CHAPTER V
A DELICATE MISSION
It was a flower-decorated and most attractive dining-room into which thesix young men were ushered after being most graciously received by Mrs.Thompson. There was a promise, indeed, of good things in the eating lineto come and nothing could have been more gratifying to healthy youthswho had long been absent from home cooking and daintily served luxuries,no matter how well fed they were with plain and nutritive stuff.
And then, as the boys stood for a moment by their chairs in imitation oftheir hostess, somewhere at a distance in the house soft music began toplay. Suddenly the lady clapped her hands, the double doors leading tothe hall flew open and six smiling young girls, dressed in pink andwhite and with flowing ribbons, entered.
Rapid introductions followed, the younger lads, and especially Herbert,being somewhat awkward in acknowledgment; to say that all were takenaback, though some agreeably surprised, was no exaggeration. As thegenial hostess was busily engaged in wisely seating her guests, it wasRoy Flynn's ready tongue that put all at ease. Addressing Mrs. Thompsonand with a wave of his hand, he said:
"Faith, me dear lady, it's the princess ye are at furnishin' delights,and all of us ought to agree with me. As me old granddad used to say,'Bad cest to the lad who don't admire the lasses,' though ye might guessthat hits me friend here, Mr. Whitcomb."
More the manner than the words caused a laugh and a flutter. A tall,dark-haired, pretty damsel, Mrs. Thompson's elder daughter, who provedto be a great aid to her mother in leading the general conversation,from her seat by Corporal Hern waved her finger tips across the table atRoy.
"Oh, you say that so nicely. But we shall try to keep Mr. Whitcomb fromrunning away, though there is, of course, no telling what any of youterrible warriors may take it into your heads to do."
Roy arose and made a profound bow to the girl and struck an attitude.
"Flowers by the wall, Buds at the table, Joy over all, Eat while you're able."
He shot this off exactly as though he had committed it to memory. Itbegan, then, to appear that the red-haired, homely lad would surelybecome the lion of the evening, for all the girls and most of the boys,themselves short in wit, appealed to Roy for a characterization of thisor that thing rapidly discussed. And Roy was ever ready, so that thelaughter and gaiety made the dinner a pronounced success.
Throughout this effusiveness, though appreciative of the wit andrepartee, Herb sat almost silent and observant, though as yet ignorantof what he was particularly to observe. He was near the middle of oneside of the table and by him sat the younger of Mrs. Thompson'sdaughters, an over-fat, giggling girl, slow of speech and evidently laxin ideas. She had been addressed as Laura. Rose and she were no morealike than a slice of ham and an ice cream cone.
Evidently Herb was expected to make himself agreeable to Laura Thompson,judging by the girl's manner, and the pink-flounced creature on theother side of him was all smiles and giggles for Terry Newlin, fromCompany I.
As the guests became more and more filled with good things and thehours grew longer the talk and laughter fell off a little, even Roygrowing less verbose. Presently Rose Thompson, following a glance fromher mother, made the request:
"Now, you boys might tell us something about your life and duties incamp. Mr. Hern, you're a non-com and in command here, of course,you----"
"No; you see, we are off duty," replied the complaisant corporal, "andthere is no need for leadership here. But if we should need to becommanded in any way, why, then, Whitcomb over there is to have thesay."
There was a rapid change of glances between Rose and her mother, thelatter making a quick signal with her eyes. Almost instantly Rose calledto Laura:
"Say, kid, the corporal here wants to get better acquainted with you, Iknow. He said he admires stout girls most--surely you said that,corporal. Besides, I am just dying to talk with Mr. Whitcomb."
"Herb's scared to death already, so don't make him breathe his lastquite yet, Miss Thompson," Roy demanded. He would have said this morehilariously, seeing Herb's face turn red, but something in the look hischum gave him shut him up. This also was not lost on Mrs. Thompson'selder daughter.
The sisters exchanged places and at once Rose Thompson set about makingherself more than agreeable to Herb. She was plainly bent upon drawinghim out of his shell, was apparently determined to discover his brighterside. And the lad, always gentle and polite, unbent so far as to laughand reply in kind to her sallies, but he did not lose one word beingsaid by the hostess. Presently that lady echoed her daughter's recentrequest for camp news, doings and methods.
Terry Newlin was almost as ready as Roy Flynn; indeed, he talked more,but really said less. And he never thought twice what it was best forhim to say. Now, pleased to hold the attention of all the fair ones, hebegan to spout upon the subject in hand. He rattled away about the grub,the cots, the drill, the study, the officers; and presently, surer ofsympathetic hearing, began to enlarge upon the complaints, as he himselfviewed them.
Rose Thompson saw that Herbert was trying to catch Terry's eye and sheat once strove to prevent his doing so, for it was evident that thetrend that Terry had taken much pleased the hostess. But Herb was not tobe denied. He glanced across to Roy, pointed his thumb at Terry and hisfinger down and shook his head; then leveled a finger at Roy and anotherfinger upward and nodded. Roy, never lacking, caught the drift.
"Oh, box the corpse, Terry, and have the funeral over! Nobody's got anykick comin' at camp, and you know it! Why, company quarters are as goodas home and no pig in the parlor nor hen nestin' in the bread-box, asTerry's been used to. Whurrah, lad! Ye give us all the blues!"
This silenced Terry, but not Mrs. Thompson. That diplomatic person sawthe crucial moment was at hand to embark the spirit of discontent, and,looking her sweetest, she at once held the attention of the guests.
"But camp life must be really very crude, very uncomfy, very lonely,uninteresting and disconsolate, as Mr. Newlin has intimated. I canbelieve you are, most of you, actually homesick when you think of thereal differences between camp and home, cold-blooded officers and motherlove, plain fare and dainties, and all that. Now, isn't that so?"
A half audible assent from the girls went around the table. That kind ofleaven was sure to work wonders. The boys listened as the hostesscontinued:
"And it does seem a truly terrible thing that all this hardship, allthis preparation, all this loss of time from studies, business, worthypleasures at home should be thought necessary when there is really solittle to be gained. Am I not right? All for death or loss of means, orboth, for being maimed for life, made blind, made a dependent."
She paused impressively to let that sink in and another acquiescent sighescaped, Herb noting with surprise that some of the boys joined in this,particularly Terry Newlin.
"And then," Mrs. Thompson continued, "what do we gain? What is it allfor? Do we need to fear any European power away over here after thisterrible war is over? Except England! Very probably England, who willfight always and against everything for commercial supremacy and hercontrol of the seas. Are we not now fighting England's battles, and howwill she thank us?
"You poor boys away off there in those awful trenches, wallowing in mud,sleeping on straw, covered with vermin, with the din of bursting shellsin your ears, the horrid expectation of death continually, seeing yourloved comrades cut down, horribly wounded, dying or killed outright,your mind and body constantly suffering from these--surely you cannotdisagree----"
This last, in her most engaging manner, was addressed to Roy Flynn. Thelad had risen and leaning forward, with both fists on the table, wasglaring at the woman savagely; all the jollity in his round, red facehad suddenly fled.
"Do you mean to try to make slackers of us; to preach the doctrine ofdiscontent?" he demanded.
"No, indeed! Not at all, my dear boy. You quite misunderstand me, I amsure. Nothing could be more foreign to my thoughts. I am only deeplyfilled with sympathy for the lads who a
re going away to fight ourbattles, to bleed and die for us, while we, as it seems most selfishly,remain here in peace and security at home, able to do so little. And allfor so little gain, probably for no gain at all. Our country isconfronted by such a gigantic task. On us, soon, will fall the brunt ofthe effort to oppose the greatest military power on earth, and whatcan----?"
She paused a moment, noting Herbert's quick glance and apparent signalto Roy, who instantly resumed his seat, but refrained from againadopting his jovial manner and speech.
"You see," Mrs. Thompson went on, "the Germans are so wonderfully able,are such a thoroughly capable race that it is well-nigh impossible toequal them in anything. They----"
Herbert decided that he must at last get into the conversation.
"Why do you so highly praise the Germans?" he asked abruptly. "WeAmericans refuse to believe that they are such wonderfully capablepeople. They are awful brags and try to make the rest of the world thinkthey are the top notch of mankind, but in what way they show it I can'tsee.
"Young man, you are evidently not fully informed. You have not been inGermany, as I have. The German people are the most efficient----"
"No people are efficient who set the whole world against them,"interrupted Herb.
"Mere jealousy on the part of other nations!" scoffed the lady. "Butanyway, whatever you may think of the Germans, this fact remains: theyhave not invaded our country to war on us----"
"Only because they couldn't," interposed Roy.
"They have not injured any of our people----"
"Oh! How about the _Lusitania_ and some other boats?" chimed in AnthonyWayne Bartlett-Smith.
"Merely the fortunes of war as aimed at another country. Americans hadno business to be on that boat when they had already been warned. Howcould the submarines choose between----?"
"Will you pardon me," Herbert suddenly requested, "for asking to beexcused for a few moments so that I may call up our captain to ask atwhat hour we are to return? May I use your 'phone?"
The boy had arrived at a rapid conclusion, believing that drasticmeasures should be adopted. Half-way methods were distasteful to him. Hewas not certain that he had sufficient grounds for action, but anyway,that would be up to Captain Leighton. No doubt Herb could have the restof the soldier guests with him, all except Terry Newlin, who seemed tobe naturally disgruntled.
The bland face of the hostess went suddenly red and then very white, butshe indicated the front hallway where the telephone hung. Then, as Herbarose, both he and Roy noticed that the lady nodded her head toward herelder daughter, who quickly got up and followed Herbert through thearchway.
As the boy reached his hand for the instrument there was a quick stepbeside him and slender fingers were thrust forward to push his handaside.
SLENDER FINGERS THRUST HIS HAND ASIDE.]
The Brighton Boys in the Trenches Page 5
