Mary Roberts Rinehart

“ I shall never forget Tish’s look of scorn as she rose with dignity, and stalked toward the barn.
“I shall go myself, Aggie,” she said, as she passed her. “You would probably fall in the rain barrel under the window. You’re no climber. And you might as well eat those crusts you’ve hidden under the porch, if you’re as hungry as you make out you are.”
“Lizzie,” Aggie hissed, when Tish was out of hearing, “what is in that barn?”
“It may be anything from a German spy to an aeroplane,” I said. “But it’s not your business or mine.” ”

“ So Tish repeated it, but when she came to the eiderdown pillow he held up his hand.
“All right,” he said in a strange tone. “I believe you. I—you don’t mind if I go and get a drink of water, do you? My mouth is dry.”
Dear Tish watched him as he went away, and shook her head.
“He is changed already,” she observed sadly. “That is one of the deadliest effects of war. It takes the bright young spirit of youth and feeds it on stuff cooked by men, with not even time enough to chew properly, and puts it on its stomach in the mud, while its head is in the clouds of idealism. ”

“ Shortly after that Aggie disappeared, and I found her later on in Tish's bathroom crying into a Turkish towel.
"I won't go, Lizzie," she said, "and that's flat! I've done my share, and if Tish Carberry thinks I am going to go through the rest of my life falling into shell holes and being potted at by all sort of strange men she can just think again. Besides that, I have been true to the memory of one man for a good many years, and I simply refuse to be kissed by any more of those immoral foreigners." ”

“ Finally she said: "I don't know why you think I was interested in Captain Weber. He was amusing, that's all; and I like fighting men—the bravest are the tenderest, you know. I—if you ever happen on Mr. Burton you might tell him I'm here. It's interesting, but I get lonely sometimes. I don't see a soul I really care to talk to."
Well, I promised I would, and as Mr. Burton had gone I went back alone. Tish was asleep with a hot stone under her cheek, from which I judged she'd had neuralgia, and Aggie was nowhere in sight. ”

“ But the young man merely gave her a scornful glance, and leaning his gun against the haystack, came over to the car and inspected us all with a most scornful expression.
“I thought so!” he said. “When I saw you leaping that fence and jumping the creek, I knew what was wrong. Only I thought it was a party of men. In my wildest dreams—give me that bottle,” he ordered Aggie, holding out his hand. ”

“ Every incident of that luncheon is fixed clearly in my mind, because of what came after it. We had indeed penetrated close to the Front, as was shown by the number of shells which fell in it while we ate. The dirt from one, in fact, quite spoiled the floating island, and we were compelled to open a can of peaches to replace it. It was while we were drinking our after-dinner coffee that Tish voiced the philosophy which upheld her.
"When my hour comes it will come," she said calmly. "Viewed from that standpoint the attempts of the enemy to disturb us become amusing—nothing more." ”

“ AFTER Charlie Sands had gone to a training camp in Ohio there was a great change in Tish. She seemed for the first time to regret that she was a woman, and there were times when that wonderful poise and dignity that had always distinguished her, even under the most trying circumstances, almost deserted her. ”

“ Muldoon's story, we had proof of it before noon. A man with a gun came out on a ledge of rock across the valley and stood, with his hands to his eyes, peering across at our cave. Tish was hanging some of our clothing out to dry, and although she saw the outlaw as well as we did she did not flinch. After a time the man seemed satisfied and disappeared.
Tish came into the cave then and took a spoonful of blackberry cordial. As we knew, her intrepid spirit had not quailed; but, as she said, one's body is never as strong as one's soul. ”

“ Never before has a member of my family been taken by an enemy. We die, but we do not surrender."
"You can speak for your own family, then," Aggie said. "I've got a family, too, but it's got sense enough to surrender when necessary. And if you think Libby Prison was any treat to my grandfather——"
Tish ignored her.
"It is my intention," she went on, "to appeal to the general of his division to rescue my nephew and thus wipe out the stain on the family honor. Failing that, I am prepared to go to any length."
Here she eyed Aggie coldly. "It is no time for craven spirits," she said. ”

“ As she gave the signal Hannah sighed, and, picking up a broomhandle, started the target to swaying, pendulum fashion; Tish followed it with the gun.
I thought things had gone far enough, so I stepped into the cellar and spoke in ringing tones.
"Letitia Carberry!" I said sternly.
Tish pulled the trigger at that moment and the bullet went into the furnace pipe. It was absurd, of course, for Tish to blame me for it, but she turned on me in a rage.
"Look what you made me do!" she snapped. "Can't a person have a moment's privacy?" ”

“ Finally Aggie said out of a clear sky:
"Have you had any answers to your advertisement?"
Tish, who had been about to put a slice of lemon in her tea, put it in her mouth instead and stared at us both.
"What advertisement?"
"We know all about it, Tish," I said. "And if you think it proper for a woman of your age to go adventuring with only a donkey for company——"
"I've had worse!" Tish snapped. "And I'm not feeble yet, as far as my age goes. If I want to take a walking tour it's my affair, isn't it?"
"You can't walk with your bad knee," I objected. Tish sniffed. ”

“ But they do. A sharp storm came up at that time, and ordinarily Aggie would have been in her sleeping-bag, with Modestine's saddle on top by way of extra protection. But now, from sheer bravado, she went to the mouth of the cave and stood looking out at the lightning.
"Come and look at it, Tish!" she said. "It's—— Good gracious! There's a man across the valley with a gun!"
We all ran to the mouth of the cave except the walking-tour gentleman, who had his foot in a collapsible basin of arnica and hot water. But none of us saw Aggie's man. ”

“ If you decide to be sensible, somewhere up the valley is the cave Charlie Sands hid in when he ran away. I think I can find it."
It was thundering louder now, and Aggie was giving a squeal with every peal. We were too far gone for pride. I helped her out of her sleeping-bag and we started after Tish and the donkey. The rain poured down on us. At every step torrents from Thunder Cloud and the Camel's Back soaked us. The wind howled up the ravine and the lightning played round the treetops. ”

“ Just outside I perceived a soldier cooking his breakfast. Of course there was a chance that he would not look away at the proper moment, but he stood up to fill his pipe. I'd have got his coffee too, but in the fight he kicked it over."
"What fight?" I asked.
"He blamed another soldier for taking the bacon. He was really savage, Lizzie. From the way he acted I gather that they haven't any too much to eat."
Breakfast fortified us both greatly, but it also set me to thinking sadly of Aggie, whose morning meal was a crisp slice of bacon, varied occasionally by an egg. ”

“ I'm inclined to sit here until that general promises to do something."
His face changed.
"Oh, now see here," he said in an appealing voice, "you aren't going to make things difficult for me, are you? There's a regulation against this sort of thing."
"We are welfare workers," Tish said calmly. "Behind us there stand the entire American people. If kept from the front trenches while trying to serve our boys there are ways of informing the people through the press."
"It's exactly the press I fear," he said in a sad voice. ”

“ It was rather hard on Aggie on cold evenings, and I remember very well that one night she came in and threw her flashlight on the floor, and then burst into tears.
"I'm through, Tish," she said, "and that's all there is to it! I've stood being frozen until my feet are so cold I can't tell one from the other, but I draw the line at being insulted."
"Insulted?" Tish said. "If you are going to mind trifles when your country's safety is in question you'd better stay at home. ”

“ Tish went on, putting down her revolver and taking up her knitting: "I don't believe an ambulance loaded with cigarettes and stick candy and chocolate, with perhaps lemons for lemonade, is going to be stopped any where as long as it's headed for the Front. I understand they don't stop ambulances anyhow. If they do you can stretch out and pretend to be wounded. This is one way in which you can be very useful—being wounded." ”

“ Don’t deny it. I recognize you. I saw you—the lot of you. I saw you drag her into a car and kidnap her. I saw that ass Culver and a policeman chasing you in another car. Oh, I know you, all right. Didn’t I pay twenty-two dollars for a taxicab that got three punctures all at once thirty miles from the city? Now where is she?”
“Just a moment,” said Tish’s nephew, holding him back by an arm across his chest. “Just remember that whatever my aunt has done was done with the best intentions.”
“D—— her intentions! I want Myrtle.” ”

“ Tish eyed her coldly. "The body is entirely controlled by the mind, Aggie," she reminded her. "And when I remember how nearly your lack of control cost us our lives, when you insisted on sneezing——"
"Insisted! If you had been in a shell hole full of water up to your neck, Tish Carberry——"
"The difference between you and me, Aggie," Tish replied calmly, "is that I should not have been in a shell hole full of water up to my neck." The war was over then, of course, but there was still a disturbed condition in certain countries, and Tish's eyes grew reflective. ”

“ Aggie protested.
"If you've got to have five pairs of shoes, six white petticoats, summer underwear, intermediates and flannels, a bathrobe, six bath towels and a sunshade, not to mention other things, you want an elephant, not a donkey."
"Why do we have a donkey?" I asked. "Why don't we have a horse and buggy, and go like Christians?"
"Because you and Aggie wouldn't walk if we did," snapped Tish. "I know you both. You'd have rheumatism or a corn and you'd take your walking trip sitting. Besides, we may not always keep to the roads. I'd like to go up into the mountains." ”

“ Aggie ran to her then with the blackberry cordial, but Tish waved her away.
“A prisoner!” she said. “A nephew of mine has allowed himself to be captured by the Germans? It is incredible!”
“Lots of us are doing it,” he said. “It’s no disgrace. In fact, it’s a mark of courage. A fellow goes farther than he ought to, and the first thing he knows he’s got a belt of bayonet points, and it is a time for discretion.” ”

“ Tish's plan was very simple. She told us as we cleared up the cave after the day's excitement.
"When I go for the evening milk," she said, "I shall mention that we have a young man with us, a stranger, who has hurt his ankle and cannot walk. And I'll ask for arnica. That's all."
"That's all!" Aggie and I exclaimed together.
"Certainly that's all. Sometime tonight they'll rush the cave."
"You're a fool!" said Aggie shortly.
"Why?" demanded Tish. "We won't be in it. We'll be outside. The moment they are in we'll start to shoot. Not one of them will dare to stick his nose out." ”

“ Owing to that protection the grenades the enemy threw into the cellar did no harm what ever, save to waken Tish from a sound sleep.
"Drat them anyhow!" she said. "I was just dreaming that Mr. Ostermaier had declined a raise in his salary."
"Tish," I said, "suppose they find Aggie?"
She yawned and turned over.
"Aggie's got more brains than you think she has," was her comment. "She hates dying about as much as most people. ”

“ Aggie said tartly. "I'm not and I don't want to be. Though I can't see how biting my tongue half through is going to help France anyhow."
But Tish was not listening. She had lifted three shovels out of the car, and we could see her dauntless figure outlined against the darkness.
"The Germans," she said at last, "are over there behind that chicken house. The machine is stalled in a shell hole and contains a wounded soldier. We are being shelled and there are those what-you-call-'em lights overhead. We must escape or be killed. There is only one thing to do. ”

“ Tish said. “It is a car——”
“And that I rode about a quarter of a mile into Lake Penzance, and would likely have ridden straight across if I hadn’t run into a canoe and upset it?”
“You can always stop a car,” said Tish. “Don’t be a coward, Lizzie. All you have to do is to shove hard with your right foot.”95
Yet, when I did exactly that, she denied she had ever said it. Fond as I am of Tish, I must admit that she has a way of forgetting things she does not wish to remember. ”

“ Tish then advanced in the direction of the voices and said: "Aggie, are you all right?"
"I'm half drowned. And there's a man here."
The first voice then said in an aggrieved manner: "This is my puddle, you know, lady. And if my revolver wasn't wet through I'm afraid there would be one mermaid less, or whatever you are."
The Germans at that moment sent up one of their white lights, which resemble certain of our Fourth of July pieces, which float a long time and give the effect of full moonlight.
"Down," said Mr. Burton, and we all fell flat on our faces. ”

“ He's got the photographs of five youngsters in his cabin; or he did have. He's probably hidden them now."
"Why don't you tell her?" Tish demanded.
"Why should I? Let her make a fool of herself if she wants to," he said despondently. "What chance have I against a shipload of 'em, anyhow? If it wasn't this one it would be another. She's got her eye on a tank now, and she's only waiting for that aviator to forget his stomach to sit at his feet and worship. God only knows what would happen if we had a Croix de Guerre on board." ”

“ Wouldn’t any one in his senses think that a young and able-bodied man could go and put his name down as being willing to serve his country? Why, she herself—she’s crazy to go. I’d like to bet a hat she’ll get there before long, too, and into the front trenches.”
“Oh, no!” Aggie wailed suddenly.
“But not I,” went on Charlie Sands fiercely. “Not I. How she ever got around that old fool Ostermaier I don’t know. But she has. He’s appointed her an assistant registrar in his precinct, which is mine. And she’ll swear until she’s black in the face that I’m over age.” ”

“ And yet you start for the Front, picking out any trench that takes your fancy, and—weak tea! And I am going to St.-Nazaire! I, a man, with a man's stomach and a mad affection for a girl who thinks I prefer serving doughnuts to fighting! I do that, while you——"
"Why do you go to St.-Nazaire?" Tish inquired. "You can sit with Aggie inside the ambulance, and I'm sure you could be useful, changing tires, and so on. You could simply disappear, you know. That is what we intend to do." ”