep,--they do not sense what they are up against in this war of the -nations." His dark gray eyes flashed into flame. "Sometimes I feel I -would like to be another Paul Revere, and ride like the wind, knocking -on doors and windows, shouting to the slumberers, 'The Huns are coming!' -_They must_ be roused to the truth that this war is their war, and that -they have not buckled to their job." - -He paused a moment, the fire dying out of his eyes as he continued, "I -was feeling in unusually good spirits that summer of 1914, for I had -just formed a partnership with a well-known architect, and business gave -assurance of giving me a very comfortable income, and place me in a -position to repay my mother, who had denied herself in order to put me -through college. - -"Into this mood of complacent satisfaction with myself and world in -general, came a jar one day in June when the newspapers announced, in -glaring headlines, the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand. And, -almost before we had digested its portent, came Austria's ultimatum to -little Serbia. People began to grow restive, alarm-fired, keyed to a -tense state of expectancy that something was in the air, but--what? Then -tongues were loosened and eyes flashed fire as the Prime Minister's -scathing denunciation of Germany's 'infamous proposal' was bandied from -mouth to mouth, followed by Great Britain's ultimatum that Belgium's -neutrality must be respected. - -"Then came hours of anxious suspense, a harrowing waiting-time, with -every one's heart aquiver, while a little group of men in Downing Street -held their watches in their hands as they awaited Germany's reply. It -came. The deep-toned clang of Big Ben told to English hearts that the -world's decades of peace had been shattered, and that the Prussian -barbarians had struck their first blow at civilization. - -"From every corner and window now glared forth, 'Your King and your -Country need you.' Those words seared my heart like fire, but no, I -argued, I must make good with mother. But no matter how I tried to -cajole myself, the words seemed to follow me around like an accusing -finger. No, he wasn't my king. I was an American by right of birth, but -still they blazoned at me until I could see them with my eyes shut. They -starred the darkness of night; why, even in my sleep they clutched me in -a ghostly dream. The next day and for many days I saw them aflame on the -pavement, they were written on the sky in white letters, but still I -fought. - -"When England's young manhood sprang, as it were, from the earth, armed -to the teeth, and marched shoulder to shoulder in regular beat,--it -seemed like the pulsation of my own heart--as they swung along through -the streets of London, my head swam, my throat tightened, and--But when -I read of heroic little Belgium so nobly holding out against the -ruthless destroyer of justice and honor, I gave in and became one of -Kitchener's mob. - -"Those were not pleasant hours," continued Philip, "waiting at the Horse -Guard Parade to read when I must report at the regimental depot at -Hounslow, for I felt I was a misfit, in with a lot of men that, to my -inexperienced eyes, seemed the scum of England, and I sickened of my -job. - -"But when the news continued to pour in that Liege had fallen, that the -Germans had entered Brussels, that the British Expeditionary Forces were -retreating, heroically fighting, that Namur, Louvain, and other towns -were being ruthlessly seized and devastated by the enemy, and their -hellish atrocities began to be rumored about, the past, together with -all hopes and desires for the future, were wiped out as clean as a slate -in a spirit of forgetfulness. I lived in the moment, buoyed by the grim -determination to fight like hell to down the oppressor of men's rights, -to lose my life if need be, in order to give freedom to those who were -to come after. - -"My spirits took a leap when I registered at the Hounslow Barracks as a -Royal Fusileer, although I grinned humorously, for if I had felt like a -misfit in London I was a guy now, appareled like a bloomin' lay-figure -in the cast-off rags of some old-clothes shop, and had sensed that I was -only a steel rivet in a big machine. I was no duck either, taking to the -drills like water, for I would stand hopelessly bewildered at the sharp -orders, 'Form fours! One-one-two! Platoon! Form Fours!' and similar -commands, that were like kicks on a befuddled brain. But I gritted my -teeth and stuck to my guns. - -"As soon as my rawness wore off and I began to get the hang of it, the -martial spirit asserted itself. I began to be obsessed by the desire to -show that I was the right stuff, that the heroism of my American -ancestors, the spirit of '76, was in me. Through all my intensive -training I was feverishly eager to know every detail of company and -battalion drill, musketry and target-practice, and all the daily grind -of the other sundry factors in military discipline. - -"When I began to 'matey' my comrades, I soon understood why a Tommy -Atkins is not like an American, who is born with a fine sense of -personal independence, and who feels that he is as good as any Lord or -Duke; or like a volatile Frenchman, with his easy grace of manner and -buoyant spirit. I realized that although there may be a 'Sentimental -Tommy' here and there, the average Tommy Atkins is a stolid chap, -humdrum and prosaic, but with as kind a heart as any rookie in the -world. - -"As spring came along, after months of soldiering in many different -quarters, which meant roughing it in leaky tents where cold, rain, and -mud played a large part, and poor equipment a larger, we were no longer -raw rookies, parading or drilling before an unadmiring public,--a target -for pretty girls' laughter, or the ire of a berating sergeant,--for our -battalion had acquired a high degree of efficiency. - -"Our arms were one with us, we had done with squad, platoon formation, -and company drills, had shown our metal at the rifle-range at Aldershot, -taken part in field maneuvers, bayonet charges, and mimic battles. We -had become experts at trench-digging, bomb-throwing, and sniping, while -the machine-gunners were quite up to the mark in that important weapon; -in fact, we had become familiar with all branches of the army service. - -"Then when every man was 'in the pink' the marching orders came, and we -assembled on the barrack-square at Aldershot. Not only were we -physically fit, fine specimens of the trained soldier, but we were -completely equipped, even to the identification tag, which registered -your name, regimental number, regiment, and religion; besides, we -carried the first-aid field dressing,--an antiseptic gauze pad and -bandage, and a small bottle of iodine. Also, each soldier carried a copy -of Lord Kitchener's letter, as to what was expected of every British -soldier. The words 'Do your duty bravely. Fear God. Honor your King,' -meant much to me, although I was an American. - -"And then we were off, merry and blithe, no matter what our hearts -registered, cheering like fiends when some of the boys in khaki chalked -the gun-carriages 'at Berlin,' a new challenge to each Tommy to do his -stunt in making the Huns pay. Then came a drifting period when we were -herded like cattle from one train to another, or made long, weary -marches in the blind,--for nobody seemed to know our destination. But at -last we were in the shadow of the great battle, down in the earth, in -one sector of a long line of a serpentine trench, zigzagging from the -sea to the Alps. - -"This burrowing underground like a mole, digging trenches, or holes, in -No Man's Land, to string up barbed wire entanglements, or to pile -sand-bags on the parapet, or to clean out the wreckage of a trench that -had been battered by German gunners, or a trench-mortar--sometimes to -gather up the pieces of some 'matey' whom you had chummed with,--all -meant new activities. They were experiences and sounds--the sounds of -hell--and sights that cut deep, with an impelling remembrance haunting -you like grewsome shadows. - -"Yes, it was a strange new life," the young soldier paused musingly, -"for this kind of fighting is no battlefield with glittering helmets and -bayonets, the furling of colors, the prancing of horses, the roll of -gun-carriages, but stinging eyelids and a choking in thick gray smoke, -with the roar of cannonading, the sharp screech of shrapnel, the -bursting of star-shells, or the whir of strange, queer monsters above -your head. - -"There was the turning of night into day,"--Philip's face had a weary -expression,--"the daily mental strain, the danger constantly facing you, -the learning to know the sounds of the different shells and in what -direction they were going to fall. Involuntarily, with stilled breath, -you waited, and then came the sinking of your heart when you sensed that -it was _your turn now_, and then to find yourself still there, but to -realize that some of your mates had 'gone West.' - -"And the gas. Oh, the horror of the great, greenish balls that came -rolling towards you, close to the earth, the celerity of getting into -your gas-masks, and the _horrible thing_ that a comrade became if he -failed to accomplish this job on time, and lay writhing in an ugly, -venomous atmosphere of green. - -"Then there were the cooties, the parasites that feed _on you_, and with -whom you maintain a constant warfare," Philip smiled as he saw the girls -squirm; "and the rats, as big as cats, with sharp, ferret-like eyes, -darting from some dark crevice, or playing leap-frog over your legs at -night, or mistaking your head for their nest. Ugh! But the dead-and-gone -feeling--exhausted nature asserting her rights--which assailed you at -some critical moment, perhaps when you were trying to be a man at your -job, just got you through and through. - -"Ah, there was the first 'over-the-top' experience, when you stood on -the fire-step with gun in hand, palefaced, but with clenched teeth, in -an oppressive silence, waiting to hear the command come down the -line,--whispered from mouth to mouth. Then you leaped wildly over into -long-anticipated perils, to become entangled in barbed wire, or perhaps -to get your first shock, as the man next you dropped like lead at the -first 'ptt' of a German sharpshooter's bullet. - -"But on you rush in a mad frenzy with red-misted eyes, in the face of a -heavy artillery fire and a pitiless gale of shrapnel, through a dense -smoke-screen, split with lurid flashes of flame, over a ground pitted -with shell-holes--to stumble over some dead Tommy, whose glazed eyes -stare up at you as if in mockery of your determination to play the man -in this crusade for humanity. - -"Then _my adventure_ came,--a raid on a German trench, an undertaking -attended with great peril. With blackened faces, each man, with his bag -of bombs and automatic, at the flicker of a white light crawled -stealthily into the sable blackness of 'dead man's yard,' and, in a -downpour of drenching rain, crept on hands and knees, sometimes wiggling -on his stomach,--quickly rolling into a shell-hole if a sound was -heard,--until the German trench loomed menacingly only a few feet -beyond. - -"Everything was deadly still. Then the signal came, and with a rush we -clambered stealthily up and peeped over, to see a yellow-haired Heinie -asleep in the little alcove back of his gun-emplacement, the head of the -sentry-on-post tipsily nodding on his chest, and two big fellows snoring -like porpoises on the floor near. In just one minute we had slid into -that trench and had our men with hands up. Sure it was a surprise-party -for Fritz, for the Germans came running out of their dug-outs, wrapped -in blankets, noisily demanding to know what was up. They soon knew, and -then came a riot of a time as we let our hand-grenades fly, and our -bayonets too, aided by a lively fire from our machine-guns. And then we -were out, making a quick run for our own trenches with our trophies, and -several of the surprised ones, with the German guns thundering in our -rear. - -"Yes, I had captured my first Hun, and mighty proud I was of my -achievement, and pictured my delight-to-be when retailing my adventure -to my comrades, when Zipp! and I was downed by the pieces of a bursting -shell that got me in the hand and foot. And the prisoner? Oh, the dirty -Boche saw his chance. I saw his hand go up,--he must have had a stiletto -hidden somewhere,--but I was too quick for him for I let fly a -hand-grenade, and--well, he bothered me no more. - -"For hours I crawled, or wiggled, along, dropping into a chalk-pit or a -shell-hole every few moments, for it was like hell under that liquid -fire, Fritzie's aerial bombs and the machine-gun fire; in fact, it -seemed as if every kind of projectile had been let loose, for now the -Germans were mad clean through. Finally, being too exhausted to make any -further headway, I crept into a shell-hole, where I lay for a day and a -night, lying on my face most of the time, playing dead, for the German -fiends would sneak out into No Man's Land at night after a bombardment, -and kill every wounded enemy soldier they could find. - -"What did I think about, you ask, Miss Nathalie, while lying in that -shell-hole?" Philip smiled a little sadly. "Well, at first I was crazed -with thirst and hunger, and the cold--oh, it was something fierce. And -then the doubts and misgivings that had assailed me at times, as to -whether there was a God in heaven, returned with renewed force. I dumbly -felt that my faith was leaving me, for why this useless slaughter of -men's bodies, this agonizing devil's gas, this torturing of the aged and -weak, this violating of womanhood, this maiming of little, innocent -children? Ah, the agony of body was nothing compared to the agony of my -soul, as I lay in that hole. - -"Then that night--there was no moon, and everything was a dead calm, for -a lull had come in fighting--I turned over, face upward, to ease the -aching that racked my body. As I lie gazing up at the stars,--they -seemed unusually bright,--something white suddenly flashed before me, -and then I saw a face bend down and gaze at me. It was a marvelously -beautiful face, with such calm serenity of expression as the eyes smiled -into mine, that a strange peace came into my soul, my pains were eased, -I was filled with a wonderful joy, and--then I knew;--it was the face of -the Great White Comrade,--the face of Christ! - -"It may have been a delusion from overwrought nerves,--I may have been -dreaming,--I don't know, for there had been great talk among the -soldiers of seeing the white apparition of Christ on the battlefield. He -was said to have appeared to the soldiers, showed them His bleeding side -and hands, and then the suffering ones had felt a wonderful peace come -into their souls, and their very agonies had made them triumphant in the -thought that as He had died to make men holy, so He had given them the -great privilege of suffering and dying to make men free. No, I didn't -see any bleeding side, or the nail-prints on the hands, but I saw -Christ's face, and, oh, it was Heaven! - -"Then my brain cleared. I realized that I had been groping in a great -darkness, but that a wonderful light had come, and I knew God was in His -Heaven. That smile had brought revelation. It had told me that we were -no better than Christ, and He had suffered,--He, an innocent soul. And -as He had agonized on the cross, and God had suffered with Him, so every -moan, sob, and cry had reached His ears in this great wail from -humanity. It told me that this bruising of bodies, this rending of -women's hearts, this wringing of men's souls, had wrung _His_ heart with -a suffering greater than men could know. - -"It told me that it was all the working-out of God's great plan for the -good of mankind. It told me that the men, women, and children, who had -passed through these seas of blood were to come forth with white -garments, to be a great host led by the Angel of His Presence, and that -their deeds were to live after them, to bring light into the dark places -in men's souls. It told me that these blood-soaked battlefields were to -become gardens, where flowers would spring, the glorious flowers of -freedom, and that every tear shed was to become great waters, to flow -like a river of peace to all nations." - -As Philip ceased speaking, the faces of his young listeners became very -grave, and for a moment there was an impressive stillness, as if each -one had been hushed to a reverent silence. "Well, after that, I was -strangely happy," continued the young man slowly. "I think I must have -fallen asleep, for I was suddenly aroused by the cold snout of a dog -nosing into my face. He was a little beast, not much bigger than Tige -here," softly stroking the refugee's yellow dog as he spoke, at which -Jean's eyes grew soft and bright, for with the lad it was "Love me, love -my dog." - -"Yes, it was a Red Cross dog, whose beautiful eyes seemed almost human -as they told me that help was near, and--" Philip stopped abruptly. He -had had a weary, tired look for some time, but now a sudden pallor -overspread his face, and Janet, who had been watching him nervously, -stepped quickly to his side, crying, "And now you _must_ stop talking, -Mr. de Brie, for you are overdoing." - -Philip smiled into her blue eyes, but waved her aside as he cried, -sitting up with sudden resolution, "But no, you must let me finish my -story." - -"Oh, yes, do let him finish his story!" came a chorus of eager voices. - -But at this moment Nathalie, whose face had suddenly brightened, cried, -"Oh, no; let's wait, for a big idea has suddenly come to me, and," the -girl's eyes sparkled, "if it turns out all right it will add to our -enjoyment if we wait to hear Mr. de Brie's story some other time." - -"A big idea," cried Nita, all aquiver with curiosity. "Oh, Nathalie, do -tell us what it is!" - -"No, not now," answered the girl. "It will keep; but in the meantime let -us have a story from Mr. Darrell. You know he promised to tell us about -Lovewell, the Ranger, and now is his chance, and we are not going to let -him off." - - - - - CHAPTER XX - - THE LIBERTY TEA - - -As Nathalie was ably seconded by the rest of the Liberty Cheerers, -Van--he claimed he was a chump at story-telling--began the story of -Lovewell, the Ranger, by saying that it was like one of the old Norse -_Sagas_, for it had been told and retold by the mountaineer's fireside -for many generations. - -"When the white settlers were being harassed in the early times by -marauding bands from the neighboring tribe of Sokoki Indians," said the -young soldier, "John Lovewell, a hardy ranger, set out from the Indian -village of Pigswacket, now Fryeburg, near North Conway, and made his -way, with forty-five of his followers, to Ossipee. Here they built a -fort, and his scouts having found Indian tracks, they pushed farther on -to a lake by whose shores they encamped for the night. The following -morning, while trailing an Indian in the woods, Paugas, an Indian -chieftain, whose name was a terror to every white settler on the -frontier, stole up behind the rangers, to their encampment, which -unfortunately they had left unguarded, and counted their packs. Finding -that they were only thirty-four in number, the Indians placed themselves -in ambush in the woods near, and when the rangers returned it was to be -surrounded by the redmen, while the air was filled with their deadly -fire and hideous warwhoops. - -"Here, by this little lake, under the very shadow of Mount Kearsarge, -fifty miles from any settlement, was fought one of the bloodiest battles -in Indian warfare, as the loyal rangers fought for their lives. They -finally compelled the Indians to flee, but not before Lovewell and many -of his men had been killed. The survivors made their way back to the -fort at Ossipee, only to find it empty, for the guard, on hearing that -Lovewell and his band had been killed, had deserted it. - -"After many incredible hardships," continued Van, "twenty emaciated men -finally reached the white settlement, many of them only to fall dead -from wounds, or from hunger and exhaustion. But, practically, Lovewell's -band had won a great victory, for Paugas had been killed, and the -remainder of the tribe forsook their strongholds among the foothills, -and the white settlers were molested no more." - -Van also related how a ranger, the only remaining one of three brothers -who had set forth with Lovewell, when one of his brothers fell dead at -his feet from the wounds inflicted by the savages, had started for their -village, only to find his other brother's body riddled with bullets. - -"Determined to be revenged, he pursued the Indians to the mountain -fastnesses, where the defeated tribe, under the chief Chocorua, still -lingered. He finally sighted the chieftain, who had ascended a high -mountain to see if the white men had departed. As he started to descend -he was confronted by the ranger, who, with his gun in hand, slowly -forced the Indian back, step by step, until he stood on the verge of the -precipice where he had been standing. As the chieftain saw that his end -had come,--as he had no alternative between the precipitous cliff and -the white man's weapon,--with a cry of bitter defiance he leaped from -the pinnacle, to be dashed to pieces on the rocks below. Hence the name, -Chocorua Mountain." - -A mountain romance was now told by Janet, in the story of Nancy Stairs, -a native of Jefferson, who had fallen in love, and become engaged to a -farm-hand. On the eve of the wedding the girl's lover disappeared, -carrying with him a small sum of money, her _dot_. How Nancy set forth, -to overtake him at a camp many miles away, walking at night through the -dark woods, clambering over rocks and fording the Saco, finally to reach -the place where he had encamped, to find it deserted, aroused the -sympathies of all. "Finally," continued Janet, "the girl sank exhausted -on the banks of a brook, to be found some time later in the calm repose -of a deathless sleep, almost buried under the snow, under a canopy of -friendly evergreen that stretched above her. - -"But Nancy had her revenge," smiled the storyteller, "for when the -farm-hand heard of her fate he lost his reason, and tradition tells us -that, on the anniversary of her death, the mountain-passes through which -she pushed, in her weary pursuit of her lover, resound to his cries of -grief." - -Nita's contribution to the Liberty Cheer was a little tale of an Indian -maiden, who was so beautiful that no hunter was found worthy of her. -Suddenly she disappeared, and was never seen again, until one day an -Indian chief, on returning from the chase, told how he had seen her -disporting in the limpid waters of the river Ellis, with a youth as -peerless as she. When the bathers saw the chieftain they had immediately -vanished from sight, thus showing the girl's parents that her companion -must have been a mountain-spirit. From now on they would go into the -wilds and call upon him for a moose, a deer, or whatever animal they -chose, and lo! it would immediately appear, running towards them. - -Danny's story was about some white settlers captured by the Indians on -their way to Canada. When they came to the banks of a beautiful stream, -one of the captives, a mother with several children, from a babe in arms -to a girl of sixteen, gathered her little ones about her in dumb -despair. She had toiled through trackless forests, forded swollen -streams, climbed rocky heights, slept on the cold, bare earth, and then, -when she had refused to obey the commands of an Indian chieftain, from -lack of strength, she had been goaded with blows, or the gory scalps of -two of her children, which still hung from his belt, had been flourished -menacingly before her eyes. - -As she stood on the banks of the river, feeling that her reason would -forsake her from anguish, she suddenly heard one of the Indians ask her -oldest daughter to sing. The girl stood speechless with amazement, not -knowing what to do for a moment, and then there floated out through the -vast solitudes of these lonely mountains a curiously fresh young voice, -as the girl chanted the sublime words of the psalmist in the plaintive -river-song. - -There was a slight pause, and then Danny's voice, sweet and clear, to -the accompaniment of the soft strains of Tony's violin, was heard as he -chanted: - - "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept, - when we remembered Zion. - - "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. - - "For there they that carried us away captive required of us a - song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth." - -Tony's hands lovingly fingered his bow, and the music, like the rippling -flow of the river Ellis, continued its sweet low murmur, as the little -newsie told how the magic charm of these beautiful words must have -touched some chord in the savage breasts, for, as the girl ceased, the -fiercest Indian caught the babe gently from the mother's arms and -carried it across the river. One of his companions also softened, and, -picking up another child, bore it safely over the stream. - -Nathalie chose the familiar Willey story, about the family who lived in -an inn on the side of Mount Willey, at the entrance to the great Notch. -"In 1826," said the girl, "one evening in June they heard a queer, -rumbling noise, and hurried out to see an avalanche of stones and -uprooted trees making its way with great speed down the mountain. -Fortunately, before it reached the house it swerved one side, and the -Willeys, believing it quite safe, returned to the house, and, as time -passed on, carelessly forgot the warning that had been given them. - -"In August a severe storm occurred, which raged with indescribable fury -for a day and a night, the rain falling in sheets, while the Saco -overflowed its banks, thus creating a state of general upheaval. Two -days later, a tourist traveling through the Notch arrived at the inn, to -find it uninjured, but deserted, with the exception of a half-starved -dog who was whining dismally. He made his way to Bartlett, and the -mountaineers, hurrying to the scene, finally discovered the bodies of -Mr. and Mrs. Willey and two hired men, who were buried in a mass of -wreckage not far from the inn. The bodies of the children were never -discovered. - -"It is supposed," explained Nathalie, "that they had all rushed out on -again hearing the rumbling noises, and had evidently tried to seek the -shelter of a cave near. But they were too late," she ended with a -pathetic sigh, "for the avalanche was upon them before they reached it. -If they had only remained in the house they would have been saved." - -A little later, as Philip and Van became engaged in a conversation about -the war, a topic of which they never seemed to weary, Nathalie and Nita, -with arms intertwined in long-cemented _camaraderie_, wandered to the -high, jutting rock which Nathalie called "Heaven's window." Here in awed -silence they gazed at the faraway, scintillating blue peaks, huge -escarpments, and yawning mountain crevasses towering above the alpine -meadow, that, rich in many shades of verdure, darkened with -cloud-shadows, and cut with ribbon-like trails of forest foliage, were a - - "Wondrous woof of various greens." - -In the sun-dyed splendor it was like a cloth of gold, a wondrous -tapestry woven by Nature in her most majestic mood, a picture that held -them with the calm of its infinite beauty. - -Suddenly Nita, who never was quiet very long, cried: "Oh, Nathalie, you -must tell us what you meant when you said that you had a big idea. Don't -you remember, it was when Janet made Philip stop his story?" - -"I don't know as it is a very big idea," replied her companion, "for its -bigness depends, as Dick says, on whether we make a go of it or not. I -spoke of it then, not only because I had just thought of it, but because -I wanted to second Janet, for Philip was as white as a ghost. - -"You know," she continued slowly, "the afternoon teas at the Sweet Pea -Tea-House have not been very well attended lately. I presume the minds -of the people have been diverted by some new form of amusement. I'm -awfully sorry, too, for I think my dear Sweet-Pea ladies need the money. -Now what do you think of having Philip tell the rest of his story some -afternoon at the Tea-House? We'll get Jean to tell his story, too, and -the boys can sing patriotic songs; and then, there's Tony, with his -violin. I think we can get up a real good entertainment, and we can call -it a Liberty Tea." - -"Oh, Nathalie, that's a peach of an idea!" Nita's blue eyes glowed -enthusiastically. - -"You see," returned her friend, "it would attract the people to the -Tea-House again, and also bring Philip into notice. I think his story -would interest every one, and it might get him a few more pupils." - -As the little party wended their way down the trail, they were busy -making plans and devising ways to make Nathalie's "big idea" feasible. -They had broached the subject to Philip,--Nathalie being careful not to -make it appear as if he would gain by the performance,--and he had -readily consented to do his part. Janet, too, was won over, and as for -the children, they were in a beatific state at the idea of appearing on -a platform, and "speaking a piece," as Sheila called it. - -Miss Whipple, when the idea was suggested to her, Nathalie making it -appear that Philip would derive great benefit from it, heartily favored -the plan. So, for the next two days Nita and Nathalie were as busy as -bees, drilling the children, making posters to feature the event at the -different hotels, and then motoring to each one, and tacking them up, -after getting the desired permission, so that the affair would be well -advertised. - -The boys and Van Darrell, with the help of some friends of Nita's at the -Sunset Hill House, the morning of the event decorated the Tea-House with -greens, goldenrod, and flags. Sam assisted by erecting a small platform -so gaudily festooned with red, blue, and white bunting that Nita said it -was a regular "call to the colors," as she stood off and surveyed his -work. Chairs, rustic seats, in fact, everything that could be used for a -seat was now brought into the room, while the veranda was not only -decorated with bunting and Japanese lanterns, the posts being twined -with the national colors in crepe paper, but filled with small -tea-tables and chairs. - -At the hour designated for the performance to begin--to the girls' -delight, the room was crowded--Janet began to play softly on the piano, -suddenly breaking into "Hail Columbia," then a patriotic march, -following these selections with "The Royal March of Italy," the -"Lorraine March" and several other well-known favorites either of the -Americans or the Allies, ending with France's adored march, "Sambre et -Meuse." - -The boys, in their khaki suits, each one carrying his gun, now marched -before the audience. They were headed by Sheila, who, as a little -Goddess of Liberty, acted as the color-bearer. As she stepped to one -side of the stage and stood at attention, the boys saluted the flag and -then repeated the oath of allegiance. - -Sheila now fell in line, and they went through a manual-of-arms, and -then, amid loud applause, broke into the "Red, White, and Blue." This -was followed by a number of patriotic airs, and the national anthem, -when all rose to their feet and joined in the singing with patriotic -fervor. After a short pause Danny started to whistle "La -Marseillaise"--Janet playing the accompaniment on the piano very -softly--as the children joined in, coming out with startling effect with -the words: - - "To arms! Ye warriors all! - Your bold battalions call! - March on, ye free! - Death shall be ours, - Or glorious victory!" - -Van Darrell now appeared in front of the little platform--he had -modestly refused to ascend it--and introduced Mr. Philip de Brie as a -British soldier, a member of "Kitchener's mob," known as the greatest -volunteer army in the world. As Philip stepped forward in response to an -enthusiastic ovation he bowed courteously, but with a certain diffidence -of manner that showed that this was a more trying ordeal than being -under fire at the front. - -The personal part of Philip's story was quickly told,--how he came to -join the army,--the audience cheering lustily when he claimed he was an -American, while a tenseness seized them as he related his strange -experience while lying in a shell-hole, and the revelation the -apparition of the White Comrade had brought to him. - -Their interest continued as he told how, in the British offensive south -of the Somme, he and his company, with four machine-guns, had cleaned -out a Prussian machine-gun nest that had been making havoc with their -men. They peppered the enemy so severely, he asserted, while playing a -crisscross game with their guns, that the only remaining German gunner -was captured, surrounded by his dead comrades. - -When their ammunition failed, and they attempted to return to their -lines under a fierce artillery fire, with bursting shells and shrapnel -flying around them, they were compelled to take refuge under a bridge, -where they remained for four hours under a fierce gas attack. He was -again cheered as he told how, in another attempt to regain the -firing-line, a bomb exploded, killing several of their men, and how, -when their lieutenant was missed, noted for his bravery and daring, he -started out to find him. - -This recital was made graphic as he told of crawling on his stomach to -dodge a bomb, or wiggling along to peer into shell-pits, and how, when a -flare was thrown up by the enemy, illuminating the battlefield like some -big electric show, he suddenly found himself, as it were, back to the -wall,--for he had no ammunition,--desperately fighting a big, husky -German who was fumbling in his pocket, evidently for a hand-grenade. -Another cheer, and then almost a groan went through the room as Philip -continued, and told how, as he tried to get him by the throat, he made a -lunge at him and thrust his bayonet through his arm. The German finished -off his work by knocking him on the head with his rifle, finally leading -him, dazed and blinded, behind the German lines, a prisoner. - -The neglect he received in the field and base hospital and the horrible -treatment he was compelled to witness, as endured by the wounded -prisoners, was received with a storm of hisses. How he was pronounced -cured, although he had been rendered dumb, either from nerve-shock or -the force of the blow on the head, and then taken to a German -prison-camp, and crowded in with hundreds of men in a wooden shed, with -a flooring of mud four inches thick, aroused renewed indignation. Here, -with no blankets, no ventilation, overcoat, or personal belongings, he -slept on a straw tick, with insufficient food, and that of such a -horrible quality that he grew emaciated and covered with boils. - -When some of the prisoners were transferred to another camp Philip told -how he had the good luck to be one of them, and how, when the train was -struck by a bursting bomb, crashing in the roof when going at a speed of -thirty miles an hour, he, with two other prisoners, climbed up and -jumped to the ground, one man being killed. - -This was the beginning of his race for life, in which he dodged guards -and sentries, cut his way through barbed wire, and hid in a forest for -three days, and, after many other thrilling adventures, finally came to -a field within a few miles of the British lines. - -"Here," Philip continued, "as we lay concealed in a dugout under a bank, -we heard a familiar whirr, and looked up to see an air-battle taking -place between a French and Boche plane. With taut breath I watched the -planes circle round and round in the air, while keeping up a steady fire -at one another, until the French plane began to drive its enemy back and -back, until they were directly over the British entrenchments. Then we -heard the rat-tat-tat, and knew that one of the planes had been fired -upon from below. Suddenly it burst into flames, lunged to one side, and -then, in a long sweep through the air, began to circle downward like a -great flash of fire, sending forth a shower of sparks as it fell. And -then I screamed from sheer joy, for I recognized that it was the Boche -plane that had fallen. It is needless to say that my speech had -returned." - -After telling how they had regained the British lines, and how he had -finally reached a hospital in London, where he remained for some weeks -in a miserably depressed state of mind, on learning that his mother had -died during his absence, Philip finished his story by telling how he -came to sail for America. He told of his search for his grandmother, and -how he came to live in the little cabin on the mountain. From the -plaudits that greeted him, as he bowed and retired from the platform, it -was evident that his story had been greatly enjoyed by his listeners. - -When Tony a moment or so later, in his old velveteen vest, with his -violin under his arm, and his velvety black eyes aglow in a beatific -smile, bobbed a funny little bow to his audience, he was warmly -received. But a sudden hush succeeded as the little violinist, with his -instrument tucked under his chubby chin, fingered the bow lovingly as he -moved it over the strings, evoking such sweet, rich music that the -violin seemed like some enchanted thing. - -Surely this little slum lad, with no training to guide him, of his own -volition could not have produced such ravishing melody as floated -through the room. As he played his face lost its smile, and there came a -play of expression, now tender and sad, now dreamy or grave, in accord -with the varied moods of the music, as he played on and on with a -passion, a rich tenderness, every note in tune, that seemed almost -marvelous. When he ended with a vehement little shake of his head--that -sent his waving hair flying about--in much the same manner that great -musicians affect, it brought down the house in loud applause. - -As an encore he played several Italian airs, weird, dreamy music, -finally ending with "Traumerei," Schumann's "Dream Song." No, he didn't -play it all, only snatches, and these were not always rendered according -to the score, but he held his audience in a hushed stillness, until, -with a little shake of his bow, and a low bow, he turned and ran quickly -from the platform. - -Sheila hid her face in Nathalie's skirt when her turn came to ascend the -platform and speak her "liberty piece." Nathalie was in the throes of -despair, for fear that she was going to fail her, when Tony leaned -forward and teasingly whispered, "Oh, Boy!" This reminiscent remark -caused the little lady's head to go up, and her chin, too, and in angry -defiance she marched up on the platform. As Nathalie, who was sitting -down in the front row of chairs, gave her the cue, her little treble was -heard repeating James Whitcomb Riley's poem "Liberty," her voice ringing -out loud and clear when she came to the stanza: - - "Sing for the arms that fling - Their fetters in the dust - And lift their hands in higher trust, - Unto the one Great King; - Sing for the patriot home and land, - Sing for the country they have planned; - Sing that the world may understand - This is Freedom's land!" - -It was pathetic to see the little empty-sleeved Jean, as he straightened -up his slender form, and, in an attempt at bravery, hurried on the -platform. Without waiting for the accompanist,--forgetting to greet his -audience in his fright,--he burst into the words of Belgium's national -anthem, "Brabanconne," singing it with a verve and spirit,--as he stood, -with his one hand nervously clinched in front of him and his eyes -uplifted,--that showed that the soul of Belgium was not dead. - -This impassioned appeal from the boy as he ended, and stood in mute -bewilderment, his eyes again haunted by that look of hopeless terror, -aroused the audience to prolonged applause. Philip now stepped to his -side, and, as he laid his hand reassuringly on the little shoulder, the -refugee began his pitiful tale. - -His arm had been cut off, he told, by a German soldier, who had made his -mother cry, when he had rushed up and pounded him with his fists to make -him desist. The soldier had dragged his mother away, and then he had -been told that she had died. There was a quiver to the lad's voice as he -related this sorrowful incident, but he winked his eyes together to keep -back the tears. - -Two days later, with his aged grandparents, he had been driven to the -town square, and there a soldier had shot his grandfather because the -old man had rebuked him for dragging the boy's grandmother roughly -about. She had shrieked and fallen, to be trampled in the crush, for -when they picked her up she was very white, and had never opened her -eyes again. When all the women and children were herded together like -cows, and driven along a road, with a big German soldier pointing his -gun at them, Jean had suddenly run away, as fast as he could, and he had -run and run with his eyes shut, for he was afraid of the bullets that -came whistling on all sides of him. - -Finally he had fallen from exhaustion, and then he had crawled into the -dark cellar of a shelled house. Here he had remained for a long time, -going out at night to a battlefield near and taking what food he could -find from the knapsacks of the dead soldiers. At last he could find no -more food, and then he had wandered on, walking wearily along for miles -and miles, until he had become part of those fleeing throngs of refugees -that blocked the roads for many long miles, sleeping on the roadside at -night. Sometimes he would have a little bread, or a piece of cheese -given to him, and then for days he went hungry. Finally he reached a -town, where a lady with a red cross on her white cap had cared for him -in a hospital. But the Germans shelled the hospital, and they said the -lady was killed, and then-- Well, he had gone on again, walking at -night, alone, from place to place, when no one could see him, while -hiding in the woods by day. - -On learning that he was not far from the French army, he had struggled -on until he was within a short distance of their lines, where he hid in -a forest. When a dark still night came, he stealthily crept into No -Man's Land, and, on his hands and knees, worked his way from hole to -hole, quickly wiggling into one if he heard the slightest sound, until -he reached the French sentry, who pointed his gun at him and told him to -halt. - -He was so frightened when he saw that gun aimed at him that he burst -into tears, but a moment later attempted to sing "La Marseillaise," so -as to let the soldier know that he was not a German. The soldier took -him behind the front, where a regiment of artillery not only fed and -cared for him, but adopted him as their "kid mascot," as Philip -interpreted it, when it was learned that his father, who was fighting in -the Belgian army, had been captured and carried a prisoner to Germany. -When the regiment had left for service at the front he was delivered -into the hands of Father Belloy, a French priest, who finally gave him -to a kind lady, who had brought him, with a number of other children, to -America. As the little lad finished his story, he turned to rush from -the stage, and then, as if inspired by a sudden thought, he threw up his -one hand and lustily cried, "Vive la Belgique!" - -A second more and the audience, caught by the contagion of this cry, and -the appeal to their sympathies by the Belgian's story, broke into -enthusiastic clapping and cheering, mingled with loud hurrahs for -Belgium. It was at this point that a guest from the Sunset Hill House -jumped to his feet, and proposed that a silver collection be taken up, -to be divided between the American-British soldier, the little Sons of -Liberty, and the ladies of the Tea-House, who had so kindly given it for -the entertainment of the guests. - -This suggestion was heartily seconded, and while Van and the gentleman -were passing the hat, into which flowed a goodly collection of silver -coins, the little Sons of Liberty appeared, and, as a finish to the -entertainment, gave them a sing-song. The old, sweet songs, the songs -that lie very near to the heart of every Anglo-Saxon, were sung by these -clear childish voices, Danny either singing or whistling, while Tony -accompanied them on his violin, with Janet, Nathalie, and Nita,--even -the audience at times,--proving good seconds in this musical song-feast. -"Annie Laurie," "The Blue Bells of Scotland," "Wearing of the Green," -"My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean," "Mother Machree," "Dixie," were given, -followed by the new war-songs, as, "Keep the Home Fires Burning," "Pack -up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag," "There's a Long, Long Trail," -"Over There," and, as a grand finale, "The Star-Spangled Banner," when -the audience rose and joined in with patriotic fervor. - -And then Miss Mona, Janet, Nathalie, Nita, the two soldiers, and even -the little "Sons of Liberty" were all busy serving tea, out on the -veranda, to the many guests, who all declared that they had not only -enjoyed Philip's and Jean's stories, but the children's singing. - -Two days later, Nathalie was darning her boys' socks on the veranda, -when Nita drove up in her car. She was so excited that she began to -shout that she had good news to tell, as soon as she caught sight of -Nathalie's brown head. - -"Oh, Nathalie," she continued, all out of breath, as her friend hurried -to meet her, "what do you think? The manager up at the Sunset Hill -House,--you know he is a dear--has asked Mr. de Brie and the whole crowd -who took part at the Liberty Tea, to come to the hotel next Saturday -night and repeat the performance. And he says there will be another -silver collection. And, oh, isn't it just the dandiest thing that lots -of the girls want to join the French class!" And then the young lady, in -the exuberance of her joy, fell upon the neck of her friend and began to -kiss her with hearty unction. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI - - THE FUNNIES - - -Nathalie, with a limpid brightness in her eyes, and a deep pink in her -cheeks, was whirling about--doing a one-step--with her soldier friend, -Van Darrell, who she had discovered was "a love of a dancer." It was the -night of the second Liberty Tea, this time held at the Sunset Hill -House. The affair had not only proved a glorious success, each one of -the performers doing his or her part even better than at the Tea-House, -but it had also netted quite a pile of silver coins, to the delight of -the children, and added several new pupils to Philip's French class at -the hotel, besides giving him a few private ones. - -The informal little hop at the end of the performance contributed to the -pleasure of the evening, proving a real joy-time to Nathalie, who loved -dancing. The girl had laughingly asserted to Nita that she had fairly -worn her slippers to a thread. - -Compelled from sheer fatigue to rest, the young couple, in order to -escape from the heat of the ballroom, had sought refuge in one of the -little card-rooms opening from the long corridor. It was here, as they -happily chatted, that Van suddenly made the announcement, somewhat -regretfully, "Do you know, Miss Blue Robin, that this is my last evening -with you and the mountains, for I leave for Camp Mills to-morrow -morning?" - -"Oh, I'm so sorry," exclaimed the girl with a note of disappointment in -her voice, for she was _disappointed_ as well as surprised, for, -somehow, she had taken a liking to this soldier-boy, with the frank, -open gaze, who could be very merry at times, and then again unusually -silent and grave. "We shall miss you at our Liberty Cheers, and Mr. de -Brie, I know, will be lonely without his soldier 'matey.'" - -"I shall miss you all," rejoined Van slowly, "for you girls have given -me the joy-time of the summer, and I shall be sorry to say good-by to -you all, especially you." Van looked appealingly into the girl's brown -eyes, as if he wanted her to assure him that she would miss him. - -Nathalie flushed a little, as she replied, "Well, it has been a great -pleasure to meet you. I can assure you, however, that I never thought of -meeting one of Uncle Sam's soldiers when I came up here to these White -Hills." - -"I would like to tell you," continued Van,--he gave his companion an odd -look as he spoke,--"that I know a girl by the name of Blue Robin. She's -an awfully good sort,--" again that funny little gleam in his eyes. "I -had a letter from her a short time ago. It was the kind of a letter to -set a fellow thinking. I would like to show it to you sometime," he -added hesitatingly. - -"Why, isn't that funny! Are you sure her name is like mine?" questioned -Nathalie in a whirl of amazement. Van nodded and smiled with some -amusement, as he assured Nathalie that he was quite positive her name -was Blue Robin. But, as the girl continued to ply him with questions -about this girl who, he insisted, bore her name, his answers grew -evasive, until finally Nathalie desisted from her questions, in a maze -of mystery. - -Presently they were in the ballroom again, and while taking another turn -Van asked his partner if she would answer his letter if he wrote to her. -Nathalie grew red with embarrassment at this direct question, for, as -she had been whirling about, it had suddenly occurred to her what a -queer thing it was for Van to say he would show her another girl's -letter. - -Somehow the thought jarred her serenity, and, not knowing what reply to -make, she finally settled the doubt in her mind by saying that if he -wrote to her she would answer him if her mother thought best. For, -happily, Nathalie was a real mother-girl, and, when in doubt about -anything, always went to her for advice. - -On the way home--Mrs. Van Vorst had sent them in her car--she had a -disappointed feeling. She wished Van had not asked her to write to him, -or told her about that other Blue Robin, for--O dear! she had heard of -boys who would coax a girl to write to them, and then show their letters -and make a boast of them. Ah, well, she sighed regretfully, she had not -supposed he was that kind. - -A few days later Nathalie was sitting under the trees before a small -sewing-table, writing a letter to Helen. Presently she laid down her -pen, and glanced over at her mother, who, while resting in the hammock -near, had fallen asleep. Then, so as not to awaken her, almost in a -whisper, she read: - - "Dear Helen: - - "I am going to call this letter 'The Funnies,' for I have some - awfully funny things I want you to know, but first, I must tell - you about my liberty kids, as I have promised to do many times. - Danny is fourteen, a regular street-gamin, steeped and - double-dyed in the ways of the slums and the habits of a newsie. - There is an alert sharpness about him at times that baffles me, - and yet his freckled, peanut face, with its twinkling blue eyes, - has an open, merry expression that assures me he has the makings - of a splendid man in him. I call him my handy man, for he not - only does all the laundering for the children, but can cook, and - wait on the table in fine style. - - "He is a loyal little chap, so watchful of Sheila, and always - tells the truth. He used to belong to the Junior Police - Force,--he's awfully proud of that,--and I think that has kept - him on the square. I have an idea that his parents must have - been refined people, for, when cleaning his room one day, his - bag flew open--it was standing in a corner--and a little blue - book fell out, scattering a lot of letters about, and a picture. - The picture was a miniature of a young woman. She had a lovely - face, it reminded me of Sheila, and her eyes had the same - laughing glints in them that Danny has in his. The blue book - seemed to be a diary, for on it in gilt letters was the name, - Sheila Gloom. - - "I have told you how quaint and interesting Sheila is, and lots - about Jean, so I am going to tell you about Tony. He reminds me - of one of Raphael's cherubs, with his soft, liquid brown eyes, - his red lips and ivory-tinted skin, and his wavy black hair that - is always in a frowse. He adores me, and has an odd, sweet - little trick of taking my hand, and then bending down and - kissing it, in such a gallant way that he makes me think of the - knights of mediaeval days, who knelt to their ladies fair. And I - love to hear him say, 'I lova you, Mees Natta,' for his voice is - so soft and musical. But alas, he is not as open as Danny, and - will tell _teeny, teeny_ white lies, while looking right up into - your face with such a cherubic, innocent expression, that you - have the feeling that you are the guilty one, and not he. - - "Did I tell you in my last letter what good friends the little - old lady in the red house and I have become? I run in there - quite often. Sometimes I read to her, or hold her yarn, and for - two days I nursed her when she was ill. I am a great chatterbox, - for, O dear! I just talk about everything to her, but she says - my chats cheer her up. But, you see, she keeps asking me - questions, first about one person of our household, and then - another. She loves to have me tell her about Janet, but she - doesn't seem to like Cynthia very much. - - "I am getting used to her queer ways now, and can tell, by the - gleam in her gray eyes,--sometimes they snap with humor,--the - mood she is in, for, frankly speaking, at times she is most - cantankerous. I feel sorry for her then, for I imagine that some - great sorrow has come into her life and soured the sweetness of - it. She is always greatly interested in Mr. de Brie, and I have - promised to take him in sometime to see her. - - "Oh, I must not forget to tell you that Dick is with us for a - few days--on a furlough. And mother,--well, she goes about like - a glorified saint. Now come the funnies. Cynthia Loretto's young - man is here. His name is Buddie, but he looks anything but a - bud, although Cyn always speaks of him as if he had just gone - into long trousers. - - "He is queerly interesting, for he sits and looks at Cynthia in - a meek, adoring way, while his big solemn blue eyes keep up a - blinking that have made the kiddies--you know boys always - feature peculiarities--dub him, 'The Blink.' As to other - details, he's insignificant-looking, with a shock of yellow hair - that gives him an unkempt, Hunnish appearance, and a sharp, - ferret-like nose with an inquisitive tip on it that is sunburned - to a bright red. Imagine! - - "Now for funny number one. The Blink--we all unconsciously call - him that--and the make-believe lady--that's the boys' name for - Cynthia--have monopolized the hammock on the veranda ever since - the gentleman's arrival. It has been annoying, for they--Well, - they spoon, and it gets on one's nerves, and after a while these - lovers are the star performers on the stage. - - "The other morning I caught Danny and Tony fooling with the - hammock. They said they were fixing it so it wouldn't slip down. - That evening every one had disappeared but your lonesome and the - lovers, who were in the hammock with arms intertwined, with the - usual turtle-dove cooing. - - "All at once I heard a queer sound, and looked in the direction - from which it proceeded, to see two pairs of legs sweeping - through the air with a wild, frantic clawing, while shrill cries - and a swear-word informed me that the hammock had turned over, - and that the pair of love-makers were standing on their heads. I - tried not to laugh, but a wee little giggle slipped out, and - then I flew to the rescue and turned down, or turned up, - Cynthia's skirts, and then gave a helping hand to The Blink, who - rose to his feet with a wild, bewildered stare in his blinking - eyes. Then I flew, for if I hadn't, I should have collapsed with - merriment, for, as it was, I was stuffing my handkerchief in my - mouth to keep in my laughter. - - "As I flew through the hall queer sounds arrested my flight, and - there, on the floor, were those two kids, Danny and Tony, - rolling about in exultant joy, while emitting squeals of - delighted glee. And then I knew _why_ they had been fooling with - the hammock that morning. I was smothering with laughter, but - grabbed each one by an ear and marched them to mother, with - appropriate explanations, leaving her to administer the - punishment they deserved. Naturally Cynthia blamed me, insisting - that I had encouraged the boys in their mischief, and hasn't - spoken to me since. - - "Funny number two. I have told you of Cynthia's obsession for - searching for the valuable thing. Well, evidently she has - imparted her obsession to her lover, for we find him poking - around into all sorts of out-of-the-way places, that annoys - mother extremely. The other morning Mrs. Van Vorst sent me to - the studio with a message for Cynthia. The door was open, and, - to my amazement, I saw the lady in question hoisted up on a - ladder,--The Blink was holding it,--poking about among the - rafters of the attic. - - "As I stood wondering what she was doing, I saw her suddenly - duck her head, and then, to my stupefaction, the Make-believe - Lady was perched up there on that ladder like a poll-parrot, for - her head was as bare as a billiard-ball, while her hair that - was, was swaying gracefully on a nail some distance above. - - "Suddenly discovering her nudity, she made a frenzied grab, not - at the suspended wig, but at her skirts, hurriedly throwing them - over her head, as if to hide its bareness, and then made frantic - attempts to unhitch the black hairy thing that wiggled and - wobbled just out of reach of her arm. At this moment Mr. - Buddie--patience was written in his drooping pose, as he clung - to that ladder--raised his head. His face immediately became the - hue of his nose, for, alas, Cynthia, in her hurried endeavor to - cover her denuded poll, had raised not only her dress-skirt but - her under-skirts, and two black-hosed legs, lean and lank, stood - forth from beneath her short, beruffled skirt. I waited to see - no more, but hastily made my exit, to explode my mirth in the - depths of my pillow on the bed in my room. - - "Funny number three. My bedroom was next to the mystery-room, - and then comes Cynthia's,--she and Janet room together. There is - a door between, which is generally closed, unless it is very - warm. The other evening we were just getting ready for bed, when - I suddenly remembered something I wanted to tell Janet, so - stepped to the door, which was open. The room was dimly lighted - by a single candle, and Cynthia, who likes to undress in the - dark, was on her knees by the bed, saying her prayers, while - Janet sat near, taking off her shoes. - - "As I turned away so as not to disturb Cynthia at her devotions, - I suddenly spied a man's face peering in the transom over the - door. Before I could cry out, Cynthia arose, and, carelessly - glancing up, saw the face. With a wild scream she seized one of - Janet's shoes lying on the floor, and sent it flying at the head - peeping over the door. - - "I gasped, for it struck the man square on the nose. Then I - heard a suppressed expletive, followed by a jarring crash, a - general smashing sound, and then a dead silence. I gave one - prolonged scream and rushed to the door. You can guess the rest, - for Dick, mother, and even the boys had heard the racket, and a - moment later, when they appeared on the scene, it was to find me - trying to extricate the figure of a man, in a bath-robe, with a - somewhat dazed expression on his meek, bewildered face,--that - would have been pitiful if it had not been so ludicrous--from - the debris of broken chairs and a turned-over table. - - "And his eye, well, it was already beginning to swell; for - Cynthia had been game, Dick said, and had not only given her - lover a swelled nose, but a swelled eye as well. O dear! it was - comical to see the way she glared at the poor creature, meekly - trying to explain that he was only trying to peer into the - mystery-room, for he seems to think that the valuable thing is - hidden in that room, and had gotten as far as he could get--into - the wrong room. Mother says she is glad it happened and hopes he - will now stop his prowling. - - "Now for funny number four. After the excitement caused by Mr. - Buddie's efforts to peep into the mystery-room quietness reigned - for a while, until the other night. I was terribly tired, for I - had been doing the kids' ironing, and my feet ached so that I - carried a pail of hot water to my room to soak them. I am on the - upper floor now, near the boys, for Cynthia insisted that they - made such a noise at night that they kept her awake. But - everything that goes wrong she lays on their little shoulders, - so I have mounted guard, to avoid any future unpleasantness. As - I sat there, trying to make up my mind to plunge my feet in that - hot water, I heard a queer sound. - - "There has been a report lately that burglars are in the - neighborhood, for several of the ladies at the Sunset Hill House - have missed articles of jewelry. Somehow that noise brought it - to my mind, and I jumped up,--I was in my bare feet,--quickly - turned off the light, stepped to the window, and poked my head - out, and--if there wasn't a man on the roof of the veranda, - creeping stealthily towards the mystery-room, directly under - mine. O dear! and its two windows were both unlatched,--one of - the boys had discovered that,--but no one had dared to break the - rule and go in to fasten them. In a moment he had begun to work - at the shutters, very cautiously,--he had a flashlight in his - hand,--stopping every moment or so to listen, to see if any one - had heard him. - - "My heart bounded into my throat, but while I was making up my - mind what to do, there came a wrench, and I knew that in a - moment or so that man would be in the room! Desperate with - fright, I flung about, and then my glance fell on that pail of - water. Without further ado I seized it, pushed it softly out of - the window, hurriedly turned it upside down, and then hurled the - pail after the water. There came a smothered sound, a half-cry - and groan, and then a funny, swishy noise. - - "As I peered down through the darkness I saw a black object - slipping down the roof, and heard a sudden imprecation, as it - rolled over the edge. There came a splashy sound, a deep groan, - and then I knew that the thief had fallen off the roof, and - landed in a hogshead of water that always stood under the - veranda by the kitchen porch. - - "Now came a fierce barking, mingled with growls, and I realized - that Jean's little dog, Tige, was chewing up the thief. The next - instant I made a mad rush for the door, to see Dick flying down - the stairs in his bath-robe, followed by mother and the boys! - - "I plunged blindly forward, managed to grab him by the arm, and, - between hysterical gasps, explained what I had seen, and begged - him not to go out for fear the man would shoot him. But Dick - shook me off like a feather, and, although mother tearfully - seconded my plea, he was about to dash into the darkness when - Cynthia rushed up and handed him her revolver,--Janet says she - always sleeps with one under her pillow. The boys--each little - chap, even Jean, was armed to the teeth, Danny with his - policeman's club, Tony with an iron bar, and Jean with a - mountain-staff--lost no time in following him, with mother close - behind. - - "I grabbed a chair--it could fell a man, at least--and followed - mother, while Janet, Cynthia, and Sheila alternately yelled and - wept as they sat huddled on the stairs, each one expecting to be - shot. But by the time I reached the veranda Dick appeared, - dragging a miserable-looking little object by the collar of his - pajamas,--for his trousers had been about chewed off by - Tige,--with rivulets of water oozing over his face, who was - abjectly pleading and howling that he was no thief. - - "But Dick was obdurate, and as we all stared with bulging eyes, - he marched him up to Cynthia. As he shook him fiercely by the - collar, as one would shake a dog, he cried, 'Here, Miss Cynthia, - here's the thief, your estimable friend and lover, Mr. Buddie!' - I leave the rest for you to imagine. Mr. Buddie left the next - morning. - - "Now good-by. Be sure and tell me more about yourself and your - work when you write again, for I am anxious to know everything - that happens to you, girl of my heart, for you are a brave dear, - and I miss you more than I can express. - - "Again with love, - "Nathalie Page." - - - - - CHAPTER XXII - - THE MAN IN THE WOODS - - -"Oh, Nathalie, what do you think? They have sent for a detective up at -the hotel!" The speaker was Nita, who, with her friend, was sitting on -the veranda of Seven Pillars, a few afternoons subsequent to Nathalie's -sending her letter to Helen. - -"A detective?" echoed Nathalie, looking at Nita in surprise. "What for?" - -"Why, about those robberies. I told you some time ago how the guests -were missing jewelry and other small articles of value. It has been kept -very quiet, but mother heard this morning that the manager is getting -worried as to who is the thief, and has sent for a secret-service man to -come up and ferret out the mystery. But, Blue Robin," she added, with a -more serious expression, "those school friends of yours are not going to -take any more French lessons." - -"And pray, why not?" demanded Nathalie. Then she ejaculated, "Dear me, -what have we done to offend them now?" - -"I don't know. But, Nathalie, did you notice the night of the Liberty -Tea at the hotel, how they sat in a corner, whispering most of the time? -I had an uncanny feeling that they were making unkind remarks about us, -not that _I care_, for I don't like them anyway," added Nita -disgustedly. - -"I'm sorry," said Nathalie regretfully, "for I hate to have Mr. de Brie -lose any pupils. I imagine they were angry at the last Liberty Cheer, -for, you remember, when they joined us we all grew very quiet. Not that -any one meant to be rude, but they are so snobby that they cast a cloud -over one's fun." - -"Well, I guess Philip can get along without them," returned Nita -confidently. "Did you notice that he was quite the lion the other -evening? He cast the Count quite into the shade, for every one fell in -love with him." - -"Yes, he can be very charming," acquiesced Nathalie, "for he is so -distinguished-looking in his uniform of a British lieutenant. Mother -says that in his manners he combines the fineness of an American -gentleman with the courtesy and charm of a Frenchman. I am sorry about -his arm, for the doctor says he will always have to carry it stiffly. - -"But, Nita," continued Nathalie, "I just adore that big doctor friend of -yours. What do you think? I was worrying about his calling so many times -on Philip, for I was afraid that my 'drop in the bucket' would not be -enough to pay the bill, and of course Philip wouldn't have enough from -his earnings to pay it. Finally I wrote the doctor to send his bill to -me. And oh, Nita, he wrote me a love of a letter, in which he said that -he never charged girls anything. And as for Mr. de Brie, he considered -it his great privilege to be allowed to give his services to a man who -had given the best of himself to give liberty to the world. Oh, I think -he is just the dearest old thing!" ended the girl enthusiastically. - -"Oh, I knew he would do _that_," answered Nita, with a wise little -smile, "for he has the best heart in the world." - -"But listen," went on her companion earnestly. "Janet told Philip about -it, excusing herself by saying that he was worrying over the bill, and -that she wanted to relieve his mind." - -"Of course she did," giggled Nita, "for one can see with half an eye -what is going on in that direction for it is a clear case of 'spoons,' -all right." - -"Do you really think so?" cried Nathalie with sudden animation. "Why, I -suggested something of that kind to mother, and she said I was a silly. -Well, they were made for one another. Why, Philip just adores the ground -she walks on, and as for Janet, it's just a guessing game as to how she -feels. But, to go on with my tale," continued the girl. "As soon as -Philip heard what Janet had to tell, he came straight to me, and, with a -voice that fairly shook with emotion, said that my kindness to him would -be one of the unforgettable things in his life. Of course I had to make -light of the matter, for I saw the poor fellow was terribly affected -over it. Oh, I do hope things will brighten for him this fall, for he is -going to the city, to make an attempt to get some pupils to tutor until -his health is better. You know," she added, dropping her voice, "I think -there must have been some mystery about his grandmother, or his family, -for although he loves to come down here and be one of us,--he says it is -so homey with us,--he never says a word about her or his family." - -Nita had been reading to Miss Whipple, and Nathalie had been tying up -sweet peas, one morning a few days after Nita's news about the -detective, and the two girls were on their homeward way, when Nathalie -suddenly exclaimed with a little burst of laughter, "Oh, Nita, I have -something funny to tell you." - -"Well, tell it to me then," rejoined her companion somewhat dolefully, -"for although I have something to tell you, alas, it is anything but -funny." - -"Oh, is it about Philip?" cried Nathalie, a sudden premonition of evil -darkening the golden lights of her eyes. "Or are any more of the girls -going to give up taking French lessons?" - -"It is worse than _that_," answered Nita, with such grave import in her -voice that Nathalie stared at her with big eyes as she cried, "Oh, Nita! -do hurry and tell me. Have those girls--" - -"Yes, those girls, your friends--" - -"Please don't call them my friends," pleaded poor Nathalie tremulously, -"for they are anything but friends." - -"So it seems," nodded Nita dryly, "for they have told--well, just about -every one in the house--that they suspect that Mr. de Brie is the thief -who has been robbing the hotel. You know he has been giving them private -lessons. Nelda declares that she believes Philip took her watch,--it was -lying on the table when she left the room to answer a 'phone call from -the office. Justine was out riding with the Count. When Nelda returned -the watch was gone. Five other girls came to me this morning and told me -that they were not going to take any more lessons. - -"These girls have circulated all over the house," continued Nita -gloomily, "that Philip is an impostor; that you picked him up without -knowing anything about him and that he is not a British soldier at all. -O dear! how hateful people can act! And the clerk of the hotel--Well, he -informed me this morning that the Profile House had sent word that they -did not care to have Philip speak to their guests, as people were tired -of hearing about the war." - -"Nita, this is terrible! Oh, I know Philip is not an impostor," -protested Nathalie with a dismayed face. "Why, Nita, he showed me a -letter written to him by a soldier at the front, and he called him -Lieutenant de Brie. And where could he have gotten his uniform if he is -an impostor? Oh, I just believe those horrid, hateful girls have made -the whole thing up." Nathalie stopped, suddenly remembering that she was -not speaking kindly, and not living up to her motto. She gave a long -sigh, and then asked, "But, Nita, have you heard anything more about the -detective coming up from the city?" - -"Yes. Oh! there he is now, coming down the walk," cried Nita, lowering -her voice. Then she added, with a laugh, "Talk of the angels and you'll -hear the flutter of their wings." - -"Well, he doesn't look much like an angel," answered Nathalie, her eyes -lighting humorously, as she watched a stout, red-faced man with a sandy -moustache coming down the path towards them. - -As the gentleman under discussion approached the girls he lifted his hat -courteously, as he said, "I beg your pardon, but could you tell me how I -can reach the top of Garnet? I understand that there are several trails -up the mountain, but could you tell me which one would be the best one -to ascend?" - -The girls made no reply for a moment, assailed by the miserable fear -that the man was going up the mountain to trail Philip. Then Nathalie, -with an effort, turned and pointed down the road, explaining in a few -words that one of the trails started in near the Grand View road. - -As the man thanked her and walked slowly on, Nathalie drew a deep -breath, while a troubled light shone in Nita's eyes, as she cried, "Oh, -do you suppose he is going to arrest Philip?" She spoke in a -half-whisper. - -"Arrest Philip? Why, the idea of such a thing! No, of course not," -Nathalie answered determinedly, as if she was not going to allow herself -to become frightened. "Philip has committed no crime. That man can't -arrest him unless he has some evidence, and where is he going to get -it?" - -Nita made no reply, and the two girls, depressed by the unpleasant -occurrence, and the vague fear that trouble was brewing for their -friend, sat down in one of the summer-houses near the board-walk. Here -they sat in silence for a few moments, and then Nathalie, as if -determined to throw off the depression that assailed her, cried, "Oh, -Nita, I have not told you the funny thing." - -"Well, tell it to me, then; for I think it will take something real -comical to get me out of the blues." - -"It is about Tony," explained Nathalie. "You know the child is obsessed -with the desire to have me find the mystery thing. Well, the other day -Danny came running to tell me that Tony was rolling on the floor with -the colic. I was alarmed, for I immediately thought he had been eating -green apples, the way Sheila did the other day, and mother had to -poultice her with mustard. - -"I flew to his room and there was the little fellow moaning and -squirming about, apparently in great pain. When he saw me he immediately -begged me to put a mustard plaster on his stomach. I was surprised, for -generally children will suffer quite a little before they will have one -on. I found some old linen,--mother was out,--hurried down to the -kitchen closet, and got the mustard-box. - -"But when I opened it, imbedded in the yellow, powdery stuff, was -something that glittered strangely. I shook the box, and out rolled a -little gold coin. I carefully examined it, and immediately saw that it -was an ancient Roman coin, for although one side was so blurred and worn -with age that I could not decipher anything on it, the other side bore -the name and head of Caesar within a circle of fine gold beading. - -"Something immediately told me that the coin belonged to Tony, and that -he had placed it there so I would find it, for, not long ago he lost -something from his vest-pocket,--he keeps all of his treasures sewed up -in that old vest. Danny had helped him look for it,--it had slipped out -of a hole,--and after it had been found he came and told me about it, -describing it as a little round piece of gold, the kind that you see, he -said, up in the museum at Central Park. - -"I made the plaster and carried it, with the coin, up to Tony, but -before I put on the poultice I showed him the gold piece and asked if it -was not his. But the little chap, with a bland and innocent expression, -vowed that he had never seen it. No amount of coaxing or persuasion -could make him confess to the truth. You know that is the great trouble -I have with Tony, he will tell _teeny little stories_." Nathalie sighed -dolefully. - -"Although I was sure that he didn't have any colic, and that the whole -thing was just a trick to get me to look in the mustard-box to find the -coin, I put the plaster on, and made him stay in bed, thinking that when -it got to burning that he would 'fess up.' But he didn't, and although -he howled and writhed with the sting of it,--while I was reading him a -lecture on the sin of lying,--I told the story of Ananias and -Sapphira,--he stuck it out. Then, finally, my conscience wouldn't let me -torture the boy any longer, and I took the plaster off. That night while -he was asleep I found his old vest, and after putting the coin in the -pocket, sewed it up." - -After the girls had laughed over the incident, Nathalie started -homeward, her mind full of dismal forebodings in regard to Philip. "Oh, -I wish I could prove in some way that he is not an impostor. But suppose -he should be?" The girl came to a sudden halt. Then, with her eyes full -of a strange bright light, she went on. No, she just knew that Philip -was good and true. - -"But I must do something," she half moaned. "For how dreadfully he will -feel if he thinks that people believe him a thief; and he will soon know -something is wrong, when all the girls stop taking lessons. But Nita and -I will have to pretend that the season is drawing to a close,--as it is. -But, O dear! he does need the money so much. And Janet,--how it will -hurt her, for I am sure she cares--" the girl halted at the thought, for -it seemed too sacred a thing even to whisper to herself. Then she was -busy again, trying to think how she could prove that her friend was what -he claimed to be. - -As she unconsciously uttered her thoughts aloud, by some mysterious -process of thought, or strange correlation between mind and matter, -before her mental vision flashed the picture of a dark wood, lighted by -gleams of moonlight that filtered through the tall tree-tops. In the -foreground of a forest-gloomed retreat, in front of a high rock, a man -was digging in the ground, plainly seen by the yellow flickerings from a -burning torch that had been stuck upright in the ground, a few feet -away. - -Although the girl reasoned and tried to convince herself that there was -no possible connection between that man and the thief at the hotel, she -could not drive the impression from her mind. On going home she -questioned Jean, and found that he, too, still vividly remembered the -incident. - -That night Nathalie could not sleep, for she was haunted by the picture -of the man in the woods, although she hurled every name she could think -of at herself for being so foolish. The next night again found her -sleepless, but when morning dawned, as if pursued and driven by the -haunting vision, she called the boys together, and stated the -circumstances to them. She did not tell her mother, as _she_ would say -that she was losing her reason, and, well, she was determined to find -out--_something_. - -Early the following morning, before any one had gone through the woods, -Nathalie and the boys met Nita at the Red Trail; she had been taken into -their confidence, and accordingly was weirdly and thrillingly excited. -They soon reached the seat-tree, and then, after locating the big rock, -they all began to dig. - -They had dug for almost an hour, by Nita's wristwatch, and then, feeling -tired, and on the verge of absolute despair, were talking about giving -the whole thing up, when all at once Jean's little terrier began to -scratch in the ground on one side of the rock, and partly under it. Jean -gave a queer little cry as he watched Tige, and the next moment had -driven the dog away, and had begun to dig as furiously as he could with -his one hand, in the place where the dog had been scratching up the -earth. - -Nathalie watched him listlessly, for she had abandoned all hope, and -felt utterly weary, too, after her two sleepless nights. Suddenly Jean -gave a loud shout, and then a moment later they had all rushed to his -side, and presently were boring down into the earth under the rock as -quickly as they could, to unearth in a few moments a gold chain. Nita -gave a loud scream as she snatched it from Danny, for she immediately -recognized it as belonging to an old lady at the hotel, who had been -bemoaning its loss. A few moments' digging, and then, with pale faces, -in repressed excitement, they replaced the chain in the hole, covered it -with dirt, so as to make it appear that the spot had not been disturbed, -and then they started home, stopping to rest on the stone ledge of -Liberty Fort, while discussing their discovery. It was enough to excite -any one, and might mean a great deal to Philip. - -Nita was quite insistent at first that they should immediately tell the -manager of the hotel what they had seen. But Nathalie demurred, -convinced, on second thought, that if the jewelry was found hidden up in -the woods, because Philip lived up on the mountain, every one would say -that that was sure proof that he was the thief. "No," declared the girl -determinedly, "we can't do that; but we will have to come up here and -watch for the man so we can identify him." This plan was finally decided -upon, and the little party, seething with suppressed excitement under -the weight of their momentous secret, returned home. - -That night Nathalie, Danny, and Jean stole up the trail. Strange to say, -it was again a moonlight night, the same as a month ago, when the man -had been seen by Nathalie and Jean. After finding the seat-tree they all -sat down and waited, alternately dozing and waking, but although they -remained until the first streaks of gray dawn appeared, nothing -happened. - -The following night, Jean--Nathalie had put the boy to bed for the day, -letting her mother think that he had one of his headaches to which he -was subject--and Tony accompanied the girl to the tree. But alas, for -the second time nothing came to pass. Nathalie began to be discouraged. -Fortunately it rained that night, and, as they could not venture out, -they all had a good night's rest. - -The fourth night again found the girl with the boys at her post, -oppressed and miserable, for by this time she began to fear that the man -in the woods was a snare and a delusion,--something she had dreamed, or -else he had gone. But why did he leave that jewelry behind?--for the -children had discovered that there were other pieces hidden in that -hole, or very near it. - -All at once--Nathalie had fallen quite sound asleep--Jean gave her a -pinch; he was snuggling up against her, seated on her lap. The girl -opened her eyes sleepily, rubbed them drowsily, and then stretched them -wide, caught by the gleam of a light over by the rock. Yes, the man was -there! Her heart leaped excitedly, for he was digging under the rock, -just where they had found the jewelry! - -With stilled breath, the three figures, hidden by the tree, watched him, -Nathalie's mind keeping up an incessant query as to how she could steal -around behind the rock to get a view of his face. Ah, that queer shaking -of the head! Who was it that she had seen who had that peculiar nervous -affliction? And then, in a sudden revelation, she knew! It was the man -who had stared at her so rudely in the post-office, the man who had -repaired her automobile. Why, it was the man known as _the Count_! - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII - - A MYSTERY SOLVED - - -Several hours later, Nathalie, Nita, Sheila, the three boys, and Mrs. -Van Vorst were seated in that lady's sitting-room on the second floor of -the Sunset Hill House, overlooking the roof of the front veranda. -Nathalie was nervously tapping the floor with her foot, as, with a -perplexed, uneasy expression in her eyes, she watched Mr. Grenoble, the -secret-service man, who had been employed to fathom the strange mystery -of the many jewelry thefts that had occurred at the hotel within the -last few weeks. - -She had told her story, not only to the detective, but to the manager of -the hotel, explaining how she had come to discover the man digging in -the woods the night that Sheila had wandered away. She had told also how -they had all dug under the rock, to find the pieces of missing jewelry, -and how she and the boys had hid in the woods, and finally had seen the -man again digging by the rock. She had verified her story in its -details, and, although sharply questioned by the detective and the -manager, she had stoutly maintained that the man whom she had seen was -Mr. Keating, known as the Count. But her intuition immediately revealed -to her that they were not inclined to accept her theory as to the -identification of the thief. - -The manager immediately protested that she _must be_ mistaken, that his -guest was too well known, his position too assured, to identify him in -any way with the man at the rock. As the girl realized that her story -was doubted, a strange numbness seized her, and she had a paralyzing -premonition that not only would her well-founded suspicions prove -futile, as well as her long, watchful hours, and her many efforts to -clear Philip, but that possibly these things would increase the -circumstantial suspicions already directed towards him. - -Seeing the apparent uselessness of further conversation the girl rose, -oppressed by the dread that if she remained in that room a moment longer -she would burst into tears. But no, _she would not give up_! She would -go somewhere and think it all over, to see if there was not some way of -ascertaining who the man was. Perhaps she could go again to the -woods,--she would try and get behind that rock,--and make sure-- - -At this moment Sheila, who was standing with Jean by the window, -watching the automobiles constantly coming and going in front of the -hotel, uttered a sharp cry. As Nathalie turned towards the child as if -to still her, she heard her exclaim: "Oh, Jean, there's the funny 'phone -man! See, there he is! Don't you remember, he's the man who put the -black trumpet on top of his head when he was in the 'phone-box?" Sheila -always called the receiver a "black trumpet." - -Nathalie, aroused by the remark, mechanically allowed her glance to -follow the direction of the child's finger, as she pointed towards Mr. -Keating, who was coming up the walk leading to the hotel. Unconsciously -she bent forward, and with alert eyes watched the man, for she had again -seen that peculiar motion of the head that had identified him as the man -whom she had seen digging in the woods. - -But Sheila's exclamation had been overheard by the detective, who -stepped quickly to the child's side, crying: "What was that you said, -little girl, about a funny 'phone man? Tell me about him." - -The man's manner was so abrupt and commanding, that Sheila shrank back -against Nathalie, and shyly hid her face. But the girl, startled also by -Mr. Grenoble's abruptness, with a quick glance at his face, cried, "Yes, -Sheila, tell the gentleman what you saw." Oh, yes, she remembered now -that the two children had told her about this "funny 'phone man" whom -they had seen at the hotel one day, but she had paid no attention to -their prattle at the time. - -Sheila, with a quick upward glance into the girl's face, as if instantly -divining the seriousness of the situation, answered, "Why, that's the -man I saw in the 'phone-box," again pointing towards the Count, who had -stopped to chat with a lady on the walk. "He put the black trumpet right -up on top of his head, like this,"--she imitated the man's -motion,--"when he was talking through the 'phone." - -"Did you see him, too?" questioned the detective, turning towards Jean, -his eyes suddenly illumined with an odd gleam. Jean nodded silently, and -then, seeing that further confirmation was needed, in his odd, -hesitating English, repeated the same words, accompanied by the same -motion, as the little girl. - -The detective nodded absently, still with that odd gleam in his eyes, -and then walked hastily towards the door. As he reached it, as if -suddenly remembering their former conversation, he turned towards the -occupants of the room and, with slow deliberation, said, "Well, ladies, -I think our problem is still unsolved; however, I will look into the -matter and let you know the result in a few days." With an abrupt nod he -motioned to the manager, whose kindly face was strangely perturbed, as -he quickly followed him from the room. - -Nathalie and the children, a few mornings after the conference at the -Sunset Hill House, were standing in front of the big white Roslinwood -barn watching Teddy and Billy, two little black pigs that were the -delight of Sheila's heart. But they were tantalizing joys, for as soon -as they caught sight of their admirer, as they peered out of the big -barn-door, with their bright, bead-like eyes, they would scurry away as -quickly as their round, shiny black bodies would permit, greatly to that -young lady's disappointment. - -As Sheila ran to gather a roadside nosegay, and the boys hurried -homeward, for Philip had promised to teach them some new military -tactics in their soldier-drill at the Liberty Fort, Nathalie, beguiled -by the calm stillness of the woods, sat down on the seat under the trees -where the sign, "Hit the Trail," showed that was where the path started -that led through Lovers' Lane. - -The woods, aglow with the yellow and reds of the maples, were strangely -still that beautiful September morning, save for the occasional chirp of -some belated songster, or the loud caw of a crow as he signaled to his -mates, who were making a noisy clatter in some leafy retreat of the -greenwood. - -To Nathalie, the crimson branches of the reddening maples, showing -vividly bright from among the green leaves of the spruce, fir, oak, or -beech, softened with the glow from the silver poplars as they quivered -in the wind, seemed like red banners. As they swayed in undulating -motion, to her they were flags, curling and beating the air for that -which is every man's right, liberty. - -The girl felt a little depressed at the thought that the summer was -over, for the crumpled and autumn-hued leaves, as they fell from the -trees, or swept by on the wings of the wind in their dying splendor, -seemed to be calling a sad and mournful farewell. Oh, how she would hate -to leave these rocky heights that rose in such statuesque grandeur -before her, the splendors of the sky with its glory of sunset, the -forest gnomes in their crooked and gnarled ugliness, and the green -fields, now starred with the yellow beauty of our national flower, the -goldenrod! - -What an odd summer it had been! So different from what she had expected. -How she would miss her beautiful companions on her morning walks, the -blue-hazed mountains! And yet she had made friends. Ah, there was the -soldier-boy. She wondered if he would write to her. Then there was -Janet. Well, she was never going to let her go out of her life, for she -was to visit them next winter. - -Her eyes saddened as she thought of the Sweet-Pea ladies. Oh, how sorry -she would be to bid them good-by, for Miss Whipple seemed to grow -frailer every day, and then what would become of poor Miss Mona? And her -queer little old friend in the red house? Well, she didn't suppose that -she would ever see her again, for she said that she never wrote to -people. Yes, it was depressing to think that you had to meet people you -liked, and then go away and just have to forget them, because they -passed out of your life. - -And the kiddies? She hated to think of their going back to that slum -life again. She wondered if any of the country people up in the -mountains would like to take them to live with them, for, yes, Tony and -Danny could learn to be very useful. But poor Jean--and Sheila! Then she -wondered if her trying to make them Sons of Liberty would help them to -be good and honorable men. Sometimes it seemed as if she hadn't -accomplished much, and then again she could see how different they were -from what they had been when they came to her. O dear! they _were_ -problems. - -And Philip de Brie? Surely she had made a friend of him, at least he was -more than a friend to Janet, who--the perverse thing!--was so careful -not to let her know if she really cared for him or not. Perhaps it was -on account of Cynthia, for she had overheard that young lady telling -Janet that Philip was an impostor, and that he had fooled her the way he -had Nathalie Page and her mother. The story of his being a British -soldier, and that story, too, about his grandmother, was all folderol. - -And poor Janet had meekly made no reply to this tirade, but Nathalie, in -imagination, saw the red mount into her cheeks, and knew how humiliated -she felt. Well, he was better than that funny little Mr. Buddie anyway. -She believed it was _just_ jealousy on Cynthia's part, for she herself -had tried to be very nice to Philip, but somehow he didn't seem to -understand her,--no sensible person could,--and although he had always -been very courteous to her, he had never made a friend of her. - -Well, she had done her best to clear him of the horrible suspicion that -had lost him his pupils; but, alas, she seemed to have made the matter -worse, or, at least, she had not done him any good, for when his cabin -on the mountain had been burned one night, people had declared that he -had set it afire himself to destroy evidences of his guilt. - -And then, when the manager of the hotel had the ground dug up, where she -and the children had discovered those pieces of jewelry, nothing had -been found. And Mr. Keating, alias the Count, had gone, called to -Chicago, he claimed, the very night before they dug up around the -rock,--the very night, too, that the cabin had been burned. No, Philip -had not been arrested, for certainly the evidence was not strong enough -to warrant such action. And then the detective had disappeared, although -Nathalie had a feeling at times that he was hanging around somewhere -near the place, in disguise, perhaps, watching Philip. - -And the people who had been so nice to Philip, now acted very queerly -whenever they saw him, and Philip, the poor fellow, had said nothing, -although Nathalie was afraid that he suspected that something was wrong. -Her mother had persuaded him to come down to Seven Pillars after the -burning of the cabin, and although he had accepted their kind -hospitality for the time being, he chafed under the favors showered upon -him, and showed that he was inwardly suffering to have to be placed in -such a position, for Janet said he resented charity. Yes, and ten days -had passed, and Nathalie had not heard one word from the detective. O -dear! the world was a queer place to live in, anyway. - -Just after luncheon, as Nathalie and her mother sat knitting on the -veranda, a loud "Honk! Honk!" announced the arrival of Nita, who, with -her cheeks red with excitement, burst upon the group like a young -whirlwind. - -"Oh, Blue Robin," she cried, as she caught sight of Nathalie, "I have -the most wonderful news for you." And then, without waiting to be -questioned by her friend, who had risen to her feet in nervous -expectancy, she added excitedly, "Philip has been cleared!" - -"Oh, Nita, how do you know?" cried Nathalie, her face turning white, as -she nervously clutched at her chair. - -"The news came this morning from the detective, and the manager told -mother. He said Mr. Grenoble got his clew from Sheila. You just come -right here, little girl," broke off Nita abruptly, as she beckoned for -Sheila to come to her, "so I can kiss you for a blessed dear." She -seized the somewhat astonished child and began to hug her with excited -exuberance. - -"But who is the thief?" exclaimed Nathalie breathlessly. "Oh, do tell -us!" - -"The thief? Why, Mr. Keating, the Count, of course," laughed Nita -gleefully; "and he was caught all through Sheila's crying out about the -funny 'phone man. When she spoke of the man in the booth placing the -receiver on his head when telephoning, it gave Mr. Grenoble a big clew. -It seems that the detective-bureau had been on the lookout for some time -for a gentleman burglar who had the peculiar eccentricity of holding the -receiver on the top of his head, as Sheila stated. He was born without -any folds to his ears,--no, that isn't the word; I guess it was ganglion -cells. No, _that_ isn't right--Well, anyway he had something the matter -with his auditory nerve, so that his hearing was defective. By placing -the receiver on the top of his head, as he had very good -bone-conduction,--yes, that's right,--he could hear better. - -"As soon as the detective heard what Sheila said he began to shadow our -friend, the Count. He saw him do the same thing that Sheila told about, -and _that_, with certain other clews, led to his arrest. He was not _the -Mr._ Keating from Chicago that he claimed to be, whom the manager -asserted had spent a summer at the hotel two years ago. That gentleman -died this spring, and this 'count' fellow impersonated him, so as to -gain a social standing in the hotel. - -"The manager now admits that at times he had been puzzled by certain -changes in Mr. Keating's appearance, but he attributed it to the fact -that he was older, and was now clean-shaven, when two years ago he wore -a mustache. The detective thinks that the Count burned the cabin up in -the woods so as to deepen the suspicion already fostered in regard to -Philip." - -"But he got away with the jewelry," exclaimed that young gentleman, who, -with Janet, had just stepped up to the edge of the veranda, while Nita -had been talking. - -"But he did not get far," rejoined Nita, "for when he walked into the -New York station a few days ago,--that was just a ruse, talking about -being called to Chicago,--he simply walked into the net that the -detectives had spread for him, and he is now in jail." - -"I saw that the detective doubted my story," remarked Nathalie, "and it -made me feel unpleasant. But, oh, I am so glad the thief has been -caught--and--" - -"That Philip is cleared," interrupted that young man. "Yes, Miss -Nathalie, you have added to the store of kind things that you have done -for me. But wait," Philip's eyes glowed, "some day,--well, perhaps I can -repay every one. And little Blue Robin," he continued, laughingly, "I -knew that I was the suspected one, although you were all so careful not -to let anything slip out that would tell me, so as to save my -sensitiveness, but as I was innocent I knew that things would clear up -somehow." - -And then he and Janet returned to their seats under the trees, where -Philip had been reading to her, while Nathalie, with a glad light in her -eyes, continued to discuss the many details of the affair. As Nita rose -to go she suddenly exclaimed: "Oh, there, I forgot to tell you that we -are going home in a couple of days. Mother is anxious to get back to the -city." - -"Oh, I shall miss you terribly," cried her friend, as she placed her arm -affectionately around the little hunchback; "but then I presume we shall -be going soon ourselves. But, Nita," she added abruptly. "I came very -near forgetting to tell you that we have all handed our diaries to Mr. -Banker, and I am so glad that irksome task is over, for I hated to have -to write in it every day. We are to meet Mr. Banker in the mystery-room -to-morrow afternoon. It all sounds very thrilling, doesn't it? We are -all very curious to know what is hidden there." - -"Oh, I am just dying to know, too," cried Nita. "Well, come over to tea -to-morrow, and then perhaps the mystery will be a mystery no longer." - -"But have you selected the _valuable thing_?" asked the girl laughingly, -after she assured her friend that she would surely accept her -invitation. - -"Why, no, not as yet," returned Nathalie, "for I am swayed by two loves. -But it is all nonsense anyway, so I don't think it will make much -difference what any of us select. Cynthia will probably win the prize, -as the kiddies say, for she has chosen a very valuable painting. Janet -has selected a most curious thing,--a necklace. It came from China, and -has a series or chain of heads; they say every one is a likeness of some -old mummified mandarin. When you touch a spring--Janet didn't know this -until mother showed it to her, for she saw this necklace years ago, when -Mrs. Renwick brought it home with her from one of her Oriental -trips--each one of these mummified Chinamen sticks out his tongue." - -"Well, good-by until to-morrow," cried Nita, and then she was in her car -and a moment later went whizzing along the road towards Sugar Hill -village. - -Nathalie had just finished putting her boys through their morning drill -the following day, and seen them hurry away with Janet to do some -weeding and hoeing for her in her garden, when she was joined by Philip. -As he finished telling her a bit of war news,--she was industriously -trying to finish a sweater for Dick,--his glance was arrested by the -little Bible lying on the chair by her side, for Nathalie had continued -her Scripture readings to the children. - -Picking the book up, he began to turn over its leaves carelessly, almost -mechanically, as if his mind was occupied with some other matter, when -suddenly Nathalie heard a surprised exclamation, and looked up to see -Philip staring at the fly-leaf of the Bible, with an odd, curious -expression on his face. - -"Where did you get this Bible?" he asked hurriedly, turning towards the -girl. - -"In one of the upper rooms of the house. I think it must have belonged -to Mrs. Renwick's son, Philip. Why, your name is Philip, too," she cried -smilingly. "Why, I never thought of that before." - -"Yes, my name is Philip, and this Bible belonged to my father--" - -"Your father?" repeated the dazed girl. But before Philip could answer -her, in a quick revelation she cried, "Why, is your name Renwick?" -staring at him with wide-open eyes. - -"Yes, Philip de Brie Renwick." - -"And Mrs. Renwick, who used to live here?" - -"Was my grandmother!" - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV - - THE WINNER OF THE PRIZE - - -As Nathalie sat in dazed surprise upon hearing Philip's announcement, he -went on and told her of the early life of his father, of his going to -Europe, of his marriage with Marie de Brie, a French girl, of his return -to America, and of his subsequent quarrel with his mother, who had -refused to receive his wife, a story that the girl had already heard, -but not in detail, from Mrs. Page. - -When his father left his grandmother, Philip stated, he was in a mood of -mingled anger and humiliation, while his heart had been deeply seared -with disillusioned love. He could not realize that the mother who had -made him her idol, the mother whom he adored, could, from mere motives -of false pride, wound him so deeply by refusing to receive the girl to -whom he had given the affections of his young manhood. - -On leaving his mother, Philip Renwick had remained at the hotel for a -time, vainly hoping that she would attempt a reconciliation, but when no -word came from her, he took his wife to a southern town, where, a few -months later, he, Philip the second, had been born. A couple of years -later the young couple had returned to England, where they had lived -until his father's death. Shortly after losing her husband, young Mrs. -Renwick had returned to France, and had become the home-keeper for a -bachelor brother. On his death she was left a small annuity on the -condition that she retain her maiden name of de Brie; hence the reason -that Philip had become known by his mother's maiden name. - -"But did you know that it was _here_, at Seven Pillars, that your -grandmother used to live?" asked Nathalie, as Philip finished. - -"Yes, and that was why I felt that I could not refuse your mother's kind -invitation to spend a short time here as her guest, for the house had so -many associations for me, for my father, as well as my grandmother, were -very fond of this old place up here in these mountains. - -"The night you found me in the cabin, Miss Nathalie," resumed the young -man, "I had become tired of life, for it seemed as if there was nothing -for me to live for, for I hadn't enough ambition to try to better my -condition. I could only face the fact that mother was gone, that I had -not a cent in the world, as my mother's annuity ceased with her life, -and my soldier's pension was only a few dollars a week. I realized that -I would probably lose my arm, for I knew that it should have a surgeon's -care and I had no money to pay one. And it is right here, Miss Nathalie, -that I want you to understand my deep appreciation of, and my hearty -thanks for, what you have done for me; also the kindness of Miss Janet," -a sudden light flamed in the young man's eyes, "and the thoughtfulness -of your mother, and your friends, Mrs. Van Vorst and Miss Nita. - -"The companionship of you all, even of the kiddies, your Liberty boys, -has put new life into me. I did become a little discouraged, it is true, -when I began to lose my French pupils, and surmised the reason, from -various hints that were dropped by some of the people, who were the -victims of the thief, for it is not an enlivening thought to fear that -your _only_ and very best friends might grow to think you a rascal. - -"But you all proved so true to me, especially _you_, little Blue Robin, -I call you that name, as the bluebird is a bird of cheer, and certainly -you have inspired me with the ambition for a new career-to-be, as you -have proved yourself such a loyal little comrade in my time of need. -Remember, Nathalie, I shall never forget you, or what you have done for -me." - -Nathalie, her face a wave of color from the unexpected warmth of -Philip's praise, in hasty confusion, as if to change the subject to -another one than herself, cried, "But why did you not go, when you were -in Boston, to Mrs. Renwick's trustees, and make yourself known to them? -For, if you are her grandson, you are entitled to some of her money." - -"For two reasons," replied Philip slowly. "One was that, in my hasty -departure from England it slipped my mind to bring my credentials with -me. And then, again,--perhaps my grandmother's pride has descended to -me,--I felt that if she did not love my father,--she had let him go so -easily,--that I could have pride, too, and did not care to accept her -money. If I could have met her when alive, and had learned that she did -have some love for my father, why, then I would have revealed myself to -her, and naturally would have felt differently in regard to accepting -her money. But I have one thing by which I could have proved my identity -to her if she had been still alive. See, it is this little ring. She -gave it to my father, who always wore it, as I have done, ever since it -came into my possession." - -Philip took from one of his little fingers an odd, peculiar-looking seal -ring. After showing his father's and his grandmother's initials and the -date of its presentation, he touched a tiny spring back of the stone, -and Nathalie saw a miniature picture of Mrs. Renwick. She knew it -immediately from its resemblance to several pictures of her that were -scattered about the house. - -At this moment there was a loud wail from Sheila, who, in picking -flowers in the meadow where Sam was mowing, had been injured by the -mower. It was some time before her cries were stilled, and her wound -properly bandaged, so that, for the time being, the wonderful news that -Philip had told was forgotten. - -When it finally came to mind, Nathalie was tempted to run and claim him -as her cousin, to tell him about Mrs. Renwick's peculiar letter, and -what was expected to take place there that afternoon. But after some -thought she wisely concluded to remain silent until after she had talked -with Mr. Banker and her mother. Not but that she had faith in Philip's -story, but because it seemed the most prudent thing to do. - -These thoughts were hasty ones, for the girl had suddenly remembered -that she had not selected the valuable thing as yet, and that it was -almost four o'clock, the hour of Mr. Banker's arrival. She had partly -decided to select a set of rubies,--a necklace and pair of -bracelets,--and then a Russian curio had made its appeal, but somehow -she bordered upon a state of indecision that was becoming intolerable. - -As she turned to enter the house, her eyes fell on the little Bible -that, in her hasty rush to Sheila, when she appeared with her bleeding -foot, she had left lying on the chair under the trees. She ran hastily -across the lawn and picked it up. As she did so, the book flew open and -her attention was arrested by the name, _Philip Renwick_, on the -fly-leaf, and its connection with what Philip had just told her. And -then, she stood a minute, pondering. Why had not she thought of that -before? and then, with a dimpling face, she closed the book and hurried -back to the veranda, almost knocking down Tony, who stood wistfully -regarding her. - -"Pleass, scusa, Mees Natta, haf you gotta da theeng for de -preez?--Mister Banka, hees com' bimeby to looka for eet." Tony's big, -velvety eyes were mutely pleading as he looked up at Nathalie. - -The girl laughingly mimicked the boy as she patted him on the head, -understanding that he was worried because she had not selected the thing -that the children were so anxious should "win the prize," as they called -it, for her. Then her eyes sobered, and, drawing the little lad to her, -she showed him the Bible she held in her hand, explaining that she had -selected it, as it told about Christ the Savior, and contained God's -wonderful message to His people, telling them how to love Him and be -good. "Yes, Tony," she added solemnly, "the Bible is the most precious -thing to everybody in the world. And then, as _this_ little Bible used -to belong to Mrs. Renwick's only son, I am sure that it would be the -most valuable thing to her, so I am going to select it." - -As the girl saw the child's eyes light up, as if he comprehended what -she meant, she laid the Bible on a chair and ran hastily up to her room -to hunt for some white paper and blue ribbon. In a moment or so she was -back, wrapping up the book, and then, to Tony's infinite delight, she -slipped her card under the blue ribbon and gave the book to him, to -place at the door of the mystery-room with the other packages. - -Some time later, Nathalie, in company with her mother, Janet, Cynthia, -and Mr. Banker, entered the mystery-room, no one perceiving as they -entered that the children had slyly followed them, and were staring -about with wondering, curious eyes. Ah, so this was the room they had -all been so curious about; and Nathalie smiled as she saw that it was a -homey, cozy room, suggestive of feminine tastes and occupations, but, -after all, it was just nothing but Mrs. Renwick's sitting-room, the room -where she had sewed, read, and wrote her letters. - -The low book-cases lining the wall, the hardwood floor with its costly -Persian rug, the open fireplace set with fagots ready to light on a cool -morning, the desk in one corner, with the Victrola near, and the antique -furniture, all of solid mahogany, certainly did not savor of a mystery -or anything uncanny. In fact, the little table in the center of the -room, with its shaded lamp, books, and magazines, and the little upright -work-basket near, rather intimated that the owner of the room had just -left it for a moment or so. - -But Mr. Banker was speaking. He stood by the little center-table on -which lay the three valuable things. He held up Cynthia's selection as -he said: "I have here a picture, a most valuable painting, as it is a -Van Dyke. It has been selected by Miss Cynthia Loretto Stillwell, as I -see by the name on the card. This little box bears the name of Miss -Janet Page, and is a curio from China. And here is a Bible," the -gentleman's voice deepened as he held up Nathalie's selection. The -girl's heart, notwithstanding her indifference to the outcome of the -selection, was beating against her side in a very annoying way. - -"It is a curious selection," continued Mr. Banker, "and--oh, what is -this?" as something round and glittering fell from the book. "A gold -coin," he commented with some surprise; "yes, a Roman coin, for it bears -the head of Caesar, and I should imagine he turned the coin over as it -lay in his palm, that it was of considerable value, as, from what I can -decipher between the obliterations, it has a very ancient date. But I do -not understand," he glanced inquiringly, "which is the article that has -been selected as the valuable thing, the coin or the Bible? The card on -the letter bears the name of Nathalie Page," turning as he spoke, and -looking at the girl, who was staring at him, with mystified, bewildered -eye, "A coin!" she finally managed to gasp. "Why, I didn't see--" - -"Pleass 'scusa. Mister Banka," cried Tony's soft, musical voice at this -point, "da coin eet belona to Mees Natta,--she fina eet wan day een a -box." The liquid black eyes of the boy were brilliant with a strange -glow of joy. - -"Oh, no, Tonio, the coin is not Miss Natta's," cried Nathalie, a sudden -light breaking in upon her bewilderment. "It is your coin. Don't you -remember, I found it in the mustard-box the day you were ill? But it is -yours, Tony; you placed it there for Miss Natta to find." The girl, -strangely amused, smiled down at the lad. - -"You bet my life, Mees Natta, Tonio, no, hees neva hada coin. Eet verra -old, da coin, eet com' f'om a beeg keeng wat liva een da Roma lan'. Ees -belonga to Mees Natta," the boy ended persistently. - -"Oh, Tony, you are in the wrong," pleaded the girl, suddenly feeling -that she wanted to cry, as she saw that the child was determined to -persist in his untruth. "_You know_ it is _your coin_, for Danny found -it one day for you when it had dropped from your embroidered vest. -Didn't you, Danny?" - -And Danny, with a troubled look in his blue eyes,--he, too, wanted Miss -Natta to have that prize,--mutely nodded in confirmation of her word. -But Tony, with a sudden tightening of his red lips, again protested in a -sullen tone, "No, eet ees no Tonio's coin. Eet belona to Mees Natta." - -"Oh, Tony," exclaimed the girl, as the tears swelled up into her eyes, -"you hurt 'Mees Natta.' 'Mees Natta' rather not have the prize than have -Tonio tell what is not so." - -Tony's eyes fell, as he shifted uneasily from one foot to the other, and -then, glancing up, still with that stubborn look on his face, and seeing -the tears in the girl's eyes, he dropped his face into the curve of his -arm. Not a sound came from him, but the long, convulsive shivers of the -slim little body told that the lad was crying. - -Nathalie turned towards Mr. Banker, distress depicted on her face, as -she cried, "Oh, Mr. Banker, I am so sorry, but _I_ selected the Bible." - -Mr. Banker hesitated a moment, and then his sharp eyes softened, as he -saw the mute anguish of the little Italian lad and realized his keen -disappointment, for he had often commented upon the boy's affection for -the girl. Stepping to his side, he patted him on the head, as he said -cheerily: "Never mind, son; don't cry. Who knows, perhaps 'Mees Natta' -may win the prize, as you call it, even without the coin. Here, lad, -take what belongs to you, and mind you," he added in a sterner tone, -"never again be tempted to tell an untruth, even for 'Mees Natta.'" With -another pat on the bowed head he stepped back beside the table, where he -had been standing. - -"I have gone over these diaries," said the gentleman, as he picked up -one of the three books that lay on the table, "and I find that Miss -Cynthia Loretto Stillwell has not passed a day in this house, within the -last two months in which she has not searched for the valuable thing. -Certainly her diligence should be rewarded," ended the gentleman, as he -bowed ceremoniously to that lady, whose eyes radiated with triumphant -joy. - -"Miss Janet, I find," his eyes gleamed pleasantly at that winsome young -woman, "has been somewhat of a delinquent at times, for there are -several entries missing in her diary. But as its reading shows that her -heart is a kindly one, as shown by her careful nursing of the young -British soldier, I certainly think that she should be well favored. - -"Miss Nathalie, I am afraid, has not done her duty as faithfully as she -might have, in looking for the valuable thing"; he spoke somewhat -severely as he peered over his glasses at the girl, whose cheeks -flushed, their red deepening, as she caught a gleam of satisfaction -emanating from Cynthia's eyes. - -"But her negligence has been more than compensated for,"--there was a -queer note in the gentleman's voice, "as this record of two months is so -filled with kind acts for others, that-- Well, ladies, possibly you have -begun to sense that it is not the finding of the valuable thing that is -to win out, but the acts it typifies. Each day has been conscientiously -noted in Miss Nathalie's diary, and almost every day bears a record of -some good work done for others. I think--well--I am inclined to believe -that the young lady--" - -Mr. Banker paused abruptly, for at this moment a loud knocking sounded -on the door. Cynthia, who was standing near it, with a frown on her -face, stepped impatiently forward, and with a hasty movement threw it -open. - -On the threshold stood Mrs. Carney, who, the next moment, with her sharp -gray eyes peering defiantly out from under the queer poke-bonnet, while -the basket on her arm stuck out aggressively, brushed quickly past -Cynthia and into the room. But that lady, with two red spots on her -cheeks, seized her by the arm, crying, "You can't come in here now; we -have company," turning the old lady, as she spoke, and roughly shoving -her towards the door. - -"Oh, Cynthia, don't be rude to Mrs. Carney!" pleaded distressed -Nathalie, as she sprang to the side of her queer little friend. "How are -you, Mrs. Carney?" she asked gently, smiling at the face under the -bonnet. "We are very glad to see you. You don't mind Mrs. Carney joining -us, do you?" continued the girl, looking at Mr. Banker. "If you do," she -added quickly, "and will excuse me, I will go down-stairs with her, so -we can have a little chat." - -"No, Miss Nathalie, we do not mind Mrs. Carney joining us; in fact," -again that queer little note in Mr. Banker's voice, "I was just about to -ask you to go and bring her here." He advanced as he spoke and cordially -shook the hand of the old lady, who pressed his warmly, but said -nothing. - -"Ah, here is your favorite seat," continued the gentleman; "perhaps you -would like to sit down in it. But I forgot, ladies; perhaps you have not -met Mrs. John Renwick," he had turned towards the occupants of the room -smilingly, "the lady who has allowed you the privilege of summering in -her house for the last two months, your neighbor of the little red -house. As you see, Mrs. Renwick is alive, and I will ask her to take -charge of her own letter of instruction, and see that the reward is -given to the right one--and--" - -The gentleman paused, for Mrs. Page, with a glad light in her eyes, was -already at the lady's side, crying, "Oh, sister Mary, it was kind of you -to take this way of giving us such a lovely summer. And I am so glad -that you are alive and well." She kissed Mrs. Renwick with warm -cordiality. "Do you know," she continued smilingly, "I was rather -suspicious that you were up to one of your--" - -"Eccentricities," interrupted the old lady pleasantly, with an odd -twinkle in her eyes. "Well, I was anxious to know these young ladies. -Yes, I guess I know them now, one of them at least." She glanced -wrathfully at Cynthia, who stood with down-cast eyes, her face as -crimson as a poppy, and her heart in a strange tumult of amazement, -anger, and regret. - -But Nathalie, in her quick, impulsive way, had thrown her arms around -Mrs. Renwick's neck and was giving her a good hug, as she cried, "Oh! my -dear little lady of the red house, I am so glad you are Aunt Mary, for -now you will _have to be my friend_, and answer my letters whether you -want to or not." - -The old lady's gray eyes softened, as she bent forward and kissed the -girl softly on each cheek as she answered gently, "Nathalie, you are -just like your father,--he was my favorite brother,--but it is for -yourself, child," she added gravely, "that I have learned to love you. -But who has won the prize?" she inquired abruptly, smiling down at the -children who were staring at her uncomprehendingly, recognizing her as -the inmate of the red house, who seemed to have suddenly assumed a new -character. - -"Come over here and look them over,--I mean the valuable things," -advised Mr. Banker, at this moment, as he led Mrs. Renwick to the table, -"for the diaries you saw last night." And then he pointed out in quick -succession the three articles of value that were grouped on the table. - -Mrs. Renwick glanced carelessly at the picture. "Yes, it is most -valuable," she assented quietly, "a Van Dyke. And so is this"; she -fingered Janet's choice. "But what is this?" she added suddenly, as her -eyes fell on the little Bible that lay at her elbow. - -"This is Philip's Bible," said the gentleman, "and it was selected by -Miss Nathalie--" - -"Why, Nathalie, my child, did you select my dear son's Bible?" As -Nathalie mutely assented, Mrs. Renwick motioned for her to come and tell -her why she had made this choice. With some embarrassment the girl gave -her reasons. As she finished, her aunt said: "Yes, my dear child, there -is nothing in the house I value as highly as Philip's Bible. Nathalie, -you have won the prize, and you deserve it, my dear, for you have not -only selected the most valuable thing, but you have learned what is the -most valuable thing in life." The old lady drew Nathalie close to her, -as she again kissed her on both of her flushed cheeks. - -But Nathalie drew quickly away, for a sudden thought had come to her. -"Oh, wait a moment!" she exclaimed hurriedly. "I'll be back presently," -and then, without waiting to be excused, she flew from the room. - -"Oh, Philip!" screamed the girl a moment or so later, as she rushed up -to her friend, who was reading in the hammock, "I want you to come with -me--quick! Oh--I--" she paused as if at a loss to explain, and then -added hurriedly, "Oh, do come! I have something to show you!" - -Philip looked up at the girl in surprise, but, instantly perceiving from -her bright, shining eyes, that she was more than usually excited, he -jumped from the hammock crying, "All right, Blue Robin, you look very -happy, so I suppose it is something very good to see, or good to eat." - -[Illustration: "Oh, it is Philip, my son!"--_Page 377._] - -Two minutes later the girl had pushed open the door of the mystery-room, -and was trying to pull Philip in with her, but that gentleman, on seeing -that strangers were present, had stepped back. - -"No, no, you _must come in_," cried the girl in happy excitement. The -young man, seeing the determination on his companion's face, somewhat -puzzled, silently followed her into the room. And then Nathalie swirled -him about so that he faced Mr. Banker, crying, "Mr. Banker, this is -Philip de Brie Renwick!" And then, without waiting for that gentleman to -acknowledge the introduction, she took Philip's hand and led him towards -Mrs. Renwick, who, as she saw the young man approaching, tremblingly -arose, and, with clasped hands, cried, "Oh, it is Philip, my son!" - -"No it is not Philip, your son," quickly answered the young man, who had -instantly divined who the old lady was, "but Philip's son, your -grandson, Philip de Brie Renwick." - -The next moment Philip was holding the old lady in his arms, while he -quietly tried to soothe her sobs, as she wept in happy joy on his -breast. As her sobs subsided somewhat, Philip said gently, "Mother -Mine,"--it used to be his father's pet name for his mother,--"here is -the ring you gave father when at college." He drew the seal ring from -his finger and held it up before his grandmother, who, with one look at -it, cried, "Yes, grandson, I know _he_ has gone, for he promised me--" -there was a quiver in her voice--"that the ring should never be removed -until--" she drew a deep breath that threatened to turn into a -sob--"until he was no more. But he has given me--you, his son. Oh, my -dear boy, my own grandson!" - - * * * * * - -Nathalie sat by her little sewing-table under the trees, gazing off at -her grand old friends, the purple-misted mountains. It had seemed hard -to do anything, this her last day at Seven Pillars, but gaze at the -lofty heights that stood forth so calm and beautiful in their mystical -splendor on this gloriously White Mountain day. But she _must_ read over -that letter to see if it was all right, so, in soft, low tone she read -slowly, - - "Dear Helen: - - "I have such good news to tell you that I can hardly - write,--for, oh, Helen! the little old lady who lived in the red - house is Mrs. Renwick, and Philip de Brie, the British soldier - whom we found up in the cabin on the mountain, is her grandson! - And I have won the prize. No, of course, it is not really a - prize, but the good-will and affectionate regard of Aunt Mary, - because--well--I made her happy by selecting her son's Bible as - the most valuable thing in her house. And now I have dandy news - to tell. She is going to send me to college. I have just lived - in a dream ever since I heard the good news. Yes, and I have one - hundred dollars for my _very own_, to do just as I like with--no - restrictions, reparations, or indemnities, but just for _wee - little me_. I think that blessed sum was given to me, because - the boys, when told I had won the prize, could not understand - anything so vague as going to college, but they did finger that - crisp bank-note with eager, curious little fingers when I showed - it to them. Sometimes I feel a little guilty, for _really_ - Cynthia's selection, a Van Dyke painting, was the most valuable - from a certain point of view. - - "And, oh, what I told you would happen about Philip and Janet is - true, for they are engaged, and go about looking into each - other's eyes in a state of beatific happiness. Now she will be a - grand lady, for she to live with her new husband, and mother, in - a beautiful mansion in Boston. And Cynthia. Well, Mrs. Renwick - was quite angry with her, but finally, after mother and I had - talked to her, and told her the disadvantages she labored under, - and how she wanted to marry Mr. Buddie, why she partly relented, - for she is to set Cynthia up in a studio in Boston, and try to - get her friends to buy her pictures, for she insists that - Cynthia is a real artist. - - "And Mrs. Renwick--mother says I must learn to call her Aunt - Mary--wanted Sheila to live with her, and as there was no - question of separating her from Danny, he goes to Boston with - her and is to be educated, and I know he will grow to be just a - splendid man. Mrs. Van Vorst has taken another one of my kids, - Tony. She has always been in love with those black eyes of his, - and she insists that he is going to be a great musician. Then - there was dear little Jean. Yes, he had to have something good - come into his life, too, so mother and I have decided to take - him to live with us. - - "And now for another bit of news. I had a nice, long letter from - the soldier-boy, Van Darrell, and isn't it too funny, but that - Blue Robin girl of his was just _me_ all the time. Now for the - fairy-tale part of my story. Do you remember my telling you - about writing a letter to a soldier-boy, and slipping it into a - comfort-kit that, with a lot of others, was to be given to the - boys at Camp Mills? - - "Well, Van got it. He says that it set him to thinking, and made - him realize that we were not only going into this war of wars to - get even with the Huns, but because it is our duty to give the - liberty that we enjoy in our country to all the nations in the - world. And he has been ordered overseas. Yes, and he says he's - going, ready to make the sacrifice if necessary, and to give his - life that all men may be free. Oh, I'm so glad I wrote that - letter, and to think it has done some one some good. Yes, and - I'm going to pray as hard as I can that the soldier-boy will - come back to his mother, and to his friend, Blue Robin. Yes, - indeed, I am glad that he is not just a conceited boy, as I at - one time feared. - - "So good-by, you dear little maid, serving the Lord so - faithfully with those busy fingers of yours. I think of you - every day, and pray for you every night, so, with a bushel of - love, I am, as ever, - - "Your own - "Blue Robin." - - THE END - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - DOROTHY BROWN - - By NINA RHOADES - - Illustrated by Elizabeth Withington - - Large 12mo Cloth $1.50 net - -[Illustration: image of Dorothy Brown book cover] - -This is considerably longer than the other books by this favorite -writer, and with a more elaborate plot, but it has the same winsome -quality throughout. It introduces the heroine in New York as a little -girl of eight, but soon passes over six years and finds her at a select -family boarding school in Connecticut. An important part of the story -also takes place at the Profile House in the White Mountains. The charm -of school-girl friendship is finely brought out, and the kindness of -heart, good sense and good taste which find constant expression in the -books by Miss Rhoades do not lack for characters to show these best of -qualities by their lives. Other less admirable persons of course appear -to furnish the alluring mystery, which is not all cleared up until the -very last. - -"There will be no better book than this to put into the hands of a girl -in her teens and none that will be better appreciated by her."--Kennebec -Journal. - - MARION'S VACATION - - By NINA RHOADES - - Illustrated by Bertha G. Davidson 12mo $1.25 net - -[Illustration: image of Marion's Vacation book cover] - -This book is for the older girls, Marion being thirteen. She has for ten -years enjoyed a luxurious home in New York with the kind lady who feels -that the time has now come for this aristocratic though lovable little -miss to know her own nearest kindred, who are humble but most excellent -farming people in a pretty Vermont village. Thither Marion is sent for a -summer, which proves to be a most important one to her in all its -lessons. - -"More wholesome reading for half grown girls it would be hard to find; -some of the same lessons that proved so helpful in that classic of the -last generation 'An Old Fashioned Girl' are brought home to the youthful -readers of this sweet and sensible story."--Milwaukee Free Press. - - For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of - price by the publishers - - LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., Boston - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - JEAN CABOT SERIES - - By GERTRUDE FISHER SCOTT - - Illustrated by Arthur O. Scott 12mo Cloth - - Price, Net, $1.35 each - - JEAN CABOT AT ASHTON - -[Illustration: image of Jean Cabot at Ashton book cover] - -Here is the "real thing" in a girl's college story. Older authors can -invent situations and supply excellently written general delineations of -character, but all lack the vital touch of this work of a bright young -recent graduate of a well-known college for women, who has lost none of -the enthusiasm felt as a student. Every activity of a popular girl's -first year is woven into a narrative, photographic in its description of -a life that calls into play most attractive qualities, while at the same -time severely testing both character and ability. - - JEAN CABOT IN THE BRITISH ISLES - -This is a college story, although dealing with a summer vacation, and -full of college spirit. It begins with a Yale-Harvard boat race at New -London, but soon Jean and her room-mate sail for Great Britain under the -chaperonage of Miss Hooper, a favorite member of the faculty at Ashton -College. Their trip is full of the delight that comes to the traveler -first seeing the countries forming "our old home." - - JEAN CABOT IN CAP AND GOWN - -Jean Cabot is a superb young woman, physically and mentally, but -thoroughly human and thus favored with many warm friendships. Her final -year at Ashton College is the culmination of a course in which study, -sport and exercise, and social matters have been well balanced. - - JEAN CABOT AT THE HOUSE WITH THE BLUE SHUTTERS - -Such a group as Jean and her most intimate friends could not scatter at -once, as do most college companions after graduation, and six of them -under chaperonage of a married older graduate and member of the same -sorority spend a eventful summer in a historic farm-house in Maine. - - For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt - of price by the publishers - - Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Boston - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - HANDICRAFT FOR HANDY GIRLS - - By A. NEELY HALL - - Author of "The Boy Craftsman," "Handicraft for Handy Boys," - "The Handy Boy" - - AND DOROTHY PERKINS - - Illustrated with photographs and more than 700 diagrams - and working drawings - - 8vo Cloth Price, Net, $2.00 Postpaid, $2.25 - -[Illustration: image of Handicraft for Handy Girls book cover] - -With the aid of an experienced craftswoman, A. Neely Hall, who is in a -class by himself as a thoroughly reliable teacher of handicraft, every -operation that he describes being first practically worked out by -himself, and every working drawing presented being original, new, and -actual, has opened the door for the great and constantly increasing -number of girls who like to "make things." Such girls see no reason why -the joy of mechanical work should be restricted to their brothers, and -with this book it need no longer be. The first part of the book is -devoted to a great variety of indoor craft that can be followed in -autumn and winter, while the second part, "Spring and Summer -Handicraft," deals with many attractive forms of outdoor life, including -an entire chapter on the activities of "Camp Fire Girls." - -"This book will be hailed with delight by all girls who have a -mechanical turn."--Watchman-Examiner. - -"Girls will love just such a book and will find interest for every day -of the year in it."--St. Louis Globe-Democrat. - -"Triumphs of ingenuity never dreamed of are to be found in this volume -of handicraft that girls can make, but its chief charm is to be found in -the practical value of most of the things to be made."--Lexington -Herald. - - For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt - of price by the publishers - - Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Boston - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - BOOKS BY RENA I. HALSEY - - Illustrated Cloth $1.50 each - - BLUE ROBIN, THE GIRL PIONEER - -Nathalie Page is just such a girl of sixteen as one likes to read about. -Obliged to exchange affluence in a large city for a modest home in a -small one, she develops into capable young womanhood by becoming a -member of The Girl Pioneers of America. - -"Any girl of a dozen years or more, or even less, will enjoy this -thoroughly, and anyone, young or old, will be the better for having read -it."--Pittsburgh Times-Gazette. - - AMERICA'S DAUGHTER - -[Illustration: image of America's Daughter book cover] - -This is a rarely good and inspiring story of girls in a select school in -Brooklyn who organize a club called "Daughters of America," and under -the care of a well-liked teacher take a trip to points on the New -England coast made famous in our history. One of the girls has been -brought up without knowledge of her own family, and so is called -"America's Daughter." In the course of the trip she unravels the mystery -of her birth and all ends happily and profitably. - -"It is an inspiring story, well told and will be appreciated by girls -who love an active, out of doors life."--Daily Press, Portland, Me. - - THE LIBERTY GIRL - -Nathalie Page, seventeen, bright and popular with all her mates, forms a -club called the "Liberty Girls" and enthusiastically does her bit to -help win the war. A surprising invitation to the White Mountains takes -her from organized activity with her companions, but a girl like -Nathalie will not be idle wherever she goes, and in carrying out the -principles of patriotic service she wins great and deserved credit. - - Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. Boston - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber's Notes - - 1. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - 2. Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation in the original - document have been preserved. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Liberty Girl, by Rena I. Halsey - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIBERTY GIRL *** - -***** This file should be named 44928.txt or 44928.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/9/2/44928/ - -Produced by Demian Katz, Roger Frank and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (Images -courtesy of the Digital Library@Villanova University -(http://digital.library.villanova.edu/)) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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