The Camp Fire Girls in Glorious France

by Margaret Vandercook

  CHAPTER XII Peace

  In spite of Miss Patricia Lord's many kindnesses, had one been spendingthis particular afternoon with her, as Sally Ashton had voluntarilychosen to do, she would not have appeared in a benevolent light.

  Miss Patricia was fatigued, both from her excursion into town and fromthe excitement of the scene she had just beheld. She was also bent upon adisagreeable errand, having chosen this afternoon to find out why thesupplies she had ordered from the United States months before to aid inthe relief work in one of the devastated Aisne districts had not beenheard from.

  To more than one of the French officials, whom she interviewed, MissPatricia openly declared that she believed her supplies had arrived, butwere being purposely kept from her.

  Unfortunately Sally Ashton had not inquired what Miss Patricia's questwas to be upon this afternoon, when she had chosen her companionship inpreference to the Camp Fire girls. It was one of a number of bondsbetween Sally and Miss Patricia that they seldom annoyed each other withquestions. Since their retreat to Paris from their farmhouse, Sallyconsidered that the other members of her present family had spent toomuch of their time and energy in unnecessary interrogation of her. It wasuseless to protest that there was no secret reason for the change whichthey persisted in discovering in her. Once before, under pressure ofcircumstances, she had kept her own counsel, hence the impression thatshe was probably doing the same thing a second time.

  On this winter afternoon Sally at first followed Miss Patricia upon herwarlike errand with patience and good humor.

  Whenever it was possible they walked to their destinations, Miss Patriciaboth abhoring and fearing the reckless driving of the ordinary Parisiancabman.

  At one or two places, in spite of her determination not to be drawn intoMiss Patricia's difficulties, Sally found herself obliged to explain tothe clerks from just what grievance the irate American spinster wassuffering. Miss Patricia delivered her harangues in English regardless ofthe fact that the French clerks were oftentimes unable to understand aword of what she was saying.

  However, during one of these interviews, when Miss Patricia wasexpressing herself with especial violence and Sally vainly struggling toquiet her, they chanced upon an official who not only understood MissPatricia's language, but appreciated the essential goodness of the womanherself. After all Miss Patricia's anger was due to the fact that shebelieved the French children and old people in her chosen district on theAisne were suffering for just the supplies she had ordered for theirrelief. Her resentment was not occasioned by any personal discomfort.

  The French official explained to Miss Patricia that if she would kindlydrive to a freight office at some distance away and show her bill oflading, there was a possibility they could tell her whether or not hershipment from the United States had ever reached France.

  On this excursion Sally positively declined to walk. Moreover, it wasgrowing late and Miss Patricia was herself obliged to acknowledge thatthe distance was too great. They therefore secured a cab in which MissPatricia agreed that she was willing to risk her own life, althoughreluctant to trust Sally's.

  Finally, after a little uncertainty on the part of their driver theyreached the desired office.

  Here, Miss Patricia found some one who appeared willing to listen, firstto her complaints, and then to make the necessary effort to help her outof her difficulty.

  But this effort, Sally Ashton soon discovered, was to require some time.She was now feeling a little exhausted, the air in the express office washeavy and filled with strange odors, the office which was near the Seinewas in a crowded down-town section of the city.

  Sally touched Miss Patricia on the arm.

  "Aunt Patricia, I want to get out into the fresh air for a few moments.You won't mind if I wait for you outside?"

  And seeing that Sally looked pale and a trifle harassed, and alsoappreciating her former patience, Miss Patricia nodded, without ceasingher conversation with the French clerk.

  The view beyond the office door was more entertaining than Sally hadanticipated on their arrival. One had another outlook on the Seine.Barges and other large river boats, loaded with supplies, were movingslowly up or down. Queer people in odd picturesque costumes were standinghere and there in little groups talking to each other in the animatedLatin fashion.

  Of course there were occasional soldiers; they were everywhere in Paris.

  Within a few moments Sally became interested in several soldiers who werechatting with some French women. One of them, in a United States uniform,moved off alone, as if he had only stopped to ask a question.

  He was coming in Sally's direction.

  Without being aware of what she was doing Sally had wandered severalyards away from the office door where she originally had intended toremain. Now she went back to its shelter. Here, although she was stillable to watch the street, she was not so conspicuous.

  A young French officer was also approaching and walking in the oppositedirection toward the American.

  Sally paid but little attention to either of them until she noticed themstop and almost immediately begin talking to each other in angry tones.

  Then curiosity drove her forth from her shelter a second time.

  What difficulty between the two men could have occurred in such a shortspace of time? They could hardly have exchanged a dozen words with eachother before the quarreling began. Certainly they were both too angry topay the slightest attention to her!

  She was standing almost within half a dozen yards of them. Then Sallyrecalled Mrs. Burton's suggestion that the Camp Fire girls try to becomean influence for peace if they observed a misunderstanding between Alliedsoldiers.

  As Sally had a matter-of-fact appreciation of the difference betweenidealistic theories in life and their practical application, which wasrather unusual in so young a girl, it occurred to her at this moment tocontemplate how extremely angry her Camp Fire guardian would be, shouldshe attempt to speak to the two soldiers who were strangers to her.Reflecting upon Mrs. Burton's disapproval should she adopt this method offollowing her advice, Sally's brown eyes brightened, one of herinfrequent dimples reappeared.

  Then her expression changed; in spite of her momentary frivolity she wasbeginning to feel seriously troubled.

  The two soldiers, one a French officer, the other an American private,had neither separated nor ended their misunderstanding.

  Sally was only a girl, and one who expended little energy in thinking ofthe larger problems of life, yet she appreciated that at this time anydisagreement between France and the United States in the settlement ofthe terms of peace would be a political calamity. Surely, any personaldifficulty between a French and an American soldier was likewise amisfortune. One did not like to think that men who had been lately unitedagainst a common enemy and fighting for a common ideal could so soonquarrel with each other.

  She moved a little nearer. She then saw the American soldier raise hisarm as if intending to strike his companion, she also saw that the Frenchofficer either had forgotten the fact that an officer does not strike aprivate, or else preferred to ignore it.

  Involuntarily Sally called out her feeble protest. No one heeded her.However, the officer, who was older, at the same moment evidentlyappreciating that he must not participate in a street fight, turned andwithout another word to his companion moved away.

  He came back toward Sally Ashton.

  This time she studied him more attentively. The French officer was youngand of medium height with fine dark eyes and a rather prominent nose.

  "Lieutenant Fleury!"

  Sally extended her hand.

  "How strange to meet you here in Paris so unexpectedly! Your sister,Yvonne, thinks you are with the French Army of Occupation. At least thisis the last news I heard of you. Small wonder I have been so interestedin watching you for the last few moments. I must unconsciously haverealized that I knew you!"

  The young officer flushed.
<
br />   "I wish you had _not_ seen me in these last few minutes. But perhaps youwere my good angel, although I was as unaware of your presence as I wasat the time you nursed me back to health in the ruined chateau near yourold farmhouse. At least I was preserved from striking an Americansoldier! I do not see now how I could so far have forgotten myself! Willyou wait here a short time until I am able to find him and apologize. Ibelieve the fault was entirely mine, although at the beginning of ourconversation I thought he said something discourteous about the Frenchpeople. No, my sister does not know I am in Paris. I hoped to come out toVersailles tomorrow to see her and her friends and to explain."

  The French officer swung round, only to find the young American soldierstanding within a few feet of him.

  "I am extremely sorry, sir," he began, "I believe I was rude, but I havebeen in a prison camp in Germany for the past few months and I am afraidI have rather lost my nerve. I have been asking a simple question for thepast hour until I was under the impression that no one was willing totell me what I wished to know. After all perhaps no one has understood!"

  For a moment, while Lieutenant Fleury was endeavoring to make his ownapology, Sally Ashton stood quietly regarding them both.

  The following moment she was standing between them.

  "Dan Webster, perhaps you will allow me to introduce you to LieutenantFleury, since I have the honor of knowing you both. Certainly I neverexpected to see either of you. Come home with me to Tante and Peggy,won't you, Dan? They both think you are still a prisoner in Germany,although we have been hoping for word of your release each day."

  Subtly the tones of Sally Ashton's voice had changed, her manner hadgrown gentler.

  Ever since they were children, because of the close intimacy betweentheir families, she and Dan had known each other. Two years before theyhad spent the summer in camp together "Behind the Lines" in southernCalifornia. Soon after, Dan, who at the time was too young for the draft,had volunteered so that they had not met since then.

  At present Sally was not greatly puzzled by her own failure to recognizeDan Webster until he was sufficiently near to have a close look into hisface.

  The Dan she remembered had been unusually tall and vigorous, with broadshoulders and a heavy, muscular frame. This Dan was extremely thin withstooping shoulders, his ruddy skin an ugly yellow pallor.

  He also appeared confused by Sally's unexpected greeting.

  "I say, it is good to see some one I know once again," he murmured amoment later. "I have had no letters from home in months and did notunderstand that you and Tante and Peggy were still in France. I do hopeyou are going to be able to give me a great deal to eat. I was trying tofind a restaurant where I could get something like an American meal whenyour friend and I came rather close to a misunderstanding."

  By this time Dan was smiling, displaying his strong white teeth, and thedeep blue of his eyes, which with his black hair was the familycharacteristic of both his mother and her twin sister, Mrs. Burton.

  However, at this instant, Miss Patricia, coming out of the express officeto seek for Sally, at once assumed command of the situation.