Vera"s long and devoted friendship with Billy had separated her from the usual intimacy with other girls, nevertheless she was a general favorite. For a good many years Billy had required whatever time and thought she could spare from her ordinary duties and affections.
"I think, Vera, that Tante recently has heard some unexpected news of Gerry," Sally finally announced with the proper degree of solemnity and with a due sense of dramatic values.
At least she was a dramatic success to the extent of surprising her audience.
"What authority have you for such a statement, Sally?" Alice Ashton demanded in the superior voice and manner which Alice now and then affected.
Sally shrugged her shoulders. "I haven"t any authority, I have a "hunch"," she returned, appreciating how painfully her slang would annoy her intellectual sister.
"But how is it possible that Gerry could have written? Don"t you think she and Felipe are still hiding in Mexico? We know that much from what Mr. Morris has told us! If Gerry should write to Mrs. Burton she might betray her own and Felipe"s secret and she would not do that," Marta Clark protested.
"I did not say Gerry had written, I only said that I believed Tante had received some information concerning her," Sally answered, undisturbed by criticism.
In response to this speech the expressions on the faces of the four other girls became curiously alike.
"I don"t believe if I were Mrs. Burton I should ever take an interest in Gerry again," Marta Clark announced. "Perhaps I am more in a position to say this than any of the rest of you, because all of you have some past a.s.sociation with Mrs. Burton; she was an intimate friend of your mothers. She simply chose to be kind to me and to invite me to spend this summer with her Camp Fire group without any especial reason, just as she has been good to Gerry. If I should repay her kindness as Gerry has done, I should never dare make the effort to see her again, or to ask her forgiveness, no matter how greatly I might desire it."
"I feel just as you do, Marta," Bettina Graham agreed.
But Sally gave a little protesting cough, holding a chocolate drop suspended in the air for an instant.
"Judge not, lest ye be judged," she declared sententiously, and then with a somewhat less self-righteous expression, "Was that quotation from the Bible or Shakespeare and did I quote correctly? The truth is I wish that all of you would not be so hard upon Gerry. I know you think it silly and impossible for a girl not yet eighteen to be _really_ in love, but just the same Gerry is in love with Felipe. As she is in love with him and he has been a coward and is now a fugitive from his own country, I don"t suppose Gerry is so happy that all of you need be disagreeable about her. Personally I am perfectly sure that if Gerry wishes Tante"s sympathy and help again, Tante would be sure to do whatever she could to help her."
"Hats off to Sally!" Bettina Graham remarked and no one disputed the suggestion. "Still of course, Sally dear, it is impossible that any news could have been received from Gerry, since she and Felipe must remain out of the country until the war is over and the whole circ.u.mstance of Felipe is forgotten," Bettina continued. "But suppose when Tante returns we inquire why we are to wait over in Los Angeles a few days more? I presume she would not object to explaining. I believe no one asked her the direct question."
"Yes, but she would have volunteered to tell had she wished us to know,"
Alice Ashton argued.
Vera Lagerloff, who had been sitting by an open window looking out toward a circle of hills which were like giant amethysts in the afternoon light, turned toward the other girls.
"Suppose if we have no other plans we spend tomorrow on Mount Lowe and give Mrs. Burton the opportunity to be alone," she suggested. "We have been at the seash.o.r.e so long I am anxious for a day among the hills."
Then she addressed Marta Clark.
"You are mistaken, Marta, if you think all of us here, aside from you, have some past a.s.sociation with Mrs. Burton. I have none except that Billy and I always have been friends and he asked his aunt to take an interest in me. Now Mrs. Burton is going to do something for me which seems more wonderful than anything she has ever done for any one else, although I know she has been a fairy G.o.dmother to a good many people.
But she is to pay my expenses and allow me to go to France to work in the devastated country which has lately been cleared of the Germans.
"The Field of Honor" is the name for this part of France which I like best. I hope to work among the homeless children. But in any case I have been brought up on a farm and can do farming work, which I have heard is especially needed. I am to study in New York City before I sail. Courses of study are being given there under the auspices of the French Huguenot societies."
An unusual silence followed Vera"s long speech and then it was Sally Ashton who spoke first.
"For your sake, Vera, I am so glad, for I know the new life and the new work will mean a great deal to you just now. I only wish I were going with you."
"But you, Sally, what on earth could you do that would be useful in France?" Alice remonstrated, not because she wished to be disagreeable but to relieve the little tension which Vera"s confidence had wrought.
"At least I can cook, which is a more useful accomplishment than any you can offer, Alice," Sally returned with such ridiculous spitefulness that the other girls laughed.
"I believe I am also envious of you, Vera," Bettina remarked. "All summer I have been feeling that we were not doing enough to help with the war merely by economizing and sewing and knitting, all the hundred and one small things we have tried to do. If we were boys we would be going through at least a little military training and in a few years would be able to volunteer. It is simply amazing what the girls and women are doing in England. So far we have not nearly approached their efforts. Do you know there is a "Woman"s Army Auxiliary Corps" already in France working directly behind the lines. I believe the Tommies call them "The Tommy-waacs." We have been talking about being behind the lines this summer, but I wish we could be more directly there."
"But what is the exact work the English girls are doing?" Alice demanded, as if she were seriously weighing a problem in her mind. "I am sure we can do the same things if they become necessary."
"I don"t know all the varieties of war work of course, Alice," Bettina returned. "In Great Britain women and girls have taken the places of the men in more departments of labor than we can imagine. Of course we know they are working in munition shops and aeroplane factories and in ship building, and are telephone and telegraph operators. Now they are also working among the blind, being specially trained for the work, of course, and are actually driving ambulances and motor trucks near the fighting line. But I will bore you if I go on enumerating even the little I know. Personally I agree with, Vera, I should prefer to work among the children. Madame Montessori, the great Italian teacher, has been in the United States this summer trying to establish what she calls the order of the "White Cross." The members of the White Cross are to devote themselves to the care of the children who have suffered from the war. She says there is no hope of their growing into healthy and normal men and women unless they receive special care."
"Is there an organization anything like our own Camp Fire girls in France?" Sally Ashton demanded unexpectedly. "I know there is in England where they call themselves the "Girl Scouts." But I should think that young girls living and working together in France as we have been trying to do, might help each other and be useful to other people as well."
"I quite agree with you, Sally," Bettina returned. "Odd, that no one of us can answer your question! But as soon as we return East I mean to make it my business to find out if there is a French Camp Fire. At least we could write to the French Camp Fire girls if they exist."
At this instant the girls" conversation was interrupted by the sudden opening of a door and Mrs. Burton"s entrance.
She was not in mourning but was wearing a black dress and hat which were unbecoming and made her look older.
"Why is everybody so serious?" she instantly demanded.
Before any one else could reply Sally Ashton answered:
"We are serious because we are thinking that some day we may ask you to take us to France to form Camp Fire clubs over there and to do whatever we can to help. Oh, of course I know we must learn more of what will be required of us and be prepared to make all kinds of sacrifices."
Flinging her hat on the bed with as great carelessness as if she were a girl and also as if she were pleased to be rid of it, Mrs. Burton replied:
"You are an amazing child, Sally. Even if I had the courage for such an undertaking, which I have not, do you suppose I would have sufficient influence with the parents of any one of you to persuade them to allow you to stir one foot away from your own land at a time like this? But I understand you have been hearing Vera"s news. The circ.u.mstances with Vera are exceptional. Wait here another moment, there is something I have to tell you."
Then Mrs. Burton disappeared into her bedroom which adjoined their hotel sitting-room. Their hotel was not in the center of the city but in a suburb a few miles out.
A few moments later she returned wearing a lavender crepe dressing gown and looking younger and more attractive.
For some reason she sat down next to Sally and put her arm about Sally"s shoulders.
"I hope my information may interest you," she began with a slight suggestion of appeal in her voice, glancing from one of the girls to the other.
"Two days ago I received a letter from Mr. Morris telling me that Felipe had been arrested by the United States authorities. He had crossed over into California for the day in order to attend to some private business.
I believe he wished to get some money from his father. He trusted, of course, in not being discovered, but was arrested within an hour."
"I suppose I ought to say I am sorry, if that is what you wish, Tante?
But really I cannot. It seems to me exactly the fate that Felipe Morris deserves," Bettina Graham answered coldly.
"What will be done to Felipe as a punishment for having tried to escape the draft?" asked Alice Ashton. "I believe the punishment is very severe, is it not?"
"His father is afraid he will receive three years" imprisonment," Mrs.
Burton replied without comment.
Then she heard a little horrified exclamation from the girl nearest her and Sally"s face had whitened and her expression changed.
"But Gerry! What is to become of Gerry?" she demanded. "I know that she behaved very badly and that she ought to have persuaded Felipe to do his duty, instead of helping him to run away from it. But Gerry was dreadfully under Felipe"s influence, and, anyhow, I don"t care, I _am_ terribly sorry for her," Sally ended incoherently, hiding her brown eyes behind her hand.
"I also am very sorry, Sally," Mrs. Burton added. "The fact of having done a wrong has never yet made any human being"s punishment easier to bear. But I can tell you one thing about Gerry, Sally dear, since you alone seem interested. She is in California and is coming to see me tomorrow. She returned to California as soon as she received word of Felipe"s arrest. She has been with Mr. Morris, and they of course will do whatever is in their power to have Felipe"s sentence made as light as possible. I am afraid they cannot do very much. In all probability an example will be made of him."