CHAPTER XXI
Under the most favorable auspices a military camp entails labor, but tothe volunteers who assembled in Virginia that spring and broke groundfor what afterward became known as Camp Alger, it was a tremendousundertaking. The hewing of wood and clearing of underbrush which itentailed was scarcely bargained for by the enlisted man fresh fromcivilian life, who, nevertheless, went at it with the energycharacteristic of Uncle Sam's boys the country over, as a result ofwhich, by the end of May, many of the regiments were as well quarteredas if they were enjoying the customary summer outing at their Statecamp-grounds at home. These, of course, were the militia now musteredinto the United States service and awaiting orders to follow theregulars into Spanish territory.
Troop D of Kenneth Landor's squadron had unquestionably the finest siteon the reservation; a wooded knoll stretching down into a field ofgrass--green when the troopers came but worn down to bare earth in thefirst month of their encampment. Beneath the shade trees on the hillsidethe officers pitched their conical tents, the men stretching out throughthe field below in two troop streets, back of which on either side werepicketed their horses.
It was a warm June afternoon, but a little breeze stirred the branchesof the trees and blew with delicious freshness over the knoll, on which,stretched out at full length, lay Kenneth Landor. It was an off hour incamp and, barring the sentries who were tramping up and down theirposts, every man was taking advantage of it, some comfortably lounginglike Kenneth on the grass, others laboriously writing home lettersfilled with their latest exploit. For they were just back from a threedays' practice march along the Potomac, during which they had spenttheir time in fighting the infantry they met on the road and swimmingtheir horses in the river; and this first bit of mimic warfare could notfail to be of interest to the home people.
Kenneth had enjoyed the march hugely. He liked action and chafed, as didall the men, under the monotony of their enforced encampment, althoughrealizing full well that the troop would be sent to the front as soon aswas deemed expedient. He was thinking, as he lay on his back gazingskyward, of what he had once heard a veteran say,--that war was largelymade up of soldier housekeeping. That might be true, but he hoped heshould come in for some stiff fighting before he got through. Theseinteresting speculations so engrossed him that he scarcely noticed themail orderly going the rounds until turning suddenly on his elbow he sawthe man coming toward him. This trooper, detailed as mail orderly, wasno other than Charley Bemis, whom we last saw at the Earle-Truxtonwedding, but so strictly was the etiquette of military life maintainedin camp that the man on approaching, saluted his superior officer,received an acknowledging salute, delivered a letter and turned awaywithout a word.
The envelope was addressed in Jack's round sprawling hand and Kennethprepared himself for a comfortable perusal of the weekly bulletin whichthe boy wrote, edited and printed with faithful regularity and whichnever failed to be of absorbing interest to the man who received it.This time, however, there was no printed sheet, but a letter writtenapparently at fever heat.
"Dear Lieutenant," (it began, with military terseness), "I'm too upsetto do the paper, though I'll try to soon, but you won't wonder when Itell you. _They're gone!_ I can't realize it myself and I wish I didn'thave to--it's all so sudden and so lonesome I just want to go off anddie!
"Dr. Ware did it. He and Bridget packed them off before they could sayJack Robinson. She's gone, too, so has he--down to Wavertree Hall, theircousin's plantation in Virginia. You see, Miss Julie broke down, thoughshe wouldn't let any of us say she was ill, and Mrs. Driscoe urged themto come there and Colonel Driscoe wrote Dr. Ware and sent him the moneyto buy their tickets and said he mustn't tell and he should rely uponhim to get them off. Miss Hester told me all that. She laughed, the wayshe always does, you know, and said their cousin Driscoe and Dr. Waretogether were too much for them. She said they meant to have a good restand get Miss Julie strong and then come back to their work again butGee! I wish they didn't have to--it's such a fearful grind.
"It's awful without them, and Peter Snooks gone too! Lieutenant Landor,what's a guard of honor to do with nothing to guard? There's mother, ofcourse, and Mr. Landor, but they don't like me bothering around the waythose girls did. They never minded. I've left off my crutches and I'mdigging at my books, but I'm going to be a drummer boy yet, you bet!
"Please send me the latest news from the front. I think it's _great_ tobe a soldier!
"Jack."
"P.S.--Mother says it's a girl's trick to add a postscript, but they'redown there near you somewhere. Wouldn't you love to see them, just! Theywent to Dunn Loring the way you did and had to drive a ways into thecountry. Thought you'd like to know."
The varied sensations which surged through Kenneth as he finishedreading are difficult to describe. Paramount was the joyful surprisethat Hester was somewhere in the vicinity, followed by the overwhelmingdesire to see her without loss of time. This he knew as he came to thinkit over quietly, was impossible. He could not take the initiative orseem to thrust himself upon her uninvited. She, of course, must knowthat his troop was still at Camp Alger and if she cared to see him--butdid she care?
That baffling question haunted him a week. Then came one day a notebrought by a small darky who was inclined to ride rough-shod over thesentries because, as he condescended to explain to them, he had a notefrom the young missis to deliver right into the Lieutenant's own hand. Aformal, brief little note Hester had written, but it was enough, for ittold him where they were and that their cousin Mrs. Driscoe would bemost happy to have him ride over and call.
He went that evening, inquiring the way in Dunn Loring and soon foundhimself riding up a long avenue between rows of locust trees, at the endof which he could just distinguish a large brick mansion with a squareportico and broad verandahs at either end. When he drew up at the househe discovered a small cavalcade ahead of him. At least half a dozenhorses were standing hitched in various parts of the driveway, andfollowing the custom of the place he tied his own with the rest. Then herapped vigorously at the knocker to announce his arrival. By thatgeneral factotum George Washington he was ushered immediately across ahuge square hall and out onto a verandah where a gay group of peoplewere laughing and chatting together. His first impression was a vivideffect of blue uniforms and white muslin gowns while from out of thismedley a dignified, matronly figure came forward with his card in herhand and said in hearty Southern fashion:
"How do you do, Mr. Landor? It is a pleasure to welcome you to WavertreeHall. Hester, my dear, here is one of your Radnor friends."
Hester slipped down from the railing where she had been sitting andshyly gave him her hand. Somehow, for a moment he scarcely knew her withthat strange light in her eyes. Then there was a general interchange ofgreetings, for Julie called him over to the hammock where she was halfreclining and Dr. Ware rose up from his seat beside her and nearly shookthe arm off him; and there was dear little Nannie waiting to have himpresented and the Colonel, who laughingly consented to wait his turn,and all the guests who enviously regarded this brother officer uponwhom, for the moment, all interest centered.
He saw very little of Hester that night. She was the gayest of the gayand seemed to evade him with the old elusiveness which had been somarked in the first days of their acquaintance. So he turned for comfortto Julie, whose convalescence kept her a little apart from the livelygroup and whose genuine interest in him seemed to the distracted fellowalmost the sweetest thing in the world.
He rode off rather early, in company with the other officers, whom hefound belonged to a Virginia regiment encamped at Alger, and when thegay little cavalcade had waved their hands in parting and were lost tosight Dr. Ware said to Julie:
"There was not a man of them who could compare with Kenneth--he issuperb!"
"Yes," she assented, "he is. I never saw him look so handsome as he doesin his uniform."
The others had strayed into the great
hall, and they were alone on theverandah.
"Julie," he said gently, "you begin to feel more like your old self now,do you not, dear?"
"Oh! yes," she said, "I feel stronger and stronger every day. But," witha little laugh, "I am in danger of being spoiled--you all wait on meso."
"It is a good thing to get that independent young spirit of yours intosubjection," he laughed. "We are all making the most of theopportunity."
"Do you notice how cousin Nancy has changed?" she asked. "She does noteye Hester and me so curiously as she did at first. When we came shescarcely took her eyes off us for days. I think she was prepared to seefreaks and could not readjust her mind to the fact that we looked andbehaved just as usual. To cook for a living and still be a lady was ananomaly beyond her comprehension, but she is beginning to realize suchthings can be, though she wouldn't acknowledge it for the world. Dearcousin Nancy! She's so good and so contradictory!"
"I shall never forget her kindness in keeping me here," he saidheartily. "Think of my merely meaning to see you safe at Wavertree Hall,and being taken possession of by her and made one of the family! Herhospitality is unbounded."
Presently he said: "I have been waiting for you to feel strong enough tohave a little serious talk, Julie. What would you say if you were not togo back to your work for another year?"
"Oh, we must go back," she said. "Please don't think we'll allowourselves to get demoralized or unfitted for work because of all this!"
"I'm not likely to think that, dear, but your cousin Driscoe has had along talk with me and he urges me to persuade you all to remain withthem a year, at least. He says now they've got you here they want tokeep you and you'll be all the better fitted to work, he thinks, for along rest. He says he has not mentioned this to your cousin Nancybecause he will not have her bothering you to do what you don't wantto--"
"The dear, blessed man," she exclaimed.
"And he didn't want to bother you himself but he thought if I threw theweight of my influence on his side you might be persuaded. He doesn'tknow, does he?" wistfully, "what little influence I really have with youtwo independent girls!"
"Oh, don't say that!" she protested; "it isn't fair! And I do notbelieve way down deep in your heart you would urge our staying on hereso long. You know too well how hard we have struggled to get started toadvise our letting the work all slip away. Besides, what would you dowithout us all that time, I'd like to know," she said playfully. "You'dbe terribly lonesome, you know you would and--oh no," suddenly growingserious again, "we must go back and take up the work and push on withit, but it isn't the same--it just can't be without Daddy!" She turnedher face away but not before he had detected the brimming eyes.
"Dear," he said, putting out his arms, "if only you would let me"--hestopped, pulling himself together with a mighty effort. "I--I--"
"You are so good to me," she faltered, "so good!"
"I'm far from good to let you get excited to-night," he said, strugglingto speak calmly. "You are not strong yet, dear, but I wanted to speak toyou about your cousin Driscoe's proposition before I went away!"
"Away?" she repeated as if scarcely understanding, "must you go away?"
"I think so, dear, in a day or two. Tell me what I can do for you inRadnor."
"Radnor?" musingly, "how far away that seems! Yes, you can do somethingfor me there--two things. See Jack and tell him all about us and hunt upMr. Renshawe and tell him we've nearly won the day. Hester and I havebeen maneuvering in his behalf on all occasions. Tell him Nannie treadson air and that any day he may expect a little flag of truce, for cousinNancy shows signs of surrendering. Will you tell him all that?"
"Julie dear," bending toward her with a world of tenderness in hisvoice, "Julie dear, do you never want anything for yourself?"
"Yes," very faintly.
"Can you tell me, little girl?"
"Yes," reaching out her hands with a little childish gesture,--"you."
"Julie!"
He took her in his arms and for a moment there was silence while out inthe moonlit trees a mocking-bird called to its mate.
"My little girl," he said at last tremulously, "is it really true?"
"Oh, how could I do it," she whispered, "how could I!"
"Love me? I am sure I don't know and I scarcely dare believe it. Look atme, sweetheart and tell me it is true."
She raised her beautiful honest eyes and let him look into the depths ofher pure soul. "It is so natural to love you and so beautiful," she saidsimply.
"But I am no longer a young man, dear. What right have I to ask you togive your young life to me?"
"You didn't ask me," with a little fluttering laugh, "I asked you. It isvery humiliating for you to remind me of it."
"Julie!" He was holding her fast as if he never meant to let her go.
"You are not old," she protested. "It is not years but the spirit thatcounts, and you are young--just as I am old for my years, and there isno one like you but Hester in the world. I have been loving you so longunconsciously, that I don't know when it began."
"Neither do I, dear."
"But I knew you so well," she continued, "I was afraid you would havesome mistaken sense of honor that would prevent your ever telling me youloved me and I just couldn't bear that." Julie's head was hidden on hisshoulder.
"You little saint," stroking her hair tenderly, "you always seemed tobelong to me, as if you were a part of my very life, but I have neverfelt I was worthy of such a blessing and I have reminded myself athousand times this past winter that I could only have one place in youraffections--the old family friend. When Monsieur Gremond came along Irealized more than ever that I had no right to daydreams--that someother man would claim you and carry you away."
"Did you want me to marry him?" she asked.
"I wanted your happiness above everything."
"Do _you_ never want anything for yourself?" she asked saucily.
"You," was his answer, at which they both laughed with the delicioussense of their own humor which only lovers know.
Then they had a long quiet talk together about the future, and he toldher how he thanked God she was willing to give herself into his keeping;how he wanted to flood her life with sunshine and how blessed he shouldbe if she and Hester would make for him such a home as they had made forDad. And they spoke long and tenderly of the man who had been as noble afriend as a father and who would always be a loved memory to them both.Then she slipped away from him and leaving him to dream of a realitythat was beyond all imagining, went up to her room in search of Hester.
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