ALICE BLYTHE 
 SOMEWHERE 
 
 IN ENGLAN 
 
 By MARTHA TRENT
 
 . 
 
 
 . OF CALIF. LIBRARY. LOS ANGELES
 
 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND 
 
 BY 
 
 MARTHA TRENT 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY 
 
 CHAS. L. WRENN 
 
 GOLDSMITH
 
 Copyright, 1918 
 
 by 
 
 Barse & Hopkins
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAOK 
 
 I BEINSLEY HALL 11 
 
 II MYSTERY MEADOW 21 
 
 III THE LAST EVENING 31 
 
 IV PETER OFF FOB THE FRONT 43 
 
 V Two LETTERS 53 
 
 VI MR. MUGGINS, AGITATOR 61 
 
 VII A WIRE FOR THE MAJOR 71 
 
 VIII THE RIDE TO TOWN 79 
 
 IX OFF TO FRANCE 89 
 
 X HELEN CAREY 97 
 
 XI A STRANGE REUNION 107 
 
 XII A SUDDEN DECISION 121 
 
 XIII A CRY IN THE DARK . . 129 
 
 XIV PETER'S INSTRUCTIONS Pur TO THE TEST . . . 137 
 XV A HINT OF DISASTER 149 
 
 XVI THE RETURN TO LITTLE PETSTONE .... 161 
 
 XVII LIEUTENANT WHITE 175 
 
 XVIII IN THE TOWER 183 
 
 XIX HOPES 193 
 
 XX NEWS AT LAST 199 
 
 XXI AN UNDERSTANDING AT MYSTERY MEADOW . . 213 
 
 2133223
 
 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 BRINSLEY HALL 
 
 * ' IT 'IT NIT two, purl two, knit two, purl two, 
 m^L knit two, purl two, no, that's wrong 
 * ^- now what have I done? Oh dear, 
 of all the" 
 
 Alice Blythe broke off in the middle of her sen- 
 tence and bent her head over her knitting needles. 
 Her broad forehead was contracted into a per- 
 plexed frown, and her mouth puckered. There 
 was a half woeful, half humorous expression in 
 her blue eyes. She regarded the khaki-colored 
 wristlet as it hung limply from its four steel 
 needles, and sighed. 
 
 There was something ridiculous about Alice 
 when she tried to knit. No one could decide just 
 what it was, for Alice was far from a ridiculous 
 
 person. She was a tall, very fair girl with a pair 
 
 11
 
 12 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 of broad sloping shoulders that a boy might have 
 envied, and a slim waist. On the tennis court, 
 with her hair blowing about her face, and her eyes 
 sparkling, she was beautiful. Major Chetwood, a 
 retired Army officer, and a neighbor, called her 
 "Diana of the Tennis Backet," and no one con- 
 sidered the compliment extravagant. 
 
 But even the Major, watching her as she sat 
 doubled up like a jack-knife in a big winged chair, 
 her knees almost touching her chin as her big 
 white hands tried to manipulate the slippery 
 needles, would have had to laugh. Alice laughed 
 herself, but there was a note of despair in her 
 voice. She got up and walked forlornly down the 
 long room, her ball of worsted unrolling forgotten 
 behind her. 
 
 "It's wrong again,*' she announced tragically 
 from the doorway of the dining-room. 
 
 Aunt Matilda, a rosy cheeked, little old lady, 
 looked up from the napkins she was sorting before 
 the Flemish oak sideboard, and smiled cheerfully. 
 Aunt Seraphina, who was packing a big trunk over 
 by the window, laughed softly. 
 
 "What is it now, child, another stitch dropped?" 
 Aunt Matilda asked.
 
 BRINSLEY HALL 13 
 
 Alice held out her work for inspection. Her 
 aunt shook her head slowly. "You've picked one 
 up this time, and this should have been a purl. 
 Remember to watch the stitch on the row before, 
 and if it's tied you'll know it's a purl stitch. 
 Don't you see?" 
 
 Alice looked from her to the tangled knitting, 
 and then laughed. "No, Auntie, I don't, and I 
 never shall. "What under the sun does a tied 
 stitch mean?" 
 
 Aunt Matilda was about to explain, but her sis- 
 ter interrupted. "Don't bother with it any more, 
 my dear," she said to Alice, "I'll rip out a few 
 rows for you and start you right to-morrow. 
 You've done enough for one day. Come and help 
 me with this trunk. Andrew is going to call for it 
 directly after luncheon, and my back is so tired 
 with stooping over it." 
 
 "Seraphina, how will that child ever learn to 
 knit if you keep ripping out her work and doing 
 it yourself?" Aunt Matilda protested mildly. 
 
 Alice supplied the answer. * * The child, Auntie 
 dear," she said, "never will learn to knit. You 
 hate to admit it even to yourself, but Aunt Sera- 
 phina, having ripped out this particular wristlet
 
 li ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 every night this week, knows the signs, and she 
 thinks I can be more useful doing something else. 
 She's quite right, I can, and packing a trunk will 
 be such a relief. What goes in it, old linen for 
 Mother 's bandage committee ? ' ' 
 
 "Yes, she asked us to look over our things a 
 week ago. They need soft cloths very badly in the 
 hospitals, she tells me," Aunt Matilda explained. 
 "It's surprising how many old worn napkins we 
 had packed away. I 'd no idea. ' ' 
 
 Alice nodded, turned back the cuffs of her blue 
 serge dress, and dropped to her knees beside the 
 trunk. 
 
 Aunt Matilda and Aunt Seraphina, or, to give 
 them the names by which they were affectionately 
 known throughout the countryside, the Misses 
 Brinsley, were not, correctly speaking, Alice's 
 aunts, they were no nearer connection than third 
 cousins. But, years before, when Alice was a very 
 little girl and had made her first visit to the old 
 house, she had adopted them as aunts, and aunts 
 they had been ever since. 
 
 They were dear old ladies, kindly and gracious 
 with an old world charm, and the broad low-ceil- 
 inged rooms of Brinsley Hall with their faded
 
 BRINSLEY HALL 15 
 
 chintz hangings made a fitting background for 
 their gentle lives. 
 
 Although the old house, now almost completely 
 covered by ivy, was not as pretentious as many of 
 the great places in the surrounding neighborhood, 
 it antedated them all, and its history and fame 
 were a matter of pride to the countryside. Brins- 
 ley Hall had held its own in the strife of past cen- 
 turies, was spoken of in the histories and guide 
 books, and many were the whispered tales of the 
 dashing knights who had been sheltered in the 
 hidden chamber of the South Tower. It was hard 
 to believe these tales sometimes, especially on a 
 spring day when the meadows and fields of Sussex 
 stretched out lazily in the sunshine. Even the 
 broad, flag-stoned courtyard, and the old-fash- 
 ioned garden with its serpentine wall that flanked 
 the gray rambling house, seemed to laugh them to 
 scorn. Only the old tower itself, still upright and 
 grim, was left to support the burden of the splen- 
 did traditions. That is the Tower, and Peter St. 
 John. 
 
 Peter was a great nephew of the Misses Brins- 
 ley, and he had lived with them ever since he 
 was five years old. When he was eight he had
 
 16 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 discovered for himself the spring that opened the 
 sliding panel in the Long Room behind the book- 
 case. The consequences of his discovery had been 
 five hours imprisonment in the dusty, cobwebbed 
 tower, before Aunt Matilda had found him. 
 
 No one ever knew what his thoughts were during 
 those five hours, but whatever they were he main- 
 tained a solemn respect and awe for the tower for 
 the rest of his life. Perhaps his awe lessened 
 with the years at Boarding School and College, but 
 the respect remained. 
 
 Peter was in the Royal Flying Corps now. He 
 had been too young at the outset of the War to go 
 directly to France, and he had been forced to fret 
 away two years studying, before he could hope to 
 attain the dignity of a pilot. But the time had al- 
 most come to an end, and it was the thought that 
 he would soon be leaving for France that was up- 
 permost in Alice's thoughts as she packed the 
 trunk under the direction of Aunt Seraphina. 
 
 * ' Funny we don 't hear from Peter, isn 't it ? Do 
 you suppose he's going to just drop down out of 
 the skies and surprise us?" she asked, carefully 
 refolding a napkin so that it would fit in a particu- 
 lar corner.
 
 BBINSLEY HALL 17 
 
 * ' Gracious me ! I hope not, ' ' Aunt Matilda said 
 fervently. "It was quite bad enough when I had 
 to think of the dear boy in one of those dreadful 
 balloons, but now that I've seen him " Her 
 pause was eloquent; Alice laughed. 
 
 "Was it as bad as that, Auntie?" she asked. 
 She had reference to the only time that Peter had 
 flown out from Golders Green and landed in full 
 view of his terrified aunts in the home meadow. 
 
 "It was, my dear," Aunt Matilda replied de- 
 cidedly, and Aunt Seraphina added: "I dream of 
 it at night sometimes, and I assure you I waken 
 cold from fright." 
 
 * ' Poor dear ! ' ' Alice comforted. ' * Peter should 
 not have come without letting us know well in ad- 
 vance, and I'm sure he won't again." 
 
 She had cause to be sure. After the aunts had 
 recovered from that first shock of seeing their 
 nephew "crashing to earth," to quote Aunt Ma- 
 tilda, she and Peter had arranged a safer meeting 
 place. It was an open rolling meadow over a 
 mile from the house. There was a big empty hay 
 barn nearby that did very well for a hangar, and 
 there they had met on many a clear afternoon. 
 Alice caught her breath guiltily at the thought of
 
 18 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 those meetings. Peter had not been content to 
 volplane easily to earth, but had made his machine 
 do many more terrifying stunts for her benefit. 
 And furthermore, there had been times when Peter 
 had gone up when he was not alone. Alice shut 
 her eyes as she knelt beside the trunk and remem- 
 bered her first glorious feeling of soaring up, up 
 into the blue sky. That had happened weeks ago ; 
 there had been many flights since, and on her last 
 one Peter had let her 
 
 She opened her eyes wide and turned with re- 
 newed energy to her packing. What Peter had 
 done was a sworn secret, and she didn't dare even 
 think about it. 
 
 " There, I'm sure that's as full as we can get it, 
 Auntie," she said a little later, "and if you find 
 that any more of the napkins are worn out, we 
 won't have any left." 
 
 "Nonsense, my dear, I'm not touching the good 
 ones, and it's the sheets that have filled up the 
 trunk," Aunt Matilda explained tranquilly. She 
 always took everything that Alice said very seri- 
 ously, and could never understand her when she 
 teased.
 
 BEINSLEY HALL 19 
 
 Aunt Seraphina laughed. Then she said 
 quietly: "I hope they'll help; your mother said 
 they used such a lot, and, after all, a trunkfuPs not 
 much for a big hospital." 
 
 "Mother will be tickled to death," Alice assured 
 her. 
 
 "That is, if she has time to be; she works so 
 hard and so fast that really, you know, I don't 
 think she leaves herself time to be glad or sorry 
 about anything, and Dad's the same way. Up all 
 night sometimes. Thank goodness, I had here to 
 come to. The house in London is about as cheer- 
 ful as a museum, and when I fuss about it, Mother 
 says, 'You're entirely too young to go into a hos- 
 pital.' She really means I'm too clumsy. 'Why 
 don't you learn to knit?' And Dad says, 'Better 
 go down and visit "The Aunts," Cricket, you're 
 getting too big for the house.' " Alice surveyed 
 herself in the glass and sighed. 
 
 "Why can't I be nice and dainty and ladylike, I 
 wonder," she said woefully. 
 
 "My dear!" Aunt Matilda protested. "You are 
 ladylike." 
 
 "And a great joy to two very lonely old ladies,"
 
 20 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 Aunt Seraphina added affectionately. " Isn't 
 that a telegraph boy I see in the lane?" she added, 
 "Do run and see what he wants; Andrew is so 
 slow."
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 MYSTERY MEADOW 
 
 ALICE met the telegraph boy, who hap- 
 pened to be a very old man with white 
 hair, and had to sign his book before he 
 would give her the message. She tore open the 
 envelope on the way back to the house, for the 
 wire was addressed to her, and paused a moment 
 to read : 
 
 "Will be down about five, meet me. Peter." 
 "Will be down," she repeated thoughtfully, 
 1 1 that means he 's going to fly, and I 'm to meet him 
 at three." 
 
 It was part of their secret plot that they ar- 
 ranged their meetings by seemingly innocent 
 wires, but "be down," meant literally be down, 
 for if Peter had meant that he was coming by train 
 he would have written "will arrive." And he 
 always put the time a couple of hours later than 
 he really intended, which gave his cousin a chance 
 to meet him in the meadow, and go for a short 
 
 21
 
 22 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 flight without causing any undue anxiety at Brins- 
 ley Hall. 
 
 Alice, after she had decided that she fully un- 
 derstood the meaning of the message, hurried back 
 to the dining room. The aunts were waiting for 
 her, both a little flustered and excited. The de- 
 livery of telegrams at Brinsley Hall had always 
 been an event, heralding births, deaths or mar- 
 riages, and they had never grown accustomed to 
 Peter 's careless use of them. 
 
 Alice's smile and flushed cheeks, however, 
 quieted their fears. 
 
 "He's coming," she announced gayly, "later 
 this afternoon." 
 
 "For how long?" Aunt Matilda inquired 
 eagerly. 
 
 "Doesn't say," Alice handed her the wire; 
 "maybe he's got his commission and is just com- 
 ing down to tell us about it. Wouldn't it be jolly 
 if he had? I will be glad to see him, it's an age 
 since his last visit," and she shut down the trunk, 
 strapped it, and tied on the tag in a flurry of ex- 
 citement. 
 
 "I must see that his room is ready, poor boy, 
 I'm quite sure he's not used to a comfortable bed,
 
 MYSTERY MEADOW 23 
 
 for he always sleeps so late when he's here," Aunt 
 Matilda said as she hurried out of the room. 
 
 "Fiddle sticks," was Aunt Seraphina's reply, 
 "Peter always did sleep late whenever he could. 
 I'm going to interview cook," and she bustled into 
 the kitchen, her mind already busy with a list of 
 his favorite dishes. 
 
 Alice was left alone. She picked up her knit- 
 ting, and after another rueful glance at it, and the 
 telltale trail of worsted on the floor, she went off 
 in search of the ball. 
 
 Directly after luncheon she announced that she 
 was going to take out her car and go for a spin. 
 "I'll drop in at the Chetwoods', perhaps, and 
 end up at the station in time to meet Peter," she 
 finished. 
 
 "Very well, my dear," Aunt Matilda sighed 
 helplessly, and her simple words gave the impres- 
 sion that the limit of her endurance had been 
 reached. "If your dear father and mother see 
 fit to let you go careening about the country in a 
 dangerous automobile, there is nothing I can say, 
 but I can't help being fidgety every minute you're 
 in it." 
 
 "Poor Auntie," Alice laughed, "with Peter
 
 24 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 driving an aeroplane and me driving a car you 
 don't have much peace of mind, do you? But 
 you ought not to blame Mother or Dad ; it 's really 
 Gilbert 's fault. When he went to France he gave 
 me his car and told me to do my worst." Gilbert 
 Blythe was Alice's brother, her senior by six years, 
 and a captain in the British Army. "And so far 
 I haven't killed a chicken," she continued cheer- 
 fully. 
 
 "Major Chetwood tells me you're really a very 
 expert driver for a girl," Aunt Seraphina re- 
 marked, pride in her voice. 
 
 "Well I can't quite make up my mind to it," 
 Aunt Matilda insisted; "it's not what I'd call a 
 ladylike accomplishment. ' ' 
 
 Alice had risen from the table and was stand- 
 ing back of her aunt's chair. She leaned down 
 and kissed her lightly. 
 
 "Don't worry about me, Auntie dear, and I'll 
 promise to be no end careful." She kissed Aunt 
 Seraphina on her way to the door, and hurried 
 out to the barn. 
 
 Andrew Mucklewhaum, the old Scotch gardener, 
 was busy digging up the flower beds. Whei^ she 
 passed he touched his cap respectfully. Andrew
 
 MYSTERY MEADOW 25 
 
 never wasted words nor changed his expression 
 unless the situation absolutely demanded it, and 
 then he was sparing of both. 
 
 " Master Peter's coming down to-day," Alice 
 called cheerfully as she climbed into her car. 
 
 Andrew looked up slowly, nodded his head 
 gravely, and went on with his digging. The re- 
 mark would have remained unanswered if Henry, 
 the green-grocer's boy, had not heard it. 
 
 "His 'e, Miss? you doan't say!" he exclaimed in 
 broad cockney. Henry's family had only just 
 moved to the country from the very heart of Lon- 
 don. "Hi knows all about Master Peter, Miss, 
 Hi'm goin' to join meself, Miss, soon's Hi'm h'old 
 h 'nough. ' ' 
 
 Alice tried not to smile at the eager face before 
 her. "What are you going to join, Henry?" she 
 asked as she pressed her foot on the self-starter. 
 
 "Same's Master Peter, beggin' your pardon, 
 Miss, the H 'elevation Corpse. Alf Gubber, you 
 know 'im, Miss, 'is father's the blacksmith, 'e 
 writes 'ome there 's nothing like h 'it. ' ' 
 
 Alice was forced to end the conversation there. 
 She nodded brightly to Henry, wished him good- 
 luck, and started with all speed down the road to-
 
 26 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 wards the Chetwoods' place. When she was out 
 of hearing she laughed long and heartily. 
 
 " *H 'elevation Corpse, 7 oh, dear, wait till I tell 
 the Major, it will cure his gout," she said to the 
 throbbing engine. 
 
 Her call at the Chetwoods ' was short. Muriel, 
 the Major's niece, a girl of Alice's age, was out, 
 and that supplied the excuse for not staying. She 
 repeated the story of Henry, and before Mrs. Chet- 
 wood and the Major had stopped laughing she was 
 again in her car and headed in the direction of 
 "Mystery Meadow," as she and Peter called their 
 meeting place. When she reached it, she stopped 
 the car on the road and looked up expectantly at 
 the sky, and waited. 
 
 There were many exciting adventures waiting 
 just ahead for Alice, but nothing that was to hap- 
 pen ever quite compared with the silent thrill of 
 those minutes as she watched and waited for the 
 first glimpse of the little speck against the sky 
 that meant Peter's arrival. She did not have long 
 to wait this time. The little speck appeared from 
 behind a fluffy white cloud, followed by the buzzing 
 hum as the 'plane came nearer. Alice watched 
 and held her breath. Peter was evidently in a
 
 MYSTERY MEADOW 27 
 
 hurry for lie omitted to glide and dip. As soon as 
 he soared above the meadow he volplaned down 
 at once. The machine landed as gently as a giant 
 gull, and stopped near Alice. Peter jumped out. 
 
 "Hello, old girl! Thought I'd be ahead of you 
 to-day. Got off sooner than I expected. ' ' 
 
 "So did I," Alice replied; "what's the news?" 
 
 1 1 Tell me yours first. How are the aunts ? ' ' 
 
 "Wildly excited over your arrival. I left them 
 turning the house inside out, and I heard Aunt 
 Seraphina order a chocolate cake, regardless of 
 expense." 
 
 "Bless 'em!" Peter said, grinning. "I say, Al- 
 ice, we'll have to be very cheery to-night, you 
 know, I go back to-morrow." He turned and be- 
 came suddenly absorbed in his engine. "Got my 
 commission at last, and my orders for France," 
 he finished quite casually. 
 
 "Peter!" Alice's tone was a mixture of pride, 
 excitement and horror, and she wanted to give 
 vent to all three emotions, but she knew that thatx 
 was the last thing Peter would want her to do, 
 so she said quite calmly instead : ' * Good old boy, I 
 am glad." 
 
 "So am I," Peter grumbled; "I've wasted
 
 28 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 enough time. I might have been gone over a year 
 ago. I was ready enough, if I hadn't been so 
 beastly young. ' ' 
 
 Alice did not reply, she nodded her head sympa- 
 thetically, and Peter helped her on with a big 
 sweater that she had tucked away in her car. 
 
 "There you are," he said, laughing; "put on 
 your gauntlets and jump in, I'm afraid this is the 
 last lesson." 
 
 Alice took her place in the little seat, and Peter 
 climbed in behind her, after starting the big pro- 
 peller shaft. The machine rose gradually and the 
 lesson began. 
 
 "I'm getting the hang of it, Peter," Alice said 
 when they were back in the meadow again, and 
 pushing the plane towards the barn. "What a 
 pity you are going away. Of course, I'll forget 
 everything I've learned," she added. She had a 
 splendid color in her cheeks. It is cold up in the 
 clouds and Peter had taken her up higher than 
 ever before to-day, and her eyes sparkled from 
 the excitement. 
 
 Peter looked at her approvingly. He was fond 
 of his handsome cousin, very much in the same
 
 MYSTERY MEADOW 29 
 
 way that he was fond of some of the boys he had 
 gone to college with. People often spoke of the 
 two as being like brother and sister, but they were 
 wrong. They were comrades of long standing, 
 and the very distant blood tie between them had 
 nothing to do with it. Peter never felt that he 
 must protect Alice from danger, and Alice never 
 felt that he ought to. If there was danger ahead 
 they met it together side by side, and shared 
 equally the result. She would have indignantly 
 resented it had he assumed the role that she per- 
 mitted her brother Gilbert, and it must be said for 
 Peter that the idea of such a role never entered 
 his head. 
 
 When the barn door was locked, and the machine 
 safe for the night, they took off their extra cloth- 
 ing and hid it carefully in the car, like two con- 
 spirators, then Alice slipped into the driver's seat, 
 and Peter lazed comfortably beside her. 
 
 They did not talk very much on the way home. 
 Alice drove the car slowly along the country road, 
 and Peter, as he watched the rolling meadows 
 that stretched out on either side of them, sighed 
 contentedly.
 
 30 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 " Anywhere especially you want to go before 
 we turn in?" Alice inquired, as they came to the 
 gates of Brinsley Hall. 
 
 "No, home, James!" Peter answered with a 
 flourish of his hand, and they turned up the drive.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 LAST EVENING 
 
 TEA was waiting for them in the Long 
 Boom, so called because it ran the entire 
 length of the house at the back. There 
 was a big open fireplace at each end of it, but be- 
 cause it was war-times only one had a fire going. 
 Aunt Matilda and Aunt Seraphina were busy 
 knitting beside it, both dressed in rustling black 
 silk, and Aunt Matilda's white head was crowned 
 by a black lace cap trimmed with lavender ribbons. 
 They were both sitting in cozy fire chairs, and a ta- 
 ble bearing a big silver tray with the tea things 
 stood near at hand. 
 
 Peter did not wait for Alice to put the car in 
 the stable, but hurried into the house at once. 
 
 "Hello everybody!" he shouted, and took the 
 three steps that led from the hall down to the Long 
 Room at one bound. He kissed his aunts heartily, 
 an arm about each. 
 
 31
 
 34 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "My dear, what are you saying?" Aunt Sera- 
 phina's eyes twinkled behind their mist of tears; 
 "you won't be any such thing, and besides you 
 don't like plum conserve, you know you don't." 
 
 They all laughed, and for the time the danger 
 was past. 
 
 Perhaps it would have been kinder of Peter to 
 have let his aunts have a good cry, but he was very 
 young and he had a horror of tears. Alice under- 
 stood how he felt, and she knew too that the aunts 
 would feel very proud, later on, if they could re- 
 member that they had not broken down on that 
 last day. So she did her best to keep them all 
 laughing. But she had grave foreboding about 
 the long evening still ahead of them. 
 
 It was Aunt Seraphina who set her mind at ease. 
 "I sent Andrew over to the Major's to ask them to 
 come over to dinner," she said, half apologetically. 
 "Matilda didn't want company, but I thought you 
 had so little change there in camp, you might like 
 it." 
 
 Aunt Seraphina 's idea of Peter's life beyond 
 Brinsley Hall was a very small tent, very little 
 food, and a terrible amount of work. 
 
 Peter laughed and kissed the pucker from her
 
 THE LAST EVENING 35 
 
 forehead. "You did just right, Auntie dear. 
 Who's coming, anybody staying at the Ma- 
 jor's?" 
 
 "No, there's just Mrs. Chetwood, the Major, 
 and Muriel." 
 
 "Oh, well, they're only family," Peter laughed 
 as he swallowed the last bite of toast on the plate. 
 "And now that tea is over, how about a walk in 
 the garden I " he suggested. 
 
 "You and Alice go, dear," Aunt Matilda re- 
 plied ; "it's a little too chilly for Seraphina and me 
 yet; and besides with the Chetwoods coming we 
 must attend to some of the preparations." 
 
 "All right, we won't be long," Peter nodded; 
 "it's been a ripping tea, and I really feel it's 
 only fair to dinner to go out and get up some sort 
 of an appetite." 
 
 Alice jumped up, and the aunts left the room, 
 their silk dresses rustling as they went up the three 
 steps. 
 
 "Poor darlings," Alice said sadly, "I know 
 they are just longing to cry." 
 
 " Nonsense, they're the best of sports," Peter 
 protested ; * ' they 'd have no use for me if I stayed 
 home and played slacker."
 
 36 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "I know, but you'll admit it's a shock.*' 
 
 "Of course, and they've stood it just as I knew 
 they would, with stiff upper lips, bless their 
 hearts!'* Peter was silent for a moment. "I 
 say, I'm glad the Chetwoods are coming, though, 
 it'll make getting through the evening so much 
 easier. Come along out in the garden, I've got 
 a lot to ask you." 
 
 "What's the latest from Gib?" he inquired, as 
 he opened the broad Dutch door that led out to 
 the little brick terrace. 
 
 1 * Not a word for ages. You know he wrote Dad 
 not to worry if he didn't write for awhile, and 
 Mother's afraid he's doing something foolish be- 
 hind the German lines. I wish we'd hear," Alice 
 replied. 
 
 "I saw your mother the other day, and she 
 looked tired to death. She's a wonder. She told 
 me you were learning to knit." 
 
 "Now, Peter, stop. Just because Mother 
 teases, you can't. I'm not learning to knit. I'm 
 trying to learn, and there's a whole lot of differ- 
 ence. But tell me about yourself, do you know 
 when you go?"
 
 THE LAST EVENING 37 
 
 "Next week, I'm not sure about the day, but 111 
 let you hear in plenty of time." 
 
 "Time for what?" Alice inquired. 
 
 "Why, to come up to London. You are coming 
 to see me off, aren't you?" 
 
 Peter looked offended. 
 
 "Your father said he'd take a day off just on 
 account of it, and when you think that Uncle Eob- 
 ert is the busiest doctor in London to-day, I 
 well, I naturally thought that you who have noth- 
 ing to do would come along too." 
 
 Alice avoided the point by asking. "Is he 
 really? Good old Dad. But of course I'll be 
 there," she added. 
 
 "Well, I should hope so," Peter remarked, 
 slightly mollified. 
 
 "Who goes with you?" Alice inquired, as they 
 stopped to look at the old serpentine wall that 
 curved in a graceful "S" across the end of the 
 garden. 
 
 "Oh, all the chaps," Peter replied. "I say, 
 Alice, do you remember when we used to play 
 hide and seek down here?" He laughed at the 
 recollection. "You were a silly kid, you'd hide
 
 38 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 behind one of the bulges of this wall, and think 
 I couldn't see you. I remember once I called you 
 an ostrich and you cried because you mixed it up 
 with a giraffe, and your neck was uncommon long 
 in those days," he added mischievously. 
 
 Alice laughed good-naturedly. "Yes, I remem- 
 ber it almost as well as the day you cried when 
 old Andrew told you the ghost story about the 
 man who died in the tower." 
 
 It was Peter's turn to laugh, but he didn't, he 
 frowned instead. 
 
 "Funny the way I've always felt about that 
 tower," he said wonderingly. "It's always 
 seemed so sort of human to me somehow. Do you 
 remember, when I was a nipper, the way I'd al- 
 ways say, 'I'll tell the tower on you,' when I was 
 mad?" 
 
 "Yes, you were a bit of a telltale," Alice agreed 
 calmly. "I always wondered what you thought 
 the tower would do?" 
 
 "I didn't know," Peter replied. "I suppose I 
 expected it to turn into one of those armored 
 knights that Andrew was always talking about, 
 and avenge my wrong. ' ' 
 
 They turned to look at the house as they talked.
 
 THE LAST EVENING 39 
 
 For the most part the gray of the stone merged 
 into the dusk of the shadows, but towards the 
 south corner the tower rose silhouetted against 
 the twilight sky like a grim sentinel. 
 
 Alice shivered. It was early Spring, and she 
 had come out without a coat. 
 
 " Looks a bit eerie, doesn't it?" Peter said. 
 "Come along, let's go back to the house; you're 
 cold." 
 
 "And I've barely time to dress," Alice added. 
 
 Dinner that night was a very jolly affair. The 
 Major did most of the talking, and slipped in some 
 sound advice between his stories and jokes. Peter 
 listened and decided to remember what he said. 
 
 After dinner, Muriel, a dark-haired, slender girl, 
 a little older than Alice, played and sang for them. 
 But it was not long before they were all settled 
 comfortably about the fire, and the conversation 
 turned to Peter's going. There was no danger of 
 tears now, and they could afford to be serious. 
 
 "Will they let you fly right over the enemy's 
 lines, Peter?" Mrs. Chetwood asked. 
 
 "I hope so," Peter replied. 
 
 The Major turned to his wife. * ' Certainly they 
 will, my dear," he said impatiently; "what would
 
 40 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 they be sending the boy over for, if he was not to 
 go over the enemy's lines? I take it you'll do 
 scouting work at first, Peter, won't you?" he 
 'asked. 
 
 " Can't say, sir; most of the men back from the 
 front tell me they do just about as they please. 
 They may be sent to scout, but sometimes they 
 stop to have a little friendly chat, if they happen 
 to meet a German machine on the way home." 
 Peter felt rather proud at sitting up and talking 
 to a retired Army officer, and was not prepared 
 for the damper that followed his remark. 
 
 "That's all wrong," the Major exclaimed. "I 
 hope, Peter, you'll never do anything like that. 
 If you're sent out to scout, that's your job, and 
 by gad, sir, you ought not to do anything else until 
 your job 's finished. Now when I was in the Army, 
 young men " 
 
 The Major was off on his favorite topic, and 
 there was nothing for the rest to do but sit quietly 
 and listen. Alice looked imploringly at Peter at 
 the end of the fifteen minutes, and Peter winked. 
 It was Aunt Seraphina who finally stopped the 
 steady flow of his words. 
 
 "Is that your very best uniform, dear?" she
 
 THE LAST EVENING 41 
 
 asked mildly as the Major paused once for breath, 
 and the question was asked so gently that he could 
 not take offense. 
 
 Peter tried not to smile as he replied: "Yes, 
 Auntie, my very best, it's all brand new. Don't 
 you like it?" 
 
 "Oh, of course, dear, I like it, but it seems so 
 so very sort of ordinary for an officer, quite like 
 your old one." 
 
 They all laughed. 
 
 "It is like it, Aunt Seraphina, except for the 
 wonderful stripes," Alice explained. "They 
 make all the difference in the world." 
 
 Aunt Seraphina seemed to consider the point. 
 
 "Yes, I suppose they do," she said at last, "but 
 I can't help wishing that there was something dis- 
 tinguishing, something different about your uni- 
 form, Peter, ' ' 
 
 Peter from his seat on the stool took her fragile 
 little hand and rubbed it caressingly against his 
 clean shaven cheek. 
 
 "We'll put a distinguishing mark on it, if you 
 say so, Auntie," he said, "just to please you. 
 What shall it be?" 
 
 "I think a blue forget-me-not under the lapel
 
 42 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 of your coat would be sweet, ' ' Alice teased, and the 
 Major laughed uproariously. 
 
 Aunt Seraphina explained that she did not mean 
 anything particularly, but she left an impression 
 of gilt braid and tassels on the minds of her hear- 
 ers. 
 
 "The Brinsleys have always been in the Navy," 
 she ended with dignity, "and the uniform is so 
 much richer looking." 
 
 "I don't see why the forget-me-not isn't a very 
 sweet idea," Aunt Matilda said gently, and when 
 the Major stopped laughing the talk drifted to 
 other things. But Alice's thoughts refused to 
 turn from the forget-me-not. She thought so 
 much about it, in fact, that when the Chetwoods 
 left, and the household went to bed, she slipped 
 from her room and stole noiselessly to Peter's, 
 and returned with his khaki coat under her arm.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 PETER OFF FOB THE FRONT 
 
 THE next morning at breakfast Aunt Ma- 
 tilda asked. 
 "What were you doing last night, dear 
 child, that kept you up so late? Your light was 
 on until way past midnight." 
 
 " Nothing very important, Auntie," Alice re- 
 plied. "I was just fussing," and in the confusion 
 of Peter's going the subject was dropped. 
 
 The aunts were very brave and splendid when it 
 came to those last good-bys, and Peter felt a lump 
 in his throat as he took his place beside Alice in 
 the car. He waved to the two quaint figures 
 standing in the old courtyard, until the high box- 
 hedge hid them from view. 
 
 "I say, Alice, they're the finest of the fine," he 
 said unsteadily. "Makes me feel like a perfect 
 brute to be leaving them. Why, they've taken 
 care of me all my life, been decenter to me than 
 
 43
 
 44 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 fifty parents could have been, and now I 'm repay- 
 ing them by breaking their hearts. ' ' 
 
 "Rot!" Alice replied shortly. "You're going 
 to fight for your country, and remember it 's their 
 country too, and they 'd lay down their lives for it 
 to-morrow, just as you would. I'll admit it isn't 
 a cheerful proceeding, but you're making it worse 
 than it is. 'Tisn't as if you were going from a 
 selfish choice, you've got to go and they've got to 
 let you, that's all there is to it you talk as if the 
 bally war was your fault," she finished angrily. 
 
 "And you talk as if you hadn't a drop of feel- 
 ing," Peter said with disgust. 
 
 Alice pressed the foot that was on the accelera- 
 tor down hard, and the car dashed ahead at a ter- 
 rific speed. Neither of them spoke until they 
 reached the meadow. Then Alice helped roll the 
 'plane out of the barn, got Peter's leather coat 
 from the car, and held it for him. 
 
 It was a cold morning. The breeze from the 
 Channel was raw and damp, the feeling of Spring 
 that had been in the air the day before was gone. 
 
 Peter looked dubiously at the sky. "Wish I'd 
 worn my muffler, ' ' he said gloomily. 
 
 He walked over to Alice, but just before he
 
 PETEE OFF FOR THE FRONT 45 
 
 slipped into the coat she was holding for him, he 
 stopped to turn his collar up. As he folded one 
 lapel over the other he saw an embroidered blue 
 forget-me-not. It stood out boldly from its som- 
 ber background. 
 
 "I say what? " he demanded, surprised be- 
 yond words. 
 
 Alice laughed, she tried hard not to, but Peter 's 
 expression was so utterly bewildered. 
 
 ' ' You did that, ' ' he said, taking her by the shoul- 
 ders, "but I'd like to know how you got my coat 
 without my knowing it. ' ' 
 
 "Are you sure I did it?" Alice teased, "Maybe 
 it was Auntie. It does look sweet, doesn't it?" 
 she went on, giving the coat a little pat. 
 
 "Well of all the you " Peter looked again 
 at the forget-me-not and laughed too. 
 
 "You can rip it out with your knife," Alice said 
 when their mirth had subsided; "it won't leave a 
 mark, and truly, Peter, I simply couldn't resist 
 the temptation." 
 
 * ' Rip it out ? Well I guess not ! ' ' Peter denied. 
 "I'll leave it there for good luck, and every time 
 I see it I'll remember my little cousin who has a 
 nasty temper at times, but a good heart." He
 
 46 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 put on his coat, pulled his cap well down over his 
 head, and drew on his gauntlets. 
 
 "I'll write or wire you soon as I know when 
 we leave, ' ' he said as he climbed into the machine. 
 
 Alice nodded. 
 
 "All right, 111 be up sure. Careful, I'll get 
 out of your way. Good-by, and oh, Peter!" she 
 had to shout over the throb of the engines, "I 
 didn't mean all that rot I said coming over, I just 
 did it so you wouldn't blub." 
 
 The machine was making too much noise for an 
 answer to be heard, but as it skimmed along the 
 ground before it started to pick up, Peter leaned 
 over the side and grinned. 
 
 Alice drove back slowly. She stopped to do 
 some errands on the way at Little Petstone, the 
 nearest village to Brinsley Hall. It consisted of 
 a few cottages close together on the main road, a 
 blacksmith's shop, a school house and the church. 
 She knew everybody she met, and she stopped to 
 chat so often that it was nearly noon before she 
 reached home. 
 
 The wire from Peter did not come until the be- 
 ginning of the next week, but when it did arrive 
 it left little time for packing. Alice got it in the
 
 PETER OFF FOE THE FEONT 47 
 
 morning and was in London in time for tea. Her 
 father met her at the station and took her home 
 to the big house that faced the Park. 
 
 Peter had not exaggerated when he said that 
 Dr. Blythe was the busiest doctor in London. He 
 was. He had given up his practice at the outbreak 
 of the War, and was now so occupied with hospital 
 work that every minute was full. He was a kindly 
 man of sixty with very clear blue eyes and black 
 hair that was graying at the temples. Alice's 
 mother was almost as busy as her father. She 
 was a tall slender woman with large humorous 
 brown eyes, and the rare quality of never getting 
 ruffled. 
 
 When Alice reached the drawing-room she was 
 astonished to find her mother there to welcome 
 her. 
 
 "How ripping!" she said when she had kissed 
 her. "I do feel honored. This is really quite 
 an occasion." 
 
 Mrs. Blythe laughed and pulled her down beside 
 her on the sofa. 
 
 "Why an occasion, Cricket?" her father in- 
 quired. 
 
 "Why, it's the first time I've seen both my par-
 
 48 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 ents at the same time since the war broke out," 
 Alice laughed. * * Any news from Gib ? ' ' she asked 
 gravely. 
 
 "Not yet," Dr. Blythe replied cheerfully, "but 
 I've an idea we'll get a letter soon." 
 
 "What time does Peter leave?" Alice asked to 
 change the subject. 
 
 "At eight to-morrow," her mother told her. 
 "He's coming around to-night to say good-by to 
 me, because I can't possibly get to the station, I 
 have an appointment at the hospital." 
 
 "Are you going, Dad?" 
 
 "Yes, indeed, can't let Peter go off without see- 
 ing the last of him," the Doctor said. "Even if 
 he is your mother's cousin, I'm uncommonly fond 
 of the youngster. They'll be gone by ten, and I 
 can be at my first appointment in time." 
 
 Alice looked wonderingly from her father to her 
 mother. She was trying to adjust their new way 
 of living with the memory of the old comfortable 
 life before the war. She drank her tea in silence. 
 
 Peter came in a little later, but stayed only long 
 enough to bid Mrs. Blythe good-by. 
 
 "I do hope, Cousin Maude," he said laughing, 
 when he stood up to go, ' * that if I get wounded out
 
 PETER OFF FOB THE FRONT 49 
 
 there, they '11 ship me home to your hospital. Just 
 think how ripping it would be if I opened my eyes, 
 or perhaps it would only be one eye, and saw you 
 bending over me, in that awfully becoming angel- 
 white uniform of yours." 
 
 Mrs. Blythe smiled and put her hand on his 
 shoulder. 
 
 "That's a very pretty compliment, Peter," 
 she said, "but don't get wounded if you can 
 help it. We've quite enough men in the hos- 
 pitals, but there'll never be too many on the 
 field." 
 
 Peter laughed. 
 
 "I see. In the hospital you're a care, in the 
 field you're useful. Very sound advice, Cousin 
 Maude, I'll remember." 
 
 "Nonsense," Mrs. Blythe protested, "no 
 wounded man's a care in the sense you mean, bless 
 them, we love taking care of them, if they didn't 
 have to suffer. I was only trying to suggest that 
 you take no unnecessary chances. Don't don't 
 be foolhardy." 
 
 "Oh, I won't, I'll be no end careful," Peter 
 promised readily. "And now, good-by." He 
 kissed her heartily and turned to Alice.
 
 50 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "I'll see you in the morning," lie said; "mind 
 you're on time." 
 
 "Oh, we'll be there," the Doctor assured him, 
 and Alice nodded. There was something wrong 
 with her throat, and for the moment she could not 
 seem to speak. She heard the front door slam 
 after him, and felt suddenly dizzy. Her mother 
 and father were talking about other things, and 
 she picked up a book and tried to read. 
 
 But she still had the same queer feeling the next 
 morning as she stood in the station with her fa- 
 ther, waiting for Peter. When he joined them, 
 Stephen Hunt was with him. Alice had known 
 Stephen all her life, for he lived not very far from 
 Brinsley Hall. The sight of him seemed to clear 
 away her dizziness. 
 
 "Hello!" she said, shaking hands with both of 
 them. "Isn't it jolly to think you're going to be 
 together. ' ' 
 
 1 ' Bather ! ' ' Stephen replied. 
 
 "Where are your sisters? Are they coming 
 down?" Alice inquired. 
 
 Stephen shook his head. "No, indeed. I went 
 home and said good-by last week. You see, 
 they're all awfully busy knitting, and one thing
 
 PETEE OFF FOR THE FRONT 51 
 
 and another, and they couldn't get up to town. 
 Peter 's the lucky one, being seen off in the proper 
 fashion." 
 
 Peter laughed. 
 
 "Catch me crossing to France if Alice wasn't 
 here to wish me luck. ' ' And as Stephen tried to 
 interrupt he said, l i No you don 't, this is my party 
 and you promised to talk to the Doctor if I brought 
 you over. ' ' He took Alice 's arm and walked her 
 down towards the other end of the station. 
 
 "You'll write to me, old girl, won't you?" he 
 asked anxiously. 
 
 "Of course," Alice promised absently. "And 
 Peter, do write to Brinsley Hall often, the aunts 
 will only live for the mails, you know. ' ' 
 
 "I will, on my word," Peter answered gravely. 
 
 They passed a group of soldiers, and Alice rec- 
 ognized Alfred Gubber the blacksmith's son. She 
 nodded to him and turned to Peter. 
 
 "Doesn't he look splendid in a uniform? I'll 
 have to tell his mother I saw him," she said. 
 
 "Who, Alf? Oh, yes, he's a fine chap, works 
 twice as hard as any other man in the company," 
 Peter replied. 
 
 A stir -at the train gates interrupted further con-
 
 52 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 versation. The men were forming ranks. Alice 
 and Peter hurried back to the Doctor, and Stephen 
 held out his hand. 
 
 "Good-by, all 'round," he said, " looks as if 
 we're off." 
 
 Alice shook his hand mechanically and turned 
 again to Peter just as her father said : * * Remember 
 to keep your ears open for news of Gilbert. ' ' 
 
 "1 will, sir. Good-by," Peter shook the Doc- 
 tor's hand. "Good-by, Alice, be a good child, 
 and go have a look at Mystery Meadow once in a 
 while, just for old times' sake," he said. 
 
 "Good-by, Peter, and good-luck." Alice was 
 herself again. "I will, and write when you get a 
 chance, and of course, win all the decorations, ' ' she 
 added laughing. 
 
 "Oh, naturally," Peter replied. "I've always 
 intended doing that." 
 
 They shook hands and looked at each other 
 squarely as comrades should, and then at a " Come 
 along, old chap," from Stephen, Peter hurried to 
 the gate, and Alice lost sight of him as he took his 
 place beside the other men in khaki.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 TWO LETTERS 
 
 ALICE had the rest of the day on her hands 
 and nothing to do. She roamed about 
 the house all morning, a prey to very 
 unhappy thoughts. It seemed that in the whole of 
 England she was the only person who was not do- 
 ing something of real importance. The thought 
 had worried her for a long time, but in the past she 
 had gone to the hospital and read to the soldiers 
 for an afternoon, or made a few surgical dressings 
 for her mother, and that had always quieted her 
 conscience. But the time had come when little 
 deeds were not enough. 
 
 With Peter's going Alice suddenly realized that 
 life was going to be awfully dull, and with the 
 characteristic suddenness that always marked her 
 decisions, she determined that she would find 
 something to do, something of real importance, 
 even if she had to work in the munition factories. 
 
 With this high resolve she went to the hospital 
 
 53
 
 54 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 after luncheon to see her mother. Mrs. Blythe 
 listened sympathetically, when she was not open- 
 ing the door of the little reception room to answer 
 questions. At the end of their talk she said : 
 
 "But Cricket, dear, you're so much too young 
 to do anything that requires initiative." 
 
 "I'm nearly seventeen, Mother," Alice inter- 
 rupted. 
 
 But her mother continued, "I can't have you go- 
 ing into things that I don't know about. Do be 
 content with making surgical dressings, there's 
 a dear. ' ' 
 
 And Alice knew that all her urging had been in 
 vain. That night she besieged her father in his 
 study. He was even less encouraging than her 
 mother. 
 
 "You in a munition factory!" he exclaimed. 
 "Rubbish! Why, Cricket, I thought you had bet- 
 ter sense. Come, come, your brother Gilbert is at 
 the front, your cousin Peter left to-day, and your 
 mother and I are doing our share. You can afford 
 just to dabble, at least until you're a bit older. 
 Why don't you join one of those Girls' Societies 
 for amusing the soldiers!" he suggested as a con- 
 solation.
 
 TWO LETTERS 55 
 
 
 
 Alice shook her head dejectedly. "That isn't 
 real work, Dad, and you know it," she said quietly. 
 
 Her father looked at her inquiringly. "I'll tell 
 you what I'll do," he said. "You go back to the 
 country and I'll keep my eyes open, and if I hear 
 of a thing that you could do, I'll let you know. 
 How's that?" 
 
 And Alice had to be content with his promise. 
 
 The next day she returned to Brinsley Hall, 
 and for a while the task of keeping her aunts from 
 thinking too much about Peter kept her busy, but 
 all the time, as the days lengthened and the gar- 
 dens were bright with flowers, the discontent in 
 the back of her mind grew greater, and she gave 
 up hoping that her father would ever find any- 
 thing for her to do. 
 
 One morning, about two weeks after Peter had 
 left, she started to go over to the Chetwoods, and 
 see if Muriel could suggest anything. She decided 
 to walk, because the day was particularly fine, and 
 she started down the road at her accustomed pace. 
 She had not gone very far when she saw the Post- 
 man 's cart, and hurried towards it. 
 
 "Good-morning, any letters for us?" she 
 shouted, for Mr. Hotchkiss, who had been postman
 
 56 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 for many years at Little Petstone, was very 
 deaf. 
 
 "'Morning, Miss," he returned eagerly, "yes, 
 I've got a lot of letters for you this morning, 
 Miss. ' ' He fumbled in his bag and finally brought 
 out several envelopes of assorted sizes. 
 
 Alice took them anxiously and sorted them hur- 
 riedly. To her great relief and joy she saw that 
 one from France was in Gilbert's handwriting, 
 another in Peter's. She thanked Mr. Hotchkiss 
 and turned back towards the house. She had left 
 Aunt Matilda and Aunt Seraphina sitting on the 
 terrace. 
 
 "See what I've got!" she said, as she crossed 
 the lawn and hurried to them. "A letter from 
 Gilbert and one from Peter, and there's another 
 for you." She seated herself on the footstool at 
 Aunt Matilda's feet, and scanned her brother's 
 letter. "I haven't finished reading it myself 
 yet," she explained, "but I'll start at the begin- 
 ning again, ' ' and she read : 
 
 "DEAR OLD CRICKET, 
 
 "It's been a long, and for me a very exciting time 
 since I last wrote. I've done a lot of things that I 
 can 't write you about, but some day 1 11 tell you, though 
 you'll hardly believe me, and I think I can see your
 
 TWO LETTERS 57 
 
 % 
 
 eyes growing wider in wonder even now as I write, dear 
 old Cricket ! 
 
 "I suppose you've read in the papers that we at- 
 tacked Zandre the other day, and all about the way we 
 joined the plucky little Belgians, and drove the Huns 
 out, and had everything pretty well our own way. But 
 I'll bet you didn't read that a very little girl in a black 
 smock and sabots was the cause of our doing it, and 
 deserves all the credit. There, does that make you 
 curious ? 
 
 "Of course, it does. Well, I can't give you many 
 facts, but her name was Marieken, and she is only four- 
 teen (and doesn't look over ten), and she has done more 
 brave things in these past months than you can shake a 
 stick at, among others, saving my life at odd intervals. 
 She was wounded in the end, worse luck, and she's now 
 resting back of the lines, and I hope getting well. 
 There's something you can do for me if you will. I 
 know the Mater's too busy, and you could do it better 
 any way, because you were a kid too, not so very long 
 ago. Send me a white dress for Marieken, with some 
 blue ribbons on it. It's the only thing she wants, as 
 far as I can find out. While she was delirious, after 
 she was wounded, you know, she talked of nothing else, 
 so she must really long for it don't you think? 
 
 "Do what you can, and as soon as you can, but don't 
 get too flimsy an affair. You know what I mean. She's 
 not at all a fluffy sort of child. Love to Cousin Matilda 
 and Seraphina. (I hear Peter's out here, good for 
 him) and an extra share for little Cricket. 
 
 "GlBBIE." 
 
 "Well!" Alice looked at the letter and then at
 
 58 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 her aunts. "Did you ever hear anything so per- 
 fectly thrilling? She must have been most aw- 
 fully brave for Gib to rave so. ' ' 
 
 "I can't imagine a young girl saving Gilbert's 
 life. How do you suppose she did it; it's most 
 extraordinary," Aunt Seraphina said. 
 
 "Poor little thing," Aunt Matilda murmured. 
 "Now why didn't Gilbert tell us how she was 
 wounded." 
 
 "I'll have to get the dress straight off," Alice 
 went on excitedly ; " I suppose a white linen would 
 be best, with a smart blue belt. If I could only 
 see her, I'd be able to tell so much better what to 
 get. But gracious," she exclaimed, "I was for- 
 getting Peter's letter." 
 
 She selected another envelope addressed in a 
 very scrawly hand, and opened it hurriedly. 
 
 "DEAR OLD GIRL," (she began) 
 
 "I've brought down my first enemy plane, and though 
 I wouldn't admit it to any one but you, I'm feeling 
 deucedly cocky. It was no end of sport, and I did wish 
 you were with me, which reminds me. Why don't you 
 come out? There's lot of work that girls can do around 
 the hospitals, and there are any amount of them here. 
 Come along! It would be ripping to have you within 
 easy flying distance. Don't read the Major this scrawl, 
 because I wasn't really ordered to bring down that
 
 TWO LETTERS 59 
 
 % 
 
 machine, and he 'd think I 'd been disobeying orders, and 
 don't expect me to bring one down every week or so 
 either, because such a piece of luck as I've had only 
 happens once in an age. 
 
 "PETER." 
 
 P. S. "Isn't it ripping to think that some of the 
 American troops ar6 really here?" 
 
 Alice stopped and looked out over the garden, 
 her eyes sparkling. Her thoughts were soaring, 
 and in fancy she was with Peter again in an aero- 
 plane, only this time they were chasing a German 
 machine. 
 
 A profound sigh from Aunt Matilda, and a whis- 
 pered "Dear Peter I" from Aunt Seraphina 
 brought her back with a start. 
 
 She left the rest of the mail on the table after 
 hastily scanning a note from her mother, written 
 to tell her that they had received news from Gil- 
 bert. 
 
 "I think I'll go for a ride, Auntie," she said, 
 getting up, "I'm too excited to sit still, and it's 
 such a wonderful day. ' ' 
 
 Aunt Matilda nodded and she hurried to the 
 stable. 
 
 She drove to Mystery Meadow and stopped in 
 her accustomed place. There was not a cloud in
 
 60 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 the blue sky above her. She looked up instinc- 
 tively, but there was no sign of the familiar little 
 speck. Two thoughts kept running through her 
 brain. 
 
 "If a girl of fourteen can do so much, why 
 can't I," was one of them, and the other was the 
 sentence from Peter's letter: "Why don't you 
 come out here?" 
 
 They were neither of them suited to the peaceful 
 dreamy summer day, but they filled Alice's whole 
 afternoon to the exclusion of all other thoughts.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 MB. MUGGINS, AGITATOR 
 
 IN spite of the fact that Alice made a momen- 
 tous decision on that particular afternoon, 
 nothing eventful happened at Little Petstone 
 for the following week. And to make matters 
 worse, it rained, not a good, steady, honest rain 
 that beats down hard for a little while and then 
 stops, but a mean whimpering drizzle. 
 
 Alice stayed indoors most of the time, and spent 
 hours staring out of the windows at the dreary 
 gardens, and trying to form some plan that would 
 make possible her firm resolve. But she was 
 forced to abandon each new idea after weighing it 
 carefully, and by the end of the week she had al- 
 most given up the decision itself. But Saturday 
 dawned bright and clear, and with the sun her 
 hopes revived. After luncheon she walked to- 
 wards the stable, with the intention of taking out 
 the car. She felt that a visit to Mystery Meadow 
 might help to blow the cobwebs out of her brain. 
 
 61
 
 62 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 She nodded to Andrew on her way, and was sur- 
 prised to hear him speak to her. 
 
 "The morn's morning' to ye, Miss," he said, 
 the Scotch burr making his words almost unin- 
 telligible. 
 
 "Good morning, Andrew, it's nice to see the sun 
 again, isn't it?" Alice said in reply. 
 
 "Weel, I couldna say that exactly." The old 
 man was giving the subject his gravest considera- 
 tion. "In a manner o' speaMn' it is, I'll grant 
 ye, but on the ither hand it 's no ' sa gude. ' ' 
 
 "But why?" Alice asked wonder ingly. "Isn't 
 the garden wet enough? it looks perfectly 
 drenched." 
 
 Andrew regarded her pityingly. 
 
 "It's no' the garden I'm referring to," he said 
 patiently; "the sun, if it doesna come 'oot too 
 strong will dae the flures gude." 
 
 "Then?" Alice looked inquiringly at him and 
 waited. 
 
 Andrew spoke so rarely that she felt he must 
 have something very important to say. 
 
 "There's ither things foreby flures," he said, 
 ' ' there 's men. ' ' Then as if the conversation were 
 ended he went back to his digging.
 
 MR. MUGGINS, AGITATOR 63 
 
 ft 
 
 Alice did not move. She and Peter had learned 
 long ago the only method of making Andrew talk. 
 She pretended interest in a rosebush. There was 
 a long moment of silence, then, "Men and slack- 
 ers." He took up his theme as though he had 
 never left off. "There's a puir body doon i' the 
 village that calls himsel Meester Muggins do ye 
 ken him?" Alice nodded. She knew the man by 
 sight, and she remembered her aunts saying long 
 ago that he was no credit to the village. 
 
 "Ye do!" 
 
 Another nod from Alice. 
 
 "Weel then I'm verra sorra for ye," Andrew 
 said sternly. 
 
 "What's Mister Muggins done?" Alice asked 
 gently. "He doesn't live here any longer, does 
 he!" 
 
 "Not in a manner o' speakin'," Andrew re- 
 plied, "and it's no' what he's done, it's what he is 
 he's " he paused to emphasize the words 
 "he's an agitator, that's what Meester Muggins 
 is." 
 
 "Oh, is that all?" Alice laughed. "I thought 
 he was a German spy at least. But what's Mr. 
 Muggins got to do wth the weather?" she in-
 
 64 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 quired, remembering the topic that led to the dis- 
 cussion. 
 
 "Did ye ever ken an agitator that didna hae a 
 powerfu' secht o' words?'* Answering a ques- 
 tion by asking another is a Scotch trait and Alice 
 was used to it in Andrew. 
 
 "No," she said, "they all talk a lot." 
 
 "Weel, Meester Muggins is no exception," An- 
 drew continued, ' ' and to-day being Saturday, and 
 fine to boot, he intends talkin' frae a soap box for 
 the edification o ' Little Petstone. 'Twill be a sad 
 secht, I'm thinkin'." He sighed profoundly. "I 
 dinna ken what we're coming tae when an ill- 
 faured creeter like that is allowed to talk against 
 the Government, instead of fechtin' for it. Not 
 that this particular man will last verra much 
 longer," he added calmly. 
 
 "Why not? What's going to happen to him?" 
 Alice inquired. 
 
 Andrew smiled, a grim smile of satisfaction it 
 was, with only a hint of humor in it. 
 
 "Weel, ye see, he was telling me the ither nicht 
 that after he had converted England, he was goin' 
 to tak' a trip up to Scotland, and I'm thinkin' that 
 once over the border " the pause that followed
 
 MR. MUGGINS, AGITATOR 65 
 
 was more eloquent than words. Andrew's shoul- 
 ders shook, and he smacked his lips in anticipation 
 of the doom that awaited the erring Mr. Muggins. 
 
 It was not until Alice was halfway to the village 
 that she realized that he had failed to trace the 
 connection between the weather and the agitator. 
 
 "I suppose he meant that there 'd be fewer to 
 listen to him if it rained," she said to herself, "but 
 it's hard to be sure about Andrew," and she 
 laughed. 
 
 She noticed that there was more than the usual 
 Saturday afternoon activity in the village, as she 
 drew up before Miss Sweet's Notion Shop, and 
 stopped her car. The people were all standing 
 about the blacksmith 's as if they were waiting for 
 something. There was only a handful of people 
 in Little Petstone, but they seemed to have gath- 
 ered in one spot, and the effect was quite like a 
 crowd. She did not leave her seat, but watched 
 to see what would happen. 
 
 Before very long a man, dressed in a brown 
 suit with a flower in his buttonhole, got out of a 
 buggy and forced his way to the center of the 
 crowd. Alice recognized him as Mr. Muggins, 
 once of Little Petstone, but now of London. The
 
 66 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 village people were suddenly silent, and Mr. Mug- 
 gins ' voice, husky from much talking, sounded 
 from their midst. 
 
 Alice sat spellbound at first, and listened. The 
 orator wasted no words, he began at once to de- 
 nounce war. He denounced it in the name of 
 everything he could think of, and he predicted the 
 downfall of England in words so moving t^ 
 should have brought tears to his hearers 
 For the downfall of the country he blamec. tne 
 Government. When he spoke of several p oini- 
 nent men, and traced their resemblance to some of 
 the tyrants of old, Mr. Gubber took it upon him- 
 self to protest. 
 
 " That '11 do, young man," he said firmly; "I'm 
 a law-abiding citizen, and I believe every man has 
 a right to speak his mind, but I've a son 'Over 
 There/ serving his country and I won't have a 
 word said against the Government, on my prop- 
 erty. ' ' 
 
 Mr. Gubber was a large man with a powerful 
 forearm, and as a rule his word was law in Little 
 Petstone. Alice waited to see the crowd disperse, 
 but to her surprise they did not move. Mr. Mug- 
 gins started to speak again; his tone was a little
 
 MR. MUGGINS, AGITATOR 67 
 
 % 
 
 less strident, but encouraged by the support of 
 his audience he held up Mr. Gubber as an ex- 
 ample. 
 
 ' ' He 's proved what I said, ' ' he shouted ; ' * hasii 't 
 the Government taken 'is only son?" There was 
 a murmur of assent, and he continued, * * I tell you 
 this -,\V:r is being fought by poor men's sons, while 
 the g^'itry sit at 'ome and drink their tea." 
 
 o waited to hear no more. She started her 
 car, honked her horn furiously and drove straight 
 into tne crowd before her, almost hitting the soap 
 box on which Mr. Muggins was standing. 
 
 "There's not a word of truth in what that man's 
 saying," she exclaimed, standing up on her seat, 
 "not one word, and every one of you ought to be 
 ashamed of yourself to listen to such rubbish. 
 You all know as well as I do that every man that 
 isn't a slacker is fighting to-day." She paused 
 long enough to look meaningly at Mr. Muggins. 
 "And they're all fighting side by side. Mr. Gub- 
 ber," she spoke directly to the blacksmith. "I 
 meant to tell you and your wife," Mrs. Gubber 
 curtesied respectfully, "that when I went up to 
 London to see Lieutenant St. John off, I saw your 
 son. He's in the same company with Mister
 
 68 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 Peter, you know, and he looked perfectly splendid 
 in his uniform." 
 
 Mr. Gubber's chest expanded with pride, and 
 his wife said excitedly: "Oh, did you, Miss, 
 thank you, Miss, I take it as very kind of you, 
 Miss. We hear grand news of Mister Peter in 
 Alf 's letters, beggin' your pardon, Miss," and the 
 flattered little woman looked haughtily at Mr. 
 Muggins. 
 
 There was a low murmur of laughter through 
 the crowd, and Henry's cockney voice demanded: 
 
 " 'Old h'on a minute and let's 'ear what Mister 
 h 'Edward Muggins 'as got to sye to that." 
 
 Mr. Muggins, very red in the face by now, 
 cleared his throat and coughed. "Mr. St. John 
 f is only one," he replied defiantly, "and I'm will- 
 ing to grant he's an exception." 
 
 "He is not," Alice denied hotly; "there's my 
 brother, Captain Blythe, and Lieutenant Hunt, 
 that you all know. Just stop and think for a 
 minute, there isn't one boy in this neighborhood 
 that hasn't answered his country's call, and we 
 ought to be proud of it. Many of them have been 
 killed, but they died like brave Englishmen." 
 There was an expressive pause before she con-
 
 ME. MUGGINS, AGITATOR 69 
 
 tinued. "No, Mister Muggins, you can't talk 
 such rot in Little Petstone, and expect us to be- 
 lieve you, because we know that the only men who 
 have time to sit at home and drink tea in these 
 days are men who, instead of fighting, go about 
 the country making silly speeches from soap 
 boxes." 
 
 A cheer went up from the crowd. The old men 
 shouted * * Hear ! Hear ! and the women, who were 
 in the majority, clapped their hands delightedly. 
 
 "What price Mr. Muggins, now?" Henry de- 
 manded jeeringly. 
 
 Alice smiled triumphantly as she looked at her 
 opponent, then the unconventionally of her posi- 
 tion struck her. "What would the Aunts say?" 
 She was just beginning to feel a little uncomfort- 
 able when the cheering suddenly stopped, and she 
 heard a voice exclaiming: 
 
 "Bless my soul; what's this? most extraordi- 
 nary bless my soul! Why, it's Alice," and she 
 looked down to see the Major pushing his way 
 towards her through the crowd.
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 A WIRE FOR THE MAJOB 
 
 * 4< T\ /TY ^ ear cm ^d> what does this mean?" 
 ^u I demanded the Major, as he put his 
 
 * * foot on the running board of the car. 
 There was a twinkle in his eyes, but he tried to 
 make his voice sound stern. 
 
 Alice attempted to explain. She pointed to Mr. 
 Muggins who was at that moment busily untying 
 his horse. 
 
 "He said such awful things, Major, that I sim- 
 ply couldn't stand listening to them, so I just 
 pointed out how foolish his statements were, and, 
 well, I had to stand up on the seat so that I could 
 be heard." 
 
 "Bless my soul!" the Major began again, but 
 Alice would not let him get any further. 
 
 "I think I have convinced them that he was 
 talking rot," she said hurriedly, "so, of course, 
 there's no reason to stay any longer. I've a few 
 
 71
 
 72 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 errands to do, but if you can wait I 'd love to drive 
 you home. You walked, didn't you?" 
 
 4 ' You, you little vixen ! ' ' The Major laughed in 
 spite of himself, "if you think you can get out of 
 it. so easily as that you're mistaken. What do 
 you suppose the aunts are going to say," he de- 
 manded on the way home, "when I tell them I 
 found you standing on the seat of your car mak- 
 ing a speech in opposition to Mr. Muggins, while 
 all Little Petstone cheered you! Bless my soul! 
 It was the most astonishing sight I ever wit- 
 nessed; I couldn't believe my eyes." 
 
 "They aren't going to say anything, Major 
 dear, because you aren't going to tell them," Alice 
 replied coaxingly. "You see they wouldn't un- 
 derstand, and you do." 
 
 "Oh, I do, eh?" The Major chuckled. 
 
 "Yes, of course. You wouldn't have wanted 
 me to let those poor old people believe the per- 
 fectly awful things that dreadful man was telling 
 them ; now would you ? It it wouldn 't have been 
 patriotic," she explained. 
 
 "Hum, well, maybe not," the Major admitted, 
 "but look here, Alice, don't do it again; it's not 
 ladylike^ you know. I know it's done, but well,
 
 A WIRE FOE THE MAJOR 73 
 
 I've always thought of you as sort of an old- 
 fashioned girl, and I 'd hate to see you filling your 
 head with new-fangled notions." 
 
 Alice ground her teeth, and experienced the 
 same feeling of rage common to all girls when the 
 words "old-fashioned," or "ladylike" are applied 
 to them. It is not that the girl of to-day doesn't 
 want to be ladylike and old-fashioned, but there 
 is something in the use of the words that ruffles 
 the temper. Alice wanted to explain that it was 
 quite possible to make a speech and be ladylike 
 and even old-fashioned at the same time, but she 
 knew the Major would not understand, so she very 
 wisely dropped the subject and talked about Peter. 
 
 When they reached the Chetwoods' they found 
 Muriel and her aunt on the lawn, and Mrs. Chet- 
 wood insisted that Alice stay for tea. 
 
 "We've seen so little of you, my dear, for the 
 past week," she said. "Of course the weather's 
 been wretched. WTiat have you been doing with 
 yourself?" 
 
 "Not much," Alice replied, dropping into a 
 wicker chair and taking off her hat. "I went up 
 to London for a day or so and did something for 
 Gilbert, you'd never guess what."
 
 74 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "Tell us," Muriel begged; " isn't it perfectly 
 thrilling to think you 've heard from him ! ' ' 
 
 "I bought a white linen dress for a little girl," 
 Alice explained, and told them as much as she 
 knew about Marieken. 
 
 "Sounds ripping, doesn't it?" she ended; 
 "makes me feel awfully useless." 
 
 "I know," Muriel agreed, "there's no chance 
 over here to do anything very exciting. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, you can't complain. Look at all the clubs 
 you belong to," Alice reminded her, "you're 
 knitting all the time, and you're always doing 
 something useful, while I well, I'm so big and 
 clumsy and so detestably young that I'm no good 
 for anything." 
 
 She spoke so feelingly that the Major eyed her 
 suspiciously. 
 
 Mrs. Chetwood laughed. "Haven't you fin- 
 ished the wristlets yet, dear?" she inquired. 
 
 * ' No, not quite, but if Aunt Seraphina gives me 
 very many more * little helps, just to start me 
 fresh,' they will be finished in spite of me," Alice 
 laughed. 
 
 "I wish you'd join our Soldiers' Entertainment 
 Committee," Muriel said. "We have no end of
 
 A WIRE FOE THE MAJOR 75 
 
 a lark getting up plays, and they do enjoy it so." 
 
 "No, thanks," Alice was firm in her refusal. 
 "I want to do something that takes lots of strength 
 and all my time, but, of course, Dad and Mother 
 won't hear of it. They think that because I was 
 just a kid when the war started I'm still a 
 kid now. They don't realize that you can grow a 
 lot in three years. But don 't let 's talk about me, ' ' 
 she added hastily as the Major said with a sly 
 wink, * * You might go out recruiting, my dear. " 
 
 Alice pretended not to hear. "Tell me what 
 you're doing, Muriel. How are all those Tom- 
 mies you've adopted?" she asked. 
 
 The subject occupied them for the rest of the 
 time, and Alice had risen to go, when Potter, the 
 Chetwoods ' butler, came out to say that the Major 
 was wanted on the 'phone. 
 
 "It's the Telegraph office, sir, and I can't make 
 out a word they say." 
 
 The Major hurried to the house and returned 
 just as Alice was climbing into her car. 
 
 "Silly idiot," he fumed, "can't even read a wire 
 and make sense out of it. Why that man Cherry 
 was ever put in charge of a Telegraph station, I 'm 
 sure I don't know. He's about as fit for "
 
 76 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "What is it, my dear?" Mrs. Chetwood inter- 
 rupted mildly. 
 
 "I've been trying to tell you, haven't I?" the 
 Major replied. "There's a telegram at the sta- 
 tion for me from the War Office, and because it's 
 Saturday they can 't send it, and that man Cherry 
 can 't read it, so that I can make it out ? ' ' 
 
 Alice could not help laughing. 
 
 "I'll go down and get it for you, Major," she 
 offered, "it won't take me long." 
 
 And before any one had time to protest she was 
 spinning down the road at a rate that far exceeded 
 the speed regulations of Little Petstone. She had 
 not boasted in vain when she promised not to be 
 long, for in an incredibly short time she was back 
 and the Major was tearing open the message. 
 
 Major Chetwood, though an old man, and long 
 retired from the Army, had in his day been an 
 authority on some subjects, and no one was sur- 
 prised to hear that he had been called suddenly to 
 London on a matter of grave importance, which 
 was to be discussed that night. 
 
 "You must go at once, my dear. I'll tell Pot- 
 ter to pack your bag," Mrs. Chetwood said. 
 
 "Go!" stormed the Major, "of course, I must
 
 A WISE FOE THE MAJOR 77 
 
 go, but how? This wire came this morning, 
 there's the time marked to prove it, and I get it 
 after tea, when the last London train has gone. 
 A nice kettle of fish ! How am I going to be there 
 on time? It's not possible, even if I drive over 
 to the Junction. No, I will have to stay here and 
 twiddle my thumbs while a lot of men who know 
 nothing about the subject make a mess of things 
 at that meeting." 
 
 "No, you won't," Alice said unexpectedly; "if 
 it's a very important meeting, and you really 
 must be there, I'll drive you up in the car." 
 
 "All the way to London?" Muriel demanded in- 
 credulously. 
 
 "You couldn't do it, my dear, it's too late. It's 
 sweet of you to offer," Mrs. Chetwood said nerv- 
 ously, "but it's out of the question; it wouldn't 
 be safe." 
 
 Alice looked at the Major. 
 
 "By Jove, it's my only chance," he said slowly. 
 "Do you think you can make it, Alice?" 
 
 "Sure of it." 
 
 "Then tell Potter to pack my bag." The Ma- 
 jor turned to his wife, and Alice started the car. 
 
 "I'll go tell Auntie and get a supply of petrol,
 
 78 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 and be back in fifteen minutes," she called over 
 her shoulder. 
 
 Aunt Matilda and Aunt Seraphina held up their 
 hands in horror, a few minutes later, when Alice 
 explained what she was going to do ; but when she 
 laid great stress on the importance of the Major's 
 getting to London on time they were forced to 
 give in. 
 
 She snatched up a coat on her way to the stable, 
 and called to Andrew, "Fill my tank, will you?" 
 Andrew, methodical as ever, obeyed. "And I 
 guess I'd better carry another shoe for luck." 
 She moved about the stable, hurriedly, and it was 
 not many minutes before she was back in her seat 
 again. 
 
 "Wish me luck," she said as she started the 
 car. "I'm off for London, and oh, Andrew," 
 she called back as she swung around the curve of 
 the house, "Mr. Muggins won't bother Little Pet- 
 stone any more. I rather think he's headed 
 north."
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 THE BIDE TO TOWN 
 
 MAJOR CHETWOOD was waiting for 
 her on the lawn, and Alice noticed with 
 a smile that he was trying to soothe his 
 wife 's fears. 
 
 "All aboard!" she laughed as she drew up at 
 the front steps and opened the car door. 
 
 The Major climbed gingerly in, and Potter set- 
 tled his heavy Gladstone bag at his feet. Alice 
 nodded and the car started slowly. . 
 
 "Good-by, my dear," the Major said to his 
 
 wife, "now don't be foolish enough to worry. I'll 
 
 wire you from town. What did the aunts say, 
 
 'eh? " he demanded of Alice as they rolled along the 
 
 smooth driveway. 
 
 "Not much. I'm afraid they're a bit worried, 
 but when they see me back to-morrow, right as 
 rain, they won't mind," Alice replied. 
 
 She let the car out a little as they reached the 
 highway, slowed down carefully as they passed 
 
 79
 
 80 , ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 through the village, and gradually increased their 
 speed until, by the time that they reached the open 
 country, they were going so fast that the meadows 
 and trees were no more than a confused blur in 
 the sunset. 
 
 "Is there any need for such haste, my dear?" 
 the Major asked nervously, as they slowed down 
 for a crossing. 
 
 "It's nearly seventy miles to town, sir," Alice 
 replied shortly, ' ' and it 's after six. ' ' 
 
 The Major did not speak again. He clutched 
 the side of his seat, braced his feet against the 
 footrail and closed his eyes. He expected to 
 plunge to a sudden death at any moment, and the 
 thought that he would meet his end while hasten- 
 ing to serve his country was only a slight comfort. 
 There were times when he thought none too kindly 
 of Cherry the Station Master, and he prayed to 
 be saved, if only on his account. 
 
 Alice meanwhile was enjoying herself hugely. 
 Racing through the country at top speed was only 
 a little less exciting than flying with Peter, and 
 the added knowledge that she had a really im- 
 portant reason for doing it added to the thrill of 
 the adventure.
 
 THE EIDE TO TOWN 81 
 
 When they crossed over to Surrey she switched 
 on her lights. It was just eight o 'clock when they 
 reached the outskirts of London, and she slowed 
 the car down to a moderate speed. She had never 
 driven in town before, and she did not want to 
 take any chances now that the end of their jour- 
 ney was in sight. There was little traffic to im- 
 pede their way, but she did not attempt to ex- 
 ceed the speed limit. 
 
 The sight of the pavements, and the regularity 
 of the dimmed arc lamps seemed to reassure the 
 Major, and he relaxed a little and attempted to 
 straighten his cravat. 
 
 "Where do you want me to put you down, sir?" 
 Alice inquired. "I forgot to ask where the meet- 
 ing was?" 
 
 "I think you'd better take me to my club, my 
 dear," the Major replied. "My papers are there, 
 and I've an extra hat. This cap is hardly the 
 correct thing for this time of day, and I really 
 must wash my face, you know. It must be quite 
 black." 
 
 Alice nodded, and did not speak again until they 
 had skirted St. James Park, and entered the little 
 section of London known as Club Land. She drew
 
 82 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 up beside the curb in front of one of the big square 
 buildings. 
 
 "Here we are, Major, and I hope you won't be 
 very late," she said cheerfully. 
 
 The Major turned and looked at her, and al- 
 though it was too dark for him to see the smile that 
 lurked in the corners of her mouth, he knew it 
 was there. 
 
 "Alice," he said gravely, "I ought to be very 
 grateful to you, but I 'm inclined to box your ears. 
 I have spent some of the most terrifying hours 
 of my life, and you needn't pretend you don't 
 know it, you little vixen," he added chuckling. 
 "I suppose I needn't ask you if you can get home 
 safely. I'll call around in the morning and see 
 you. And now, good-night. I must try to collect 
 my scattered wits. ' ' 
 
 "Good-night," Alice laughed. "Of course 
 you'll go back in the car with me to-morrow!" 
 she added. 
 
 "I will not, indeed," the Major denied; "that 
 would be expecting too much of Providence. I 
 will return to Little Petstone by train." 
 
 Alice watched his shaking shoulders until the 
 club door closed behind him, and then drove slowly
 
 THE RIDE TO TOWN 83 
 
 home. The streets were unnaturally dark, and 
 only an occasional arc lamp pierced the gloom. 
 She leaned back in her seat and looked up at the 
 stars. No lights showed through the drawn win- 
 dow-shades, and the house loomed black against 
 the sky. She half expected to hear the warning 
 buzz of a German Zeppelin ; it would have been a 
 fitting ending to her day, but nothing broke the 
 unnatural stillness. She hoped to reach home and 
 find both her parents out ; it would be easier to ex- 
 plain her sudden arrival in the morning. She 
 could trust Jenkins to take her car to the garage 
 and say nothing. She slowed up in front of the 
 house and stopped. 
 
 "It certainly looks deserted," she said to her- 
 self, and got out hurriedly. She was just cross- 
 ing the pavement when to her dismay the front 
 door opened and a man came down the steps. She 
 saw that it was Dr. Jepson, a very clever surgeon, 
 and a great friend of her brother. He was home 
 on sick leave from the Front and spent a good 
 deal of his time at the Blythes' home. He and 
 Alice were old friends. 
 
 "Hello, Michael," she said, holding out her 
 hand, "where are you going to in such a hurry?"
 
 84 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 Dr. Jepson stared in astonishment. "I say, 
 Cricket, am I balmy, or is it really you?" he de- 
 manded. 
 
 "Yes, it is truly me," Alice sometimes disre- 
 garded the rules of grammar. 
 
 "Well, is it permitted to inquire what you're 
 doing out here in the middle of the night ? ' ' 
 
 Alice laughed. 
 
 "Don't exaggerate, Michael, it's only a little 
 after nine, and I've run up from little Pep- 
 stone. ' ' 
 
 ' * Alone t ' ' Michael demanded. 
 
 "No, I just dropped the Major at his club. He 
 had a very important wire about tea time, and you 
 see the last train had left, and he really had to 
 get here, because the meeting was awfully im- 
 portant, so I just ran him up in Gilbert's car." 
 
 "You ran him up! Did you say the wire came 
 at tea time?" 
 
 Alice nodded. 
 
 "Then, my dear girl, you raced him up, not 
 ran, ' ' Michael corrected her. 
 
 "Well, we did go a bit fast. You see there 
 wasn't much traffic on the road, and " Alice 
 was trying hard to make light of the trip.
 
 THE RIDE TO TOWN 85 
 
 "Rather fortunate for the traffic," Michael said 
 dryly. 
 
 "Let's go back to the dining room and talk 
 about it, you must be awfully hungry." 
 
 "I am," Alice agreed, "but er, are Dad and 
 Mother home?" 
 
 "No, I dined with your mother, but she left 
 right after dinner to go to some meeting or other, 
 and your father's been out all day. I stayed to 
 hunt up something in one of his books, and wrote 
 some letters at his desk." Michael explained as 
 they mounted the steps. 
 
 The astonished Jenkins opened the door for 
 them, and Alice sent him off to drive the car to the 
 garage, after he had brought her a tray from the 
 kitchen. 
 
 Michael watched her eat, and smiled to himself. 
 
 "You've grown up awfully suddenly, Cricket," 
 he said at last. "Why, it seems like yesterday 
 that your hair was down your back." 
 
 Alice nodded. 
 
 "Mother and Dad still think it is, that's why I'm 
 kept a baby, and not allowed to do anything, ' ' she 
 said. 
 
 * ' What do you want to do I " Michael inquired.
 
 86 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 Alice looked at him seriously for a few minutes, 
 and then said impulsively: "I want to go to 
 France, Michael, and I believe you could help me 
 win Dad over, if you only would. ' ' 
 
 Dr. Jepson whistled, but he saw by Alice's face 
 that she was very serious. 
 
 "I might at that, Cricket," he replied slowly. 
 "I am going over myself next week, " 
 
 * ' Come into the Library, ' ' Alice interrupted ex- 
 citedly, "we can talk better there." 
 
 Michael did not leave the Blythes' until an hour 
 later, and when he did, Alice had his solemn 
 promise that he would say what he could to per- 
 suade her parents to let her go out with his Unit 
 the following week. 
 
 After he left she went up to her room with a 
 smile of satisfaction. She was just ready to climb 
 into bed when her father returned. She heard 
 him cross the hall and stop at the bottom of the 
 stairs, then he called, "Cricket, come down here," 
 and his voice sounded very stern. 
 
 Alice slipped on a dressing gown and stood be- 
 fore him a few minutes later in the Library. 
 
 ' ' I happened to drop in at the club and met the
 
 THE RIDE TO TOWN 87 
 
 Major," he said after a silence that had lasted for 
 a long time; then he laughed. 
 
 ' ' Cricket, you ought not to have offered to drive 
 him in, and you know it. And when I think of 
 the time you made it in well, it's a wonder you're 
 not both dead. ' ' 
 
 "But, Dad, he simply had to get here, and there 
 was no other way," Alice replied gently, "and 
 you know I 'm pretty used to driving the car now. ' ' 
 
 "Yes, so I hear," Dr. Blythe looked at his 
 daughter. 
 
 It may truly be said that it was the first time 
 he had an opportunity to give her more than a 
 glance since the beginning of the war. And he 
 thought she looked very tall and strong as she 
 stood before him in her white dressing gown. 
 
 "It's my fault," he said at last, and paused. 
 "The Major told me about the speech this after- 
 noon, too," he added smiling. 
 
 "Well, I don't think that was very nice of him," 
 Alice exclaimed, 1 1 after I got him here in time for 
 his old meeting, too. Wait till I see him. " 
 
 Her father laughed appreciatively, then he said 
 gravely,
 
 88 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "Upon my soul, Cricket, I don't know what to 
 do about you. ' ' 
 
 He stood up and put his arm around her. 
 
 "But it's too late to decide to-night, isn't it? 
 So you'd better run along back to bed." 
 
 Alice kissed him. 
 
 "I'll tell you what to do, Daddy," she said 
 gayly. "Ask Michael Jepson's advice to-morrow 
 morning, and do just what he tells you." 
 
 "Michael! what does he know about it?" Dr. 
 Blythe looked bewildered; but his daughter was 
 half way up the stairs, and she did not stop to ex- 
 plain.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 OFF TO FRANCE 
 
 THE week that followed was a busy one evea 
 for war times. There were discussions 
 and consultations that lasted late into the 
 night, behind the closed door of the Blythes* li- 
 brary. Alice, tossing in bed upstairs in her own 
 room, waited for the final decision, and sometimes 
 felt that every one but herself was to have a hand 
 in her ultimate destiny. She put her faith in 
 Michael, and the results proved that she had not 
 trusted him in vain. For Michael did succeed in 
 winning her wish for her in spite of all opposition. 
 "She's determined to go, sir, so why not let 
 her!" he said to Dr. Blythe. "We can arrange 
 easily enough, you know that. I'll take her along 
 as my clerk, or something. Once over, you know, 
 even at a Base Hospital, she'll see enough terrible 
 sights to make her want to come back in no time." 
 As this was not Michael's first trip to France he 
 knew what he was talking about. 
 
 89
 
 90 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "But she'll be in your way," the Doctor pro- 
 tested, "and this is no time to humor a child's 
 whim." 
 
 Michael interrupted. "There's plenty to do, 
 and I can promise you she'll really be useful while 
 she 's there. And of course as my clerk I can keep 
 an eye on her officially, and Lady Harden will do 
 the rest." 
 
 Lady Harden was a friend of Mrs. Blythe's, 
 and in charge of the Base Hospital to which 
 Michael was going. 
 
 "By the time I'm fit to go back to the front 
 dressing stations, she'll be ready and glad enough 
 to come home. See if she isn't," Michael added. 
 He argued so well that at last the Doctor and Mrs. 
 Blythe gave in. 
 
 "Remember, it's your doing," the Doctor said 
 at last; and Michael left the house feeling very 
 much like a man who suddenly finds himself hold- 
 ing on to a bomb with the fuse lit, without being 
 able to drop it. 
 
 He saw little of Alice in the days that followed, 
 for he was very busy and she went down to Little 
 Petstone to say good-by to the aunts. 
 
 It was not until the Channel steamer had left
 
 OFF TO FRANCE 91 
 
 the dock that they had time to take stock of each 
 other. They were standing side by side on the 
 deck at the stern of the boat, to get the last glimpse 
 of the white cliffs of Dover, when Alice said im- 
 pulsively: "I say, Michael, you're no end of a 
 good sport. I haven't had a chance to thank you 
 properly, but you understand I'm most awfully 
 grateful, don't you?" 
 
 The Doctor laughed. " Nonsense, Cricket, you 
 know you always get your own way in the end. I 
 just happened to speed things up this time, and 
 well I'm blessed if I know why I did it." 
 
 "But Michael, you're not sorry I'm going, are 
 you!" Alice asked, a hurt note in her voice. 
 
 "No, of course I'm not." The Doctor was 
 quick to reply. "That is, if you'll promise to be 
 good and not get into too much trouble when I 
 happen to be busy. ' ' 
 
 "Why, I won't have time to get into trouble," 
 Alice protested, and then as she saw the worried 
 expression on the Doctor's face, she said seri- 
 ously: "Michael, you and I have got to come to 
 an understanding. I thought you realized that I 
 wel^ no matter what I thought, I can see now 
 that you just did this to let me have my own way,
 
 92 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 and you don't think that I'm going to be any 
 earthly use over there." She paused and pointed 
 an accusing finger. "I suppose you think I'll get 
 tired of it in a little while and want to go home. 
 Well, you'll see how wrong you are." 
 
 Michael did not contradict. She had read his 
 inmost thoughts, and he was embarrassed. 
 
 "I'm going to work hard," Alice continued. "I 
 can scrub floors if I can't do anything else." 
 
 "But you're going in the official capacity of my 
 clerk, ' ' Michael protested, grinning. 
 
 "Rot," Alice replied shortly; "you know per- 
 fectly well, Michael Jepson, that you never had a 
 clerk and never wanted one. Of course, if you in- 
 sist I am perfectly willing to try to keep your 
 records for you, and I'll feed all those caged mi- 
 crobes you're taking over, if you like." 
 
 * ' Heaven forbid ! ' ' Michael exclaimed. " Don 't 
 you dare try it. I never let any one monkey with 
 my records, and as for my new serum " 
 
 "Well, then?" Alice inquired calmly. 
 
 Michael shrugged his shoulders in despair. 
 
 "Oh, scrub your floors, wash dishes, do any- 
 thing, I won't interfere," he said laughing. "In 
 other words, Cricket, have your own way. Only
 
 OFF TO FRANCE 93 
 
 promise me that you won't do anything very out- 
 rageous." 
 
 Alice held out her hand and sighed, a deep sigh 
 of contentment. "I'll promise, Michael. I only 
 wanted to be sure that you wouldn't interfere if 
 a really truly chance came for me to do something 
 worth while. And now that it's settled let's go 
 see what the others are doing." 
 
 They walked forward and entered the cabin. 
 
 Dr. Jepson was in charge of a Unit, composed of 
 a few nurses who were going out for the first time, 
 some stretcher-bearers returning after a rest in 
 England, and several other people who filled vari- 
 ous clerical positions. Alice did not like any of 
 them particularly. The nurses were all older than 
 she was by several years, and she had an absurd 
 notion that they all knew she was only masquerad- 
 ing ; so she stayed beside Michael and gripped his 
 arm tightly as the French coast came into sight. 
 
 There was a special train waiting at Calais to 
 take them south to their Base, but it was several 
 hours before all the formalities, the necessary ex- 
 aminations and preparations were over, and they 
 were ready to start. Dr. Jepson was very busy 
 superintending the transfer of the luggage from
 
 94 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 the boat to the train. Alice waited for him under 
 a shed by the door. There were several boxes of 
 supplies there and she selected one to sit on. She 
 was alone and had time to look about her. Apart 
 from the men in khaki, and the general state of 
 desertion she did not see anything that looked at 
 all like war. 
 
 Then the rumble of a train made her start, and 
 for a second she thought that the others had gone 
 on and left her; but she saw Michael, hot and 
 dusty, a little way down the dock, and settled her- 
 self once more on the packing box. But in a few 
 moments she sat up very straight and looked hard 
 before her. She could scarcely believe her ears 
 or her eyes. She heard singing at first, and then 
 saw a long procession of stretcher-bearers come 
 into view from around the station shed. Each 
 pair carried a wounded soldier. Alice caught her 
 breath as she looked. Men with their faces band- 
 aged, men with their arms in slings, some whose 
 faces were disfigured hideously, some who would 
 never walk again. They all filed past her, their 
 eyes fastened on the gray hospital ship that was 
 tied up beside the dock, and they were all doing 
 their best to sing.
 
 OFF TO FRANCE 95 
 
 Alice watched them being carried on board with- 
 out moving. She had seen plenty of wounded sol- 
 diers in the London hospitals, but they always 
 looked quite comfortable in their white cots. 
 These men were different, they carried the spirit 
 of war with them. She wanted to cheer, but there 
 was an unaccountable lump in her throat, and she 
 couldn't. It was partly the sight of the stretchers 
 that affected her she had never seen men carried 
 on stretchers before, but it was mostly the sound 
 of their singing. There were only a handful of 
 men, and they were singing because they were 
 going back to " Blighty," but it was the first time 
 Alice had come face to face with the dauntless 
 spirit that is so characteristic of the soldier to- 
 day, and it gave her something to think about. 
 She hardly heard Michael's cheery, "Come along, 
 Cricket," as he hurried her to the train. And all 
 through the tiresome trip that followed they 
 were shut up in a hot, stuffy compartment, the 
 windows closed tight and the blinds down, she 
 kept thinking of those wounded men, and the ri- 
 diculous song they had tried so pluckily to sing.
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 HELEN CABBY 
 
 THEY did not reach their destination until 
 the afternoon of the second day. It had 
 been a very slow, tedious trip, and every 
 one except Alice looked thoroughly tired out on 
 their arrival. 
 
 "I say, Cricket, you're so wonderfully fit that 
 it makes me angry to look at you." Dr. Jepson 
 said, as they climbed into the automobiles that 
 were waiting for them at the tiny little station. 
 
 "Then don't look at me," Alice teased; "I told 
 you I was a good traveler, and you wouldn't be- 
 lieve it. Please tell Dad how fit I am when you 
 write." 
 
 "Well you must be tired, even if you don't look 
 it," said one of the nurses crossly. 
 
 "But I'm not," Alice denied, "I'm hungry, 
 though, and I do think it's awfully jolly to see the 
 
 sky again." 
 
 97
 
 98 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 The nurse looked at her shining eyes and felt a 
 tinge of envy. 
 
 The hospital was an old Chateau, set in the 
 midst of shady woods. There was nothing about 
 it to suggest war, and Alice, as she walked through 
 the great front door, felt a little impatient. Ever 
 since she had seen the men on the stretchers the 
 day before, her mind had been keyed to a high 
 pitch, and she had been able to feel that the war 
 was just around the corner; but now it seemed 
 further away than ever. 
 
 Lady Harden, who was at the head of the Hos- 
 pital, was waiting in the great hall to receive them. 
 She greeted each of the nurses, and sent them to 
 their respective rooms in a quiet business-like way. 
 Alice entered last with the Doctor, and when Lady 
 Harden saw her, she smiled for the first time. 
 
 * ' Maude 's daughter, of course, * ' she said kindly, 
 and shook Alice's hand. "I haven't just decided 
 where to put you, my dear. You'll want to be 
 near the Doctor's office, of course." 
 
 "That really won't be a bit necessary," Michael 
 explained hastily; "you see, I won't need Miss 
 Ely the much of the time, and " 
 
 Alice's laughter interrupted him. She was still
 
 HELEN CAREY 99 
 
 holding Lady Harden 's hand. She squeezed it 
 gently as she said: "What Dr. Jepson really 
 means is, that he'd much rather I'd be as far away 
 from his office as possible. He's deathly afraid 
 I might some day disarrange his papers." 
 
 "But, my dear, I thought I understood from the 
 letter I received that you were coming out to act 
 as his clerk, and take care of his records." 
 
 Alice shook her head. 
 
 ' ' Not really, Lady Harden. I came out to work. 
 I just had to get here, and one excuse was as good 
 as another. Isn't there something you can give 
 me to do?" 
 
 Lady Harden looked surprised for a minute, 
 and then she laughed. "Any amount of things, 
 my dear," she replied. "I'm glad I understand. 
 You see I thought you were coming as a sort of 
 secretary and assistant to the Doctor, and well, of 
 course, now I see. We 've a young American girl 
 here. She 's a bit older than you are, I think, but 
 she's splendid, and I know you'll like her. She's 
 really doing two men's work instead of one slight 
 girl's, and I'll let you help her. It's it's rather 
 hard work, you know," she added as she sent an 
 orderly down to the kitchen with a message.
 
 100 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "That's all I'm good for," Alice replied, "and 
 I don't care how hard it is, so long as it's real 
 work. ' ' 
 
 Lady Harden nodded approvingly, and turned 
 to Michael. 
 
 "I'm glad you are better, Doctor, but you 
 mustn't be in too great a hurry to leave us for the 
 Front. I '11 take over your charge from now on, ' ' 
 she finished laughing. "You'll find your office at 
 the end of this hall, and there's no need of your 
 taking up your duties at once. We're not very 
 busy just for the moment. " 
 
 Michael nodded. "Thank you, I'll go unpack, 
 if you'll pardon me. And I'm awfully obliged 
 about Cricket," he added. "I was beginning to 
 feel rather guilty." 
 
 He picked up his bag and hurried down the hall, 
 just as a slight girl, dressed in a very soiled riding 
 habit, appeared from the other direction. 
 
 * ' Oh, here you are, ' ' Lady Harden said. " I Ve 
 found some one to help you at last. This is Miss 
 Blythe, Miss Carey." 
 
 The two girls shook hands and their eyes met 
 in appraisal.
 
 HELEN CAREY 101 
 
 Helen Carey was the first to speak. "I'm aw- 
 fully glad you've come," she said simply. 
 
 "Take her to your room, will you please, my 
 dear. For the present, she'll have to stay with 
 you, ' ' Lady Harden directed. * * And now I must 
 leave you. If you want anything particularly, 
 Alice, I am always in my office between seven and 
 nine." She smiled and walked briskly away, 
 leaving the girls alone. 
 
 "I say, I hope I'm not inconveniencing you," 
 Alice said, picking up her bag. 
 
 "Not a bit of it," Helen replied cheerfully, "my 
 quarters aren't just what you'd call spacious, but 
 there's an extra bed, and I'll be awfully glad to 
 have some one in it. ' ' She led the way through the 
 main hall of the Chateau, down a pair of stairs, out 
 through a back door and across a courtyard to the 
 stable. 
 
 "Do you mean to say you live over the stable? 
 How ripping!" Alice exclaimed, as she followed. 
 
 "Well, it was the stable before the war, I sup- 
 pose," Helen explained. "But it's not any more, 
 it's a sort of convalescent ward on the ground 
 floor, and a bunk-house up above."
 
 102 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 She led the way up a spiral staircase to a 
 small room furnished with two cot beds and a 
 packing box. 
 
 Alice put down her bag, and after looking about 
 her for a minute she sat down on one of the beds 
 and began to laugh. 
 
 "Thank goodness!" Helen exclaimed with re- 
 lief; "the last girl I brought up here cried for 
 three hours." 
 
 "Cried?" Alice inquired. "Now, why? I 
 think this is just about tip-top. I suppose it was 
 the stable boys' quarters once. Oh, wait till 
 Michael sees it," she added, and then slowly and 
 between chuckles she explained who Michael was. 
 "And now," she finished, "that I've told you 
 most of my life's history, will you please tell me 
 what you're doing over here?" 
 
 Helen shook her head. "If you're going to 
 help me you'll find out soon enough," she replied, 
 laughing. "I never worked so hard in my life." 
 
 * ' But why did you come ? ' ' Alice insisted. ' * Of 
 course, don't tell me if you'd rather not," she 
 added. 
 
 " Oh, I '11 tell you, ' ' Helen replied, ' ' but it 's hard 
 to know where to start. "You see, when the war
 
 HELEN CAREY 103 
 
 broke out, my brother joined, of course, and so 
 did some of the other men of our outfit." 
 
 " Outfit! "Alice inquired. 
 
 Helen smiled and explained. 
 
 "Oh, I see, you live on a ranch in the "West. 
 How perfectly exciting! I know all about them 
 because, of course, I've read 'The Virginian,' " 
 Alice said. "Go on." 
 
 "Well, I just naturally couldn't stand the lone- 
 liness of the place after the boys left, so I made 
 Dad let me go East, and take a course in First 
 Aid, but I really didn't intend coming over until 
 Allen came." 
 
 "Is Allen in your outfit?" Alice interrupted. 
 
 Helen flushed. "No, not exactly," she replied; 
 "you see I'm engaged to him, and " 
 
 "Oh, I see, I'm most awfully sorry for being 
 so beastly inquisitive. Do forgive me," Alice 
 begged. 
 
 "Oh, that's all right," Helen assured her, "I 
 can't get used to saying it, that's all. You see 
 we haven't been, very long. Well anyway, Allen 
 came over with the Engineers, and well, you know 
 when you suddenly make up your mind to do a 
 wild thing, how it is 1 "
 
 104 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 Alice nodded understandingly. 
 
 "Well, I made up my mind to come over. A 
 girl I know was ready to start but suddenly lost 
 her nerve, so I took her place. There wasn't 
 time to ask many questions and I looked strong, 
 and that's the main thing." 
 
 "But you aren't doing First Aid," Alice pro- 
 tested. 
 
 Helen held up two very dirty hands rough from 
 work. 
 
 "I am not," she said smiling. "I found out 
 that there were other things to do beside nurse, 
 and I Ve been doing them. And of course, I didn 't 
 come as a nurse, but just as a helper. ' ' 
 
 There was a pause, in which Alice looked long 
 and approvingly at the muddy khaki skirt of her 
 companion. 
 
 "I think you're ripping," she said at last, "and 
 I'm no end glad I've found you. You tell me 
 what to do and I'll do it. I'm simply crazy to 
 get my hands as dirty as yours. Wait a second 
 until I change into something sensible, and let's 
 start." 
 
 The change was soon made, and Helen began 
 showing Alice the various tasks for which she was
 
 HELEN CAREY 105 
 
 responsible. They consisted in working in the 
 garden, cleaning automobiles, and doing the left- 
 over jobs that the few overworked orderlies could 
 not accomplish. 
 
 Alice was very hungry when dinner time came, 
 and she was only too glad to take Helen's sug- 
 gestion and go to bed early. They would both 
 have liked to stay awake and talk, but they were 
 much too sleepy. 
 
 Michael Jepson, looking out of his window a 
 little before eight o'clock, smiled as he saw the 
 light go out in the turret room. "I'm not so sure 
 I was right about Cricket," he said to himself. 
 * ' She 's made a pretty thorough start for her first 
 day, I should say.' 1
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 A STBANGE EEUNION 
 
 TWO weeks later found Alice still at her 
 post, working hard beside Helen. Her 
 hands had attained the desired rough 
 look that she had so envied, and the whole hospital 
 staff were learning to depend on her to do what- 
 ever they asked, willingly and without comment, 
 as they had weeks before learned to depend on 
 Helen. 
 
 The two girls had grown to be close friends, and 
 when there was time for it they enjoyed exchang- 
 ing confidences. Alice learned all about " Shoul- 
 ders," the favorite cowpuncher on the Carey 
 ranch, and was as interested in his letters, written 
 vaguely from "Somewhere in France," as Helen 
 was herself. Helen in turn took a lively interest 
 in Peter and Captain Blythe. It was while they 
 were discussing the latter one day that they made 
 a curious discovery. They were both busy in the 
 garden when the conversation took place. 
 
 107
 
 108 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "I wish I could hear from Gibbie," Alice said, 
 as she rested a moment and leaned on the hoe. 
 "I'm so afraid he's doing some risky stunt again. 
 He's always poking about in dangerous corners, 
 trying to find out things." 
 
 "He must be great," Helen said enthusiasti- 
 cally. "I love men that do queer things." 
 
 "I do, too," Alice agreed, "but it's most awfully 
 aggravating when you know that your only 
 brother has been back of the German lines and 
 he can't tell you how he got there." 
 
 "Has he, really! Do you mean he dressed up 
 as a peasant, or something?" Helen inquired. 
 "How thrilling!" 
 
 "I don't know a thing about it, really," Alice 
 answered, resuming her work. "We didn't hear 
 from him for ages, and then I got a queer letter 
 that only hinted at the most exciting adventures. 
 It was mostly about the retaking of Zandre, that 
 Belgian village, you know, and he raved about a 
 little Belgian girl with an unpronounceable name ; 
 said she was the real heroine of the attack, and 
 ended up by asking me to buy her a white dress 
 with a blue ribbon. And that's every word I've
 
 'Why, that's the most thrilling thing I ever heard' " 
 
 Page 111 
 
 109
 
 A STRANGE REUNION 111 
 
 heard, except a note a little later saying he'd re- 
 ceived the dress, and that Marieken was delighted 
 with it. I don't know where he is now, but 
 Michael's trying to find out for me." 
 
 Helen did not reply at once; she regarded a 
 clod of dirt that she had just turned over, in- 
 tently. * ' What did you say the girl 's name was I ' ' 
 she asked at last. 
 
 "Marieken," Alice replied, "and her last name 
 was DeBruin, I think. Why what 's the matter ? ' ' 
 she demanded at Helen's look of excited surprise. 
 
 "Why, that's the most thrilling thing I ever 
 heard. When I was at boarding school last 
 winter, I adopted a Belgian soldier, his name was 
 Henri DeBruin, and the last letter I had from 
 him he spoke of his brave little sister, Marieken. 
 Do you suppose it could be the same one?" 
 
 "Why, I never heard anything so exciting! Of 
 course it must be," Alice exclaimed. "How 
 simply thrilling! Gib said in one of his letters 
 that the brother had been wounded and was in 
 the same village with his mother and little sister. 
 Now if we only knew where that was. I'll try 
 to make Michael find out."
 
 112 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "Do you suppose that if it wasn't too far away 
 we could get a day off and go to see them?" Helen 
 inquired. 
 
 "That's just exactly what I was thinking," 
 Alice replied; "we'll find out anyway." 
 
 They returned to their work with excited vigor 
 until the bugle summoned them to their midday 
 meal. Just as they sat down to the long table 
 an orderly came up to Alice. 
 
 "Dr. Jepson wants you in his office, Miss. 
 Gentleman to see you, I think," he added. 
 "There's a big gray car out front." 
 
 Alice jumped up excitedly and hurried across 
 to the Chateau, and upstairs to the Doctor's office. 
 
 "What's up, Michael?" she demanded from the 
 doorway, "any news from Peter?" 
 
 "Well, I like that! She asks for her cousin 
 before she asks for her brother," a voice over by 
 the window drawled. 
 
 Alice turned and looked. "Gibbie!" she ex- 
 claimed, "how simply ripping! I've been think- 
 ing of you all morning. Where did you come 
 from?" 
 
 Captain Blythe regarded his sister in surprise
 
 A STRANGE REUNION 113 
 
 "I say, Cricket, but you are grown up, but how 
 awfully grubby, " was all he could find to say. 
 
 11 Never mind that," Alice insisted. "Tell me 
 how you got here. Michael, I believe you knew 
 he was coming." 
 
 Dr. Jepson, at his desk, looked up and grinned. 
 "I did, Cricket, in fact, I used every means I could 
 find to get him here, and now I see I should have 
 gotten Peter instead." 
 
 "Nonsense, I'm much gladder to see Gibbie, and 
 you know it. ' ' Alice flushed. A new element was 
 creeping into her thoughts about Peter, and she 
 resented it. "I Ve a thousand things to tell you, ' ' 
 she went on hastily to her brother, "so sit down." 
 
 Captain Blythe selected a big cozy chair, and 
 Alice perched on the arm of it. In half -broken, 
 excited sentences she told him about Helen Carey 
 and their common interest in the De Bruin family. 
 
 "Are they very far from here, Gibbie?" she 
 inquired, "and do you think we could go to see 
 them? It would be such a lark." 
 
 Captain Blythe considered as he lighted a fresh 
 cigarette. 
 
 "I say, that is rather a strange coincidence,
 
 114 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 isn't it?" he said at last. "As it happens they 
 are not far from here. If yon can get off, I'll 
 run you over to see them this afternoon. It's 
 on my road and I'll find some way to get you 
 back." 
 
 Alice looked appealingly at Michael. "Do you 
 think we could!" she asked softly. 
 
 "How do I know?" Dr. Jepson replied; "you're 
 not my clerk any more, remember, and from what 
 I gather from Lady Harden, you and that Miss 
 Carey are the only people who really work on the 
 place." 
 
 "But, Michael, if you asked her," Alice teased, 
 "we've really very little to do this afternoon." 
 
 "Ha, ha, I knew that was coming! Gilbert, 
 that sister of yours is the bane of my existence, ' ' 
 Michael replied sternly. "Child," he turned to 
 Alice, ' ' go and get ready. I '11 talk to Lady Har- 
 den." 
 
 "Oh, Michael, you darling!" Alice exclaimed, 
 and hurried to Helen to tell her the exciting news. 
 
 A half hour later they were sitting on either 
 side of Captain Blythe, and the big gray army car 
 was headed towards Fleurette. 
 
 "I feel as if I could pick out Henri from a hun-
 
 A STRANGE REUNION 115 
 
 dred soldiers," Helen laughed. "I've had so 
 many letters from him, it seems funny to realize I 
 don't really know him." 
 
 "He's rather a fine chap, I hear," Captain 
 Blythe replied; "he was very shy the day I met 
 him. But wait till you see my little Marieken, 
 she's the really important member of the family." 
 
 "Tell us what she did," Alice demanded. 
 "Your letters about her have driven me crazy." 
 
 "All right," the Captain agreed, "you really 
 ought to hear something about her really to appre- 
 ciate her. ' ' 
 
 The recital of Marieken 's bravery lasted until 
 they reached the main street of Fleurette, and 
 Alice and Helen were so excited that when the car 
 stopped at the hospital they would not have been 
 surprised if Joan of Arc, arrayed in a full suit of 
 armor, had ridden out to meet them. 
 
 Miss Brooks, the capable American woman who 
 was at the head of the Hospital, received them en- 
 thusiastically. She remembered Captain Blythe, 
 and from Henri she had heard much of Helen. 
 She took them out to the side lawn where Henri 
 was sitting smoking contentedly with some of his 
 comrades. Then she sent off a message to Marie-
 
 116 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 ken, who was as busy as ever in the kitchen. 
 
 The meeting was a curious one in many respects. 
 Henri was overjoyed at seeing his "Marraine," 
 but he was very shy, and Helen did most of the 
 talking. Marieken, on the other hand, was de- 
 lighted to talk. She chattered to Captain Blythe 
 in her rapid French, stopping now and then to 
 answer a question from Alice, and laughed gayly 
 at the slightest provocation. She held the Cap- 
 tain's hand all the time. 
 
 Alice felt like an outsider. She talked to Miss 
 Brooks and some of the nurses, and tried not to 
 feel jealous as she watched the others. But the 
 thought that each one of them had won honor and 
 respect by some individual deed of courage made 
 her feel suddenly very unimportant. She did not 
 realize that to both of the girls the chance had 
 come. Marieken 's in Zandre and Helen's back in 
 the United States, and that perhaps her oppor- 
 tunity was waiting for her not far ahead. 
 
 Her unhappy thoughts were suddenly inter- 
 rupted by Captain Blythe as he exclaimed. "By 
 Jove! I didn't know it was so late. We must 
 be going. Come along, both of you, I'll take you 
 to the station. Miss Brooks says that the trains
 
 A STEANGE KEUNION 117 
 
 are running after a fashion, and you'll get home 
 sometime to-night. Don't mind going without 
 your dinner, do you?" he asked laughing. "I'd 
 take you back, but I have to report fifty miles 
 north to-night, and I can 't chance being late. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, it has been such a nice afternoon, Cap- 
 tain," Helen replied, "that I wouldn't mind going 
 without fifty dinners. Good-by, Henri," she con- 
 tinued, taking the soldier's hand, "I hope I'll see 
 you again soon." 
 
 "You are so very kind," Henri replied shyly. 
 "You have given me so much of happiness this 
 afternoon. And now " he looked downcast, 
 "you are going, and I have not so much as started 
 to thank you for your letters of last winter. 
 Always in the trenches I would say to myself, if 
 some day I meet my little Marraine, I will thank 
 her properly, and now," he shrugged his shoul- 
 ders, "I have been able to say no word." 
 
 "Nonsense," Helen laughed, "you've been 
 thanking me all afternoon, and besides I'll see you 
 again soon, and next time I'll see if I can't bring 
 you some tobacco," she promised. 
 
 Marieken said good-by very politely to them 
 all, sighed because they would not stay and let
 
 118 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 her cook dinner for them, and finally kissed Cap- 
 tain Blythe on both cheeks. " You will come soon 
 again ? ' ' she pleaded. ' ' I think of you, oh, so much 
 when you are up there near the guns, and some- 
 times I cry when I dream you are wounded." 
 
 Captain Blythe laughed good-naturedly, "I 
 won't get wounded, Marieken, I promise," he 
 said. * ' So don 't worry your little head any more. 
 Give my respects to Madame, your mother. I am 
 sorry we cannot stop in the village to see her. 
 And be good and dream nice dreams about the 
 Inn at Zandre, and what sport we'll have after 
 the war is over, instead of having nightmares over 
 me." 
 
 Marieken nodded happily and ran to the gate 
 to wave them out of sight as they sped down the 
 dusty road towards the station. 
 
 Captain Blythe left Alice and Helen on the tiny 
 platform to wait the arrival of their train. * * You 
 can't go wrong, and remember the name of your 
 station is Avenon," he cautioned them. "If you 
 can't get a lift, you'll have to foot it back to the 
 hospital, but it's only a couple of miles." 
 
 "Good-by, Gibbie," Alice replied, "I wish you
 
 A STRANGE REUNION 119 
 
 didn't have to go so soon. It's been no end of a 
 lark seeing you. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, I'll try to pop in on you again," the Cap- 
 tain promised. "In the meantime, though, I may 
 see Peter. I'm going to his section. Any mes- 
 sage?" 
 
 "No," Alice replied calmly, "just good luck, 
 and tell him he's a bit stingy about letters." 
 
 The Captain looked at his sister, winked 
 solemnly and turned to Helen. "Good-by, Miss 
 Carey, I'm most awfully glad to have met you." 
 
 "Good-by," Helen replied, "if you hear any- 
 thing about the American troops, why let me know, 
 won't you?" 
 
 "Well, rather," the Captain promised, as he 
 jumped back into the car and nodded to his driver.
 
 CHAPTER XH 
 
 A SUDDEN DECISION 
 
 THE car started. Alice and Helen watched 
 until it was lost from sight in a cloud of 
 sunlit dust, then they returned to the plat- 
 form to wait for their train, which was already two 
 hours late. 
 
 "I'm hungry," Alice announced after a little. 
 
 "So am I," Helen agreed, "but it doesn't look 
 much like food around here. At best we're two 
 hours away from dinner, and we may be much 
 longer than that." 
 
 Alice cast a despairing glance up the track. 
 The rails glistened brightly where the rays of the 
 setting sun struck them, but there was no sign of 
 a train. 
 
 "Let's ask the station master when he thinks 
 the train will come," Helen suggested; "he's in 
 that little house. You speak French, so you'll 
 have to do it." 
 
 More for something to do than from any idea 
 121
 
 122 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 of gaining information, they went over to the tiny 
 well-kept cottage and knocked. 
 
 The old station master opened the door. He 
 was delighted to see the young ladies, but he could 
 not tell them when the train was likely to come. 
 It was all in the hands of the good God and the 
 military authorities, who knew best, but he had 
 faith that it would eventually arrive. 
 
 Alice thanked him in her best French, and she 
 and Helen crossed back to the platform and sat 
 down. They waited for an hour. The sun was 
 almost out of sight behind the trees, and the clouds 
 in the west were streaked with gold, but the glories 
 of the sunset were wasted on Alice. 
 
 "If I don't eat something soon, I'll jolly well 
 die of hunger right here on the platform," she 
 said. 
 
 "It's getting awfully late, look at the sun," 
 Helen pointed. "Do you think there is a train, or 
 do you suppose it's just a fable?" 
 
 At this point the door of the little cottage across 
 the tracks opened and the old man beckoned. "It 
 is very late, even for the down train," he said 
 when they went to him. "I took the liberty of
 
 A SUDDEN DECISION 123 
 
 thinking you might be hungry." He pointed to 
 a table in the center of his tiny room, on which 
 stood a big bowl of berries and a pitcher of cream. 
 
 At the sight of them Alice used all the polite 
 French phrases she could remember, and then re- 
 sorted to heartfelt English. 
 
 "He's saved our lives, bless his dear heart," 
 she laughed, "and I can't say anything but * thank 
 you, Monsieur, you are very kind, and we are very 
 hungry.' " 
 
 "Never mind, when he sees us devour them, 
 he'll understand," Helen replied. 
 
 They drew up two old chairs and were just 
 seated at the table, the tempting fruit between 
 them, when a shrill whistle made them jump to 
 their feet. The train was at last arriving. 
 Alice's look of despair as she hurried with Helen 
 across the track was comical. The old station 
 master could not suppress a chuckle as he ran to 
 put down the gates. 
 
 The train slowed up at the station, a guard 
 pointed to an empty compartment and helped them 
 in hurriedly, and before they had caught their 
 breaths they were on their way. 
 
 "That was the crudest thing I ever had happen
 
 124 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 to me in all my life," Alice groaned. "The 
 thought of that fruit snatched from under my 
 trembling lips, it's it's a beastly shame, and 
 I 'm twice as hungry as I was before. ' ' 
 
 * ' Never mind, ' ' Helen comforted, 1 1 we '11 be back 
 at the Hospital soon and then we will be sure of 
 an uninterrupted meal, but I do wish that dear old 
 man had had his generous impulse a little sooner." 
 
 They settled back into their corners and the 
 train lumbered along. It stopped every few min- 
 utes, and at one part of the journey they waited 
 on a siding for an hour. When at last the guard 
 came to their compartment to tell them that the 
 next stop would be Avenon, it was after eight 
 o'clock. They were only too glad to get out, but 
 as they stood on the little platform they tried 
 vainly to get their bearings, for it was very dark, 
 and the lamp that hung in the doorway of the 
 station was the only light in sight. The station 
 master, or mistress, for in this case it was a 
 woman, eyed them suspiciously. 
 
 "We are from the Hospital," Alice explained, 
 "and we would like a carriage to drive us there. 
 Do you know where we can get one ? ' ' 
 
 The Frenchwoman shrugged her shoulders
 
 A SUDDEN DECISION 125 
 
 characteristically and told them that there was any 
 amount of carriages to be had in the village, but 
 unfortunately the Army had taken all the horses. 
 Alice translated as best she could to Helen. 
 
 "I suppose that's funny," Helen said, "but 
 I'm too tired to see the humor of it just now. 
 Ask her the road, I'm all turned around. We'll 
 have to walk." 
 
 The woman pointed vaguely into the darkness, 
 and they started off in the general direction. 
 Once on their way they knew that if they kept 
 straight ahead for two miles they would reach the 
 chateau. 
 
 "And dinner," Alice added. "Oh, dear, I was 
 never so starved." 
 
 "Well, cheer up, this little walk will give you 
 an added appetite," Helen teased. 
 
 They trudged on in silence for awhile, and then 
 Alice said suddenly: "Listen! I hear some- 
 thing. It's an automobile." 
 
 They stood still and waited. At first they heard 
 a faint thundering noise that grew louder as the 
 machine approached. 
 
 "It's coming towards us," Alice said dolefully; 
 "what a beastly shame, I was hoping for a lift."
 
 126 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "It's more than one car, it's a lot of them. Do 
 listen! Look, here they come, we'd better give 
 them the road, ' ' Helen advised. 
 
 They stepped to one side as a train of five 
 ambulance lorries appeared up the road. Their 
 headlights were on, and they were moving very 
 fast. 
 
 * * More wounded, ' ' Helen said. t ' I didn 't know 
 they were expected, did you?" 
 
 * ' No, ' ' Alice answered. * ' Look ! ' ' 
 
 One of the machines was coming dizzily toward 
 them, and they saw that it lurched from side to 
 side. It was the third in line, and as they watched, 
 it crashed heavily into a tree, scrapping the car 
 ahead. 
 
 The others stopped abruptly and the girls ran 
 forward. The machine was badly smashed, and 
 the driver was thrown to the side of the road. 
 The second car had stopped half-way up the bank 
 a little farther on. Alice saw that the driver had 
 fallen forward over the wheel. The rest of the 
 cars stopped in their tracks, and their drivers hur- 
 ried to the wreck. 
 
 ' ' What 's up ? " Alice inquired ; ' ' we 're from the 
 Hospital."
 
 A SUDDEN DECISION 127 
 
 One of the drivers turned to her. He looked 
 very tired and dusty, and his voice was weak. 
 
 "Unexpected push up ahead," he explained; 
 "we've been running for twenty-four hours from 
 the dressing station to the Front Hospital. Now 
 we're clearing that out, we've another trip to 
 make to-night back here. Can we leave him with 
 you?" He pointed to the limp form that Helen 
 was already bending over. Alice nodded. 
 
 "Tough luck, being one car shy just now," he 
 continued; "we haven't any too many as it 
 is." 
 
 He walked wearily back to his machine, and the 
 others followed his example. Alice watched them 
 intently. None of them seemed to notice that the 
 man in the second car was still in his seat. As 
 they started off again, the drivers of the fourth 
 and fifth machines shouted something, when the 
 second failed to fall into line, but neither of them 
 stopped. 
 
 Alice ran over and shook the man at the wheeL 
 He was not hurt, but the shock of the other car 
 hitting his had dazed him. 
 
 "Are you injured?" she demanded, as he re- 
 garded her wonderingly.
 
 128 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 He was very young and he looked very sleepy. 
 "What happened?" he asked. 
 
 "Doesn't matter," Alice replied shortly, 
 "you're not fit to go on. Get out and go over and 
 help take that man back to the Hospital." 
 
 The boy obeyed mechanically. Alice climbed in- 
 to the seat he had just left. She started the en- 
 gine, released the brake and drove a little way 
 down the road. Then she jumped out and ran 
 back to Helen. 
 
 "There's nothing wrong with this car," she 
 said hurriedly, "and I'm going to drive it. Tell 
 Michael I'll be back sometime to-morrow, will 
 you?" 
 
 Helen was busy lifting the injured man, with 
 the help of the other driver, but she stopped long 
 enough to look at Alice for a brief second, then 
 she nodded. 
 
 "All right, but be careful. Easy, lift him 
 gently," she directed as she turned to the man. 
 
 Alice went back to the waiting ambulance.
 
 CHAPTER XIH 
 
 A CEY IN THE DABK 
 
 A TRAIN of ambulance lorries, returning 
 empty to their base, driven at full speed, 
 and it was several minutes before Alice 
 caught sight of car number five. She had had to 
 make up for the time she had lost, and it was with 
 a sense of having won a race that she fell into line 
 and was able to slacken her pace to suit the car 
 ahead. 
 
 She did not have time to analyze the sudden im- 
 pulse that had prompted her to follow with the 
 
 
 
 extra ambulance. It was enough for her to know 
 there was something going on up at the Front, and 
 that they needed all the help they could get. 
 When she discovered that the driver of car num- 
 ber two could not " carry on" any further she had 
 slipped into his seat with characteristic calm. 
 Once in the seat the necessity of keeping her head 
 clear and her hands steady occupied all her time. 
 Fear was something that Alice knew very little 
 
 129
 
 130 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 about, and the ride ahead held no terrors for her. 
 She did not have any idea where she was going, 
 or what she was expected to do when she got there, 
 but she did know that wherever and whatever it 
 was, the car she was driving was needed, and she 
 centered all her energy on getting it there. 
 
 For the first part of the trip the roads were 
 good, and driving was comparatively easy. The 
 lights from the lamps showed the road for a few 
 feet ahead, and made queer ghost-like shadows 
 against the blackness of the countryside. Alice 
 had a detached sort of feeling that she was sitting 
 still and the rest of the world was whirling by her 
 on either side. The thunder of the cars ahead 
 grew monotonous and the even throb of her own 
 engine seemed to be a distinctive sound. She 
 kept her eyes on the road and drove. It was too 
 dark to see anything of the country, but she felt 
 the nearness of trees, and knew that she was going 
 through a woods. 
 
 A little farther on, the car ahead slowed down ; 
 she followed, and after a minute her lights showed 
 up the outline of a bridge. The boards trembled 
 under her as she crossed. The road beyond was 
 full of ruts, and it was harder to drive. She
 
 A CEY IN THE DARK 131 
 
 watched carefully, but it is not easy to avoid 
 bumps when you are traveling at such a rate. 
 After a while she gave it up and tried to follow in 
 the tracks of the car ahead, it lurched and swayed 
 as the road grew worse. At last lights ahead 
 flickered in the darkness, and other noises, besides 
 the thunder of the cars, came to her. 
 
 The car ahead turned to the right, and as she 
 followed, her car stopped bumping. She was on 
 a smooth road again, and the pace of all the train 
 was considerably slackened. 
 
 "Either we're going through a village, or this 
 it IT, ' ' Alice said to herself. ' I hope it 's IT. ' ' 
 
 It was not long before she knew, for one by one 
 the cars ahead stopped and by the pale light of 
 the lamps she saw that they were in front of a 
 house that might once have been a hotel. She 
 was undecided what to do, but she backed her 
 car up as the others had done, and waited. 
 
 Several men in uniforms were hurrying back 
 and forth giving orders, and every few minutes 
 an ambulance from somewhere farther on would 
 go past, driving slowly. She was just going to 
 get down and explain to some one, when a voice 
 shouted: "Cars one and two for the Front; you
 
 132 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 can make it before dawn if you hustle, and you're 
 needed. Carry on! " and she saw the first of 
 her train pull out and lurch into the road. 
 
 For a half -minute Alice was undecided what to 
 do. The common-sense plan would be to explain 
 and have another car sent in her place, but some- 
 thing stronger than common-sense urged her to 
 go herself. Something inside her brain kept say- 
 ing, "I can't be as tired as they are," and before 
 she realized that she had made up her mind, she 
 was on the road again, just behind the other car. 
 
 They sped along over the smooth streets of the 
 town, took a sharp turn to their right, and were 
 soon in the country once more. 
 
 This time the roads were worse than ever, and 
 it was impossible to go very fast. Alice watched 
 the car ahead, and it seemed to go down out of 
 sight into a ditch and climb up the other side, 
 every few minutes. She was beginning to wish 
 that she had not come, when suddenly a sentry 
 loomed up in the glare of her lamps, and she heard 
 him shout: "What are you doing with your 
 lights on?" 
 
 She did not stop to explain, but hastened to 
 switch off her lamps.
 
 A CEY IN THE DARK 133 
 
 "Guess, I'm in the war zone," she said aloud, 
 and for a minute a cold creepy feeling took pos- 
 session of her backbone. 
 
 It took her some time to grow accustomed to 
 the darkness. There was nothing to guide her 
 now but the noise of the car ahead, and she soon 
 realized she could not trust to that, for another 
 noise that she had been hearing for the last hour 
 or so, and had thought was other heavy lorries, 
 grew louder and clearer, and she realized with a 
 start that she was actually listening to the guns. 
 She drove on for a long time, feeling her way, and 
 listening hard for the car ahead. When there was 
 a lull in the cannonading she could hear the 
 sound of the engine, and she did her best to fol- 
 low it. 
 
 For a short distance the road was comparatively 
 level, and Alice thought that if she could only 
 reach the driver of the car ahead she could ask him 
 to tell her what their general direction was. She 
 slowed down to listen for a sound from his car 
 and then speeded up as fast as she dared, to try to 
 gain on him. She tried hard to pierce the black- 
 ness ahead, but she could distinguish nothing. 
 She had to depend on her hearing. Just as she
 
 134 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 thought that she could hear the other car a little 
 more distinctly, the guns began again, this time 
 in real earnest, vivid blotches of color showed to 
 the north every few minutes, and the noise of the 
 bursting shells was terrifying. 
 
 Alice had only one thought, to reach the car 
 ahead at all costs, and in the stress of her excite- 
 ment she forgot the road. Suddenly, and without 
 warning, her car struck a rut and jumped to one 
 side. The wheel in her hand refused to budge; 
 then the back of the car swung around and settled 
 into a hole. 
 
 Alice sat perfectly still for a moment and 
 tried to collect her wits. She was shocked, and 
 her knee was bruised, but she was not hurt other- 
 wise. The car was balancing on the edge of a shell 
 hole, and she decided to get out before it turned 
 over. She had completely lost her bearings, and 
 in the inky darkness she did not know from which 
 direction she had come. She sat down on the 
 ground and tried to think. She was not as fright- 
 ened as she was angry. She did not understand 
 that what had happened to her might have hap- 
 pened to any one.
 
 A GEY IN THE DARK 135 
 
 "I've made a mess of things and spoiled an 
 ambulance, ' ' was the burden of her thoughts, and 
 the more she thought the angrier she became. 
 
 She buried her head in her hands, and the hot 
 burning tears trickled down between her fingers. 
 
 "Won't help any to blub about it," she said 
 angrily, getting up; "maybe the car isn't really 
 smashed up, and I might be able to back out of 
 that hole if I could only see. ' ' 
 
 She felt her way to the car and touched the hood, 
 then she felt along the side and around to the 
 back. The hole was not a very deep one, and her 
 hopes were beginning to rise, when a sound from 
 somewhere out of the darkness made her jump. 
 She was surrounded by a din of noise, for shells 
 were bursting only a little way to the north, but 
 this sound was different; it was human. She 
 waited, listening, scarcely daring to breathe. 
 
 It came again, a sharp cry of pain unmistak- 
 ably, and in sharp contrast to the thunder of the 
 guns. 
 
 Without a moment 's hesitation she plunged into 
 the darkness in the direction from which it had 
 come.
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 PETER'S INSTRUCTIONS PUT TO THE TEST 
 
 THE cry had not come from any great dis- 
 tance, and Alice had not stumbled on for 
 very far, before her shoulder struck 
 against something. She put out her hand. Her 
 first thought was that another ambulance had gone 
 off the road, but to her surprise and amazement 
 she took hold of something that felt like the wing 
 of an aeroplane. 
 
 "Is there any one here?" she asked, uncon- 
 sciously lowering her voice. 
 
 "Yes, over here. Where are you?" A voice 
 very weak from pain replied. 
 
 Alice groped her way to the side of the machine 
 under the wing. 
 
 "Right here; I'll find you in a minute." She 
 felt along the ground and finally touched some- 
 thing that felt like an arm. It moved painfully 
 under her touch. A man was lying at her feet. 
 
 "What's the matter? Do you know what's 
 
 137
 
 138 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 happened to you ? ' ' She inquired gently, kneeling 
 down beside him. 
 
 "I got winged right under the shoulder. I 
 think, but I made my landing Oh! " A 
 sharp intake of breath made Alice pause. 
 
 "Am I hurting you very much?" she asked, 
 "I want to find out where you're hurt. Is it this 
 shoulder? It's so beastly dark I can't see what 
 I'm doing." 
 
 "I know, it's been dark for ages," the man's 
 voice replied fretfully. * ' Who are you anyway ? ' ' 
 he demanded suddenly, and Alice felt his hand 
 cover the pocket of his coat protectingly. 
 
 "English ambulance driver," she explained, 
 * * and a pretty poor one at that. I ran off the road 
 over there quite a while ago. Didn 't you hear me 1 ' ' 
 
 * * Not till just now. The guns have been making 
 such an infernal racket, and my shoulder's been a 
 bit jumpy," the voice trailed off, and Alice knew 
 that the man was suffering more than he would 
 admit. 
 
 "Wonder if I could get you anything from the 
 ambulance," she said slowly; "perhaps there's a 
 bottle of water somewhere."
 
 PETER'S INSTRUCTIONS 139 
 
 "Got some of that in my own machine, but I 
 couldn't get to it. Think you could find it?" 
 the man replied. "I am uncommon thirsty. I 
 smashed my torch looking for it.*' 
 
 Alice left him and felt her way to the 'plane. 
 
 "It's strapped to the side of the seat," the man 
 directed. 
 
 She found the flask and returned. 
 
 * * There you are, be careful don 't spill it. ' ' She 
 lifted his head gently and applied the mouth of 
 the flask. 
 
 A sigh rewarded her. 
 
 "What time is it, do you know?" the man asked 
 after a pause. 
 
 "Almost dawn," Alice replied. "As soon as I 
 can see things, I '11 get you over to the ambulance 
 and try to make you comfortable, we're almost 
 sure to be picked up soon by a returning car from, 
 the Front. 
 
 The man's head had dropped back into her lap, 
 and his voice grew feverish again. 
 
 "All very well for you, but I can't go," he said. 
 "I've got to be back at headquarters before then. 
 I've made that observation and I must get it to
 
 140 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 them. This delay's a nuisance. Why don't we 
 start?" 
 
 * ' What division are you in ! " Alice asked. 
 
 The man tried to collect his wits at the ques- 
 tion, and gave her a name and number, which 
 were strangely enough the name and number of 
 Peter's Company. 
 
 "I see," she replied, "I know Lieutenant St. 
 John and Lieutenant Hunt of that " then she 
 waited. 
 
 "St. John. Good old Peter, 'gone West; too 
 bad." The man murmured confusedly. "But 
 why don 't we start ! I must get this news back to 
 the Colonel." 
 
 Alice's heart felt as if it had turnfd over and 
 then stopped, as she waited. "Peter gone West," 
 she said, trying to understand, "but, of course, he 
 doesn't know, he's delirious, and I mustn't I 
 can 't believe him. ' ' 
 
 "What news have you got to get to Head- 
 quarters!" she demanded, trying to rouse the 
 man. 
 
 1 ' Big formation of troops ; I saw them. Marked 
 my map and then confound it, where 's my map! 
 You've taken it!" He sat up excitedly.
 
 PETER'S INSTRUCTIONS 141 
 
 "No, beg your pardon, I forgot you were a girl. 
 What's a girl doing here?" His voice was 
 steadily growing weaker. 
 
 "Oh, never mind that," Alice interrupted, 
 "you're too sick to trouble." She put her hand 
 gently on his shoulder to push him back, and felt 
 that it was wet a sticky wet. She knew that it 
 was blood. "There must be an emergency kit in 
 the ambulance," she said, "I'm going to get it. 
 I'll be right back. Don't try to move." 
 
 She found her way to the ambulance and 
 climbed gingerly inside. She could not see any- 
 thing beyond the vaguest shapes, and the machine 
 might turn over if she was not careful. It looked 
 in the darkness as if it were just balancing on the 
 edge of the shell hole. Once inside, she felt 
 ^around and pulled out a blanket, and under the 
 seat in front she found a bag that she thought 
 must be an emergency kit. With these she 
 stumbled back to the man. She slipped the 
 blanket as best she could under his head and 
 shoulders, and then started to unbutton his coat 
 and khaki shirt. He winced with pain at first, 
 but helped her all he could. 
 
 "If you can stop the blood I'll be better," he
 
 142 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 said hopefully. "Know anything about nurs- 
 ing?" 
 
 "No," Alice replied, "but I've got a bag of stuff 
 here and we'll do something." 
 
 The wound was not on the shoulder, but through 
 the upper part of the arm, and with the man 
 directing, Alice tied a tourniquet above and below 
 the spot. Then she put on some soft bandage that 
 she found, gave the man another drink, covered 
 him with the blanket and sat down beside him to 
 think. There were a lot of things in the kit bag, 
 but it was too dark to see what they were. 
 
 "If I only knew what bottle had iodine in it, I'd 
 put some of that on it, ' ' she said to herself. Then, 
 as if she had a sudden inspiration, she exclaimed 
 aloud. "The lights! Of course, the car lights, 
 what an idiot I was not to think of them." She 
 ran back to the road and switched them on. They 
 looked very large and seemed to illuminate all the 
 country. Alice was frightened by their glare; 
 she looked hurriedly in the bag, found a bottle and 
 switched the lights off again. 
 
 "What was that?" the man demanded when she 
 returned to him.
 
 PETER'S INSTRUCTIONS 143 
 
 She explained. , 
 
 "I was stupid not to think of it before," she 
 said. 
 
 "Oh, bother, you mustn't do it again," the 
 man insisted, "it's dangerous; we're too near the 
 guns, and they might start shelling us, and we 
 can't take the chance on account of my plane 
 can't you understand?" 
 
 "Isn't your plane wrecked?" Alice demanded. 
 
 "No, my tank's hit, but I could make it on my 
 emergency if my shoulder would only stop." He 
 tried to sit up, but she pushed him back firmly and 
 applied the iodine. 
 
 "Now listen to me," she said, when she had 
 emptied most of the contents of the bottle over his 
 arm in the hope of some of it finding the wound : 
 "you lie still until the dawn comes, it can't be 
 long. And don't worry about the map. I prom- 
 ise you it will be taken over the lines and delivered 
 to the Colonel." 
 
 "How can you promise?" the man said fret- 
 fully, but his head sank back on her lap, and for 
 a long time neither of them spoke. 
 
 Alice watched the sky in the east for the first
 
 144 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 streak of light. Never had a night seemed so in- 
 terminably long, but at last the black of the sky 
 gave way to a faint gray, and the country began 
 to take a definite shape. She saw the outline 
 of the plane and her heart began to beat excitedly. 
 The man beside her was lying very still. It was 
 not light enough for her to distinguish any of his 
 features, but he seemed to her more like a human 
 being and less of a voice than he had seemed in 
 the dark, and the fact gave her courage. She 
 leaned over him and roused him gently. 
 
 "The light's coming," she explained, pointing 
 to the east. * ' Are you any better ? ' ' 
 
 He tried to nod. He was very weak and his face 
 showed ashy white against the dark blanket. 
 
 He looked at Alice in amazement, and she 
 laughed nervously. 
 
 "Now don't start worrying and wondering who 
 I am," she said. "I haven't time to explain, but 
 do try to understand what I am going to say. 
 
 "First of all, I'm Peter St. John's cousin, and 
 next, I know how to drive an aeroplane. If you 
 have a message that is really important, I'll take 
 it. Just give me your map and tell me the di- 
 rection by the compass. I'll drag you over to the
 
 PETER'S INSTRUCTIONS 145 
 
 road, and one of the other ambulances will pick 
 you up." 
 
 The man looked at her in unbelieving surprise. 
 
 " Am I balmy, or are you really talking sense!" 
 he said a little crossly. 
 
 "I'm talking sense," Alice replied. "You 
 can't take the message, you're too weak; so why 
 not let me try? I know you don't believe I can, 
 but it's the only chance." 
 
 "No, of course, I don't believe you can," the 
 man replied, and added fretfully, "I suppose I'll 
 wake up in a minute." 
 
 "Well, I wouldn't wait for that if I were you," 
 Alice advised. "It's getting lighter every second 
 and I'd like to start if I'm going." 
 
 The man did not reply, but she saw baffled con- 
 sent in his eyes. She jumped up with alacrity. 
 
 "Come along now, I'll get you over to the am- 
 bulance." She lifted him as gently as she could 
 under his arms, and dragged, and pulled until he 
 was just on the edge of the road. With a show 
 of business-like haste, which she was far from 
 feeling, she took a stretcher from the ambulance, 
 covered it with blankets, and made him as com- 
 fortable as possible.
 
 146 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 1 1 Now tell me what to do, ' ' she said. 
 
 Without a word the man took a wallet from his 
 pocket and handed it to her. Then in a tone as 
 gruff as it was possible for him to use he gave 
 her some directions. Alice repeated them after 
 him clearly, slipped the wallet in the pocket of the 
 sweater she had on, and walked back to the 'plana 
 On the way she picked up the gauntlets and cap 
 that she found on the ground, and put them on. 
 
 "Now, Peter, what do I do next?" she whispered 
 to herself. 
 
 Apparently no one answered her question, but 
 Peter's instructions came back to her mind, clear 
 and distinct. She started the engine, and climbed 
 into the seat with a forced bravado. She knew 
 that the man by the roadside did not believe in 
 her, and the knowledge made her angry. She 
 remembered what he had said about the tank being 
 shot, and switched to the emergency. 
 
 "Peter, Peter, don't let me fall down now!" 
 she begged. Again Peter seemed to come to her 
 aid. Her hands acted mechanically as if under his 
 instructions. 
 
 There was a whirring noise, a sudden jerky 
 start, and then the 'plane bumped over the ground,
 
 PETER'S INSTRUCTIONS 147 
 
 rose gently, skimmed the ground for a little way, 
 and then soared up and up towards a bank of gray 
 clouds that hung low in the east.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 A HINT OF DISASTEE 
 
 WHEN Alice circled above the field of 
 the Flying Corps Headquarters, a lit- 
 tle later, the place was deserted, ex- 
 cept for the men on guard. One of them noticed 
 her 'plane and called to a comrade, and together 
 they ran out to meet it. 
 
 Alice wanted to make a landing worthy of 
 Peter's instructions, so she tried to volplane 
 gently down, but she miscalculated her distance 
 with the result that her machine ran away with 
 her and she struck the ground before she intended 
 to. Before she could stop it the *plane crashed 
 into a fence post and seemed literally to crumple 
 up. 
 
 The men hurried over to the wreck, expecting 
 to find the regular pilot at the wheel. Their sur- 
 prise, when they discovered Alice, was so great 
 that it seemed to rob them of the power to act. 
 They stood about looking dumbfounded long 
 
 149
 
 150 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 enough for Alice to recover from the shock and 
 realize the sharp pain that was making her ankle 
 throb. 
 
 "Well, help me, one of you," she said when she 
 found her voice, and the men sprang to her. One 
 of them helped her climb out. She tried to stand ; 
 a cry of pain escaped her, and she sank to the 
 ground. 
 
 "Blime me, if it ain't a girl," one of the men 
 exclaimed. "Here, mate, help me pick her up. 
 Wonder how she came back in Lieutenant Grey's 
 machine. ' ' 
 
 Alice was not unconscious, and she smiled in 
 spite of her pain. "I flew back, didn't you see 
 me?" she asked, trying to laugh. "Help me up, 
 will you, I've an idea my ankle is broken." 
 
 The men lifted her clumsily, and between them 
 she tried to hobble along. 
 
 "No use," she had to admit after a few steps, 
 "you'll have to carry me." 
 
 "Where to, Miss?" one of the guards inquired, 
 rubbing his eyes. "I sy 'ave I gone balmy in my 
 crumpet?" he inquired seriously. 
 
 "To the Colonel, wherever he is," Alice di- 
 rected, "I've got news for him, and there's no time
 
 ''She tried to stand; a cry of pain escaped her" 
 
 Page 150 
 
 151
 
 A HINT OF DISASTER 153 
 
 to lose. I'll tell you how I got your 'plane after- 
 wards," she promised as they lifted her between 
 them. 
 
 Fortunately at that moment Lieutenant Hunt, 
 attracted by the noise, came out of his quarters 
 and hurried towards them. At sight of the group 
 he stopped and looked even more surprised than 
 the guards had. 
 
 4 ' Alice Blythe ! " he exclaimed. * * What are you 
 doing here ? ' ' 
 
 "Good morning, Stephen," Alice replied, and 
 explained briefly the events of the night before. 
 
 Lieutenant Hunt did not let her quite finish. 
 He took the wallet she handed him and ran to the 
 Colonel's quarters, calling to the men to follow. 
 
 A few minutes later she was explaining all over 
 again to another man with iron-gray hair, who was 
 poring over the map before him while she talked. 
 He was so busy, in fact, that he did not notice that 
 Alice was swaying dizzily, and she would have 
 fallen if Lieutenant Hunt had not caught her. 
 
 "What's^ the matter? Oh, poor child, what a 
 brute I am!" Alice heard him say, and then for 
 just a very short time everything about her was 
 blotted out, and her head swam.
 
 154 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 " She's fainted, sir," was the next thing she 
 heard, and she knew Stephen was saying it. 
 
 "No, I have not," she denied stoutly, and tried 
 hard to open her eyes, "but I've hurt my ankle, 
 and I 'm hungry awfully hungry. ' ' 
 
 "Poor old girl, I should think you would 
 be," Stephen replied. "Here, lie down for a 
 while in the Colonel's bunk, and I'll find the 
 M.D." 
 
 Alice was glad enough to obey, her ankle was 
 sending shooting pains up her leg, and her head 
 was beginning to swim again. 
 
 She heard the Colonel giving orders, and the 
 men running back and forth. Evidently the map 
 in the wallet had really been important. 
 
 She closed her eyes and did not bother to think 
 any more until a grinning Tommy offered her a 
 tin cup filled with something that smelled deli- 
 ciously like broth. She sipped it slowly and her 
 head cleared. 
 
 "Thanks a lot, that was awfully good," she 
 said. * ' May I have some more ? ' ' 
 
 "Can she 'ave more, 'arken to her," the Tommy 
 replied to an imaginary somebody. "She can 
 'ave h'all of h'it she wants," he went on. He
 
 A HINT OF DISASTER 155 
 
 walked to the door. "Hi, Charlie, more chow for 
 the lidy ! " he called. 
 
 Alice drank four cups of the soup and felt better. 
 
 She was just finishing the last one when the 
 Colonel returned with the doctor. 
 
 He examined the ankle and pronounced it a 
 bad sprain. 
 
 "But I can't for the life of me see how you did 
 it," he said as he strapped it with bands of ad- 
 hesive plaster. 
 
 "I don't either," Alice confessed, "but I've 
 given up wondering. I'm a bit confused as to 
 what happened after I struck the ground, but I got 
 here in time, didn't I, Colonel!" she asked. 
 
 "You surely did, my dear," the Colonel replied; 
 "we had given up Grey as lost." 
 
 "I hope he's all right," Alice said, "I hated 
 leaving him, but he was so upset about getting that 
 map here, that I thought I'd better chance it, and 
 now that I've done it, Colonel, may I ask one ques- 
 tion?" 
 
 V 
 
 The Colonel nodded. 
 
 "Well," Alice began, "I've a cousin, Peter St. 
 John, in this division, and I'd like most awfully 
 to see him. Is he here ? ' '
 
 156 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 The Colonel glanced sharply at the Doctor for 
 a brief second, then he said quietly: "I'm 
 awfully sorry, Miss Blythe, but your cousin is back 
 of the lines resting. He had a cold, I believe, 
 wasn 't it, Doctor 1 ' ' 
 
 The Doctor nodded. 
 
 "Nothing to be alarmed about, I just sent him 
 back because I thought he needed the rest," he 
 explained. "He will never forgive me when he 
 hears he's missed you," he added. 
 
 Alice smiled. 
 
 "Thanks," she said. "Lieutenant Grey kept 
 talking about some one's 'going West,' last night, 
 and well, of course, I knew it couldn't be Peter, 
 for I knew I'd have heard if anything had hap- 
 pened to him. But well, you understand, I could- 
 n't quite get it out of my head." 
 
 "Of course not, to be sure," the Colonel said 
 hastily. "Poor Grey must have meant some one 
 else, because St. John's all right, you see, oh, quite 
 all right, except for this slight cold. Too bad he 
 isn't here." 
 
 "Oh, if he's really all right," Alice laughed, 
 "I don't mind so very much. He'd rag me un- 
 mercifully about that landing I made, and now
 
 A HINT OF DISASTER 157 
 
 you see he doesn't have to know. Steve won't 
 give me away, I'm certain, and you won't, will 
 you? " She looked up at the two men beside her, 
 and laughed. 
 
 "No indeed, certainly not," the Colonel replied. 
 "I I'll tell him you made no end of a fine land- 
 ing, next time I see him, 'pon my soul, I will," he 
 added and turned away suddenly. 
 
 The Doctor stood up. 
 
 "Try to rest a little, Miss Blythe, won't you!" 
 he said. "That ankle may give you a little 
 trouble, but I'll give you something if the pain 
 gets very bad." 
 
 "Oh, please don't worry about me," Alice 
 laughed. "I expect it's no end of a nuisance 
 having me here, and I'm so sorry. Isn't there 
 some way of getting me to a railway station and 
 back to the Hospital? I hate bothering you like 
 this." 
 
 "Nonsense, my dear child, don't be absurd," 
 the Colonel protested. "You're not a bother at 
 all, you mustn't think so an instaat, can't have 
 it, you know think what you've done." And as 
 Alice tried to speak, he went on. "You must 
 stay quiet as the Doctor says. My quarters are
 
 158 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 entirely at your disposal. I'll give myself the 
 pleasure of having tea with you this afternoon. 
 Now, now, not a word. If you want anything, 
 my orderly will see that you get it. I hope I'll 
 have some news for you when I return," he fin- 
 ished. 
 
 Alice was a little embarrassed by so much at- 
 tention, but she thanked him and nodded to the 
 Doctor as they left her. She was very tired and 
 very drowsy, and it was not long before she was 
 fast asleep. 
 
 She did not wake up until late in the afternoon. 
 The Colonel's orderly was tiptoeing around get- 
 ting ready for tea. 
 
 "Hope I didn't wake you, Miss," he said apolo- 
 getically. 
 
 "No, indeed," Alice assured him, "it's high 
 time I was awake, and I'm dying for tea." 
 
 "I'll tell the Colonel, Miss," the orderly said; 
 "he told me to let him know as soon as you were 
 awake." 
 
 A few minutes later, Alice and the Colonel were 
 having the merriest time over the rather scanty 
 meal. Alice told of the circumstances that led up 
 to the adventure of the night before, and was
 
 A HINT OF DISASTER 159 
 
 doing her best to make her host laugh. She 
 was just recalling the episode of the station master 
 and the plate of berries, when the orderly returned 
 and announced, "Captain Blythe's compliments, 
 sir, and may he have a word with you?" 
 
 The Colonel got up instantly and went outside. 
 
 Alice waited nervously. She 'knew, or thought 
 she knew, exactly what her brother would say. 
 After a short wait the Colonel returned with him. 
 
 "Your brother, my dear," he said. 
 
 "Hello, Gibbie!" Alice tried not to sound ex- 
 cited, but she was very close to tears. 
 
 Captain Blythe came over to her and took her 
 in his arms. 
 
 "Cricket, Cricket!" he said, kissing her, "what 
 made you do it?" He was almost sobbing. 
 
 "Why Gibbie, dear," Alice asked surprised, 
 "it wasn't as bad as all that, and somebody had 
 to bring the message, you know." 
 
 "Yes, I know," her brother said brokenly, "and 
 of course, you never stopped to be afraid." 
 
 He sat down on the camp chair that the Colonel 
 pushed toward him, and the talk turned to lighter 
 subjects, but the Captain kept his eyes on his 
 sister, and their expression was one of respect.
 
 160 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 At last Alice said: "When do I go back to the 
 Hospital?" 
 
 Gilbert laughed. "You don't go, my dear," he 
 said, "you go back to England at once." 
 
 His voice was firm. Alice pleaded in vain ; noth- 
 ing could change his determination, and a little 
 later she found herself in one of the service cars 
 headed north instead of south. 
 
 As the Captain was shaking hands with the 
 Colonel, she overheard the latter say, "Don't tell 
 her until you have to, my boy." 
 
 She questioned Gilbert, but he answered her 
 evasively, and after a little she gave up trying to 
 find out what tke Colonel had meant.
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THE EETURN TO LITTLE PETSTONB 
 
 CAPTAIN BLYTHE was determined that 
 Alice would have no time to ask him ques- 
 tions on the ride to the station. He kept 
 up a lively chatter about nothing in particular all 
 the way. Alice felt that he was forcing himself to 
 be lively but she thought that he was trying to 
 make her forget the pain in her ankle, and she did 
 her best to help him. 
 
 ' ' I wish I hadn't been so clumsy about that land- 
 ing, ' ' she said ruefully, when they had taken their 
 places in the train for Calais. 
 
 "If Peter ever finds out, he'll rag me awfully, 
 and I really can't blame him, it was a stupid thing 
 to do." 
 
 "Hum," Captain Blythe showed by his expres- 
 sion that he did not agree with her. 
 
 "You'd better be thankful that you got down at 
 all," he said with spirit. 
 
 161
 
 162 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "Oh, that's one thing you're sure to do in an 
 aeroplane," Alice laughed. "You're just natu- 
 rally bound to come down." 
 
 The Captain looked at her for a moment in won- 
 dering silence, then he asked suddenly. 
 
 * * Cricket, when did you learn to drive a 'plane ? ' ' 
 
 Alice hesitated before she answered. 
 
 "Well, you see, Gibbie," she said, "it's a sort 
 of a secret between Peter and me, and he might not 
 like me to tell, you and Dad are so terribly scared 
 to have me do anything, and if I gave away this 
 secret you'd always expect me to tell you all the 
 others, and you see I can't promise to do that. 
 I give you fair warning, there will be others to tell 
 too, for now that I've really had a taste of adven- 
 ture I am not going to sit at home, or at Little Pet- 
 stone either, and just do nothing, I'm going to do 
 any number of thrilling things all the rest of my 
 life." 
 
 "For instance?" Gilbert inquired, smiling at his 
 sister's seriousness. 
 
 "Oh, I don't know just yet," Alice replied, "but 
 perhaps I'll have a 'plane of my own or perhaps 
 I '11 take up driving. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, I'd think up something better than that,"
 
 RETURN TO LITTLE PETSTONE 163 
 
 Gilbert teased, "why not hunt big game in Africa, 
 or go North and harpoon whales!" 
 
 "That's all very well for you to laugh," Alice 
 replied, "but I tell you I mean every word I say, 
 and Peter will back me up, see if he doesn't." 
 
 "I say," she added after a moment's silence, "it 
 was rather tough luck my missing Peter, wasn't it I 
 I'm rather cut up about it. That man last night 
 kept saying such awful things about * going West, 
 and poor chap. ' Of course they were not true, for 
 Colonel told me Peter was back in rest billets, but 
 somehow I still have that queer depressed feeling 
 I can't exactly explain. You don't suppose " 
 
 "Hello, here we are." Gilbert got up and 
 walked to the corridor and looked out of the win- 
 dow. "We're pulling in, better get your wraps 
 together," he said, and for the moment Alice for- 
 got Peter. 
 
 But evil tidings travel fast, and Alice could not 
 long be kept in doubt. By special arrangement 
 Captain Blythe saw her safely started for England 
 that night, and her father met her at Dover. 
 
 She was tired from her trip, and the excite- 
 ment of reaching home, and the retelling of her 
 adventures kept her mind occupied, but when two
 
 164 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 days later she returned to Little Petstone, one 
 look at her aunts' faces brought back all the vague 
 misgivings she had had. 
 
 "Auntie, what is it?" she demanded, before she 
 had taken off her hat. 
 
 Her father had brought her down by car, and 
 with Andrew's help had carried her to the sofa 
 in the Long Room. 
 
 Aunt Seraphina, who was busy trying to make 
 her comfortable, caught Dr. Blythe 's warning look 
 in time, but Aunt Matilda's hand trembled in 
 Alice 's grasp, and she replied brokenly : * ' Oh, my 
 dear, there's no use trying to keep it from you, 
 I can't do it. Peter's " she could get no fur- 
 ther. 
 
 " There, there, Matilda," the Doctor comforted, 
 "you mustn't give up hoping, you know." He 
 turned to Alice. l ' We Ve had bad news, Cricket, ' ' 
 he said gently, "and we wanted to wait until you 
 were stronger to tell you about it. Peter has been 
 wounded and missing." 
 
 Alice did not reply for several minutes, then she 
 said slowly: "I see. That's what the Colonel 
 meant when he told Gib. to keep it from me as long 
 as possible, and that's why he acted so queerly
 
 RETURN TO LITTLE PETSTONE 165 
 
 and flustered when I asked about Peter, and oh, 
 Daddy, it can't be true not Peter! Lieutenant 
 Grey said he had 'gone West,' but that means 
 oh, I won't believe it I won't." 
 
 All her courage gave way and she sobbed as if 
 her heart would break. 
 
 " Wounded and missing doesn't always mean 
 dead, dear child, ' ' her father tried to comfort her, 
 "It may mean that Peter's just a prisoner we 
 don't know anything definite yet, and you mustn't 
 give way like that, there's hope ahead. Come 
 now, stop." 
 
 Alice did her best to suppress her sobs, but it 
 was hard work. She understood too well the 
 meaning of the message " wounded and missing,'* 
 to put much faith in her father's hopes. 
 
 "Tell me all you know," she said a little later 
 when she had dried her eyes. 
 
 "Nothing but the bare facts, Cricket," her 
 father replied. "Peter went up the morning of 
 the eighth the day you were at Fleurette " 
 Alice shuddered, "and one of the observers saw 
 his 'plane drop behind the German lines that's 
 all. Of course, Gibbie will do his best to find out 
 anything more, and let us know."
 
 166 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "Then no one actually saw him killed!" Alice 
 eagerly asked. 
 
 "No, his 'plane was hit by one of the enemy 
 anti-aircraft guns and crashed to the ground, 
 but they don't know positively that he was hurt." 
 
 Alice nodded. 
 
 "If there's a chance we must try to hope," she 
 said bravely. "Perhaps we'll hear something 
 soon." 
 
 * * That 's right, ' ' her father agreed, * ' I can 't help 
 but feel he's alive." 
 
 But days passed and no word came. Dr. Blythe 
 went back to London, and Mrs. Blythe came down 
 for a day. Alice's ankle grew better, but she 
 could not walk on it, and the time dragged by in 
 endless waiting. 
 
 The aunts did their best to smile, but their ter- 
 rible anxiety showed only too plainly in their eyes. 
 They made much of Alice as an invalid, and by 
 waiting on her and inventing new wants every day 
 they kept occupied and fought against admitting 
 their worst fears for Peter. 
 
 To Alice the inaction was terrible. She was not 
 old enough to accept the inevitable without pro- 
 test ; she wanted to be up and about, doing some-
 
 EETUEN TO LITTLE PETSTONE 167 
 
 thing or anything to make her forget: Lieuten- 
 ant Grey's words rang in her ears day and night, 
 "Poor old chap, he's gone West," and although 
 she tried to keep up for the aunts ' sake, she found 
 it hard to convince herself that there was even a 
 slight hope. 
 
 She had been back only a week, when a letter 
 from Michael came to her. She was sitting out 
 on the terrace in the sunshine when Aunt Sera- 
 phina handed it to her. She opened it eagerly to 
 find that it contained another envelope addressed 
 in Peter's handwriting. 
 
 Michael had written across, the back of it: 
 "This came the day you left. I've just heard the 
 news. I'm sorry, Cricket, awfully sorry better 
 not read this just yet." 
 
 But Alice disregarded his advice and opened the 
 letter. Her hand trembled a little as she read the 
 hurried, unheaded scrawl. 
 
 "Just time for a line to-night, as I expect to go up 
 bright and early in the morning. There's something 
 going on over in Mr. Fritz's back yard that we want to 
 find out about, and I'm elected. The only trouble is, 
 this particular backyard is so far away that, although I 
 may get there, there's a very good chance that I may not 
 get back, so this is sort of a 'last line before the battle* 
 letter.
 
 168 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "Do you know, Alice, I've been thinking about you all 
 day, and well, if I might have one wish to-night it 
 would be to see you for a little while there, does that 
 sound awfully rubbishy to you? I suppose it does; or 
 perhaps now that you're out here too, you've gotten 
 to look at things differently, same as I have. I never 
 felt sentimental before, so I can't be sure, but I think 
 that's what's the matter with me. Anyway I'm a whole 
 lot changed, and as I said before I wish I could be with 
 you. I have a notion I'd like to see the way your hair 
 grows over your left ear. Considering the opportuni- 
 ties I've had to observe it in the past without taking 
 advantage of them, shows that I am either coming down 
 with a fever or just plain balmy I'll leave you to 
 judge which. Wish me luck, I'm trusting to the blue 
 forget-me-not to see me through. 
 
 "Yours, 
 
 "PETER. 
 
 P. S. "Alf. Gubber has been taken prisoner tough 
 
 luck, isn't it. Hunt sends his best regards. 
 
 p 
 
 Alice let the letter drop to her lap and looked 
 out over the garden. Her eyes were blinded by 
 hot tears. Peter had never written her a letter 
 like that before, and she had never wanted him 
 to, at least not until lately. She wondered if it 
 were true that going "out there" did change peo- 
 ple. She heard Aunt Seraphina in the Long 
 Boom, and hastily hid the letter, and explained 
 that it was just a note from Michael.
 
 BETURN TO LITTLE PETSTONE 169 
 
 "He says that Alf Gubber has been taken 
 prisoner," she said. "I wonder if his family 
 know it." 
 
 "I'll send Andrew down to see," Aunt Sera- 
 phina replied. "His poor mother will be so up- 
 set, I'd go myself only " 
 
 "No, you stay here, dear, it's too warm for you 
 to venture so far, and it would only distress you," 
 Alice interrupted, "I'll go." 
 
 "But, my dear, your ankle." 
 
 "Oh, bother my ankle!" Alice tried to laugh; 
 "it's really much better, and Andrew can lift me 
 into the car and go with me. I'll only drive at a 
 snail's pace, I promise, and I really think it would 
 do me good." 
 
 Aunt Seraphina was never proof against Alice 's 
 coaxing, and she had to admit that it was tiresome 
 to have to stay so long in the house. So after 
 luncheon Andrew helped Alice hop out to the barn, 
 and took his place beside her in the car. 
 
 "It's not hard to drive if you have one good 
 foot and two good hands," Alice said as they 
 started, "so you needn't be worried, Andrew, I 
 won 't upset you. ' ' 
 
 "That's as may be," Andrew replied compos-
 
 170 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 edly, "but I maun say, lassie, I've mair faith in 
 you wi' ane foot than wi' many that has twa." 
 
 Alice could not help being pleased at so flatter- 
 ing a compliment. She laughed merrily, and after 
 they had gone a little way something of the old 
 color came back to her cheeks. 
 
 Mrs. Gubber was at home in her little cottage 
 when they reached the village. Alice hobbled into 
 the tiny best parlor, and after a little she in- 
 duced her hostess to sit down beside her on the 
 sofa. 
 
 "What have you heard from Alf?" she in- 
 quired after they had exchanged greetings. 
 
 Mrs. Gubber 's face fell. 
 
 "He's been taken a prisoner, Miss," she replied; 
 "we had a wire from the War Office last week tell- 
 ing us so." 
 
 "I knew it," Alice explained, "but I thought 
 perhaps you hadn't heard. I'm so sorry." 
 
 "Mr. Gubber says as how we ought to be thank- 
 ful he's livin'," Mrs. Gubber went on sadly, "but 
 oh, Miss, when you think of the way those Ger- 
 mans treat their prisoners, I can't help but be 
 downhearted. ' ' 
 
 "Of course, you can't," Alice comforted, "but
 
 EETUEN TO LITTLE PETSTONE 171 
 just the same, it is good to know he's alive, and 
 I've an idea that Alf can look after himself," she 
 added. 
 
 Mrs. Gubber smiled. "Oh, Alf's no coward, 
 Miss, if I do say it, he always was a great one to 
 hold his own. But little difference it makes, I 
 guess, if he's in one of those prison camps, 
 whether he's brave or not." 
 
 Alice was about to reply, when she looked up to 
 see Mr. Gubber standing in the doorway, his face 
 wreathed in smiles. 
 
 "Good news, Mother!" he said, "here's a letter 
 from our Alf." Then as he saw Alice he added, 
 "How are you, Miss!" 
 
 "Oh, much better," Alice replied, "what does 
 Alf say? Do tell us quick." 
 
 Mr. Gubber handed her a very dirty card. It 
 was stamped with the German censor stamp, and 
 the writing was so smeared that it was almost 
 illegible. 
 
 "Maybe you can make more out of it than I 
 can," Mr. Gubber said, "I see it's from Alf, but 
 the rest is too much for my eyes. I thought maybe 
 Mother could get it better than me." 
 
 Alice took the card and looked at it. There
 
 172 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 was an impatient silence while she tried to make 
 out the message. At last she read : 
 
 " *I am a prisoner but well and so don't 
 worry. There is a lot of us here together. Food 
 is scarce, send some to " 
 
 Alice stopped. 
 
 "That address is almost impossible to make 
 out, but I think we can get it if we see it under a 
 magnifying glass," she said. 
 
 "Yes, yes, go on, what's next," Mrs. Gubber 
 asked excitedly. 
 
 " 'And I will get it sure,' ; ' Alice continued 
 reading. " *I see Mr. P. a ' 
 
 "The rest is blotted out," Alice said, "except, 
 " 'Your loving son, Alf.' " 
 
 Her voice was tense. She stood up and caught 
 hold of Mr. Gubber 's arm. 
 
 "Do you think Alf means Peter by that 'Mr. 
 P'?" she asked excitedly. 
 
 "Why, yes, Miss, I'm sure he does," Mrs. Gub- 
 ber cried. "Why, who else could he mean?" 
 She looked appealingly at her husband. 
 
 Mr. Gubber went over to the family Bible that 
 stood on the table and took out a small package 
 of letters.
 
 EETURN TO LITTLE PETSTONE 173 
 
 "He always does speak of him as 'Mr. P.', 
 Miss," he explained. 
 
 Alice took the letters from him, as he took them 
 out of their envelopes, and scanned them hur- 
 riedly. There was a fair sprinkling of "Mr. 
 PV through them all. She was so dizzy with 
 the sudden excitement that she could hardly stand. 
 
 "He's alive, Miss, he must be!" Mrs. Gubber 
 said excitedly. "Do go straight home and tell 
 your dear aunts." 
 
 Alice regained her self-control with an effort, 
 and forced herself to say calmly : * * No, that 's the 
 last thing we must do. Don't tell any one. If it 
 turned out not to be true, it would kill them 
 can't you see?" 
 
 "You're right, Miss, we mustn't be too hasty," 
 Mr. Gubber said. "And now I'll go call Andrew 
 to help you back to your car. You look like you 
 needed a bit of air."
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 LIEUTENANT WHITE 
 
 FOE the rest of the day Alice kept her news 
 to herself, but it was the hardest thing 
 she had ever done in her life. Every time 
 that her aunts spoke to her, and she saw the hurt 
 look in their eyes, she was tempted to tell every- 
 thing; but the thought of their grief, if her sur- 
 mise did not prove to be right, kept her from doing 
 it. 
 
 All afternoon she sat in the garden trying to 
 think it out. She read and reread Alf 's card, and 
 studied it under a magnifying glass, but beyond 
 the words, "I see Mr. P. a" she could make out 
 nothing, and that might mean anything. If, as 
 she hoped, it meant, "I see Mr. P. a lot," then why 
 didn 't Peter write for himself ? Was he wounded, 
 or had he written, and his letter not reached 
 them? 
 
 The thoughts tormented her and she could feel 
 sure of nothing. 
 
 175
 
 176 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 The next morning, after a sleepless night, she 
 decided to send for her father or mother. Either 
 of them could advise her what to do. Then she 
 wrote a long letter to Gilbert, asking him to do 
 what he could to make sure. Directly after 
 luncheon, she and Andrew started out in the car, 
 ostensibly to post her letters, but really to send off 
 the wire to Dr. Blythe. 
 
 A sudden impulse made Alice decide, before 
 they had reached the village, to confide in the old 
 Scotchman beside her. She told him all she knew 
 and showed him the card. 
 
 Andrew did not reply at once. He sat think- 
 ing for a long while. 
 
 "It's queer," he said at last; "I dinna pretend 
 to understand it, but lassie, if I were you, I 
 wouldna send off that wire to your father, or the 
 letter to the Captain. I 'd bide a wee and see what 
 happens." 
 
 Alice considered. There was something in An- 
 drew's firm voice and look that made her feel that 
 she would be wise to take his advice. 
 
 "It's going to be awfully hard to wait," she 
 said. 
 
 Andrew nodded understandingly.
 
 LIEUTENANT WHITE 177 
 
 "Did ye say ye'd made 'oot Alf 's address?" he 
 inquired. 
 
 "Yes, and I've written it plainly on this sheet of 
 paper to give to Mrs. Gubber, ' ' Alice replied. 
 
 "Weel, dinna gie it to Mrs. Gubber, gie it to 
 me/' Andrew said, "an* I'll ha' a talk wi Gubber 
 himsel'. There's a chance o' some kind, lassie, o' 
 getting word to Meester Peter in a box of food, 
 but I canna say offhand just what it is. Ye maun 
 gie me time to think. " 
 
 * ' Oh, Andrew, what a splendid idea ! Of course^ 
 I never thought of it," Alice replied. "I'll leave 
 you at Mr. Gubber 's, and you and he can talk it 
 over. I'll go on for a little drive and come back 
 for you." 
 
 Andrew shook his head. 
 
 "If I'm tae think I maun walk a bit, put me 
 doon here and I'll go the rest o' the way myseiy * 
 he directed. 
 
 s 
 
 Alice stopped and he got out. 
 
 "I'll be back for you in an hour or so," she said,, 
 and started the car again. 
 
 Without giving much thought to the direction 
 she was taking, she jogged along the back country 
 road for a little way, and drew up under a big tree
 
 178 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 beside Mystery Meadow, and stopped. It was a 
 clear, warm day, and the shade was welcome. 
 
 Alice had not been near the spot since her re- 
 turn from France, and it seemed as though every 
 stick and stone called back memories of Peter. 
 She slipped from her place behind the wheel and 
 stretched out comfortably in the other seat. Her 
 head fell back and she stared up at the leafy 
 branches above her. Picture after picture flashed 
 through her mind. She remembered even the 
 most trivial incidents of their meeting, the funny 
 little things Peter had said to tease her ; the excite- 
 ment of those stolen trips. She looked over at 
 the deserted barn. 
 
 "Oh, Peter, Peter, you must come back 
 to me!" she whispered miserably, and closed 
 her eyes as if to shut out the old familiar 
 sights. 
 
 When she opened them again she looked at the 
 sky, and what she saw made her jump. A fa- 
 miliar speck outlined against the blue was coming 
 towards her. She watched it, fascinated, hardly 
 daring to believe her eyes. It came nearer and 
 nearer and circled uncertainly above a field far- 
 ther on.
 
 LIEUTENANT WHITE 179 
 
 The hum of the engine reached her as it came on 
 into full view. 
 
 " Engine trouble, I can tell that," Alice said to 
 herself, as she watched the uncertain movements 
 of the 'plane. She was herself again; the first 
 moment of wonder and hope gave way to practical 
 common-sense. 
 
 She watched the 'plane curiously as it chose a 
 spot to land, and saw it volplane down towards 
 her. It lighted rather heavily in a far corner of 
 the field, and the driver climbed out. He in- 
 spected his engine and made one or two attempts 
 to start, but failed each time. Alice saw by his 
 uniform that he was a member of the Eoyal Fly- 
 ing Corps. 
 
 "I suppose I've got to go and help you," she 
 said, sliding back into the driver's seat, "but I 
 don't see why you had to come just at this mo- 
 ment, or pick out this particular field to land in," 
 she added crossly to herself. 
 
 She turned the car around, turned up a lane 
 that skirted the edge of the field, and was soon just 
 on the other side of the fence from the aeroplane. 
 
 "Can't I help?" she called cheerfully. "I see 
 you're in trouble."
 
 180 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 The driver of the 'plane took off his cap and 
 came over to her. 
 
 "You are very kind, I am sure, to offer," he 
 said, choosing his words with care, "but I fear 
 my machine is beyond your help. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that," Alice 
 laughed, "I know a lot about engines." 
 
 She looked at the man and smiled. He was tall 
 and blonde; his eyes were a light blue and very 
 small, and the lower part of his face was too heavy 
 for the rest of it. Alice decided at once that she 
 did not like him, but he was in trouble and she felt 
 it was her duty to help him. 
 
 "Anyway I can run you up to the village in my 
 car and save you a dusty walk," she said, deter- 
 mined to be good-natured and polite. 
 
 "Thank you, that's very jolly of you," the man 
 replied, "but may I ask whom I have the honor to 
 address? I am Lieutenant White of the Royal 
 Flying Corps, as you see." 
 
 "Oh, I'm Alice Blythe," Alice told him, "and 
 now that we're properly introduced, what can I 
 do for you?" 
 
 Lieutenant White smiled for the first time. 
 
 "If you can tell me where I can find a hotel
 
 LIEUTENANT WHITE 181 
 
 where I can get something to eat, I'll be very 
 greatly obliged," he said, "I've made a long flight 
 and I admit I am very hungry. ' ' 
 
 "Why, there isn't a place in the village worthy 
 of the name of a hotel," Alice replied, "but if you 
 will, I'll be glad to take you to my aunts'. We 
 don't live far from here, and it's almost tea time, 
 isn't it?" 
 
 She unconsciously expected him to look at a 
 wrist watch, and was a little surprised to see that 
 he carried an old fashioned watch in his pocket, 
 with the chain fastened in the buttonhole of his 
 lapel. As he pulled it out and consulted it, the 
 lapel turned over from the weight of the chain. 
 
 It was only for an instant, but it was long 
 enough for Alice to see that there was a small 
 blue forget-me-not embroidered beneath it.
 
 CHAPTER XVTEI 
 
 IN THE TOWEB 
 
 IT was fortunate that Alice did not at once 
 realize the importance of her discovery. If 
 she had, it is hardly likely that she would have 
 kept her head and continued the conversation with 
 Lieutenant White. As it was, her thoughts were 
 so confused that she found it almost impossible to 
 keep calm and not show by her expression the tu- 
 mult that was going on in her heart. All the color 
 left her cheeks, but Lieutenant White did not 
 seem to notice it. He slipped the watch back in 
 his pocket and jumped over the stone wall. 
 
 " You are very kind, I am sure, Miss Blythe, and 
 although I dislike having to trouble you so much, 
 I will accept your invitation. My 'plane will be 
 safe here, will it not!" 
 
 Alice nodded and forced a smile. 
 
 "Yes indeed, it's not likely that any one will see 
 it, and if they do, I assure you none of the natives 
 hereabout know anything about flying. ' ' 
 
 183
 
 184 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 The Lieutenant smiled, opened the door of the 
 car and took his place beside her, and they started 
 back along the road. 
 
 Alice had no formed idea or plan of what she 
 was going to do with the man in the seat beside 
 her. She felt for the moment that she had him 
 more or less in her hands, but the chief thing was 
 not to frighten him. 
 
 "Do you know this part of the country at all?" 
 she asked to make conversation. 
 
 "Not very well," the officer replied hurriedly. 
 "I have not lived much of my life in England, 
 although, of course, I am perfectly familiar with 
 London and some of the country, you understand." 
 
 "Oh, certainly. We're rather tucked away 
 down here," Alice said; "very few people really 
 know this spot at all. ' ' 
 
 "It is truly delightful; I am glad I discovered 
 it," he replied politely. 
 
 "Wonder if you'll say that this time to-mor- 
 row," Alice thought to herself. 
 
 They were not going very fast. She was pur- 
 posely taking as long as possible in order to have 
 time to think. 
 
 As they passed the road that led to the village,
 
 IN THE TOWER 185 
 
 Alice saw Andrew sitting on a stone waiting for 
 her. She increased her speed a little and passed 
 him with barely a nod, but she made signs for him 
 to follow, with her hand. 
 
 When they turned in the gates of Brinsley Hall, 
 the Lieutenant asked: "Is this your place? It's 
 very charming. I really feel myself most fortu- 
 nate no end so, in fact, \ ' he added with a visible 
 effort. 
 
 Alice wanted to laugh, for she realized that he 
 was trying to be very English for her benefit, and 
 his precise stilted way of talking was funny. 
 
 "It is a rather nice place," she admitted. "It 
 has an interesting history too, and we're no end 
 proud of the gardens ; I '11 show them to you while 
 we 're waiting for tea. ' ' 
 
 They stopped at the terrace and Alice tried hard 
 not to limp too much, as she led the way through 
 the Dutch door into the Long Room. 
 
 "Do sit down and I'll find some food," she 
 laughed, pointing to a chair. 
 
 Lieutenant White looked about him curiously, 
 and after a little hesitation sank into the offered 
 chair. 
 
 Alice hurried from the room. It was only a
 
 186 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 little after three, and her aunts were still in their 
 rooms taking their afternoon rest. Alice tiptoed 
 to the kitchen the maids were nowhere in sight- 
 then with a sigh of relief she returned to the Long 
 Room. 
 
 ' ' Your watch is fast, * ' she said laughing. ' ' It 's 
 really only a little after three, but I've ordered 
 tea ; it will be along in a few minutes. ' ' 
 . The Lieutenant, who had risen when she entered 
 the room, bowed stiffly. 
 
 "It is most unfortunate that I must put you to 
 so much trouble," he said precisely. 
 
 "Not a bit of it," Alice assured him. "Would 
 you care to take a turn in the garden while you 
 wait ? I can 't go with you because of this beastly 
 sprained ankle." She pointed to her foot, shod 
 in a bedroom slipper. 
 
 "Oh no, indeed, I am quite comfortable where 
 I am, I thank you," Lieutenant White protested. 
 "Do not cause yourself any anxiety over me, 
 please. Perhaps if you would care to bother, you 
 will tell me something about this part of the coun- 
 try." 
 
 "Oh, so you're trying to pump me, eh?" Alice 
 thought to herself, but aloud she said : * * Why I 'd
 
 IN THE TOWER 187 
 
 be no end glad to. We have some rather inter- 
 esting places in the neighborhood. But first let 
 me go and hurry up tea a bit, and incidentally my 
 aunts. You see we caught them napping and 
 they're a trifle flurried." 
 
 "No, pray don't disturb them," the Lieutenant 
 protested, but Alice left the room. 
 
 She did not, however, go to the kitchen or to the 
 aunts' rooms. She limped painfully through the 
 house and down the front driveway. Andrew was 
 already in sight, and she beckoned to him to hurry, 
 and hid behind a big rhododendron bush. 
 
 Andrew followed her. Alice pulled him out of 
 sight and whispered excitedly: "That man you 
 saw in my car, Andrew, is a German spy, and he 's 
 got on Mr. Peter's uniform. I know it, but I 
 haven't time now to explain how. He's in the 
 Long Room waiting for food." 
 
 Andrew for once in his life looked startled. 
 
 "What shall we do with him?" Alice continued. 
 "I don't dare let him out of my sight." 
 
 It seemed an eternity of minutes before Andrew 
 answered, but when he did he spoke quickly and 
 to the point. Alice nodded when he finished and 
 hurried back to the house.
 
 188 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "Have I been an age?" she asked gayly from 
 the door of the Long Boom. "I'm most awfully 
 sorry, but we are so shy of servants only two 
 left to run this big house the rest have all gone 
 'over to munitions/ as they call it." 
 
 Lieutenant White sat up straight and became 
 suddenly interested. 
 
 "Are there any munition plants about here?" he 
 inquired almost too quietly. 
 
 "Yes, indeed," Alice replied, "any amount of 
 them grubby places, don't you think? and so 
 awfully dangerous." Then as she saw Andrew 
 step on to the terrace she changed the subject 
 abruptly. "But ammunition is not a nice tea- 
 time topic, is it ? Let me show you over the house. 
 I'll wager you'd never believe from the innocent 
 look of the outside that we've a real secret tower. 
 Come over here a second." 
 
 The officer evidently thought it best for his own 
 ends to humor her. He got up reluctantly and 
 went over beside the fire place. 
 
 Alice pointed to the old shield emblazoned above 
 it, and as he examined it, she slipped her hand 
 along the panel and found the spring. When
 
 "Two very, very big and very strong hands thrust 
 none too gently through the opening." 
 
 189 
 
 Page 191.
 
 IN THE TOWER 191 
 
 Lieutenant White turned to her, his back was to- 
 wards the door, and he did not see Andrew. 
 
 "That's very interesting, I'm sure," he said 
 politely, "but about these munition " 
 
 He got no farther, for Alice, at a signal from 
 Andrew, touched the spring; the panel opened 
 slowly, and before the astonished officer realized 
 what was happening, two very big and very strong 
 hands thrust him none too gently through the 
 opening, and he saw the panel close as mysteri- 
 ously as it had opened.
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 HOPES 
 
 LIEUTENANT WHITE recovered his 
 senses almost at once and thundered on 
 the door. 
 
 " There's no use of ye 're doing that," Andrew 
 spoke mildly, his mouth to the panel. * 'If ye keep 
 still we'll dae ye na harm, but if ye start argy 
 bargying, I'll be forced to treat ye sternly." 
 
 Lieutenant White had not the vaguest idea 
 what "argy bargying" meant, but he wisely re- 
 frained from further poundings. Alice and An- 
 drew quizzed him uninterruptedly for the rest of 
 the afternoon, and he answered most of the ques- 
 tions they asked him. 
 
 "He's the reason for Meester Peter's not 
 writin ', ' ' Andrew said at last. * ' Just how I canna 
 tell, but we'll find oot somehow, and, lassie, I'm 
 thinkin' we're safe in believin* that Meester 
 Peter's alive." 
 
 "I think so too from what he says," Alice re- 
 plied. "But, Andrew, do you think he meant it 
 
 193
 
 194 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 when he said that Peter would be shot, if we 
 handed him over to the authorities and news of it 
 reached Germany?" 
 
 In the course of the questioning, Lieutenant 
 White had made many such threats calculated 
 to intimidate his jailors. Alice was inclined to 
 believe him, but Andrew was hard to convince. 
 
 " 'E's a powerfu' secht o' words, but I'm no* 
 so sure there's much in what he said. However, 
 we'll tak' no chances. Gubber and I arranged a 
 plan this afternoon. ' ' 
 
 1 ' Oh, tell me, ' ' Alice begged. 
 
 " Whereby we can send a box," Andrew con- 
 tinued, <r containin' food to Alf, to the address he 
 sent." 
 
 "Well, go on," Alice insisted. 
 
 "Gubber is to write a wee note saying he hopes 
 Alf and his friend enjoy the food, an ordinary 
 note ye ken that will get by the censor, adding the 
 words 'especially ye 're Mither's pudding.' " 
 
 "Yes, yes, and in the pudding," Alice prompted 
 impatiently. 
 
 "In the pudding 'twill be a plum pudding, ye 
 ken, we're goin' to hide a wee compass in one o' 
 the plums."
 
 HOPES 195 
 
 Andrew stopped, but Alice looked vague, and he 
 went on to explain. 
 
 "A compass, lassie, is all that any able-bodied 
 man needs to get out of a small prison camp. In 
 the big ones, of course, it's anither matter, and 
 there 's the trouble. If we can get the box to Alf 
 afore he 's transferred, there 's a good chance that 
 he and Mr. P. may escape it's the best we can 
 do, lassie, and I'll grant ye it's no' verra much." 
 
 "And in the meantime?" Alice asked, pointing 
 to the door. 
 
 "In the meantime, we'll keep our fine friend 
 where he is, ' ' Andrew replied. 
 
 "But how will we feed him?" 
 
 Andrew scratched his head. "That's a seri- 
 ous question," he said, "but it's no great matfer. 
 If we canna think of a safe way, he maun go un- 
 fed." 
 
 Alice, even in her excitement, could not re- 
 press a smile. 
 
 "When does the box to Alf go?" she asked. 
 
 "This verra nicht," Andrew replied as he 
 walked over to the panel again. 
 
 In words none too gentle, but which left no 
 doubt as to their meaning, he warned the man
 
 196 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 in the tower to keep very still, and left him to un- 
 derstand that if he didn't, he would receive a 
 thrashing worse than even his German imagina- 
 tion could picture. His warning was received in 
 sullen silence, and Andrew left the room with a 
 satisfied smile. 
 
 Alice sat down to think. She was frightened, 
 thoroughly frightened, and she watched the panel 
 nervously. Her aunts came down for tea a little 
 later, and she forced herself to talk cheerfully, but 
 one ear was strained listening for a sound from 
 the corner of the room. 
 
 After dinner she sent Andrew to Mystery 
 Meadow, and told him to roll the 'plane out of 
 sight into the barn. When he came back she had 
 devised a plan to get food to the prisoner. She 
 Waited until her aunts were asleep, and then called 
 Andrew who was waiting on the terrace. 
 
 She had a tray stocked with provisions ready 
 on the table and two big thermos bottles filled with 
 water. It was not a tempting meal, for it con- 
 sisted mostly of food in jars, and several boxes of 
 crackers ; two loaves of bread and a plate of cold 
 meat. 

 
 HOPES 197 
 
 "It's much for a German," was Andrew's com- 
 ment. 
 
 "But it's got to last for goodness knows how 
 long," Alice reminded him, and she explained 
 her plan. 
 
 The only other outlet from the tower was 
 through a small room at the top of the house 
 that Peter had used long ago as his own particu- 
 lar snuggery. A panel behind a bookcase opened 
 much the same way as the one in the Long Boom. 
 Alice told Andrew to go up to that door and wait. 
 
 Then she went over to the panel beside the fire- 
 place and called. 
 
 "Lieutenant White," she said, when a sullen 
 voice answered her, "if you will go upstairs to the 
 very top of the tower, Andrew will give you your 
 dinner," she explained. "Now please don't 
 argue," she continued, interrupting a volley of 
 exclamations, "and if I were you I wouldn't keep 
 Andrew waiting too long, he might get tired, and 
 then you'd be without your dinner. And oh, by 
 the way, while we're talking, I may as well add 
 that we don't intend keeping you here any longer 
 than necessary, and if you behave and don't make
 
 198 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 a noise, I hope that in a few days we will have 
 come to some solution. It's possible that we may 
 let you go on account of my cousin, you know 
 now go upstairs and get your dinner. I don't 
 want to hear what you have to say, I'm not in- 
 terested." 
 
 She waited breathlessly and before very long 
 she heard the thud, thud of his boots as he as- 
 cended the stairs. When she was sure he was al- 
 most to the top, she pressed the spring of the 
 panel and slipped the tray inside the tower. Then 
 she touched the spring and the panel closed. 
 
 Up at the top of the house, Andrew was care- 
 fully explaining to Lieutenant White that it was 
 all a mistake and that he would find his dinner at 
 the bottom of the stairs. 
 
 All that night the old Scotchman sat in the gar- 
 den and kept watch, while Alice curled up on the 
 sofa in the Long Boom and did her best to sleep.
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 NEWS AT LAST 
 
 ONE week later found them both at their 
 same posts. The box had been sent, but 
 no news of either Peter or Alf had come. 
 Alice looked tired and worn out. There were 
 heavy circles under her eyes that she had a hard 
 time explaining away to the aunts, and a grim 
 look had settled around the corners of Andrew's 
 mouth. 
 
 He refused to give up hope, but as Alice settled 
 herself on the sofa on this particular evening, she 
 was planning how best to explain the situation to 
 her father, for she had made up her mind to face 
 defeat, she could not bear the endless waiting any 
 longer. Even the repeated threats of the German 
 that Peter would surely be killed failed to rouse 
 her. Her hopes were dead ; she sure would never 
 see Peter again anyway, and the ultimate fate of 
 Lieutenant White did not matter. 
 
 Thus she argued, as she tried to find a comfort- 
 
 199
 
 200 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 able position for her head on the stiff arm of the 
 sofa. But when the sound of carriage wheels on 
 the drive came to her, and she heard Andrew's 
 voice from the terrace, she jumped up excitedly, a 
 new hope in her heart. 
 
 "What is it?" she called softly. "Oh, it's the 
 Major." Her voice fell as she recognized the 
 Chetwoods' dogcart. "What are you doing out 
 at this hour of the night?" 
 
 "My dear child, I've news, the most extraordi- 
 nary news for you," the Major replied excitedly, 
 climbing out of the rig. "Your father called me 
 up from London not twenty minutes ago. We 
 were all sound asleep yes, sound asleep he's 
 had a wire from Peter's Colonel. The boy's safe 
 and on his way home. Think of it, my dear, not 
 dead at all ! Your father said he knew I 'd bring 
 over the message. Your not having a 'phone in 
 great mistake, that but no matter, I was only 
 too glad to come. There there, you mustn't let 
 it upset you so!" he continued, as Alice, once she 
 had sifted the real meaning of the Major's words, 
 threw herself into Andrew's arms and burst into 
 tears. 
 
 "It's a wee bit o' a shock, sir," Andrew said
 
 NEWS AT LAST 201 
 
 gently, "and comin' sudden like, it has upset her 
 a bit. Did the Doctor say how Meester Peter 
 came back?" he inquired. 
 
 "Yes, yes, of course most extraordinary 
 really, you know, Andrew," the Major answered; 
 "he escaped from a prison, you know, with an- 
 other chap. By Jove! I was forgetting that 
 important too. The other chap was Alf Gubber 
 just fancy our Gubber 's boy. His mother 
 must know of course." 
 
 "I'll tell her, sir," Andrew interrupted quietly, 
 "i' the mornin' early. There's no use scarin' 
 her, sir, she's no verra strong. That's ma brave 
 lassie," he continued as Alice lifted her head from 
 his shoulder and wiped her eyes. 
 
 "How silly of me to cry," she said tremulously, 
 "it's not at all a crying matter, is it? Come into 
 the house, Major. I think I'll wait till the morn- 
 ing to tell the aunts. It's safer, I think." 
 
 "Thank you, no, my dear, I'll be going back to 
 bed," the Major replied. "Did I tell you, Peter 
 was expected to arrive to-morrow?" 
 
 "Yes, in London," Alice said, "and that means 
 unless he's ill that he will come straight down 
 here. Oh, Major, I can hardly believe it."
 
 202 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "No, of course not very sudden but splen- 
 did, eh? I tell you I was as excited as you are- 
 could hardly talk to your father, you know. ' ' 
 
 "Come down in the morning," Alice called as 
 he drove off in the dogcart. 
 
 "Oh, Andrew! Andrew!" she exclaimed when 
 he was out of hearing, "am I dreaming?" 
 
 "No, lassie," the old man replied, "you're no 
 dreamin*. Meester Peter will soon be here, and 
 that base imposter," he added in an entirely dif- 
 ferent tone, "will ha* his just reward at Meester 
 Peter's hands. It's a gran' thought, lassie, niver 
 forget that." 
 
 They talked excitedly for the rest of the night, 
 for sleep was out of the question. 
 
 At the first hint of day, Andrew started for the 
 village to tell the Gubbers, and Alice stole back 
 into the house, and tiptoed first to Aunt Sera- 
 phina's room. She roused her with a kiss. 
 
 "Auntie," she said calmly, "I've got some very 
 good news for you, so get up and come into Aunt 
 Matilda's room, so I can tell you both at once. 
 Hurry up, because it's very, very good news, and 
 I can hardly keep it to myself." 
 
 When both the old ladies were quite wide-
 
 NEWS AT LAST 203 
 
 awake she continued: "It's about Peter he's 
 alive and well, and what's more, he's coming 
 home on leave this very day. So get up and 
 hustle into your clothes because of course 
 there 's just loads to be done, and we want every- 
 thing in tip-top shape for him. And remember: 
 no tears, he wouldn't like that, he'll feel bad 
 enough at the sorrow he's caused us, and we 
 mustn't make it any harder," she finished, and 
 then she very wisely left them to have their cry 
 out together. 
 
 She went down to the Long Boom and tiptoed 
 over to the panel, and knocked. 
 
 "Oh, Lieutenant White," she called, "I'm 
 sorry to disturb you, but I thought you'd like to 
 know that to-day will be the last day of your visit. 
 We expect a friend of yours down who'll be no 
 end glad to see you," she added mischievously. 
 
 "Very well," the Lieutenant replied, "but I 
 warn you, your cousin will be shot." 
 
 Alice laughed gayly. 
 
 "Now I wouldn't be too sure about that, Lieu- 
 tenant, really I wouldn 't, ' ' she replied. 
 
 For the rest of the day the wires between Little 
 Petstone and London were kept busy. Alice spent
 
 204 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 all of her time at the Central office waiting for 
 news. At a little after two a call came for her, 
 and a voice that she knew above all other voices 
 sounded over the wire. 
 
 " Alice, are you there ?" 
 
 "Oh, Peter, yes, of course. When are you 
 coming down?" 
 
 "On the very next train. Will you be at the 
 station!" 
 
 "Well, rather!" 
 
 "Then good-by, I've just time to make it." 
 
 "Good-by." 
 
 This was all the conversation, but it was 
 enough. 
 
 Alice hurried back to Brinsley Hall in her car 
 to tell her aunts, and was back at the station an 
 hour before the train was due. All the waiting 
 that she had been forced to do in the past crowded 
 month seemed as nothing compared to that hour. 
 Her foot hurt her more than ever, and she could 
 not walk off her excitement, but at last she heard 
 the welcome rumble of the coming train, and in 
 less time than it takes to tell it Peter was on the 
 platform beside her. 
 
 Alice had been planning for most of that last
 
 NEWS AT LAST 205 
 
 hour wliat she would say, but every word went 
 out of her head and she just said: 
 
 "Peter!" 
 
 Peter seemed to consider that enough, for he 
 took her in his arms and kissed her. 
 
 "I say, this is wonderful! Why, I've dreamed 
 about coming back like this, ' ' he said as they drove 
 off in the car, "and now it's happening, I can't 
 believe it." 
 
 "It doesn't seem possible, does it?" Alice 
 laughed. "And now, Peter, please tell me all 
 about it. I 'm dying of curiosity, and I can 't wait 
 any longer. Besides you'd better not talk about 
 it before the aunts. You and Alf got the compass, 
 I know that much that was Andrew's idea, and 
 now go on. ' ' 
 
 "Yes, we got it, or rather I did, for of course I 
 happened to bite into the plum that it was hidden 
 in. We'd made a lot of plans, you know, before 
 that came. You see, after that Boche took my 
 uniform, and oh, but I forgot you don 't know about 
 that, ' ' he interrupted himself. Alice did not con- 
 tradict him, and he continued, "Well, any way I 
 was stuck into a pig pen with a lot of men Alf 
 among them and we had some barbed wire to
 
 206 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 keep us there; it was not a regular camp, you 
 know. We were expecting to be moved on any 
 day but luck was with us. Alf and I decided we 
 could get out easy enough if we only knew where 
 our lines were. That's where the compass came 
 in. The very night it came we started off. It 
 was raining, which helped, and we got through the 
 wire without too much trouble and then struck 
 north. Alf wanted to go east. I had an idea in 
 the back of my head, so insisted on going north. 
 We traveled quite a way before daylight. Just 
 as we were deciding to crawl into a ditch and wait 
 for the night, we heard a 'plane above us. We 
 ducked and watched. It was a German machine, 
 and it landed in our field, and the Boche driver 
 got out and began tinkering with the engine. I 
 gave Alf a signal, and well the rest isn't very 
 pretty to tell, but after we had finished up the 
 driver and left him rolled in the ditch, we got into 
 the machine, and we didn't stop going until we 
 landed in front of our own Headquarters. What 
 our boys thought when they saw a German 'plane 
 gently landing, I don't know, and any way it 
 doesn't matter. Alf and I got a royal welcome, 
 and ten days' sick leave."
 
 NEWS AT LAST 207 
 
 Alice was silent ; they had almost reached Brins- 
 ley Hall by the time Peter finished his story. She 
 was wondering how best to tell him about the man 
 in the tower. 
 
 Her opportunity did not come until late that 
 evening when the aunts, tired out but happy be- 
 yond measure at last, went to bed, and Peter sug- 
 gested a walk in the garden. Alice went out with 
 him and they sat down on the stone bench in the 
 rose garden. 
 
 Peter found her hand and held it. After a 
 little silence he said unexpectedly, "By Jove, 
 Alice, you're rather splendid, know that, and 
 I do like the way your hair grows over your 
 ear." 
 
 Alice laughed happily, then Peter went on seri- 
 ously: "There's only one thing that spoils all 
 this, and that's that a Boche wearing my uniform, 
 and driving one of our 'planes, is at large some- 
 where. I haven't told you, but my 'plane came 
 down behind the lines. I was unconscious, and 
 when I came to, I found my uniform gone, and 
 later I saw a man go up in my 'plane with it on. 
 If I could only get a hold of him I'd give ten years 
 of my life."
 
 208 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 Alice got up and went over towards the terrace 
 and called Andrew. 
 
 "Mr. Peter says he'd give ten years of his life 
 if he could get our friend in the tower, Andrew. 
 Do you want them! " 
 
 "Na, na, Meester Peter may keep all his years," 
 Andrew laughed, "but I'll no deny that I'll be 
 sorry to gie up yonder German." 
 
 Peter jumped to his feet. "What under the 
 sun are you two talking about?" he demanded. 
 
 Alice explained in as few words as possible. 
 
 "But how did you know it was my uniform?" 
 Peter asked wonderingly. 
 
 "By the blue forget-me-not, of course," Alice 
 replied calmly; "how else would I know?" 
 
 Peter did not reply. He beckoned Andrew to 
 follow, and not many minutes later he had the 
 pleasure of seeing the man who wore his uniform 
 standing before him, his hands held high above 
 his head. 
 
 "So you're Lieutenant White, are you?" he 
 demanded. 
 
 A gruff affirmative answered him. The Ger- 
 man's nerves had been sorely tried for the last few 
 days and he was very angry.
 
 NEWS AT LAST 209 
 
 "What are you going to do about it?" he asked 
 with an attempt at bravado that was decidedly out 
 of place in his present state of surrender. 
 
 "Well, first I'm going to ask you a few ques- 
 tions," Peter replied. "First of all what do you 
 know about the man whose uniform you are wear- 
 ing?" 
 
 There was no answer, the German regarded his 
 questioner sullenly. 
 
 "Na, Na, Maister Peter, that's no the way to 
 gae aboot it, if you'll no mind I'll ask him that 
 question ma seL" 
 
 Peter nodded. "Go ahead, Andrew," he said 
 smiling. 
 
 The old Scotchman turned to the prisoner. 
 
 "Did ye ken aught of the man that wore that 
 uniform afore you did?" he demanded, his deep 
 set eyes burning like coals of fire. 
 
 "Ye maun better tell me the truth for I ken the 
 answer ma sel, and it'll dae ye na gude to lee aboot 
 it." 
 
 The German did exactly what the wily Andrew 
 wanted him to. He doubted the truth of this last 
 assertion and to find out if he was right he fell 
 into the trap and answered the question.
 
 210 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 "Lieutenant St. John was the Englishman that 
 wore this uniform, ' ' he said. * * I told you that be- 
 fore, or rather, she " he nodded towards Alice, 
 "discovered it, but what I didn't tell you was 
 that Lieutenant St. John was dead when the uni- 
 form was taken from him," he lied, and watched 
 the effect of his words. 
 
 Peter stepped on Andrew's foot as a signal to 
 keep silent ; and turned to the German. 
 
 * ' So St. John is dead, is he ? " he inquired. 
 
 "Yes," the German's lips curled, and his small 
 eyes gleamed maliciously, "he's dead." 
 
 "Then you only threatened me to scare me, eh? " 
 Alice inquired. * ' He wasn 't being held as hostage 
 for your safety?" 
 
 "No, he wasn't, but there are plenty of men 
 who are." The German spoke harshly, "and I 
 warn you if you give me up, not one, but a hun- 
 dred of your soldiers will lose their lives." 
 
 "Tosh, man!" Andrew exclaimed, in admira- 
 tion, "but ye've a grand imagination, yestereven 
 it was just ane, and noo it's a hundred, ye fair tak 
 ma breath away." 
 
 Peter and Alice consulted in undertones. 
 
 "He's never seen me before," Peter said, "and
 
 NEWS AT LAST 211 
 
 now that I come to think of it, that's very likely- 
 rather a good joke, isn't it?" 
 
 "No," Alice replied decidedly, "it is not. 
 What are you going to do with him?" 
 
 "Run him up to London to-night," Peter re- 
 plied; "he's too dangerous to keep down here, and 
 besides the sooner he's out of that uniform the 
 happier I'll be." He turned to Andrew. 
 
 "We'll just take a little ride, Andrew," he said, 
 "if you don't mind, and on the way we'll stop and 
 get Alf Gubber. I know he '11 be glad to go along 
 and make up the even number. ' ' 
 
 "Don't you want me to drive the car?" Alice 
 asked. "I can, you know, and " 
 
 Peter interrupted her. 
 
 "Certainly not," he said; "you go up to bed, 
 we'll take care of Lieutenant White this is a 
 man's job, my dear," he added with a condescen- 
 sion that infuriated Alice. 
 
 * ' But when will you be back, and where are you 
 going?" she asked, putting the question that con- 
 cerned her most first. 
 
 "Oh, I'll be back to-morrow," Peter replied. 
 "I'll just see the Lieutenant comfortably settled 
 for the night and then I'll go over to Aunt Grace's.
 
 212 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 You see, I'll be rather an important witness and I 
 may be needed in the morning, but I '11 hurry. ' ' 
 
 "Who are you?" the German demanded. His 
 slow mind was just beginning to grasp a certain 
 possibility. 
 
 Alice laughed and Peter turned to Andrew. 
 
 "Introduce me," he said. 
 
 "Wi pleasure, laddie," Andrew replied. He 
 turned to the German. 
 
 "Man, this is a solemn minute and I hope you'll 
 no forget it," he said. "This is Lieutenant St. 
 John, the same lad ye saw lying dead. Is that no 
 a strange thing to witness?" he chuckled. 
 
 The German did not reply, the humor of the sit- 
 uation did not strike him. He hung his head and 
 followed Peter to the car. He did not speak again 
 until he was safe in the hands of the authorities.
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 
 AN UNDERSTANDING AT MYSTEBY MEADOW 
 
 " A LETTER for you, my dear, "Aunt Sera- 
 Z_k phina said, a few days later, as she came 
 
 * -^out to the terrace where Alice was sitting 
 alone. 
 
 "For me, Auntie? How nice! Why it's from 
 Helen Carey 1" she exclaimed, opening the en- 
 velope. "How jolly of her. She says 
 
 "Dear Alice, 
 
 "No time for that long overdue letter, but I must 
 rush off a few lines. So much has been happening 
 but first, I am so glad that Lieutenant St. John is all 
 right. Dr. Jepson told me, and well, I can just im- 
 agine how you feel. 
 
 "I have seen Allen. Did you ever know such luck! 
 He was wounded not seriously, thank goodness, when 
 the Engineers joined in that thrilling fight. He's at 
 Fleurette, and I went over to see him, and but I 
 mustn't get sentimental, I haven't time, but of course, 
 I'm awfully, awfully happy. There's a new nurse over 
 at Fleurette, a little French girl named Valerie Duval. 
 She has short hair and oh, my dear, she has done the 
 most thrilling things you ever heard of. Even Marie- 
 
 213
 
 214 ALICE BLYTHE 
 
 ken has to take a back seat when she begins telling of 
 her adventures. I'll give you a detailed account some 
 day, if I've " 
 
 Alice 's reading was suddenly interrupted for 
 two hands covered her eyes. 
 
 "Peter, how rude of you I" she said laughing. 
 
 "Who's your letter from?" Peter demanded. 
 
 "Helen Carey, she's discovered a little French 
 girl." 
 
 "Oh, who cares?" Peter said calmly, taking the 
 letter away from her. 
 
 "Nothing matters except you and me, and the 
 fact that we're going for a little spin to Mystery 
 Meadow. Come along." 
 
 Alice snatched her hat and followed him to the 
 stable. Peter drove and they did not say very 
 much until they had stopped under the big tree 
 by the wall. Then Peter turned in his seat and 
 looked hard at his companion. 
 
 "Alice," he said very gravely, "I'm about to 
 propose to you. Now please do not interrupt me, 
 because I'm rather flustered, and I've forgotten 
 the hang of what I planned to say, but well- 
 here 's the gist of it. I love you very much, and 
 will you marry me some day after this beastly
 
 AN UNDERSTANDING 215 
 
 war is over? Now please say yes, because if you 
 don't I'll be no end disappointed. You see I 
 really do love you, dear," he added gently. 
 
 Alice looked up at him and laughed softly. 
 
 "You know I will, Peter," she said; "that was 
 all settled ages ago, as far back as yesterday." 
 
 "Oh, was it?" Peter asked surprised. 
 
 "Of course. Didn't you know?" Alice asked. 
 * ' Oh, what simpletons men are ! ' ' she added, bury- 
 ing her head on his shoulder. 
 
 THE END
 
 The Motor Girls 
 SERIES 
 
 By MARGARET PENROSE 
 
 The Motor Girls 
 
 The Motor Girls on Tour 
 At Lookout Beach 
 
 Through New England 
 On Cedar Lake 
 On the Coast 
 On Crystal Bay 
 On Waters Blue 
 At Camp Surprise 
 In the Mountains 
 
 The Motor Girls are a frolicking gypsy-like 
 crew who follow the call of fun and adventure 
 where it leads. Cora Kimball, the leader, is a 
 whimsical, fun-loving girl with sterling qualities 
 and in her train are as an attractive a group of 
 young people as you might find in a day's journey. 
 The Motor Girls will lead you to the country's 
 most delightful pleasure grounds. 
 
 The Goldsmith Publishing Co. 
 
 CLEVELAND, O.
 
 EVERYGIRLS 
 
 SERIES 
 
 Jane Lends A Hand 
 
 Georgina Finds Herself 
 
 Nancy of Paradise Cottage 
 
 By Shirley Watkins 
 
 The S. W. F. Club 
 
 By Caroline E. Jacobs 
 
 Anne, Princess of Everything 
 
 By Blanche Elizabeth Wade 
 
 Assembled in this "Everygirls" series are books 
 of genuine distinction and exceptional merit. Caro- 
 line E. Jacobs, Shirley Watkins and Blanche Eliza- 
 beth Wade are writers of the first order, and these 
 five books are representative of their finest efforts. 
 Each is a separate story and each is a real gem. 
 
 The Goldsmith Publishing Co. 
 
 CLEVELAND, O.