nona davis delivered colonel dalton’s message to the superintendent of the sacred heart hospital. however, after second thought colonel dalton also sent a letter explaining the circumstances more fully and asking for a private meeting in order that a thorough investigation be made.
a woman of about forty with a large experience of life, miss grey, though deeply disturbed by the british officer’s suspicion, did not allow herself to go to pieces over it. she knew that they were living in the heat and turmoil of the most terrible war in history, where every day thousands of men and women were willing to give their lives to afford the slightest aid to their country. everywhere there had been stories of spies and oftentimes many of them were the last persons to be suspected. it[272] was dreadful to learn that a spy had crept within the shelter of the sacred heart hospital, and yet there was no reason why one place should be spared more than another.
so very quietly miss grey set to work to study possibilities for herself, in order that she might be able later to assist colonel dalton in his effort to unearth the guilty person. she knew the name and something of the past history of every individual on her hospital staff, including both the outside and inside servants. this, owing to the conditions of war, she had considered a part of her duty. indeed, she kept a small book in which their names, previous addresses and occupations were carefully registered and the red cross nurses had also presented their nursing certificates with a brief outline of their circumstances.
so without discussing the situation with any one else seriously, miss grey studied the contents of this little volume, intending to hand it to colonel dalton as soon as they met.
without the least sense of prejudice she[273] found herself most interested in the latest arrivals at the hospital. of course, there was as yet no reason, so far as she knew, why one person should be suspected beyond another. the spy may have been in their midst many months waiting the opportunity for betrayal. nevertheless, as the discovery of treachery was so recent, it was natural for her to guess that the evildoer was a comparatively new member of their staff.
the newcomers chanced to be the eight new nurses, four of them american and four british, who had begun work about two months before, and lady dorian, who was the last arrival.
just as nona had felt a sudden chill at the thought of lady dorian’s painful experience and her evident wish not to talk of herself, so miss grey frowned and flushed when she came upon her name in the hospital biography.
had the authorities been wise in accepting lady dorian’s presence among them and the very generous gifts she had made so soon after her trial in london? it was[274] true that nothing had then been proven against her and so very probably she had naught to do with the attempted destruction of the ship upon which she had chanced to be a passenger. however, it might have been the better part of valor to have regarded lady dorian with possible scepticism, more especially as so little was known of her previous history.
yet with no facts at her disposal miss grey took the only wise course, she reserved judgment.
thirty-six hours later, just after dusk, colonel dalton, accompanied by the lieutenant who was one of his aides, rode up to the sacred heart hospital. he went straight into the business office of the superintendent, where he spent half an hour with miss grey, mrs. payne and other persons in positions of trust.
at the close of that time a command was issued, asking the surgeons, nurses and servants in relays of eight or ten to come into the office in order that colonel dalton might question them. no one, of course, except nona davis, had any conception of[275] why a british officer should be devoting his valuable time to interviewing the members of a hospital staff for any purpose whatsoever.
but by chance eugenia, mildred, barbara and nona, lady mathers, alexina mcintyre and lady dorian made one of the latest groups. it was not by chance, however, that nona went first to lady dorian’s tiny room at the top of the tallest tower and asked that they might go downstairs together.
to the girl’s horror lady dorian absolutely refused to accompany her.
she was sitting by a window with only a lighted taper in the room, apparently nervous and unhappy.
“please present my respects to commander dalton,” she said, “and say that as i am not well it will be impossible for me to see him.” lady dorian spoke so quietly, as if there were no question of her wish not being respected, that nona was frightened.
“but you must come, please,” the younger girl urged. “i am afraid you don’t realize[276] how important it is that all of us be present. don’t you appreciate that whatever reason colonel dalton may have for talking with us, it would not look well for any one of us to refuse to be interviewed?”
but nona’s arguments and persuasions proved of no avail. finally she had to go down to the office with the others, leaving lady dorian in her own room.
nevertheless nona did not dare repeat aloud the message her friend had given her. she only whispered its substance confusedly in miss grey’s ear and the next moment the superintendent left the room.
no one of the four american red cross girls nor any one else present ever forgot the next quarter of an hour.
colonel dalton was intensely angry. he considered that he was not doing the work of a soldier and only his interest in the sacred heart hospital induced him to conduct an inquiry of such a nature. however, the traitor had to be discovered and at once.
in his hand he held the bunch of papers which nona recognized as the same he had[277] in his conversation with her. also she recognized the lieutenant as the young officer who had previously escorted her and who had made such an extraordinary speech at their moment of parting.
however, colonel dalton was only beginning his cross-examination of the latest comers when the door of the office again opened and miss grey entered accompanied by lady dorian.
nona gave a little gasp of relief and dismay. for never had she seen any one look so ill and wretched as lady dorian. she was plainly making every effort to keep her face averted from the gaze of the older man, who was sitting in a chair beside a small table.
but nona was the more amazed when she turned to see what impression had been made upon colonel dalton. disturbed by the opening of the door, he had glanced up. now his face was no longer crimson from anger and outdoor exposure, but white and drawn, and his eyes expressed extraordinary surprise and discomfort.
[278]
for a moment his lips moved without making a sound, but the next he had assumed his former military bearing.
“in the past few weeks letters have been mailed from this hospital, supposedly addressed to a newspaper in new york city for publication, but in reality exposing the secrets of the british army in this neighborhood to our enemy,” he began. “it should not be difficult for some one on this staff to tell me who posted these letters and where the information they contain was obtained.” the officer then struck the table harshly with the papers in his hand. “one of these letters got through the post, the others are in my possession, so there will be little chance for the informant to escape. has any one a suggestion as to who the man or woman may be?”
at the question had all the persons in the room been spies they could scarcely have appeared more miserable and guilty. moreover, for a moment no one attempted to reply.
presently mildred thornton walked over to the table.
[279]
mildred was not handsome, yet at this moment her dignity, her refinement and more than that, her look of intelligence which was like her distinguished father’s, had never been more apparent.
“will you show me the letters you speak of, colonel dalton?” she asked in a low tone.
the officer appeared to hesitate, but after a careful study of the girl he gave the letters into her hands.
near them was a lamp on the table and mildred stooped as she went rapidly through the papers. then she straightened up and her lips were like chalk.
“i mailed the letters,” she said distinctly. “but listen to me for a moment while i explain, then i’m ready to take whatever punishment i deserve.”
there was a complete silence. mildred spoke very calmly, very proudly; nevertheless, no one of her three american friends believed her. mildred’s statement was so incredible, she must have lost her senses. instinctively barbara started forward to protest, but both eugenia and nona held on to her.
[280]
“wait until she has spoken,” eugenia ordered.
colonel dalton himself did not appear particularly convinced. a spy was not apt to proclaim guilt with so little pressure. yet the young woman looked as if she had brains.
“a young man and his mother have been staying in this neighborhood almost ever since our arrival,” mildred began. “brooks curtis, the man called himself. we met him on board the steamer coming over to england and he told me that he was a newspaper correspondent and meant to report the war. i don’t know anything else about him, but i liked him, although my friends did not.” here mildred flushed and her hands trembled, yet she went on bravely. “mrs. curtis settled in the neighborhood in one of the peasants’ cottages and i used to see her nearly every week and now and then her son. one day mr. curtis told me he was having difficulty in mailing his letters to his new york paper and asked me to mail them for him. also he asked me not to mention the fact.[281] i was very stupid, i was worse than stupid, but of course i did not dream of what i was really doing. still, i feel that i deserve imprisonment or punishment of some kind. i came to europe to try to be of service to the soldiers and i’ve brought them misfortune.” the girl for the moment could say nothing more. but then everybody in the room was equally aghast, mildred’s explanation was so astounding and at the same time so simple.
“is there a way of getting hold of this young man to find out if your story is true?” colonel dalton demanded.
and this time nona and barbara answered together. “mrs. curtis could be found at the home of mère marie and anton. from her one might obtain information concerning her son.”
a moment later the two girls and the lieutenant were on their way to the hut of mère marie. a little later they returned with the news that mrs. curtis had disappeared the day before and the old peasant woman had no knowledge of her whereabouts.
[282]
but during their absence colonel dalton and mildred had a long talk together, so the girl herself was able to convince him. he was very severe, he could find little excuse for her foolishness; nevertheless, recognizing at the end mildred’s innocence and utter inexperience of life, he assured her that she need fear no penalty. the british government, however, would seek to find the young man calling himself brooks curtis, and on his arrest she would be expected to appear.
finally mildred was allowed to go up to her room and barbara and eugenia went with her. lady mathers and alexina wandered off to express their opinions on the situation.
so by accident nona davis was left for a moment standing in the hall with the young english lieutenant. she had seen him several times lately, it was true, and yet she was annoyed at this moment to find him smiling at her in a surprisingly friendly fashion.
from the single rose bush in front of mère marie’s cottage even in the darkness[283] he had plucked a rose. now he extended the rose to nona.
“have all americans poor memories?” he asked. “or is it because you wish to forget? once upon a time there was a young man asleep in an english garden and lifting his eyes he saw a fairy princess standing over him with a rose in her dress as yellow as her hair.”
nona blushed delightfully. “you mean,” she said, “that you are the gardener’s son? then you are well and back at your post again? i’m so glad.”
her companion nodded. “i am a son of adam.”
but at this moment colonel dalton, miss grey and lady dorian made their appearance and the young officer turned to salute his superior.
miss grey accompanied them to the door, leaving nona and lady dorian alone.
impulsively the younger girl kissed her friend. “i am so happy,” she whispered.
lady dorian walked away with her. “i understand, dear,” she returned. “the truth is colonel dalton and i knew each[284] other very intimately in the past and i felt it might be pleasanter for us not to meet again. naturally i did not dream of the seriousness of his errand. some day i may tell you the whole story; now good night.”
nona went on upstairs without replying and the next hour the three girls devoted to trying to console mildred thornton.
it was barbara’s conviction that they would some day meet brooks curtis again. then mildred could repay his deceit by surrendering him to the british authorities. but mildred had no wish to find the young man. if only he did no further harm to the allies she wished that she might never see or hear of him again.
and the girls did not hear. several months passed by and each day found them more and more absorbed in their red cross work.
nona davis did not mention lady dorian’s confidence. however, there was little she could tell. the older woman had simply explained that she had spent several years in england, where she and colonel dalton had known each other intimately.
[285]
but there was too much for the red cross girls to do, they were living too full lives themselves to give more than passing thoughts to other persons.
when dick thornton had in a measure recovered he returned to london.
so the early part of the winter vanished. now and then there came a lull in the fighting between the armies of northern france. afterwards it would break out again with greater violence.
finally the climax came.
by chance nona and barbara, who had again joined the ambulance corps, first brought the news to the sacred heart hospital. the order had come from colonel dalton. later it was delivered in person by lieutenant hume.
the sacred heart hospital must be abandoned. having forced the british line for several miles, the germans were now dangerously near. if the hospital wished to protect its wounded, to save supplies, to safeguard its workers, their present habitation must be abandoned.
no army ever moved its encampment[286] with greater efficiency. in between their periods of nursing the four american girls assisted with the packing. no one of them ever forgot the experience. yet at the last there was a sudden rush. the enemy was reported advancing before another refuge could be found for the sacred heart staff. wounded soldiers had to be transported in half a dozen directions wherever a spot could be found for them. at the time there was no place for so many extra nurses.
it was eugenia peabody who finally made the suggestion to miss grey. she proposed that she and her three friends should find a retreat for themselves, and there await orders. it would relieve so much of the superintendent’s responsibility.
so one afternoon the four american girls were hurried away in one of the army motors to the nearest railroad station in a zone of safety.
the next morning, in a little less than a year after their arrival in europe, they found themselves in a small french city.
a few days after nona davis suggested that they offer their services to the french[287] red cross. having come abroad to serve the allies, it was natural they should wish to care for the wounded soldiers of the different nationalities.
this first volume in the american red cross series can, of course, only begin to tell the adventures and experiences of the four american girls, who, forgetful of self, offered their services to the wounded soldiers in the war. the stories of their lives and the friends they gather around them will be continued in the next book in the series, to be known as “the red cross girls on the french firing line.”
