"Now, never mind worrying about us, Martha," Jennie Stone returned.
"We will get along very well. Isn"t there a hotel?"
"A hotel? In Clair?" gasped the girl of the Red Mill.
"I--should--say--not!"
"Very well, dear; we"ll put up wherever you say," said Helen airily.
"We know you are always a favorite wherever you go, and you must have loads of friends here by this time."
"The unqualified nerve of you!" gasped Ruth. "But come in. I"ll speak to _Madame la Directrice_ and see what can be done. But how did you ever get permission to come here?" she repeated.
"It is our furlough. We have earned it. Haven"t _you_ earned a furlough yet?" Helen demanded, making big eyes at her chum.
"It never crossed my mind to ask for one," admitted the girl of the Red Mill. "But merely your having a furlough would not have won you a visit so near the front."
"Really?" asked Jennie. "Do you mean to say this _is_ near the battle line?"
"You"d think so at times," returned Ruth. "But answer me! How did you get your pa.s.sports viseed for such a distance from Paris?"
"Forget not," said Jennie, "that Mr. Cameron was over here on Government business. Helen can do almost anything she likes with these French officials."
"Humph!" was all that came from Ruth in answer to this.
"You don"t seem glad to see us at all, Ruthie Fielding!" cried Helen, as they crossed the courtyard and mounted the steps to the hospital.
But Ruth was frankly considering how she could make the best use of her two college chums, now that they were here. In less than twenty-four hours she expected to leave Clair for an extended absence. She had been troubled regarding her duty to the Red Cross.
Circ.u.mstances had played into her hands. She could trust Helen and Jennie to do her work here at the Clair Hospital while she was absent.
She found the matron and took her aside before introducing her to the newcomers. She did not explain her reason for wishing to absent herself from duty for some days, nor did the tactful Frenchwoman ask after she was told that the Countess Marchand approved. But she told the matron about her two girl friends who had arrived so unexpectedly.
"They are good girls, and capable girls, and I can show them very briefly my ordinary duties, Madame."
"It is well, Mademoiselle Fielding," the woman said with cordiality.
"Let me now greet your friends."
So Helen and Jennie were introduced, and the matron said she would find two rooms in the nurses" quarters for the visitors. But first the three girls must go to Ruth"s little cell and have tea while they talked.
"First of all," Helen began. "How is Tommy-boy?"
"He is perfectly well as far as I know," Ruth said gravely.
"Goodness! You are not _mad_ with him?"
"Of course not. How silly," her chum returned.
"Well, but don"t you see him every day or two?"
Ruth Fielding stared at her chum, not alone with gravity, but with scorn.
"I think it is well you have come up here to visit," she said. "Don"t you know yet that we are in this war, Helen Cameron?"
"I don"t know what you mean," returned Helen, pouting. "If we were not at war with Germany, do you think I would be away from Ardmore College at this time of year?"
"Tom is on active service," Ruth said quietly. "I am rather busily engaged myself. I have seen him just twice since I have been at Clair.
But I happened to learn to-day that--beyond peradventure--he is in health."
"That"s good enough!" exclaimed Helen. "And I suppose you can get word to him so he"ll know Jennie and I are here?"
"I will try to get word to him," agreed Ruth soberly.
"He can ask off and come to see us, can"t he?"
"Not being in military charge of this sector, I cannot tell you," the girl of the Red Mill said dryly. "But if you remain here long enough I hope Tom will come to see you, my dear."
She could tell them no more. Indeed, to-night she did not even wish the girls to know that she proposed absenting herself from the hospital for a time and expected Helen and Jennie to do her work.
She had a burden to shoulder that she could not share with her friends.
She sent them to their beds a little later to sleep confidently and happily after their long journey from Paris.
As for Ruth Fielding, she scarcely closed her eyes that night.
CHAPTER XIX
ADVENTURE
In the dawn of the next morning Ruth arose and rearranged all her stock of supplies and corrected the schedule of goods on hand. Despite her recent activities she had kept her accounts up to date and every record was properly audited.
Before Helen Cameron and Jennie Stone even knew how Ruth proposed making use of them, the girl of the Red Mill had explained her plan fully to the matron. That the Americaine Mademoiselle was so friendly with the grand folk at the chateau rather awed the Frenchwoman. She could find no fault with anything Ruth did.
But there was a great outcry when, at breakfast, Ruth explained to Helen and Jennie that she was called away from the hospital on private and important business, and for several days.
"She"s running away to be married!" gasped Jennie Stone. "Treason!"
"Your romantic imagination is ever on tap, isn"t it, Heavy?" responded Ruth with scorn.
"That"s all right," returned the plump girl sharply. "You look out for your brother Tom, Helen Cameron."
"But it may be one of these French officers," Helen said, with more mildness. "Some of them are awfully nice."
"Don"t be ridiculous, girls!" Ruth observed.
"Really it isn"t at all nice of you, my dear," her chum said.
"I"m not doing this because it is nice," flared Ruth, whose nerves were a little raw by now. "It is something I _have_ to do."