Laura Lee Hope

“ But when it comes to being maimed and crippled for life it isn't so much fun."
"Oh, Amy, don't!" cried Grace, clapping her hands to her ears, while Betty continued spiritedly:
"I didn't say it was fun," she cried. "Naturally the boys have to take into consideration the possibility of all that you said, Amy. But there's no glory in the world like giving yourself for a great cause—"
"Hear, hear!" came a masculine voice in applause, and they turned to find Allen and Frank close behind them.
"Well, what will you have?" asked Mollie, eyeing them hostilely. ”

“ Mollie returned, her eyes once more turning to the ribbon of road ahead while the girls' bright faces sobered thoughtfully. "Because when it comes to a thing like giving up their lives—well, I think they're the bravest—" Her voice broke, and in an effort to hide her emotion she nearly sent the car over the side of the road and into a six-foot ditch.
"Brave," repeated Betty, turning her eyes to the far horizon to hide the mist that suddenly gathered in them. "I don't think that's any word for our boys at all—"
"They don't seem to realize what they're going into," Amy broke in eagerly. ”

“ The girls supported the unsteady little figure while the dim old eyes roved questioningly about.
"I—got—hurt!" she gasped, and then quite suddenly fainted again.
"Oh, Betty!" moaned Mollie, her face white with pity. "She's hurt worse, much worse, than we thought she was! Oh, what shall we do?"
"There's only one thing to do," replied Betty, trying to hide the tremor in her voice. "We'll have to get her to the hospital, and in a hurry."
"But Grace and Amy!" gasped Mollie. "We can't go without them." ”

“ The old lady rose, and when she started for the door Mollie ran before her and opened it.
When she had gone, the girls sat still, just looking at each other for a few minutes. Then—
"Isn't she wonderful?" breathed Betty. "After all these years she would give him up gladly for the sake of her country. That's real patriotism."
"She deserves to get him back," murmured Mollie, as though speaking to herself.
"Well, that's just the reason she won't," said Grace, irritably struggling with an unruly lock of hair. "Nobody ever gets what he deserves in this awful world. ”

“ Sergeant Mullins laughed boyishly, saluted smartly, and turned on his heel to follow the boys who were fast bearing the prisoner to the guardhouse and from there to the just punishment that had been so long in overtaking him.
"Well," said Mollie, as she flopped down on the steps and favored the girls with a beaming smile, "now what have you got to say for yourselves?"
"More in truth than in modesty," twinkled the Little Captain, "I should say that we are pretty good."
"My! don't we love us?" ”

“ Mollie had time, even in her excitement, to wonder how Betty had managed it.
"I think she hypnotizes them," she muttered to herself.
And all Betty had really said to the man was, "Please follow that motorcyclist! We mustn't lose sight of him!" and the man, obeying that impulse for adventure that is in all of us, had complied.
The motorcyclist had sped around the corner and darted into one of the side streets. A few minutes later the chauffeur turned the same corner with a recklessness that made them gasp, turned it just in time to see their quarry disappearing round another corner. ”

“ Grace began, but at the look in Mollie's eyes thought better of it. "I meant," she corrected herself blandly, "that, of course, you can never be anything but beautiful, Mollie."
"Well, I don't know, of course," said Mollie, with the same vengeful light in her eyes, "but I'm always suspicious of any one who goes to extremes."
"Never mind your suspicions, Mollie," cried Betty, with a happy ring in her voice, as the last of the quartette climbed in under the covers. "All that really interests me now is the fact that I have a couple of letters that are just begging to be read." ”

“ At the gates of Camp Liberty they got out of the car, thanked the chauffeur, and while they were hesitating whether or not to offer him money for his trouble, the latter turned the car and, with a last lifting of his cap and waving of his hand, was gone.
"Isn't he nice?" sighed Amy, as they started toward the Hostess House, Grace limping a little and bringing up the rear. "Meeting a man like that gives you new faith in human nature."
"Goodness, Will had better look out," chaffed Mollie, a little gleam of humor shining through her weariness. ”

“ Oh, the spirit of our boys—the wonderful spirit of them! It can't take them long, it can't, when they once get started!"
"But Mrs. Sanderson," put in Amy gently. "How is she taking it?"
"I haven't seen her yet," said Betty, her face sobering a little. But it brightened again as she added with conviction: "I think we know enough about that little lady to be sure she'll take it standing up and be prouder than ever of her 'Willie boy.'"
"Of course she will," said Grace softly, her eyes following the red disc of the sun as it sank slowly in the west. ”

“ Mollie was beginning when Amy broke in with one of those absolutely irrelevant remarks of hers, that made her different from every one else.
"I wonder," she said thoughtfully, "if the boys will fall in love with those nice little French girls. They say they're awfully attractive."
"Amy, what ever put such a thing into your head?" cried Betty, while the other two stared at her wide-eyed, not knowing whether to laugh or to be indignant. ”

“ Grace objected. "No, Betty, you'll have to think up something better than that."
"I wouldn't waste my time on such a lazy person, Betty," said Mollie, who was walking briskly ahead with Amy. "I suppose we might have brought the car," she added, after a minute, "only it seems foolish when you have to stop at every house you come to."
"It not only seems foolish—it is foolish," said Betty cheerily.
"Oh, I tell you what," cried Amy, seized with sudden inspiration, while the girls stared at her expectantly.
"Hasten, Amy," cried Mollie, in a mock agony of suspense. ”

“ But Mollie waited to hear no more, and sped down the stairs after Betty to bounce unceremoniously in upon the boys.
"Beware!" she cried. "A lunatic is about to descend upon us!"
"I should say one had already," grinned Allen, at which Mollie surrendered.
"Everybody's against me," she sighed. "When one whom I have always called my friend, turns agin me—Never mind," she added diplomatically, "I made the layer cake, Allen Washburn—"
"Oh, Mollie, let me carry your pocketbook," begged Allen in alarm.
"How do I know you're honest?" she retorted with a twinkle, and peace was once more restored. ”

“ Betty nodded thoughtfully, "several boys have told me that, but I thought they only said it in a spirit of gratitude, or perhaps, as flattery."
"That is modest," said Mrs. Watson with another smile. "But," she added, leaning forward in her chair and speaking earnestly, "I honestly think that you girls don't even begin to realize what a wonderful work you have been doing right here in this little city that sprang up over night. It isn't a small thing, you know—sending thousands of our boys away cheered and strengthened, armed to meet the future—better men, just for having met you. ”

“ Mollie returned with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Which reminds me," broke in Betty, shaking off the thoughtful mood that had taken possession of her, "that this is the day of our picnic, and if we don't get back to the Hostess House pretty soon the boys will be there before we have even made a sandwich."
"Goodness," cried Mollie in consternation, "all this talk about criminals put the boys entirely out of my head."
"I should hope so," twinkled Betty. "Our boys are as little apt to remind us of criminals as anybody I know. ”

“ I should like to have just one more picnic with them. We've had such good times together. And we're going to have lots more," she added, springing to her feet with a sudden, swift smile. "That's our part of the business from now on. Just to keep smiling and make up our minds that they're coming back to us just as they went—only better."
"They couldn't be," declared Amy, and once more the other Outdoor Girls laughed and hugged her.
"Anyway, they've got one good backer in you, Amy dear," said Betty fondly. "You've no idea how fond all the boys are of you. ”

“ Betty broke in, with a chuckle. "You'd have all the boys around you in earnest."
"And then what would Roy say?" teased Amy. "He'd never speak to poor Grace again."
"Poor Grace, indeed!" sniffed the owner of the name scornfully. "I'd just like to have anybody try to 'poor Grace' me! He'd never do it a second time."
"Goodness, don't look so ferocious, Gracie," Mollie soothed her. "Some one give her another candy—do."
"I'm not a cripple," Grace retorted, evidently in a belligerent mood. "I've always been quite able to help myself." ”

“ It was the regular tramp, tramp of marching men.
"Some of the boys from the camp!" cried Mollie, springing up joyfully. "Maybe they'll help us."
As the small squad swung around the turn in the road they were delighted to see that Sergeant Mullins was in charge. He brought the boys to a sharp halt at sight of them, and came forward to meet them, saluting gravely.
"Are you in trouble?" he asked, with his quiet smile and a glance at the stalled machine. "May I help?"
"Oh, would you?" cried Betty, her pretty forehead puckered. "We do want to get back before the storm breaks." ”

“ And," she added, enthusiastically, "it has been more the spirit with which you did the work than the actual work itself that has won such a reputation for our Hostess House here."
"'Reputation!'" repeated Mollie wonderingly, then added with an impish inflection: "Oh, have we one of those things?"
"We have," responded Mrs. Watson, with an indulgent smile. "And, whether deserved or not, modesty would prompt us to say that it is not, of course—" and the girls laughed amusedly. "Our reputation is unusually good and unusually widespread. ”

“ But Grace waited to hear no more. With a bound she was out of the bed and half-way across the room.
"Goodness!" remarked quiet Amy, with a laugh, "I should think it would be almost worth while having the 'flu,' Betty, just to see Gracie move like that."
"Well, I don't know about that," said Betty, rubbing the offending little nose ruefully. "It's easy to talk when it's some one else who's got it. Nobody seems to have any sympathy for me at all." ”

“ Betty raised herself on one elbow to look out the window and was greeted by a dazzling burst of sunshine, as the glorious disc dispersed the fog and took possession of the world.
"A good omen," she murmured to herself, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. "Perhaps that's how the Huns will melt away before our boys!"
"What are you talking to yourself about?" queried Grace, irritably. "A person has a fine chance to sleep—"
"Sleep!" cried Betty, indignantly. "What on earth do you want to sleep for? ”

“ Betty contributed, wide-eyed, "that it made him mad to see the way that Sergeant Mullins hung around the Hostess House all the time. He made it quite plain that there was no doubt but what I was the main attraction."
"And Roy thinks it's me," said Grace, her own grammar suffering from excitement. "Goodness! does he think the poor boy is after all of us?"
"Thinks he's going to start a harem, maybe," cried Mollie hysterically. "Oh, dear, isn't it too ridiculous?"
"I suppose," said Amy thoughtfully, "it's because Sergeant Mullins is so awfully good-looking." ”