MORE TISH

by

MARY ROBERTS RINEHART

Author of "A Poor Wise Man, " "Dangerous Days, " "The Amazing Interlude, ""Bab, " "K, " Etc. 

 * * * * *

 BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART

 A POOR WISE MAN DANGEROUS WAYS THE AMAZING INTERLUDE "K" BAB: A SUB-DEB TISH MORE TISH SIGHT UNSEEN AND THE CONFESSION AFFINITIES AND OTHER STORIES LOVE STORIES KINGS, QUEENS AND PAWNS TWENTY-THREE AND A HALF HOURS' LEAVE "ISN'T THAT JUST LIKE A MAN?" ETC. , ETC. 

 * * * * *

New YorkGeorge H. Doran CompanyCopyright, 1921, By George H. Doran CompanyCopyright, 1912, 1917, 1919, By The Curtis Publishing CompanyPrinted in the United States of America

CONTENTS

 I page THE CAVE ON THUNDER CLOUD 9

 II TISH DOES HER BIT 75

 III SALVAGE 161

THE CAVE ON THUNDER CLOUD

I

It is doubtful if Aggie and I would have known anything about Tish'splan had Aggie not seen the advertisement in the newspaper. She came tomy house at once in violent excitement and with her bonnet over her ear, and gave me the newspaper clipping to read. It said:

 "WANTED: A small donkey. Must be gentle, female, and if possible answer to the name of Modestine. Address X 27, Morning News. "

"Well, " I said when I had read it, "did you insert the advertisement ordo you propose to answer it?"

Aggie was preparing to take a drink of water, but, the water being coldand the weather warm, she was dabbing a little on her wrists first toavoid colic. She looked up at me in surprise. 

"Do you mean to say, Lizzie, " she demanded, "that you don't recognizethat advertisement?"

"Modestine?" I reflected. "I've heard the name before somewhere. Didn'tTish have a cook once named Modestine?"

But it seemed that that was not it. Aggie sat down opposite me and tookoff her bonnet. Although it was only the first of May, the weather, as Ihave said, was very warm. 

"To think, " she said heavily, "that all the time while I was reading italoud to her when she was laid up with neuralgia she was scheming andplanning and never saying a word to me! Not that I would have gone; butI could have sent her mail to her, and at least have notified theauthorities if she had disappeared. "

"Reading what aloud to her--her mail?" I asked sharply. 

"'Travels with a Donkey, '" Aggie replied. "Stevenson's 'Travels with aDonkey. ' It isn't safe to read anything aloud to Tish any more. Theolder she gets the worse she is. She thinks that what any one else hasdone she can go and do. If she should read a book on poultry-farming shewould think she could teach a young hen to lay an egg. "

As Aggie spoke a number of things came back to me. I recalled that theSunday before, in church, Tish had appeared absorbed and even moredevout than usual, and had taken down the headings of the sermon on hermissionary envelope; but that, on my leaning over to see if she had themcorrectly, she had whisked the paper away before I had had more thantime to see the first heading. It had said "Rubber Heels. "

Aggie was pacing the floor nervously, holding the empty glass. 

"She's going on a walking tour with a donkey, that's what, Lizzie, " shesaid, pausing before me. "I could see it sticking out all over her whileI read that book. And if we go to her now and tax her with it she'lladmit it. But if she says she is doing it to get thin don't you believeit. "

That was all Aggie would say. She shut her lips and said she had comefor my recipe for caramel custard. But when I put on my wraps and said Iwas going to Tish's she said she would come along. 

Tish lives in an apartment, and she was not at home. Miss Swift, theseamstress, opened the door and stood in the doorway so we could notenter. 

"I'm sorry, Miss Aggie and Miss Lizzie, " she said, putting out her leftelbow as Aggie tried to duck by her; "but she left positive orders toadmit nobody. Of course if she had known you were coming--but shedidn't. "

"What are you making, Miss Letitia?" Aggie asked sweetly. "Summerclothes?"

"Yes. Some little thin things--it's getting so hot!"

"Humph! I see you are making them with an upholsterer's needle!" saidAggie, and marched down the hall with her head up. 

I was quite bewildered. For even if Tish had decided on a walking tour Icouldn't imagine what an upholsterer's needle had to do with it, unlessshe meant to upholster the donkey. 

We got down to the entrance before Aggie spoke again. Then:

"What did I tell you?" she demanded. "That woman's making her a----"

But at that very instant there was a thud under our feet and somethingcame "ping" through the floor not six inches from my toe, and lodged inthe ceiling. Aggie and I stood looking up. It had made a small roundhole over our heads, and a little cloud of plaster dust hung round it. 

"Somebody shot at us!" declared Aggie, clutching my arm. "That was abullet!"

I stooped down and felt the floor. There was a hole in it, and fromsomewhere below I thought I heard voices. It was not very comfortable, standing there on top of Heaven knows what; but we were divided betweenfear and outrage, and our indignation won. With hardly a word we wentback to the rear staircase and so to the cellar. Halfway down the stairsboth of us remembered the same thing--that it was Tish's day to use thebasement laundry, and that perhaps----

Tish was not in the laundry, nor was Hannah, her maid. But Tish'sblue-and-white dressing sacque was on the line, and the blue had run, asI had said it would when she bought it. In the furnace room beyond weheard voices, and Aggie opened the door. 

Tish and Hannah were both there. They had not heard us. 

"Nonsense!" Tish was saying. "If anybody had been hit we'd have heard ascream; or if they were killed we'd have heard 'em fall. "

"I heard a sort of yell, " said poor Hannah. "I don't like it, Miss Tish. The time before you just missed me. "

"Why did you stick your arm out?" demanded Tish. "Now take thatbroomstick and we'll start again. Did you score that?"

"How'll I score it?" asked Hannah. "Hit or miss?" She went to thecellar wall and stood waiting, with a piece of charcoal in her hand. Thewhitewashed wall was marked with rows of X's and ciphers. The cipherspredominated. 

"Mark it a miss. "

"But I heard a yell----"

"Fiddle-de-dee! Are you ready?" Tish had lifted a small rifle intoposition and was standing, with her feet apart, pointing it at a whitetarget hanging by a string from a rafter. As she gave the signal. Hannahsighed, 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 andspoke in ringing tones. 

"Letitia Carberry!" I said sternly. 

Tish pulled the trigger at that moment and the bullet went into thefurnace pipe. It was absurd, of course, for Tish to blame me for it, butshe turned on me in a rage. 

"Look what you made me do!" she snapped. "Can't a person have a moment'sprivacy?"

"What I think you need, " I retorted, "is six months' complete seclusionin a sanitarium. "

"You nearly shot us in the upper hall, " Aggie put in warmly. 

"Well, as long as I didn't shoot you in the upper hall or any otherplace, I guess you needn't fuss, " said Tish. "Ready, Hannah. "

This time she shot Hannah in the broomhandle, and practically put her_hors de combat_; but the shot immediately after was what Tishtriumphantly called a clean bull's-eye--that is, it hit the center ofthe target. 

That is the time to stop, when one has made a bull's-eye in any sort ofachievement, I take it. And Tish is nobody's fool. She took off herspectacles and wiped the perspiration and gunpowder streaks from herface. She was immediately in high good humor. 

"Every unprotected female should know how to handle a weapon, " she saidoracularly, and, sitting down on the edge of the coal-bin, proceeded toswab out the gun with a wad of cotton on the end of a stick. 

"The poker has been good enough for you for fifty years, " I retorted. "And if you think you look sporty, or anything but idiotic, sittingthere in a flowered kimono and swabbing out the throat of that gun----?"

Just then the janitor came down, and Tish gave him a dollar for the useof the cellar and did not mention the furnace pipe. Aggie and I glancedat each other. Tish's demoralization had begun. From that minute, to thelong and entirely false story she told the red-bearded man in ThunderCloud Glen several days later, she trod, as Aggie truthfully said, thedownward path of mendacity, bringing up in the county jail andhysterics. 

We went upstairs, Tish ahead and Aggie and I two flights behind, believing that Tish with an unloaded gun was a thousand times moredangerous than any outlaw with an entire arsenal loaded to the muzzle. 

We had a cup of tea in Tish's parlor, but she kept us out of thebedroom, where we could hear Miss Swift running the sewing machine. 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 inher mouth instead and stared at us both. 

"What advertisement?"

"We know all about it, Tish, " I said. "And if you think it proper for awoman 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 myage 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. 

"You're envious, that's what, " she sneered. "While you are sitting athome, overeating and oversleeping and getting fat in mind and body, Ishall be on the broad highway, walking between hedgerows offlowering--flowering--well, between hedgerows. While you sleep instuffy, upholstered rooms I shall lie in woodland glades in mysleeping-bag and see overhead the constellation of--of what's its name. I shall talk to the birds and the birds will talk to me. "

Sleeping-bag! That was what Aggie had meant that Miss Swift was making. 

"What are you going to do when it rains?"

"It doesn't rain much in May. Anyhow, a friendly farmhouse and a glassof milk--even a barn----"

Aggie got up with the light of desperation in her eyes. Aggie hateswoods and gnats, has no eye for Nature, and for almost half a centuryhas pampered her body in a featherbed poultice, with the windows closed, until the first of June each year. Yet Aggie rose to the crisis. 

"You shan't go alone, Tish, " she said stoutly. "You'll forget to changeyour stockings when your feet are wet and you can't make a cup of coffeefit to drink. I'm going too. "

Tish made a gesture of despair, but Aggie was determined. Tish glancedat me. 

"Well?" she snapped. "We might as well make it a family excursion. Aren't you coming along, too, to look after Aggie?"

"Not at all, " I observed calmly. "I'll have enough to do looking aftermyself. But I like the idea, and since you've invited me I'll come, ofcourse. "

At first I am afraid Tish was not particularly pleased. She said she hadit all planned to make four miles an hour, or about forty miles a day;and that any one falling back would have to be left by the wayside. Andthat if we were not prepared to sleep on the ground, or were going totalk rheumatism every time she found a place to camp, she would thank usto remember that we had really asked ourselves. 

But she grew more cheerful finally and seemed to be glad to talk overthe details of the trip with somebody. She said it was a pity we had nothad some practice with firearms, for we would each have to take aweapon, the mountains being full of outlaws, more than likely. NeitherAggie nor I could use a gun at all, but, as Tish observed, we could potat trees and fenceposts along the road by way of practice. 

When I suggested that the sight of three women of our age--we are allwell on toward fifty; Aggie insists that she is younger than I am, butwe were in the same infant class in Sunday-school--three women of ourage "potting" at fences was hardly dignified, Tish merely shrugged hershoulders. 

She asked us not to let Charlie Sands learn of the trip. He would besure to be fussy and want to send a man along, and that would spoil itall. 

What with the secrecy, and the guns and everything, I dare say we werelike a lot of small boys getting ready to run away out West and killIndians. In fact, Tish said it reminded her of the time, years ago, whenCharlie Sands and some other boys had run away, with all the carvingknives and razors they could gather together, and were found a weeklater in a cave in the mountains twenty miles or so from town. 

Tish showed us her sleeping-bag, which was felt outside and her oldwhite fur rug within. Aggie planned hers immediately on the same lines, with her fur coat as a lining; but I had mine made of oilcloth outside, my rheumatism having warned me that we were going to have rain. I wasright about the rain. 

I had an old army revolver that had belonged to my father, and of courseTish had her coal-cellar rifle, but Aggie had nothing more dangerousthan a bayonet from the Mexican War. This being too heavy to carry, anddull--being only possible as a weapon by bringing the handle down onone's opponent's head--Aggie was forced to buy a revolver. 

The man in the shop tried to sell her a small pearl-handled one, but shewould not look at it. She bought one of the sort that goes on shootingas long as one holds a finger on the trigger--a snub-nosed thing thatlooked as deadly as it was. She was in terror of it from the moment shegot it home, and during most of the trip it was packed in excelsior, with the barrel stuffed with cotton, on Modestine's back. 

Which brings me to Modestine. 

Tish received three answers to her advertisement: One was a mule, one apiebald pony with a wicked eye, and the third was a donkey. It seemedthat Stevenson had said that the pack animal of such a trip should be"cheap, small and hardy, " and that a donkey best of all answered theserequirements. 

The donkey in question was, however, not a female. Tish was firm aboutthis; but on no more donkeys being offered, she bought this one andcalled him Modestine anyhow. He was very dirty, and we paid a dollarextra to have him washed with soap powder, as our food was to becarried on his back. Also the day before we started I spent an hour orso on him with a fine comb, with gratifying results. 

I must confess I entered on the adventure with a light heart. Tish hadapparently given up all thought of the aeroplane; her automobile wasbeing used by Charlie Sands; the weather was warm and sunny, and theorchards were in bloom. I had no premonition of danger. The adventure, reduced to its elements of canned food, alcohol lamp, sleeping-bags andtoothbrushes, seemed no adventure at all, but a peaceful and pastoralexcursion by three middle-aged women into green fields and pastures new. 

We reckoned, however, without Aggie's missionary dime. 

Aggie's church had sent each of its members a ten-cent piece, withinstructions to invest it in some way and to return it multiplied asmuch as possible in three months. This was on Aggie's mind, but we didnot know it until later. Really, Aggie's missionary dime is the story. If she had done as she had planned at first and invested it in an egg, had hatched the egg in cotton wool on the shelf over her kitchen rangeand raised the chicken, eventually selling the chicken to herself fordinner at seventy-five cents, this story would never have been written. 

What the dime really bought was a glass of jelly wrapped in atwo-day-old newspaper. But to go back:

We were to start from Tish's at dawn on Tuesday morning. Modestine'sformer owner had agreed to bring him at that hour to the alley behindTish's apartment. On Monday Aggie and I sent over what we felt we couldnot get along without, and about five we both arrived. 

Tish was sitting on the floor, with luggage scattered all round her andheaped on the chairs and bed. 

She looked up witheringly when we entered. 

"You forgot your opera cloak, Lizzie, " she said, "and Aggie has onlysent five pairs of shoes!"

"I've got to have shoes, " Aggie protested. 

"If you've got to have five pairs of shoes, six white petticoats, summerunderwear, intermediates and flannels, a bathrobe, six bath towels and asunshade, not to mention other things, you want an elephant, not adonkey. "

"Why do we have a donkey?" I asked. "Why don't we have a horse andbuggy, and go like Christians?"

"Because you and Aggie wouldn't walk if we did, " snapped Tish. "I knowyou both. You'd have rheumatism or a corn and you'd take your walkingtrip sitting. Besides, we may not always keep to the roads. I'd like togo up into the mountains. "

Well, Tish was disagreeable, but right. As it turned out the donkey, being small, could only carry the sleeping-bags, our portable stove andthe provisions. We each were obliged to pack a suitcase and carry that. 

We started at dawn the next day. Hannah came down to the alley anddidn't think much of Modestine. By the time he was loaded a small crowdhad gathered, and when we finally started off, Tish ahead withModestine's bridle over her arm and Aggie and I behind with oursuitcases, a sort of cheer went up. It was, however, an orderlyleave-taking, perhaps owing to the fact that Tish's rifle was packed infull view on Modestine's back. 

I have a great admiration for Tish. She does not fear the pointingfinger of scorn. She took the most direct route out of town, and by thetime we had reached the outskirts we had a string of small boys behindus like the tail of a kite. When we reached the cemetery and sat down torest they formed a circle round us and stared at us. 

Tish looked at her watch. We had been an hour and twenty minutes goingtwo miles!

II

We were terribly thirsty, but none of us cared to drink from thecemetery well; in fact, the question of water bothered us all that day. It was very warm, and after we left the suburban trolley-line, wheremotormen stopped the cars to look at us and people crowded to theporches to stare at us, the water question grew serious. Tish hadstudied sanitation, and at every farm we came to the well was improperlylocated. Generally it was immediately below the pigsty. 

Luckily we had brought along some blackberry cordial, and we took a sipof that now and then. But the suitcases were heavy, and at eleveno'clock Aggie said the cordial had gone to her head and she could go nofarther. Tish was furious. 

"I told you how it would be!" she said. "For about forty years youhaven't used your legs except to put shoes and stockings on. Of coursethey won't carry you. "

"It isn't my feet, it's my head, " Aggie sniffed. "If I had some waterI'd b-be all right. If you're going to examine everything you drink witha microscope you might as well have stayed at home. "

"I'd have died before I drank out of that last well, " snapped Tish. "Onecould tell by looking at that woman that there are dead rats and thingsin the water. "

"You are not so particular at home, " Aggie asserted. "You use vinegar, don't you? And I'm sure it's full of wrigglers. You can see them whenyou hold the cruet to the light. "

We got her to go on finally, and at the next well we boiled a pailful ofwater and made some tea. We found a grove beside the road and built afire in our stove there, and while Modestine was grazing we sat andsoaked our feet in a brook and looked for blisters. Tish calculated thatas we had been walking for six hours we'd probably gone twenty-twomiles. But I believe it was about eight. 

While we drank our tea and ate the luncheon Hannah had put up wediscussed our plans. Tish's original scheme had been to follow thedonkey; but as he would not move without some one ahead, leading him, this was not feasible. 

"We want to keep away from the beaten path, " Tish said with a pickle inone hand and her cup in the other. "These days automobiles goeverywhere. I'm in favor of heading straight for the mountain. "

"I'm not, " I said firmly. "Here in civilization we can find a barn on arainy night. "

"There are plenty of caves in the mountains, " said Tish. "Besides, toget the real benefit of this we ought to sleep out, rain or shine. Agentle spring rain hurts no one. "

We rested for two hours; it was very pleasant. Modestine ate all thatwas left of the luncheon, and Aggie took a nap with her head on hersuitcase. If we had not had the suitcases we should have been quitecontented. Tish, with her customary ability, solved that. 

"We need only one suitcase, " she declared. "We can leave the other twoat this farmhouse and pack a few things for each of us in the one wetake along. Then we can take turns carrying it. "

Aggie wakened finally and was rather more docile about the suitcasesthan we had expected. Possibly she would have been more indignant; buther feet had swollen so while she had her shoes off that she couldhardly get them on at all, and for the remainder of the day her mindwas, you may say, in her feet. 

At four we stopped again and made more tea. The road had begun to risetoward the hills and the farmhouses were fewer. Ahead of us loomedThunder Cloud Mountain, with the Camel's Back to the right of it. Theroad led up the valley between. 

It was hardly a road at all, being a grass-grown wagontrack with not ahouse in a mile. Aggie was glad of the grass, for she had taken off hershoes by that time and was carrying them slung over her shoulder on theend of her parasol. We were on the lower slope of the mountain when weheard the green automobile. 

It was coming rapidly from behind us. Aggie had just time to sit on abank--and her feet--before it came in sight. It was a long, low, bright-green car and there were four men in it. They were bent forward, looking ahead, except one man who sat so he could see behind him. 

They came on us rather suddenly, and the man who was looking back yelledto us as they passed, but what with noise and dust I couldn't make outwhat he said. The next moment the machine flew ahead and out of sightamong the trees. 

"What did he say?" I asked. Aggie, who has a tendency to hay-fever, wassneezing in the dust. 

"I don't know, " returned Tish absently, staring after them. "Probablyasked us if we wanted a ride. Lizzie, those men had guns!"

"Fiddlesticks!" I said. 

"Guns!" repeated Tish firmly. 

"Well, what of it? Our donkey has a gun. "

And as at that instant the sleeping-bags and provisions slid gentlyround under Modestine's stomach, the green automobile and its occupantspassed out of our minds for a while. 

By the time we had got the things on Modestine's back again we wereconvinced he had been a mistake. He objected to standing still to bereloaded, and even with Tish at his head and Aggie at his tail he keptturning in a circle, and in fact finally kicked out at Aggie andstretched her in the road. Then, too, his back was not flat like ahorse's. It went up to a sort of peak, and was about as handy to packthings on as the ridge-pole of a roof. 

For an hour or so more we plodded on. Tish, who is an enthusiast aboutanything she does, kept pointing out wild flowers to us and talkingabout the unfortunates back in town under roofs. But I kept thinking ofa broiled lamb chop with new potatoes, and my whole being revolted atthe thought of supper out of a can. 

At twilight we found a sort of recess in the valley, level and not toothickly wooded, and while Tish and I set up the stove and lighted a fireAggie spread out the sleeping-bags and got supper ready. We had cannedsalmon and potato salad. We ate ravenously and then, taking off ourshoes and our walking suits, and getting into our flannel kimonos andputting up our crimps--for we were determined not to lapse into slovenlypersonal habits--we were ready for the night. 

Tish said there were all sorts of animals on Thunder Cloud, so we builta large fire to keep them away. Tish said this was the customary thing, being done in all the adventure books she had read. 

Aggie had to be helped into her sleeping-bag, her fur coat having beenrather skimp. But, once in, she said it was heavenly, and she was asleepalmost immediately. Tish and I followed, and I found I had placed my bagover a stone. I was, however, too tired to get up. 

I lay and looked at the stars twinkling above the treetops, and I feltsorry for people who had nothing better to look at than a wall-paperedceiling. Tish, next to me, was yawning. 

"If there are snakes, " she observed drowsily, "they are not poisonous--Ishould think. And, anyhow, no snake could strike through these heavybags. "

She went to sleep at once, but I lay there thinking of snakes for sometime. Also I remembered that we'd forgotten to leave our weapons withinreach, although, as far as that goes, I should not have slept a winkhad Aggie had her Fourth-of-July celebration near at hand. Then I wentto sleep. The last thing I remember was wishing we had brought a dog. Even a box of cigars would have been some protection--we could havelighted one and stuck it in the crotch of a tree, as if a man wasmounting guard over the camp. This idea, of course, was not original. Itwas done first by Mr. Sherlock Holmes, the detective. 

It must have been toward dawn that I roused, with a feeling that someone was looking down at me. The fire was very low and Aggie was sleepingwith her mouth open. I got up on my elbow and stared round. There wasnothing in sight, but through the trees I heard a rustling of leaves andthe crackling of brushwood. Whatever it was it had gone. I turned overand before long went to sleep again. 

At daylight I was roused by raindrops splashing on my face. I sat uphastily. Aggie was sleeping with the flap of her bag over her head, andTish, under an umbrella, was sitting fully dressed on a log, poring overher road map. When I sat up she glanced over at me. 

"I think I know where we are now, Lizzie, " she said. "Thunder CloudMountain is on our left, and that hill there to the right is theCamel's Back. The road goes right up Thunder Cloud Glen. "

I looked at the fire, which was out; at Modestine, standing meekly bythe tree to which he was tied; at the raindrops bounding off Aggie'sround and prostrate figure--and I rebelled. Every muscle was sore; ithurt me even to yawn. 

"Letitia Carberry!" I said indignantly. "You don't mean to tell me that, rain or no rain, you are going on?"

"Certainly I am going on, " said Tish, shutting her jaw. "You and Aggieneedn't come. I'm sure you asked yourselves; I didn't. "

Well, that was true, of course. I crawled out and, going over, proddedat Aggie with my foot. 

"Aggie, " I said, "it is raining and Tish is going on anyhow. Will you goon with her or start back home with me?"

But Aggie refused to do either. She was terribly stiff and she had sleptnear a bed of May-apple blossoms. In the twilight she had not noticedthem, and they always bring her hay-fever. 

"I'b goi'g to stay right here, " she said firmly between sneezes. "Youcad go back or forward or whatever you please; I shad't bove. "

Tish was marking out a route on the road map by making holes with ahairpin, and now she got up and faced us. 

"Very well, " she said. "Then get your things out of the suitcase, whichhappens to be mine. Lizzie, the canned beans and the sardines are yours. Aggie, your potato salad is in those six screw-top jars. Come, Modestine. "

She untied the beast and, leading him over, loaded her sleeping-bag andher share of the provisions on his back. She did not glance at us. Atthe last, when she was ready, she picked up her rifle and turned to us. 

"I may not be back for a week or ten days, " she said icily. "If I'mlonger than two weeks you can start Charlie Sands out with a posse. "

Charlie Sands is her nephew. 

"Come, Modestine, " said Tish again, and started along. It was rainingbriskly by that time, and thundering as if a storm was coming. Aggiebroke down suddenly. 

"Tish! Tish!" she wailed. "Oh, Lizzie, she'll never get back alive. Never! We've killed her. "

"She's about killed us!" I snarled. 

"She's coming back!"

Sure enough, Tish had turned and was stalking back in our direction. 

"I ought to leave you where you are, " she said disagreeably, "but it'sgoing to storm. If you decide to be sensible, somewhere up the valleyis the cave Charlie Sands hid in when he ran away. I think I can findit. "

It was thundering louder now, and Aggie was giving a squeal with everypeal. We were too far gone for pride. I helped her out of hersleeping-bag and we started after Tish and the donkey. The rain poureddown on us. At every step torrents from Thunder Cloud and the Camel'sBack soaked us. The wind howled up the ravine and the lightning playedround the treetops. 

We traveled for three hours in that downpour. 

III

Only once did Tish speak, and then we could hardly hear her above therush of water and the roar of the wind. 

"There's one comfort, " she said, wading along knee-deep in a torrent. "These spring rains give nobody cold. "

An hour later she spoke again, but that was at the end of that journey. 

"I don't believe this is the right valley after all, " she said. "I don'tsee any cave. " We stopped to take our bearings, as you may say, and aswe stood there, looking up, I could have sworn that I saw a man with agun peering down at us from a ledge far above. But the next moment hewas gone, and neither Tish nor Aggie had seen him at all. 

We found the cave soon after and climbed to it on our hands and knees, pulling Modestine up by his bridle. A more outrageous quartet it wouldhave been impossible to find, or a more outraged one. Aggie let down herdress, which she had pinned round her waist, releasing about a quart ofwater from its folds, and stood looking about her with a sneer. "Idon't think much of your cave, " she said. "It's little and it's dirty. "

"It's dry!" said Tish tartly. 

"Why stop at all?" Aggie asked sarcastically. "Why not just have kepton? We couldn't get any wetter. "

"Yes, " I added, "between flowering hedgerows! And of course these springrains give nobody cold!"

Tish did not say a word. She took off her shoes and her skirt, got hersleeping-bag off Modestine's back, and--went to bed with the worstattack of neuralgia she had ever had. 

That was on Wednesday, late in the afternoon. 

It rained for two days!

We built a fire out of the wood that was in the cave, and dried out ourclothes, and heated stones to put against Tish's right eye, and broughtin wet branches to dry against the time when we should need them. Aggiesneezed incessantly in the smoke, and Tish groaned in her corner. I wasabout crazy. On Thursday, when the edge of the neuralgia was gone, Tishpromised to go home the moment the rain stopped and the roads dried. Aggie and I went to her together and implored her. 

But, as it turned out, we did not go home for some days, and when wedid----

By Thursday evening Tish was much better. She ate a little potato saladand we sat round the fire, listening to her telling how they had foundthe runaways in this very cave. 

"They had taken all the hatchets and kitchen knives they could find andstarted to hunt Indians, " she was saying. "They got as far as this cave, and one evening about this time they were sitting round the fire likethis when a black bear----"

We all heard it at the same moment. Something was scrambling andclimbing up the mountainside to the cave. Tish had her rifle to hershoulder in a second, and Aggie shut her eyes. But it was not a bearthat appeared at the mouth of the cave and stood blinking in the light. It was a young man!

"I beg your pardon, " he said, peering into the firelight, "but--youdon't happen to have a spare box of matches, do you?"

Tish lowered the rifle. 

"Matches!" she said. "Why--er--certainly. Aggie, give the gentleman somematches. "

The young man had edged into the cave by that time and we saw that hewas limping and leaning on a stick. He looked round the cave approvinglyat our three sleeping-bags in an orderly row, with our toilet things setout on a clean towel on a flat stone and a mirror hung above, and atour lantern on another stone, with magazines and books grouped round it. Aggie, finding some trailing arbutus just outside the cave that day, hadgot two or three empty salmon cans about filled with it, and the fur rugfrom Tish's sleeping-bag lay in front of the fire. The effect was reallycivilized. 

"It looks like a drawing room, " said the young man, with a long breath. "It's the first dry spot I've seen for two days, and it looks likeHeaven to a lost soul. "

"Where are you stopping?"

"I am not stopping. I am on a walking tour, or was until I hurt my leg. "

"Don't you think you'd better wait until things dry up?"

"And starve?" he asked. 

"The woods are full of nuts and berries, " said Tish. 

"Not in May. "

"And there is plenty of game. "

"Yes, if one has a weapon, " he replied. "I lost my gun when I fell intoThunder Creek; in fact, I lost everything except my good name. What'sthat thing of Shakespeare's: 'Who steals my purse steals trash, . .. Buthe----'"

Aggie found the matches just then and gave him a box. He was almostpathetically grateful. Tish was still staring at him. To find on ThunderCloud Mountain a young man who quoted Shakespeare and had losteverything but his good name--even Stevenson could hardly have had amore unusual adventure. 

"What are you going to do with the matches?" she demanded as he limpedto the cave mouth. 

"Light a fire if I can find any wood dry enough to light. If I can't----Well, you remember the little match-seller in Hans Christian Andersen'sstory, who warmed her fingers with her own matches until they were allgone and she froze to death!"

Hans Christian Andersen and Shakespeare!

"Can't you find a cave?" asked Tish. 

"I had a cave, " he said, "but----"

"But what?"

"Three charming women found it while I was out on the mountainside. Theyneeded the shelter more than I, and so----"

"What!" Tish exclaimed. "This is your cave?"

"Not at all; it is yours. The fact that I had been stopping in it gaveme no right that I was not happy to waive. "

"There was nothing of yours in it, " Tish said suspiciously. 

"As I have told you, I have lost everything but my good name and mysprained ankle. I had them both out with me when you----"

"We will leave immediately, " said Tish. "Aggie, bring Modestine. "

"Ladies, ladies!" cried the young man. "Would you make me more wretchedthan I already am? I assure you, if you leave I shall not come back. Ishould be too unhappy. "

Well, nothing could have been fairer than his attitude. He wished us tostay on. But as he limped a step or two into the night Aggie turned onus both in a fury. 

"That's it, " she said. "Let him go, of course. So long as you are dryand comfortable it doesn't matter about him. "

"Well, you are dry and comfortable too, " snapped Tish. "What do youexpect us to do?"

"Call him back. Let him sleep here by the fire. Give him something toeat; he looks starved. If you're afraid it isn't proper we can hang ourkimonos up for curtains and make him a separate room. "

But we did not need to call him. He had limped back and stood in thefirelight again. 

"You--you haven't seen anything of the bandits, have you?" he asked. 

"Bandits!"

"Train robbers. I thought you had probably run across them. "

All at once we remembered the green automobile and the four men withguns. We told him about it and he nodded. 

"That would be they, " he said. As Tish remarked later, we knew from thatinstant that he was a gentleman. Even Charlie Sands would probably havesaid "them. " "They got away very rapidly, and I dare say an automobilewould be---- Did one of them have a red beard?"

"Yes, " we told him. "The one who called to us. "

Well, he said that on Monday night an express car on the C. & L. Railroad had been held up. The pursuit had gone in another direction, but he was convinced from what we said that they were there in ThunderCloud Glen!

As Tish said, the situation was changed if there were outlaws about. Wewere three defenseless women, and here was a man brought providentiallyto us! She asked him at once to join our party and look after us untilwe got to civilization again, or at least until the roads were dryenough to travel on. 

"To look after you!" he said with a smile. "I, with a bad leg and noweapon!"

At that Aggie brought out her new revolver and gave it to him. Hewhistled when he looked at it. "Great Scott!" he said. "What a weaponfor a woman! Why, you don't need any help. You could kill all theoutlaws in the county at one loading!"

But finally he consented to take the revolver and even to accept theshelter of the cave for that night anyhow, although we had to beg him todo that. "How do you know I'll not get up in the night and take all yourvaluables and gallop away on your trusty steed before morning?" heasked. 

"We'll take a chance, " Tish said dryly. "In the first place, we havenothing more valuable than the portable stove; and in the second place, if you can make Modestine gallop you may have him. "

It is curious, when I look back, to think how completely he won us all. He was young--not more than twenty-six, I think--and dressed for awalking tour, in knickerbockers, with a blue flannel shirt, heavy lowshoes and a soft hat. His hands were quite white. He kept running themover his chin, which was bluish, as if a day or two's beard wasbothering him. 

We asked him if he was hungry, and he admitted that he could hardlyremember when he had eaten. So we made him some tea and buttered toast, and opened and heated a can of baked beans. He ate them all. 

"Good gracious, " he said, with the last spoonful, "what a world it wouldbe without women!"

At that he fell into a sort of study, looking at the fire, and we allsaw that he looked sad again and rather forlorn. 

"Yes, " Tish said, "you're all ready enough to shout 'Beware of woman'until you are hungry or uncomfortable or hurt, and then you are all justlittle boys again, crying for somebody to kiss the bump. "

"But when it is a woman who has given the--er--bump?" he asked. 

Aggie is romantic. Years ago she was engaged to a Mr. Wiggins, a roofer, who met with an accident due to an icy roof. She leaned forward andlooked at him with sympathy. 

"That's it, is it?" she asked gently. 

He tried to smile, but we could all see that he was suffering. 

"Yes, that's it--partly at least, " he said. 

"That is, if it were not for a woman----" He stopped abruptly. "But whyshould I bother you with my troubles?"

We were curious, of course; but it is hardly good taste to ask a man toconfide his heartaches. As Tish said, the best cure for a masculineheartache is to make the man comfortable. We did all we could. I driedhis coat by the fire, and Tish made hot arnica compresses for his ankle, which was blue and swollen. I believe Aggie would gladly have sat by andheld his hand, but he had crawled into his shell of reserve again andwould not be coaxed out. 

"I have a nephew about your age, " Tish said when he objected to herbathing his ankle. "I'm doing for you what I should do for Charlie Sandsunder the same circumstances. "

"Charlie Sands!" he said, and I was positive he started. But he saidnothing, and we only remembered that later. We were glad to have a manabout. Heaven only knows why women persist in regarding men as absoluteprotection against fire, burglars and lightning. But they do. A sharpstorm came up at that time, and ordinarily Aggie would have been in hersleeping-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 stoodlooking 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. Butnone of us saw Aggie's man. 

When we went back: "Wouldn't it be better to darken things up a bit?" hesuggested. "If there are bandits round it isn't necessary to send out awelcome to them, you know. "

This seemed only sensible. We put the fire out and sat in the warmdarkness. And that was when our gentleman told us his story. 

"Ladies, " he began, "in saying that I am on a walking tour I am tellingthe truth, but only part of the truth. I am on a walking tour, but notfor pleasure. To be frank, I--I am after the outlaws who robbed theexpress car on the C. & L. Railroad Monday night. "

I heard Aggie gasp in the dark. 

"Did you expect to capture them with a walking-stick?" Tish demanded. She might treat his ankle as she would treat Charlie Sands' ankle, but--Tish has not Aggie's confidence in people, or mine. 

"Perfectly well taken, " he said good-humoredly. "I left home with anentire arsenal in my knapsack, but, as I say, I lost everything when Ifell into the flooded creek. Everything, that is, but my----"

"Good name?" Aggie suggested timidly. 

"Determination. That I still have. Ladies, I'm not going backempty-handed. "

"Then you are in the Government service?" Tish asked with more respect. 

"Have you ever heard of George Muldoon, generally known as Felt-hatMuldoon?"

Had we? Weren't the papers full of him week after week? Wasn't itMuldoon who had brought back the communion service to my church, withnothing missing and only a dent in one of the silver pitchers? Hadn't hejust sent up Tish's own Italian fruit dealer for writing blackhandletters? Wasn't he the best sheriff the county had ever had?

"Muldoon!" gasped Tish. "You Muldoon!"

"Not tonight or for the next two or three days. After that---- Tonight, ladies, and for a day or two, why not adopt me to be your nephew--whatwas his name--Sands?--accompanying you on a walking tour?"

Adopt him! The great Muldoon! We'd have married him if he had said theword, name and all. We sat back and stared at him, open-mouthed. Tothink that he had come to us for help, and that in aiding him we werefurthering the cause of justice!

He talked for quite a long time in the darkness, telling us of hisadventures. He remembered perfectly about getting back the silver forthe church, and about Tish's Italian, and then at last, finding us goodlisteners, he told about the girl. 

"Is it--er--money?" Aggie breathlessly asked. 

"Well--partly, " he admitted. "I don't make much, of course. "

"But with the rewards and all that?" asked Aggie, who'd been sittingforward with her mouth open. 

"Rewards? Oh, well, of course I get something that way. But it isn'tsteady money. A chap can't very well go to a girl's father and tell himthat, if somebody murders somebody else and escapes and he captures him, he can pay the rent and the grocery bill. "

"Is she pretty?" asked Aggie. 

"Beautiful!" His tone was ardent enough to please even Aggie. 

He sat without speaking for a time, and none of us liked to interrupthim. Outside it had stopped raining, and the moon was coming up over theCamel's Back. We could hear Modestine stirring in the thicket and awatery ray of moonlight came into the cave and threw our shadows againstthe wall. 

"If only, " said Sheriff Muldoon thoughtfully--"If only I could get myhands on that chap with the red beard!"

We all went to bed soon after. Aggie, as usual, went to sleep at once, and soon, from, behind the kimono screen across the cave, loud noisestold us that Mr. Muldoon also slept. It was then that Tish crept overand put her mouth to my ear. 

"That may be Muldoon all right, " she whispered. "But if it is he's got awife and two children. Mrs. Muldoon is related to Hannah. "

IV

Somehow, with the morning our suspicions, if we had any, vanished. Mr. Muldoon had been up at dawn, and when we wakened he had already broughtwater from a near-by spring and was boiling some in the teakettle. 

Seen by daylight, he was very good-looking. He had blue eyes with blacklashes and dark-brown hair, and a habit of getting up when any of us didthat kept him on his feet most of the time. His limp was ratherbetter--or his ankle. 

"That's what a little mothering has done for me, " he said gayly, overhis coffee and mackerel. "It's a long time since I've had any one to doanything like that for me. "

"But surely your wife----" began Tish. He started and changed color. Weall saw it. 

"My wife!"

"You've got a wife and two children, haven't you?"

He looked at us all and drew a long breath. 

"Ladies, " he said, "I see some of my painful history is known to you. May I ask--is it too much to beg--that--that we do not discuss thatpart of my life?"

Tish apologized at once. We could not tell, from what he said, whetherhe had been divorced or had lost them all from scarlet fever. Whicheverit was, I must say he was not depressed for very long, although he hadreason enough for depression, as we soon learned. 

"It's like this, " he said. "They know I'm here in the glen--the outlaws, I mean. The red-bearded man, Naysmith, has sworn to get me. "

"Get you?" from Aggie. 

"Shoot me. The other three all owe me grudges, too, but Naysmith's theworst. He's just out of the pen--I got him a ten-year sentence for thisvery thing, robbing an express car. "

"Ten years!" I exclaimed. "You look as if you hadn't shaved in tenyears!"

He looked at me and smiled. 

"I'm older than you think, " he said, "and, anyhow, he got a lot off forgood behavior. It's outrageous, the discount that's given to a criminalfor behaving himself. He got--I think I am right when I say--yes, he wassent up in '07--he got seven years off his sentence. "

We all thought that this was a grave mistake, and Tish, whose father wasonce warden of the penitentiary, observed that there was nothing likethat in old times, and she would write to the governor about it. Tishhas written to the governor several times, the last occasion being therise in price of brooms. 

"It's like this, " said Mr. Muldoon. "They've got the glen guarded. There's a man at each end and the rest are covering the hilltops. Asquirrel couldn't get out without their knowledge. I might have before Igot this leg, but now I'm done for. "

"Oh, no!" we chorused. 

"It amounts to that, " he said dejectedly. "They've been watching youwomen and they're not afraid of you. As long as I stay in the cave hereI'm safe enough, but let me poke my nose out and I'm gone. It's an awfulthing to have to hide behind a woman's petticoats!"

We could only silently sympathize. 

It was bright and clear that day. The sun came out and dried the roadbelow. It would have been a wonderful day to go on, but none of usthought of it. As Tish said, here was a chance to assist the law and afellow being in peril of his life. Our place was there. 

Even had we doubted Mr. 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 andstood, with his hands to his eyes, peering across at our cave. Tish washanging some of our clothing out to dry, and although she saw the outlawas well as we did she did not flinch. After a time the man seemedsatisfied 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'sbody is never as strong as one's soul. Her knees were shaking. 

We put in a quiet and restful afternoon. Mr. Muldoon had a pack of cardswith him and we played whist. He played a very fair game, but he was onthe alert all the time. At every sound he started, and once or twice heslipped out into the thicket and searched the glen in every directionwith his eyes. 

He had asked us, if the outlaws surprised us, to say that he was Tish'snephew, Charlie Sands, and to stick to it. "Unless it's Naysmith, " hesaid. "He knows me. " From that to calling us Aunt Tish, Aunt Aggie andAunt Lizzie was very easy. At four o'clock we stopped playing, with Mr. Muldoon easily the winner, and Aggie made fudge for everybody. 

Late in the afternoon Tish called me aside. She said she did not wantMr. Muldoon to feel that he was a burden, but that we were almost out ofprovisions. We had expected to buy eggs, milk and bread at farmhouses, and instead we had been shut up in the cave. She thought there was afarm up the glen, having heard a cow-bell, and she wanted me to go andfind out. 

"Go yourself!" I said somewhat rudely. "If you want to be shot down inyour tracks by outlaws, well and good. I don't. "

Aggie, called aside, refused as firmly as I had. Tish stood and lookedat us both with her lip curling. 

"Very well, " she said coldly; "I shall go. But if I get my neuralgiaagain from wading through the creek bottom don't blame me!"

She put on her overshoes and, taking a tin bucket for milk and hertrusty rifle, she started while Mr. Muldoon was showing Aggie a new gameof solitaire. I went to the cave mouth with her and listened to thecrackling of twigs as she slid down into the valley. She came into viewat the bottom much sooner than I had expected, having, as I learnedlater, slipped on a loose stone and rolled fully half the way down. 

The next two hours seemed endless. Mr. Muldoon, tiring of solitaire, hadrolled himself up in a corner and was peacefully sleeping, with hisinjured foot on Aggie's hop pillow. Aggie and I sat on guard, one oneach side of the cave mouth, and stared down at the valley, which wasdarkening rapidly. 

Tish had been gone two hours and a half and no sign of her, when Aggiebegan to cry softly. 

"She'll never come back!" she whimpered. "The outlaws have got her andkilled her. Oh, Tish, Tish!"

"Why would they kill her?" I demanded. "Because she's trying to buy milkand eggs?"

"B-because she knows too much, " Aggie wailed. "We've found their lair, that's why--don't tell me this isn't an outlaw's cave. It's just b-builtfor it. They'll do away with her and then they'll come after us. "

Aggie never carries a secret weight in her bosom. She always opens upher heart to the nearest listener. This probably relieves Aggie, but itdoes not make her a cheerful companion. Eight o'clock and darkness came, and still no Tish. I went into the cave and brought out my gun, andAggie roused Mr. Muldoon and explained the situation to him. He grewquite white. 

"Good heavens!" he exclaimed. "What possessed her anyhow? To thefarmhouse! Why, they'll----"

His face more than his words convinced us that the matter was reallyserious. He examined Aggie's revolver, which he mostly carried in hiship pocket, and, going to the mouth of the cave, listened carefully. Everything was quiet. The cave and both sides of the valley were in deepshadow, but over the ridge of the Camel's Back across from us there wasstill a streak of red sunset light. Mr. Muldoon looked and pointed. 

Against the background of crimson cloud a man's figure stood outclearly. He was peering down toward us, although in the dusk he couldhardly have seen us, and he carried a gun. Mr. Muldoon smiled faintly. 

"Well, they've spotted me, I guess, " he said. "I'd better move on beforeI get you into trouble. They won't hurt women. "

"Why don't you shoot him?" Aggie asked. "It would be one bandit less. Ifyou do arrest him, and he gets nearly all his sentence off for goodbehavior, he'll be out again in no time, doing more mischief. "

But at that moment we saw the man on the hill throw his gun to hisshoulder and aim at something moving below in the valley. Aggiescreamed, and I believe I did also. 

"Tish!" cried Aggie. "He's shooting at Tish!" And at that instant thebandit fired. He fired three times, and the noise of his gun echoedbackward and forward among the hills. We thought we heard a yell from, the valley. Then the next second there was a faint crack from below andthe outlaw's gun flew out of his hands. Mr. Muldoon's jaw dropped. "Didyou see that?" he said feebly. "Did--you--see--that--shot?"

The outlaw disappeared from the skyline and perhaps ten minutes laterTish crawled up to the cave and put down a tin pail full of milk, aglass of jelly wrapped in a newspaper, and a basket of eggs. Aggie fellon her and cried with joy. 

"Be careful of those eggs, " Tish warned her. "That outlaw charged meforty cents a dozen. "

"You gave him a good fright anyhow, " said Aggie fondly. 

"Fright?"

"When you shot at him. "

"Oh, that one! I'm talking about the woman at the farm. "

"And--the one on the hill over there?"

"Oh! Well, he fired at me and I fired back. That's all. "

With an air of exaggerated indifference Tish swaggered into the cave andtook off her overshoes. 

"Hurry up supper, Ag, " she said--never before or since has she calledAggie "Ag"--"I'm starving. "

She said she had heard little or nothing. She had found the farmhouse, had bought her supplies from a surly woman and had come away again. Asked by Mr. Muldoon if she had seen any men, she said she had seen afarmhand milking. That was all, except the outlaw on the hill. 

But under her calmness Tish was terribly excited. I could tell it by herglittering eyes and the red spot in each cheek. Manlike, Mr. Muldoon didnot see these signs; he ate very little and sat watching her, fascinated. Only once, however, did he broach the subject. 

"I had no idea you were such a shot, Miss Letitia, " he said. "It--thatwas a marvel. "

"Oh, I shoot a little, " said Tish coolly. "Only for my own amusement, ofcourse. "

Mr. Muldoon made no reply. He was very thoughtful all evening, did notcare to play whist, and watched Tish whenever he could, furtively. 

Tish herself was in an exalted mood, but not about the shot--she wasmodest enough about that. 

And with cause. Months after she told us how it happened. She said shewas carrying the eggs and milk with her left hand and had the gun in herright, when a shot struck a tree beside her. She was so startled thather finger pulled the trigger of her own rifle, which was pointed up, with the result we know of. She would probably never have confessed eventhen, had she not taken rheumatic fever and thought she was dying. 

When Mr. Muldoon went out to fix Modestine for the night Tish called usto the back of the cave. 

"I bought the milk and eggs, " she said hurriedly, "and having a dimeleft--your missionary dime, Aggie, I borrowed it--I went back and boughta glass of jelly. Men like preserves. The woman wrapped it in anewspaper, and there is a full account of the robbery and of Muldoonbeing after the outlaws. He's after the outlaws, but he's after thereward too. They're quoted at a thousand dollars!"

"He can have the thousand dollars for all of me, " said Aggie. 

"A thousand dollars!" said Tish. "A thousand dollars to hand in to thechurch as the return from your missionary dime! And if we don't get itMuldoon will! As soon as he can get about on his leg he'll cease beinghunted and begin to hunt. Why should he have it? He has plenty ofchances, and we'll never have another. "

That was all she had a chance to say, Muldoon joining us at that moment. 

We retired early, but I did not sleep well. I wakened from time to timeand I could hear Tish stirring next to me. At last I reached over andtouched her. 

"Can't you sleep?" I whispered. 

"Don't want to, " she whispered back. "I've got it all fixed, Lizzie. We'll take those outlaws back to the city, roped two by two. "

It was a cool spring night, but I broke into a hot perspiration. 

V

Tish began with Mr. Muldoon the next morning. He could not leave thecave to carry up water, for daylight revealed another guard across thevalley and it was clear we were being watched. While Aggie and I went tothe spring Tish talked to him. 

She told him that he had undertaken too much, single-handed, and that heshould have brought a posse with him. He agreed with her. He said he hadstarted with a posse, but that they had split up. Also he insisted thatbut for his accident he could have managed easily. 

"I'm up against it, " he said, "and I know it. They'll get me yet. Forthe last day or two they've been closing up round this cave, and in anight or two they'll rush it. They've got their headquarters at thatfarmhouse. "

"The thing for you to do then, " said Tish, "is to get out while there istime. You can get help and come back. "

"And leave you women here alone?"

"They're not after us, " Tish replied, "and we've managed alone for agood many years. I guess we'll get along. "

But when she proposed her plan, which was that he should put on Aggie'sspare outfit and her sun veil and ride out of the valley on Modestine'sback in daylight, he objected. He said no outlaw worthy of the namewould fall for a thing like that, and he said he wouldn't wear skirts, and that was all there was to it. 

But in the end Tish prevailed, as usual. 

"I'm going to the farmhouse this morning and I am going to say that oneof the ladies is leaving this afternoon and going back home. That willbe you. I wish you had a razor, but the veil will hide that. They'll notmolest you. You'll not only look like Aggie--you'll be Aggie. "

Well, it seemed to be his best chance, although none of us dared tothink what might happen if the hat blew off or Aggie's gray alpacaripped at the seams. 

We worked feverishly all day, letting out the dress and setting forwardthe buttons on her raincoat. Mr. Muldoon was inclined to be sulky. Hesat at the back of the cave, playing solitaire and every now and thenexamining the road maps. Aggie was depressed too. But, as Tish said, getting rid of Muldoon was the first step toward the thousand dollars, and even if Aggie never got her gray alpaca again it had seen its bestdays. 

That morning, while Aggie and I sewed and ripped and Mr. Muldoon satback in the cave with the road map on his knees, Tish went to thefarmhouse. She came back at eleven o'clock with a chicken for dinner anda flush on each cheek. 

"I've fixed it, Mr. Muldoon, " she said. "I talked to one of theoutlaws!"

"What?" screeched Aggie. 

"He'd come in for something to eat--the red-bearded one. We had quite achat. I told him we were traveling like Stevenson--with a donkey; butthat one of the ladies had an abscess on a tooth and was going home. Hesaid it was no place for women and offered himself as an escort. "

Mr. Muldoon groaned. "What am I going to do if one of them comes up andmakes an ass of himself?" he demanded. "Kiss him?"

Tish looked at him coldly. 

"You'll have your jaw tied up, " she said. "That will cover your chin, and you needn't speak. Point to your jaw. Anyhow, they'll not botheryou. I said the toothache had affected your disposition, and we werejust as glad you were going. The red-haired man says he's got relativesnear the mouth of the valley and you can stay there overnight. One ofthe men folks pulls teeth in emergencies. "

It is hard, writing all this of Tish, to remember that she has alwaysbeen a truthful woman. As Charlie Sands said later, when we told him thestory and he had sat, open-mouthed, staring from one to the other of us, no one knows what depths of mendacity lie behind the most virtuouscountenance. 

We started "Aggie" off at two o'clock that afternoon, sitting sidewayson Modestine, jaw tied up, veiled and sun-hatted, with Aggie'sflowered-silk bag hanging to one wrist and a lunch-basket on the otherarm. Tish and I saw "her" down the hill and kissed "her" good-by. 

This was Tish's idea. I thought it unnecessary, but as a matter of fact, no matter what Charlie Sands may say, it was not a real kiss, going asit did through a veil and a bandage. 

The man with a gun watched "her" off, and Tish, having waved "her" outof sight round a curve, looked up at him and nodded. Far away as he was, he saw that and swept his hat off with quite an air. 

 * * * * *

Tish's plan was very simple. She told us as we cleared up the cave afterthe day's excitement. 

"When I go for the evening milk, " she said, "I shall mention that wehave a young man with us, a stranger, who has hurt his ankle and cannotwalk. 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 momentthey are in we'll start to shoot. Not one of them will dare to stick hisnose out. "

When we told this to Charlie Sands he slid entirely off his chair andsat on the floor. "Not really!" he kept saying over and over. "Youdreamed it! You must have! A thing like that!" I hastened to explain. "Tish planned it, " I said. I remember him, looking at Tish--who wascrocheting as she told the story--and moistening his lips. He was quitegreen in color. 

VI

Clipping from the _Morning News_ of May the seventh:

SHERIFF AMBUSHED

REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE OF MULDOON AND PARTY IN THUNDER CLOUD GLEN

An extraordinary state of affairs was discovered by the relief party ofconstables, city and county detectives and state constabulary sent tothe relief of Sheriff Muldoon and his posse, who have been on the trackof the C. & L. Train bandits since last Monday. 

The relief party was sent out in response to a telephone message from afarmhouse in Thunder Cloud Glen, and transmitted from the farmer's lineto a long-distance wire. This message was to the effect that the sheriffand his posse, shut in a cave, were being held prisoners by the outlaws, being shot at steadily, and that so far every attempt at escape had beenthwarted by the terrific fire of the bandits. 

A relief party in automobiles was rushed at once to the scene. 

Thunder Cloud Glen is a narrow valley between the Camel's Back andThunder Cloud Mountain. A mile or so from the entrance to the glen theroad, always bad and now almost washed away by the recent heavy rains, became impassable. The party abandoned the machines and in skirmishorder proceeded up the glen. 

Within an hour's time firing was heard, and the rescuers doubled theirpace. Passing a bend in the valley, the scene of the outrage lay spreadbefore them: On the left the low mouth of a cave, and across the valley, on a slope of the Camel's Back, a faint cloud of smoke, showing wherethe outlaws had their lair. As the rescuers came in sight the firingceased and an ominous stillness hung over the valley. 

The relief expedition had been seen by the imprisoned party also. Muldoon's well-known soft felt hat, tied to the end of a pole, wasthrust from the cave mouth and waved vigorously up and down, showingthat some of the imprisoned party still lived. One solitary shot wasaimed at the hat, followed by profound quiet. 

Using every precaution, Deputy Sheriff Mulcahy deployed his men with theintention of closing in on the outlaws from, all sides at the sametime. 

At this time an interesting interruption occurred. From the underbrushat the foot of the Camel's Back emerged three elderly women, theirclothing in tatters, and in the wildest excitement. They insisted thatthe outlaws were in the cave, and hysterical with fright from theirterrible experience, declared that they had been holding the bandits incheck and demanded the reward for their capture. They were rationalenough in other ways and explained that they had been on a walking tourwith a donkey. There was, however, no donkey. 

Deputy Sheriff Mulcahy, who is noted for his gallantry, sent the threewomen to a safe place at the rear of the party and detailed a guard tomake them, comfortable. It being thought possible that the women wereaccomplices of the outlaws, precautions were also taken to prevent theirescape. 

No trace of the outlaws was found. Sheriff Muldoon and his threedeputies, now enabled to leave the cave, joined the searchers. Everyinch of Thunder Cloud Glen was searched, but without result. Across fromthe cave mouth, behind a heap of fallen rocks, was found the spot fromwhich the outlaws had been shooting. The ground was trampled and therock chipped by the return fire from the cave. Here, too, was found anew automatic revolver, a small rifle and another gun of antiquepattern. In a crevice of rock was discovered a flowered-silk bag, containing various articles of feminine use, including a packet ofpowders marked "hay-fever, " a small bottle labeled "blackberry cordial, "and a dozen or so unexploded cartridges for the revolver. 

Convinced now that the three women were accomplices of the outlaws--andthis corroborated by Sheriff Muldoon's statement that he had positivelyseen one of the three women peering over the rock and aiming a rifle athim, and that the same woman, two days before, had fired at him from thevalley, knocking his gun out of his hand--Deputy Sheriff Mulcahypromptly arrested the women and had them taken in an automobile to thecity. 

At the jail, however, it was discovered that an unfortunate error hadbeen made, and the ladies were released. They went at once to theirhomes. While their names have not been divulged it is reported that theyare well known and highly esteemed members of the community, and muchsympathy has been expressed for their disagreeable experience. 

Up to a late hour last night no trace had been found of the outlaws. Itis believed that they have left Thunder Cloud Glen and have penetratedfarther into the mountains. 

 * * * * *

Charlie Sands came for us at the jail. He asked us no questions, which Ithought strange, but he got a carriage and took us all to Tish's. He didnot speak a word on the way, except to ask us if we had no hats. OnTish's replying meekly that we had left them in the cave, he saidnothing more, but sat looking like a storm until we drew up at thehouse. 

I dare say we did look curious. Our clothes were torn and draggled, andalthough we had washed at the jail we were still somewhatpowder-streaked and grimy. 

Charlie Sands led us into Tish's parlor and shut the door. Then heturned and surveyed the three of us. 

"Sit down, " he said grimly. 

We sat. He stood looking down at each of us in turn. 

"I'll hear the story in a minute, " he said, still cold and disagreeable. "But first of all, Aunt Tish, I want to ask you if you realize that thislast escapade of yours is a disgrace to the family?"

"Nothing of the sort, " Tish asserted with something of her old spirit. "It was all for Aggie's missionary dime. I----"

"A moment, " he said, holding up his hand. "I'm going to ask a question. I'll listen after that. _Did you or did you not hold up the C. & L. Express car?_"

We were too astounded to speak. 

"Because if you did, " he said, "missionary dime or no missionary dime, Ishall turn you over to the authorities! I have gone through a lot withyou, Aunt Tish, in the past year. "

Aggie and I expected to see Tish rise in majesty and point him out ofthe room. But to our amazement she broke down and cried. 

"No, " she said feebly, "we didn't rob the car. But oh, Charlie, Charlie!We nursed that wretch Muldoon, and fed him and sent him off on Modestinein Aggie's gray alpaca, and he got away; and if you say to go to jailI'll go. "

"Muldoon!"

"The wretch who said he was Muldoon. The--the train robber. "

Well, it took hours to tell the story, and when we had all finished andAggie had gone to bed in Tish's spare room with hysteria, and Tish hadgone to bed with tea and toast, Charlie Sands was still walking up anddown the parlor, stopping now and then to mutter: "Well, I'll be----"and then going on with his pacing. 

Hannah brought me a cup of junket at eight o'clock, for none of us hadeaten dinner. I was sitting there with the cup in my lap when thedoorbell rang. Charlie Sands answered it. It was a letter addressed toall three of us. 

We called Tish and Aggie and they crept in, very subdued and pallid. Charlie Sands opened the letter and read it:

_Dear and Charming Ladies:_ I am abject. What can I say to you, who havejust come through such an experience on my account? How can I apologizeor explain? Especially as I am confused myself as to what reallyhappened. Did Muldoon actually attack the cave? Were you in it when hearrived? Or is it possible that, with my foolish fabrication in yourmind, you attempted---- But that is absurd, of course. 

Whatever occurred and however it occurred, I am on my knees to you all. Even a real bandit would have been touched by your kindness. And I amnot a real bandit any more than I am a real sheriff. 

I am, an ordinary citizen, usually a law-abiding citizen. But as aresult of a foolish wager at my club, brought about by the ease withwhich numerous trains have been robbed recently, I undertook to hold upa C. & L. Train with an empty revolver, and to evade capture for acertain length of time. The first part was successful. The trainmessenger, on seeing my gun, handed me, without a word, a fat package. Ihad not asked for it. It was a gift. I do not even now know what is init. The newspapers say it is money. It might have been eggs, as far as Iknow. The second part would have been simple also, had I not hurt myleg. 

Things were looking serious for me when you found me. I shall neverforget the cave, or the omelets, or the tea, or the fudge. I can neverreturn your hospitalities, but one thing I can do. 

The express company offers a reward of a thousand dollars for my littlepackage. Probably they are right and it is not eggs. Whatever it is, itis buried under the tree where we tied our noble steed, Modestine. Please return the package and claim the reward. If you have scruplesagainst taking it remember that the express company is rich and the FijiIslanders needy. Turn it in as the increased increment on Miss Aggie'smissionary dime. 

 (Signed) THE OUTLAW OF THUNDER CLOUD. 

We found the package, or Charlie Sands found it for us, and the expresscompany paid us the reward. We gave it to Aggie, and with the exceptionof fifty dollars she turned it all in at the church, where it createdalmost a riot. With the fifty dollars we purchased, through CharlieSands, a revolver with a silver inlaid handle, and sent it to the realSheriff Muldoon. It eased our consciences somewhat. 

That was all last spring. It is summer now. Tish is talking again offlowering hedgerows and country lanes, but Aggie and I do not care forthe country, and the mere sight of a donkey gives me a chill. 

Yesterday evening, on our way to prayer meeting, we heard a great noiseof horns coming and stopped to see a four-in-hand go by. A younggentleman was driving, with a pretty girl beside him. As we lined up atthe curb he turned smiling from the girl and he caught our eyes. 

He started, and then, bowing low, he saluted us from the box. 

It was "Muldoon. "

TISH DOES HER BIT

From the very beginning of the war Tish was determined to go to France. But she is a truthful woman, and her age kept her from being accepted. She refused, however, to believe that this was the reason, and blamedher rejection on Aggie and myself. 

"Age fiddlesticks!" she said, knitting violently. "The plain truthis--and you might as well acknowledge it, Lizzie--that they would takeme by myself quick enough, just to get the ambulance I've offered, iffor no other reason. But they don't want three middle-aged women, and Idon't know that I blame them. "

That was during September, I think, and Tish had just received her thirdrejection. They were willing enough to take the ambulance, but theywould not let Tish drive it. I am quite sure it was September, for Iremember that Aggie was having hay fever at the time, and she fell tosneezing violently. 

Tish put down her knitting and stared at Aggie fixedly until theparoxysm was over. 

"Exactly, " she observed, coldly. "Imagine me creeping out onto abattlefield to gather up the wounded, and Aggie crawling behind, goingoff like an alarm clock every time she met a clump of golden rod, orwhatever they have in France to produce hay fever. "

"I could stay in the ambulance, Tish, " Aggie protested. 

"I understand, " Tish went on, in an inflexible tone, "that those Germansnipers have got so that they shoot by ear. One sneeze would probably befatal. Not only that, " she went on, turning to me, "but you knowperfectly well, Lizzie, that a woman of your weight would be alwaysstepping on brush and sounding like a night attack. "

"Not at all, " I replied, slightly ruffled. "And for a very good reason. I should not be there. As to my weight, Tish, my mother was alwaysconsidered merely a fine figure of a woman, and I am just her size. Itis only since this rage for skinny women----"

But Tish was not listening. She drew a deep sigh, and picked up herknitting again. 

"We'd better not discuss it, " she said. But in these days of efficiencyit seems a mistake that a woman who can drive an ambulance and can'tturn the heel of a stocking properly to save her life, should beknitting socks that any soldier with sense would use to clean his gunwith, or to tie around a sore throat, but never to wear. 

It was, I think, along in November that Charlie Sands, Tish's nephew, came to see me. He had telephoned, and asked me to have Aggie there. SoI called her up, and told her to buy some cigarettes on the way. Iremember that she was very irritated when she arrived, although the verysoul of gentleness usually. 

She came in and slammed a small package onto my table. 

"There!" she said. "And don't ever ask me to do such a thing again. Theman in the shop winked at me when I said they were not for myself. "

However, Aggie is never angry for any length of time, and a moment latershe was remarking that Mr. Wiggins had always been a smoker, and thatone of his workmen had blamed his fatal accident on the roof to smokefrom his pipe getting into his eyes. 

Shortly after that I was surprised to find her in tears. 

"I was just thinking, Lizzie, " she said. "What if Mr. Wiggins had lived, and we had had a son, and he had decided to go and fight!"

She then broke down and sobbed violently, and it was some time before Icould calm her. Even then it was not the fact that she had no son whichcalmed her. 

"Of course I'm silly, Lizzie, " she said. "I'll stop now. Because ofcourse they don't _all_ get killed, or even wounded. He'd probably comeout all right, and every one says the training is fine for them. "

Charlie Sands came in shortly after, and having kissed us both and triedon a night shirt I was making for the Red Cross, and having found thecookie jar in the pantry and brought it into my sitting room, sat downand came to business. 

"Now, " he said. "What's she up to?"

He always referred to Tish as "she, " to Aggie and myself. 

"She has given up going to France, " I replied. 

"Perhaps! What does Hannah report?"

I am sorry to say that, fearing Tish's impulsive nature, we had feltobliged to have Hannah watch her carefully. Tish has a way of breakingout in unexpected places, like a boil, as Charlie Sands once observed, and by knowing her plans in advance we have sometimes prevented heracting in a rash manner. Sometimes, not always. 

"Hannah says everything is quiet, " Aggie said. "Dear Tish has apparentlygiven up all thought of going abroad. At least, Hannah says she nolonger practises first aid on her. Not since the time Tish gave her analcohol bath and she caught cold. Hannah says she made her lieuncovered, with the window open, so the alcohol would evaporate. But shegave notice the next day, which was ungrateful of her, for Tish sat upall night feeding her things out of her First Aid case, and if she _did_give her a bit of iodine by mistake----"

"She is no longer interested in First Aid, " I broke in. Aggie has a wayof going on and on, and it was not necessary to mention the matter ofthe iodine. "I know that, because I blistered my hand over there theother day, and she merely told me to stick it in the baking soda jar. "

"That's curious, " said Charlie Sands. 

"Because---- Great Scott, what's wrong with these cigarettes?"

"They are violet-scented, " Aggie explained. "The smell sticks so, andLizzie is fond of violet. "

However, he did not seem to care for them, and appeared positivelyashamed. He opened a window, although it was cold outside, and shookhimself in front of it like a dog. But all he said was:

"I am a meek person, Aunt Lizzie, and I like to humor whims when I can. But the next time you have a male visitor and offer him a cigarette, for the love of Mike don't tell him those brazen gilt-tipped incensethings are mine. "

He then ate nine cookies, and explained why he had come. 

"I don't like the look of things, beloved and respected spinsters, " hesaid. "I fear my revered aunt is again up to mischief. You haven't heardher say anything more about aeroplanes, have you?"

"No, " I replied, for us both. 

"Or submarines?"

"She's been taking swimming lessons again, " I said, thoughtfully. 

"Lizzie!" Aggie cried. "Oh, my poor Tish!"

"I think, however, " said Charlie Sands, "that it is not a submarine. There are no submarine flivvers, as I understand it, and a full-size onewould run into money. No, I hardly think so. The fact remains, however, that my respected and revered aunt has made away with about seventhousand dollars' worth of bonds that were, until a short time ago, giving semi-annual birth to plump little coupons. The question is, whatis she up to?"

But we were unable to help him, and at last he went away. His partingwords were:

"Well, there is something in the air, and the only thing to do, Isuppose, is to wait until it drops. But when my beloved female relativetakes to selling bonds without consulting me, and goes out, as I met heryesterday, with her hat on front side behind, there is something in thewind. I know the symptoms. "

Aggie and I kept a close watch on Tish after that, but without result, unless the following incident may be called a result. Although it wasrather a cause, after all, for it brought Mr. Culver into our lives. 

I think it important to relate it in detail, as in a way it vindicatesTish in her treatment of Mr. Culver, although I do not mean by thisstatement that there was anything of personal malice in the incident ofJune fifth of this year. Those of us who know Tish best realize that sheneeds no defence. Her motives are always of the highest, althoughperhaps the matter of the police officer was ill-advised. But now thatthe story is out, and Mr. Ostermaier very uneasy about the wrong namebeing on the marriage license, I think an explanation will do dear Tishno harm. 

I should explain, then, that Tish has retained the old homestead in thecountry, renting it to a reliable family. And that it has been ourannual custom to go there for chestnuts each autumn. On the Sundayfollowing Charlie Sands' visit, therefore, while Aggie and I were havingdinner with Tish, I suggested that we make our annual pilgrimage thefollowing day. 

"What pilgrimage?" Tish demanded. She was at that time interested inseeing if a table could be set for thirty-five cents a day per person, and the meal was largely beans. 

"For chestnuts, " I explained. 

"I don't think I'll go this year, " Tish observed, not looking at eitherof us. "I'm not a young woman, and climbing a chestnut tree requiresyouth. "

"You could get the farmer's boy, " Aggie suggested, hopefully. Aggie is acreature of habit, and clings hard to the past. 

"The farmer is not there any more. "

We stared at her in amazement, but she was helping herself to boileddandelion at the time, and made no further explanation. 

"Why, Tish!" Aggie exclaimed. 

"Aggie, " she observed, severely, "if you would only remember that theworld is hungry, you would eat your crusts. "

"I ate crusts for twenty years, " said Aggie, "because I'd been raised tobelieve they would make my hair curl. But I've come to a time of lifewhen my digestion means more to me than my looks. And since I've had thetrouble with my teeth----"

"Teeth or no teeth, " said Tish, firmly, "eating crusts is a patrioticduty, Aggie. "

She was clearly disinclined to explain about the farm, but on beingpressed said she had sent the tenants away because they kept pigs, whichwas absurd and she knew it. 

"Isn't keeping pigs a patriotic duty?" Aggie demanded, glancing at meacross the table. But Tish ignored the question. 

"What about the church?" I asked. 

Tish has always given the farm money to missions, and is thereforeHonorary President of the Missionary Society. She did not replyimmediately as she was pouring milk over her cornstarch at the time, butHannah, her maid, spoke up rather bitterly. 

"If we give the heathen what we save on the table, Miss Lizzie, " shesaid, "I guess they'll do pretty well. I'm that fed up with beans thatmy digestion is all upset. I have to take baking soda after my meals, regular. "

Tish looked up at her sharply. 

"Entire armies fight on beans, " she said

"Yes'm, " said Hannah. "I'd fight on 'em too. That's the way they make mefeel. And if a German bayonet is any worse than the colic I get----"

"Leave the room, " said Tish, in a furious voice, and finished hercornstarch in silence. 

But she is a just woman, and although firm in her manner, she isnaturally kind. After dinner, seeing that Aggie was genuinelydisappointed about the excursion to the farm, she relented and observedthat we would go to the farm as usual. 

"After all, " she said, "chestnuts are nourishing, and might take theplace of potatoes in a pinch. "

Here we heard a hollow groan from the pantry, but on Tish demanding itsreason Hannah said, meekly enough, that she had knocked her crazy bone, and Tish, with her usual magnanimity, did not pursue the subject. 

There was a heavy frost that night, and two days later Tish called me upand fixed the following day for the visit to the farm. On looking back, I am inclined to think that her usual enthusiasm was absent, but wesuspected nothing. She said that Hannah would put up the luncheon, andthat she had looked up the food value of chestnuts and that it wasenormous. She particularly requested that Aggie should not bake a cakefor the picnic, as has been her custom. 

"Cakes, " she said, "are a reckless extravagance. In butter, eggs andflour a single chocolate layer cake could support three men at thefront for two days, Lizzie, " she said. 

I repeated this to Aggie, and she was rather resentful. Aggie, I regretto say, has rather a weakness for good food. 

"Humph!" she said, bitterly. "Very well, Lizzie. But if she expects meto go out like Balaam's ass and eat dandelions, I'd rather starve. "

Neither Aggie nor I is inclined to be suspicious, and although wenoticed Tish's rather abstracted expression that morning, we laid it tothe fact that Charlie Sands had been talking about going to the AmericanAmbulance in France, which Tish opposed violently, although she was morethan anxious to go herself. 

Aggie put in her knitting bag the bottle of blackberry cordial withoutwhich we rarely travel, as we find it excellent in case of chilling, orindigestion, and even to rub on hornet stings. I was placing thesuitcase, in which it is our custom to carry the chestnuts, in the backof the car, when I spied a very small parcel. Aggie saw it too. 

"If that's the lunch, Tish, " she said, "I don't know that I care to go. "

"You can eat chestnuts, " said Tish, shortly. "But don't go on myaccount. It looks like rain anyhow, and the last time I went to the farmin the mud I skidded down a hill backwards and was only stopped byrunning into a cow that thought I was going the other way. "

"Nonsense, Tish, " I said. "It hasn't an idea of raining. And if thelunch isn't sufficient, there are generally some hens from the Knowlesplace that lay in your barn, aren't there?"

"Certainly not, " she said stiffly, although it wasn't three months sinceshe had threatened to charge the Knowleses rent for their chickens. 

Well, I was puzzled. It is not like Tish to be irritable without reason, although she has undoubtedly a temper. She was most unpleasant on theway out, remarking that if the Ostermaiers's maid continued to pare awayhalf the potatoes, as any fool could see around their garbage can, shethought the church should reduce his salary. She also stated flatly thatshe considered that the nation would be better off if some one woulduncork a gas bomb in the Capitol at Washington, in spite of the factthat my second cousin, once removed, the Honorable J. C. Willoughby, represents his country in its legislative halls. 

It is always a bad sign when Tish talks politics, especially since theincome tax. 

Although it had no significance for us at the time, she did not put hercar in the barn as she usually does, but left it in the road. The housewas closed, and there was no cool and refreshing buttermilk with whichto wash down our frugal repast, which we ate on the porch, as Tish didnot offer to unlock the house. Frugal repast it was indeed, consistingof lettuce sandwiches made without butter, as Tish considered that bothbutter and lettuce was an extravagance. There were, of course, alsobeans. 

Now as it happens, Aggie is not strong and requires palatable as well assubstantial food to enable her to get about, especially to climb trees. We missed her during the meal, and I saw that she was going toward thebarn. Tish saw it also, and called to her sharply. 

"I am going to get an egg, " Aggie replied, with gentle obstinacy. "I amstarving, Tish, and I am certain I heard a hen cackle. Probably one ofthe Knowles's chickens----"

"If it is a Knowles's chicken, " Tish said, virtuously, "its egg is aKnowles's egg, and we have no right to it. "

I am sorry to relate that here Aggie said: "Oh, rats!" but as sheapologized immediately, and let the egg drop, figuratively, of course, peace again hovered over our little party. Only momentarily, however, for, a short time after, a hen undoubtedly cackled, and Aggie got upwith an air of determination. 

"Tish, " she said, "that may be a Knowles's hen or it may be onebelonging to this farm. I don't know, and I don't give a--I don't care. I'm going to get it. "

"The barn's locked, " said Tish. 

"I could get in through a window. "

I shall never forget Tish's look of scorn as she rose with dignity, andstalked toward the barn. 

"I shall go myself, Aggie, " she said, as she passed her. "You wouldprobably 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, ifyou're as hungry as you make out you are. "

"Lizzie, " Aggie hissed, when Tish was out of hearing, "_what is in thatbarn?_"

"It may be anything from a German spy to an aeroplane, " I said. "Butit's not your business or mine. "

"You needn't be so dratted virtuous, " Aggie observed, scooping a hole inthe petunia bed and burying the crusts in it. "Whatever's on her mind isin that barn. "

"Naturally, " I observed. "While Tish is in it!"

Tish returned in a short time with one egg, which she placed on theporch floor without a word. But as she made no effort to give Aggie thehouse key, and as Aggie has never learned to swallow a raw egg, although I have heard that they taste rather like oysters, and slip downin much the same way, Aggie was obliged to continue hungry. 

It is only just to record that Tish grew more companionable afterluncheon, and got into a large chestnut tree near the house by climbingon top of the hen house. We had always before had the farmer's boy to dothe climbing into the upper branches, and I confess to a certainnervousness, especially as Tish, when far above the ground, decided totake off her dress skirt, which was her second best tailor-made, andclimb around in her petticoats. 

She had to have both hands free to unhook the band, and she very nearlyoverbalanced while stepping out of it. 

"Drat a woman's clothes, anyhow, " she said. "If we had any sense we'dwear trousers. "

"I understand, " I said, "that even trousers are not easy to get out of, Tish. "

"Don't be a fool, Lizzie, " she said tartly. "If I had trousers on Iwouldn't have to take them off. Catch it!"

However, the skirt did not fall clear, but caught on a branch far out, and hung there. Tish broke off a small limb and poked at it from above, and I found a paling from a fence and threw it up to dislodge it. Butit stuck tight, and the paling came down and struck Aggie on the head. Had we only known it, this fortunate accident probably saved Aggie'slife, for she sat down suddenly on the ground, and said faintly that herskull was fractured. 

I was bending over Aggie when I heard a sharp crack from above. I lookedup, and Tish was lying full length on a limb, her arm out to reach forthe skirt and a most terrible expression on her face. There was anothercrack, and our poor Tish came hurtling through the air, landing half inAggie's lap and half in the suitcase. 

I was quite unable to speak, and owing, as I learned later, to Tish'shead catching her near the waist line, Aggie had no breath even toscream. 

There was a dreadful silence. Then Tish said, without moving:

"All my property is to go to Charlie Sands. "

"Tish!" I cried, in an agony, and Aggie, who still could not speak, burst into tears. 

However, a moment later, Tish drew up first one limb and then the other, and observed that her back was broken. She then mentioned that Aggie wasto have her cameo set and the dining room sideboard, and that I was tohave the automobile, but the next instant she felt a worm on her neckand sat up, looking rather dishevelled, but far from death. 

"Where are you hurt, Tish?" I asked, trembling. 

"Everywhere, " she replied. "Everywhere, Lizzie. Every bone in my body isbroken. "

But after a time the aching localized itself in her right arm, whichbegan to swell. We led her down to the creek and got her to hold it inthe cold water and Aggie, being still nervous and unsteady, slipped on amossy stone and sat down in about a foot of water. It was then that ourdear Tish became like herself again, for Aggie was shocked into saying, "Oh, damn!" and Tish gave her a severe lecture on profanity. 

Tish was quite sure her arm was broken, as well as all the ribs on oneside. But she is a brave woman and made little fuss, although she keptpoking a finger into her flesh here and there. 

"Because, " she said, "the First Aid book says that if a lung ispunctured the air gets into the tissues, and they crackle on pressure. "

It was soon after this that I saw Aggie, who had made no complaint aboutTish falling on her, furtively testing her own tissues to see if theycrackled. 

Leaving my injured there by the creek, I went back to the tree andsecured my paling again. By covering it with straw from the barn I wasquite sure I could make a comfortable splint for Tish's arm. However, Ihad but just reached the barn and was preparing to crawl through awindow by standing on a rain barrel when I saw Tish limping after me. 

"Well?" she said. "What idiotic idea is in your head, Lizzie? Because ifit is more eggs----"

"I am going to get some straw and make a splint. "

"Nonsense. What for?"

"What do you suppose I intend it for?" I demanded, tartly. "To trim ahat?"

"I won't have a splint. "

"Very well, " I retorted. "Then I shall get some straw and start a fireto dry Aggie out. "

"You'll stick in that window, " Tish said, in what, in a smaller woman, would have been a vicious tone. 

"Look here, Tish, " I said, balancing on the edge of the rain barrel, "isthere something in this barn you do not wish me to see?"

She looked at me steadily. 

"Yes, " she said. "There is, Lizzie. And I'll ask you to promise on yourhonor not to mention it. "

That promise I am glad to say I have kept until now, when the need ofsecrecy is past, Tish herself having divulged the truth. But at the timeI was greatly agitated, and indeed almost fell into the rain barrel. 

"Or try to find out what it is, " Tish went on, sternly. 

I promised, of course, and Tish relaxed somewhat, although I caught hereye on me once or twice, as though she was daring me to so much as guessat the secret. 

"Of course, Lizzie, " she said, as we approached Aggie, "it is nothing Iam ashamed of. "

"Of course not, " I replied hastily. I took my courage in my hands andfaced her. "Tish, have you an aeroplane hidden in that barn?"

"No, " she replied promptly. She might have enlarged on her denial, butAggie took a violent sneezing spell just then, pressing herself betweenparoxysms to see if she crackled, and we decided to go home at once. 

Here a new difficulty presented itself. Tish could not drive the car! Ishall never forget my anguish when she turned to me and said:

"You will have to drive us home, Lizzie. "

"Never!" I cried. 

"It's perfectly easy, " she went on. "If children can run them, and theidiots they have in garages and on taxicabs----"

"Never, " I said firmly. "It may be easy, but it took you six months, Tish Carberry, and three broken springs and any number of dead chickensand animals, besides the time you went through a bridge, and the nightyou drove off the end of a dock. It may be easy, but if it is, I'drather do something hard. "

"I shall sit beside you, Lizzie, " she said, in a patient voice. "Idaresay you know which is your right foot and which is your left. Ifnot, I can tell you. I shall say 'left' when I want you to push out theclutch, and 'right' for the brake. As for gears, I can change them foryou with my left hand. "

"I could do it sitting in a chair, " I said, in a despairing voice. "ButTish, " I said, in a last effort, "do you remember when you tried toteach me to ride a bicycle? And that the moment I saw something to avoidI made a mad dash for it?"

"This is different, " Tish said. "It is a car----"

"And that I rode about a quarter of a mile into Lake Penzance, and wouldlikely have ridden straight across if I hadn't run into a canoe andupset 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. "

Yet, when I did exactly that, she denied she had ever said it. Fond as Iam of Tish, I must admit that she has a way of forgetting things shedoes not wish to remember. 

In the end I consented. It was against my better judgment, and I warnedTish. I have no talent for machinery, but indeed a great fear of it, since the time when as a child I was visiting my grand-aunt's farm andalmost lost a finger in a feed-cutter. In addition to that, Tish'saccident and her secret had both unnerved me. I knew that calamity facedus as I took my place at the wheel. 

Tish was still in her petticoat, as we were obliged to leave her dressskirt in the tree, and Aggie was wrapped in the rug to prevent hertaking cold. 

"When we meet a buggy, " Tish said, "we'd better go past it rather fast. I don't ache to be seen in a seersucker petticoat. "

"Fast, " I said, bitterly. "You'd better pray that we go past it at all. "

However, by going very slowly, I got the thing as far as the gate goinginto the road. Here there was a hill, and we began to move too rapidly. 

"Slower, " said Tish. "You've got to make a turn here. "

"How?" I cried, frantically. 

"Brake!" she yelled. 

"Which foot?"

"Right foot. _Right foot!_"

However, it seems that my right foot was on the gas throttle at thetime, which she had forgotten. I jammed my foot down hard, and the carseemed to lift out of the air. We went across the ditch, through a stakeand rider fence, through a creek and up the other side of the bank, andbrought up against a haystack with a terrific jolt. 

Tish sat back and straightened her hat with a jerk. 

"We'd better go back and do it again, Lizzie, " she said, "because youmissed one or two things. "

"I did what you told me, " I replied, sullenly. 

"Did you?" said Tish. "I don't remember telling you to leap the creek. Of course, cross-country motoring has its advantages. Only one reallyshould have solid tires, because barbed wire fences might be awkward. "

She then sat back and rested. 

"Well?" I said. 

"Well?" said Tish. 

"What am I to do now?"

"Oh!" she said. "I thought you preferred doing it your own way. I don'tobject, if you don't. You are quite right. Roads do become monotonous. Only I doubt, Lizzie, if you can get over this stack. You'd better goaround it. "

"Very well, " I said. "My own way is to walk home, Tish Carberry. And ifyou think I am going to steer a runaway automobile you can think again. "

Aggie had said nothing, but I now turned and saw her, pale and shaken, taking a sip of the blackberry cordial we always carry with us foremergencies. I suggested that she drive the thing home, but she onlyshook her head and muttered something about almost falling out of theback end of the car when we leaped up out of the creek. She had, sheasserted, been clear up on the folded-back top, and had stayed thereuntil the jolt against the haystack had thrown her forward into the seatagain. 

I daresay we would still be there had not a young man with a gun runsuddenly around the haystack. He had a frightened look, but when he sawus all alive he relaxed. Unfortunately, however, Aggie still had thebottle of blackberry cordial in the air. His expression altered when hesaw her, and he said, in a disgusted voice:

"Well, I be damned!"

Tish had not seen Aggie, and merely observed that she felt like that andeven more. She then remarked that I had broken her other arm, and hernose, which had struck the wind shield. But the young man merely gaveher a scornful glance, and leaning his gun against the haystack, cameover 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 jumpingthe 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, holdingout his hand. 

Now it is Aggie's misfortune to have lost her own teeth some years ago, owing to a country dentist who did not know his business. And whenexcited she has a way of losing her hold, as one may say, on her upperset. She then speaks in a thick tone, with a lisp. 

"Thertainly not!" said Aggie. 

To my horror, the young man then stepped on the running board of the carand snatched the bottle out of her hand. 

"I must say, " he said, glaring at us each in turn, "that it is the mostdisgraceful thing I have ever seen. " His eyes stopped at Tish, andtraveled over her. "Where is your clothing?" he demanded, fiercely. 

It was then that Tish rose and fixed him with a glittering eye. 

"Young man, " she said, "where my dress skirt is does not concern you. Nor why we are here as we are. Give Miss Pilkington that bottle ofblackberry cordial. "

"Blackberry cordial!" jeered the young man. 

"As for what you evidently surmise, you are a young idiot. I am thePresident of the local branch of the W. C. T. U. "

"Of course you are, " said the young man. "I'm Carrie Nation myself. Nowwatch. "

He then selected a large stone and smashed the bottle on it. 

"Now, " he observed, "come over with the rest of it, and be quick. " Buthere he seemed to realize that Tish's face was rather awful, for hestopped bullying and began to coax. "Now see here, " he said. "I'm goingto help you out of this if I can, because I rather think it is anaccident. You've all had something on an empty stomach. Go down to thecreek and get some cold water, and then walk about a bit. I'll see whatI can do with the car. "

Aggie was weeping in the rear seat by that time, and I shall neverforget Tish's face. Suddenly she got out of the car and before herealized what was happening, she had his gun in her good hand. 

"Now, " she said, waving it about recklessly, "I'll teach you to insultsober and God-fearing women whose only fault is that one of them hasn'tall the wit she should have and let a car run away with her. Lizzie, getout of that seat. "

It was the young man's turn to look strange. 

"Be careful!" he cried. "_Be careful!_ It's loaded, and the safetycatch----"

"Get out, Aggie. "

Aggie crawled out, still holding the rug around where she had sat downin the creek. 

"Now, " Tish said, addressing the stranger, "you back that car out andget it to the road. And close your mouth. Something is likely to flyinto it. "

"I beg of you!" said the young man. "Of course I'll do what I can, but--please don't wave that gun around. "

"Just a moment, " said Tish. "That blackberry cordial was worth about adollar. Just give a dollar to the lady near you. Aggie, take thatdollar. Lizzie, come here and let me rest this gun on your shoulder. "

She did, keeping it pointed at the young man, and I could hear herbehind me, breathing in short gasps of fury. Nothing could so haveenraged Tish as the thing which had happened, and for a time I fearedthat she would actually do the young man some serious harm. 

He sat there looking at us, and he saw, of course, that he had beenmistaken. He grew very red, and said:

"I've been an idiot, of course. If you will allow me to apologize----"

"Don't talk, " Tish snapped. "You have all you can do without anyconversation. Did you ever drive a car before?"

"Not through a haystack, " he said in a sulky voice. 

But Tish fixed him with a glittering eye, and he started the engine. 

Well, he got the car backed and turned around, and we followed himthrough the stubble as the car bumped and rocked along. But at the edgeof the creek he stopped and turned around. 

"Look here, " he said. "This is suicide. This car will never do it. "

"It has just done it, " Tish replied, inexorably. "Go on. "

"I might get down, but I'll never get up the other side. "

"Go on. "

"Tish!" Aggie cried, anguished. "He may be killed, and you'll beresponsible. "

Aggie is a sentimental creature, and the young man was verygood-looking. Indeed, arriving at the brink, I myself had qualms. ButTish has a will of iron, and was, besides, still rankling with insult. She merely glued her eye again to the sight of the gun on my shoulder, and said:

"_Go on!_"

Well, he got the car down somehow or other, but nothing would make itclimb the other side. It would go up a few feet and then slide back. Andat last Tish herself saw that it was hopeless, and told him to turn andgo down the creek bed. 

It was a very rough creek bed, and one of the springs broke almost atonce. We followed along the bank, and I think Tish found a sort of grimhumor in seeing the young man bouncing up into the air and coming downon the wheel, for I turned once and found her smiling faintly. However, she merely called to him to be careful of the other springs or she wouldhave to ask him to pay for them. 

He stopped then, in a pool about two feet deep, and glared up at her. 

"Oh, certainly, " he said. "I suppose the fact that I have permanentlybent in my floating ribs on this infernal wheel doesn't matter. "

At last he came to a shelving bank, and got the car out. I think hecontemplated making a run for it then and getting away, but Tishobserved that she would shoot into the rear tires if he did so. So hewent back to the road, slowly, and there stopped the car. 

However, Tish was not through with him. She made him climb the chestnuttree and bring down her dress skirt, and then turn his back while sheput it on. By that time, the young man was in a chastened mood, and heapologized handsomely. 

"But I think I have made amends, ladies, " he said. "I feel that I shallnever be the same again. When I started out today I was a blithe youngthing, feeling life in every limb, as the poet says. Now what I feel inevery limb does not belong in verse. May I have the shotgun, please?"

But Tish had no confidence in him, and we took the gun with us, arranging to leave it at the first signpost, about a mile away. We lefthim there, and Aggie reported that he stood in the road staring after usas long as we were in sight. 

Tish drove the car home after all, steering with one hand and taking thewheel off a buggy on the way. I sat beside her and changed the gears, and she blamed the buggy wheel on me, owing to my going into reversewhen I meant to go ahead slowly. The result was that we began to backunexpectedly, and the man only saved his horse by jumping him over awatering trough. 

I have gone into this incident with some care, because the presentnarrative concerns itself with the young man we met, and with thesecret in Tish's barn. At the time, of course, it seemed merely one ofthe unpleasant things one wishes to forget quickly. Tish's arm was onlysprained, and although Aggie wore adhesive plaster around her ribsalmost all winter, because she was afraid to have it pulled off, therewere no permanent ill effects. 

The winter passed quietly enough. Aggie and I made Red Cross dressingsfor Europe, and Tish, tiring of knitting, made pajamas. She had turnedagainst the government, and almost left the church when she learned thatMr. Ostermaier had voted the Democratic ticket. Then in January, withouttelling any one, she went away for four days, and Sarah Willoughby wroteme later that the Honorable J. C. , her husband, said that a womanresembling Tish had demanded from the gallery of the Senate that wedeclare war against Germany and had been put out by theSergeant-at-arms. 

I do not know that this was Tish. She returned as unannounced as she hadgone, and went back to her pajamas, but she was more quiet than usual, and sometimes, when she was sewing, her lips moved as though she wasrehearsing a speech. She observed once or twice that she wanted to doher bit, but that she considered digging trenches considerably easierthan driving a sewing machine twelve miles a day. 

I remember, in this connection, a conversation I had with Mrs. Ostermaier some time in January. She asked me to wait after the RedCross meeting, and I saw trouble in her eye. 

"Miss Lizzie, " she said, "do you think Miss Tish really enjoys sewing?"

"Not particularly, " I admitted. "But it is better than knitting, shesays, because it is faster. She likes to get results. "

"Exactly, " Mrs. Ostermaier observed. "I'll just ask you to look at thispajama coat she has turned in. "

Well, there was no getting away from it. It was wrong. Dear Tish hadsewed one of the sleeves in the neck opening, and had opened the sleevehole and faced back the opening and put buttons and buttonholes on it. 

"Not only that, " said Mrs. Ostermaier, "but she has made the trousers ofseveral suits wrong side before and opened them up the back, and men aresuch creatures of habit. They like things the way they are used tothem. "

Well, I had to tell Tish, and she flew into a temper and said Mrs. Ostermaier never could cut things out properly, and she would leave thesociety. Which she did. But she was very unhappy over it, for Tish ispatriotic to her finger tips. 

All the spring, until war was declared, she was restless anddiscontented, and she took to long trips in the car, by herself, returning moodier than ever. But with the announcement of war she foundwork to do. She made enlisting speeches everywhere, and was verysuccessful, because Tish has a magnetic and compelling eye, and shewould fix on one man in the crowd and talk at him and to him until allthe men around were watching him. Generally, with every one looking hewas ashamed not to come forward, and Tish would take him by the arm andlead him in to the recruiting station. 

It was on one of these occasions that we saw the young man of theblackberry cordial again. 

Tish saw him first, from the tail of the wagon she was standing in. Shefixed him with her eye at once, and a man standing near him, said:

"Go on in, boy. You're as good as in the trenches already. She landed meyesterday, but I've got six toes on one foot. Blessed if she didn't tryto take me to a hospital to have one cut off. "

"Now, " said Tish, "does any one wish to ask any questions?"

I saw the blackberry cordial person take a step forward. 

"I would like to ask you one, " he said. "How do you reconcile blackberrycordial with the W. C. T. U. ?"

Tish went white with anger, and would no doubt have flayed him withwords, as our blackberry cordial is made from her own grandmother'srecipe, and a higher principled woman never lived. But unluckily thedriver of the furniture wagon we were standing in had returned withoutour noticing it, and drove off at that moment, taking us with him. 

It was about this time that Charlie Sands came to see me one day, looking worried. 

"Look here, " he said, "what's this about my having appendicitis?"

"Well, you ought to know, " I replied rather tartly. "Don't ask me if youhave a pain. "

"But I haven't, " he said, looking aggrieved. "I'm all right. I neverfelt better. "

He then said that once, when a small boy, he had been taken with asevere attack of pain, following a picnic when he had taken considerablelemonade and pickles, followed by ice cream. 

"I had forgotten it entirely, " he went on. "But the other day Aunt Tishrecalled the incident, and suggested that I get my appendix out. Itwouldn't matter if she had let it go at that. But she's set on it. I maywaken up any morning and find it gone. "

I could only stare at him, for he is her favorite nephew, and I couldnot believe that she would forcibly immolate him on a bed of suffering. 

"I used to think she was fond of me, " he continued. "But she's--well, she's positively grewsome about the thing. She's talked so much about itthat I begin to think I _have_ got a pain there. I'm not sure I haven'tgot it now. "

Well, I couldn't understand it. I knew what she thought of him. Had shenot, when she fell out of the tree, immediately left him all herproperty? I told him about that, and indeed about the entire incident, except the secret in the barn. He grew very excited toward the end, however, where we met the blackberry-cordial person, and interrupted me. 

"I know it from there on, " he said. "Only I thought Culver had made itup, especially about the gun being levelled at him, and the machine inthe creek bed. He's on my paper; nice boy, too. Do you mean to say--butI might have known, of course. "

He then laughed for a considerable time, although I do not consider theincident funny. But when I told him about Mr. Culver's impertinentquestion at the recruiting station, he sobered. 

"You tell her to keep her hands off him, " he said. "I need him in mybusiness. And it won't take much to send him off to war, because he'shad a disappointment in love and I'm told that he walks out in front ofautomobiles daily, hoping to be struck down and make the girl sorry. "

"I consider her a very sensible young woman, " I observed. But he wasalready back to his appendix. 

"You see, " he said, "my Aunt Letitia has a positively uncanny influenceover me, and if I have it out I can't enlist. No scars taken. "

I put down my knitting. 

"Perhaps that is the reason she wants it done, " I suggested. 

"By George!" he exclaimed. 

Well, that _was_ the reason. I may as well admit it now. Tish is a fineand spirited woman, and as brave as a lion. But it was soon evident toall of us that she was going to keep Charlie Sands safe if she could. She was continually referring to his having been a sickly baby, and I amquite sure she convinced herself that he had been. She spoke, too, of asmall cough he had as indicating weak lungs, and was almost indecentlyirritated when the chest specialist said that it was from smoking, andthat if he had any more lung space the rest of his organs would have hadto move out. 

One way and another, she kept him from enlisting for quite a time, maintaining that to run a newspaper and keep people properly informedwas as patriotic as carrying a gun. 

I remember that on one occasion, when he had at last decided to join thenavy and was going to Washington, Tish took a very bad attack ofindigestion, and nothing quieted her until after train time but to haveCharlie Sands beside her, feeding her peppermint and hot water. 

Then, at last, the draft bill was passed, and she persuaded him to waitand take his chance. 

We were at a Red Cross class, being taught how to take foreign bodiesout of the ear, when the news came. Tish was not paying much attention, because she considered that if a soldier got a bullet or shrapnel in hisear, a syringe would not help him much. She had gone out of the room, therefore, and Aggie had just had a bean put in her auditory canal, andwas sure it would swell before they got it again, when Tish returned. She said the bill had passed, and that the age limit was thirty-one. 

Mrs. Ostermaier, who was using the syringe, let it slip and shot astream of water into Aggie's right eye. 

"Thirty-one!" she said. "Well, I suppose that includes your nephew, MissTish. "

"Not at all, " said Tish. "He will have his thirty-second birthday on thefifth of June, and he probably won't have to register at all. It'slikely to be July before they're ready. "

"Oh, the fifth of June!" said Mrs. Ostermaier, and gave Aggie anothersquirt. 

Now Tish and I have talked this over since, and it may only be acoincidence. But Mrs. Ostermaier's cousin is married to a Congressmanfrom the west, and she sends the Ostermaiers all his speeches. Mr. Ostermaier sends on his sermon, too, in exchange, and every now and thenMrs. Ostermaier comes running in to Tish with something delivered in ournational legislature which she claims was conceived in our pulpit. 

Anyhow, when the draft day was set, _it was the fifth of June_!

Aggie and I went to Tish at once, and found her sitting very quietlywith the blinds down, and Hannah snivelling in the kitchen. 

"It's that woman, " Tish said. "When I think of the things I've done forthem, and the way I've headed lists and served church suppers and madepotato salad and packed barrels, it makes me sick. "

Aggie sat down beside her and put a hand on her knee. 

"I know, Tish, " she said. "Mr. Wiggins was set on going to the Spanishwar. He said that he could not shoot, but that he would be valuable asan observer, from church towers and things, because he was used to beingin the air. He would have gone, too, but----"

"If he goes, " Tish said, "he will never come back. I know it. I've knownit ever since I ran over that black cat the other day. "

Well, we had to leave her, as Aggie was buying wool for the Army andNavy League. We went out, very low in our minds. What was our surprise, therefore, on returning late that afternoon, to find Tish cheerfullyhoeing in the garden she had planted in the vacant lot next door, whileHannah followed her and gathered up in a basket the pieces of brick, broken bottles and buried bones that Tish unearthed. 

"You poor dear!" Aggie said, going toward her. "I know just how youfeel. I----"

"Get out!" Tish yelled, in a furious tone. "Look what you're doing!Great heavens, don't you see what you've done? That was a potatoplant. "

We tried to get out, although I could see nothing but a few weeds, butshe yelled at us every moment and at last I gave it up. 

"I'd rather stay here, Tish, " I said, "if you don't mind. I can keep thedogs away, and along in the autumn, when it's safe to move, you can takeme home, or put me in a can, along with the other garden stuff. "

Here Tish fired a brick at Hannah's basket, but struck her in the kneecap instead, and down she went on what Tish said was six egg plants. Inthe resulting conversation I escaped, and went up to Tish's sittingroom. 

Tish followed us soon after, and jerked the window shades to the top. 

"There's nothing like getting close to nature, " she said. "I feel like adifferent woman, after an hour or so of the soil. "

She then took Hannah's basket and placed it on the window-silloverlooking the vacant lot, explaining that she used its contents tofling at dogs, cats and birds below. 

"It makes a little extra work for Hannah, " she commented. "But it'smaking a new woman of her. It would be good for you, too, Lizzie. There's nothing like bending over to reduce the abdomen. "

But Aggie, having come to mourn, proceeded to do it. 

"To think, " she said, "that if they had only made it a day later, dearCharlie would have been exempt. It's too tragic, Tish. "

"I don't know what you are talking about, " said Tish in a cold tone. "Hedoes not have to register. He was born at seven in the morning, Junefifth. "

"In the evening, Tish, " said Aggie gently. "I was there, you know, and Iremember----"

Tish gave her a terrible look. 

"Of course you would know, " she observed, icily. "But as I was in theroom, and recall distinctly going out and telling old Amanda, the cook, about breakfast----"

"Supper, " said Aggie firmly. "You were excited, naturally. But I was inthe hall when you came out, and I was expecting my first gentlemancaller, which no girl ever forgets, Tish. I remember that Amanda washooking my dress, which was very tight, because we had waist lines inthose days and I wanted----"

"Aggie, " Tish thundered, "he was born early in the morning of Junefifth. He will be thirty-two years of age early in the morning ofRegistration day. And if he tries to register I shall be on hand withthe facts. "

Well, whether she was right or not, she was convinced that she was, andit is useless to argue with her under those circumstances. Luckily sheheard a dog in the lot just then, and threw down a broken bottle andsome bricks at him, and the woman in the apartment below raised a windowand threatened to report her to the Humane Society. But, as usual, Tishwas more than her equal. 

"Come right up, then, " she said. "Because I am a member of the HumaneSociety and have been for twenty years. I consider throwing bricks atthat dog as patriotic a duty as killing a German, any day. "

Here, by accident, the basket slid off the window-sill, and Tish closedthe window violently. 

"It hit her on the head, " she said, in what I fear was an exultant tone. "I wouldn't have done it on purpose, but I guess it's no sin to bethankful. "

Because the incident I am about to relate concerns not only RegistrationDay, but also Mr. Culver and the secret in the barn, I have been sometime in getting to it. And if, in so doing, I have reflected at any timeeither on Tish's patriotism or her strict veracity, I am sorry. No onewho knows Tish can doubt either. 

In spite of Aggie, in spite of Charlie Sands, who protested violentlythat he distinctly remembered being born in the evening, because he hadyelled all the ensuing night and no one had had a wink of sleep--inspite of all this, Tish remained firm in her conviction that 7 A. M. OnRegistration Day, when the precincts opened, would find him too old toregister. 

On the surface the days that followed passed uneventfully. Tish sewedand knitted, and once each day stood Aggie and myself on the outskirtsof her garden and pointed out things which she said would be green corn, and tomatoes and peppers and so on. But there was a set look about herface, to those of us who knew and loved her. She had moments ofabstraction, too, and during one of them weeded out an entire row ofspring onions, according to Hannah. 

On the third of June I went into the jeweller's to have my watchregulated, and found Tish at the counter. She muttered something about amain spring and went out, leaving me staring after her. I am no idiot, however, although not Tish's mental equal by any means, and I saw thatshe had been looking at gentlemen's gold watches. 

I had a terrible thought that she intended trying to purchase CharlieSands by a gift. But I might have known her high integrity. She wouldnot stoop to a bribe. And, as a matter of fact, happening to stop atthe Ostermaiers' that evening to show Mrs. Ostermaier how to purl, Ifound that dear Tish, remembering the anniversary of his first sermon tous, had presented Mr. Ostermaier with a handsome watch. 

It was on the fourth of June that I had another visit from CharlieSands. He is usually a most amiable young man, but on that occasion hecame in glowering savagely, and on sitting down on Aggie's knitting, which was on steel needles, he flung it across the room, and had tospend quite a little time apologizing. 

"The truth is, " he said, "I'm so blooming upset that I'm not myself. Letme put these needles back, won't you? Or do they belong in someparticular place?"

"They do, " Aggie retorted grimly. "And for a young man who will bethirty-two tomorrow morning----"

"Evening, " he corrected her, with a sort of groan. "I see she's got youtoo. Look here, " he went on, "I'm in trouble, and I'm blessed if I seemy way out. I want to register tomorrow. I may not be drawn, because I'man unlucky devil and always was. But--I want to do my bit. "

"Well, " I observed, tartly. "I guess no one can prevent you. Go and doit, and say nothing. "

"Not at all, " he replied, getting up and striding up and down the room. "Not a bit of it. I grant you it looks simple. Wouldn't any one in hissenses think that a young and able-bodied man could go and put his namedown as being willing to serve his country? Why, she herself--she'scrazy 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 gotaround that old fool Ostermaier I don't know. But she has. He'sappointed her an assistant registrar in his precinct, which is mine. Andshe'll swear until she's black in the face that I'm over age. "

"Can't you have the place opened before seven in the morning?" Isuggested. 

"I've been to him, but he says the law is seven o'clock. Besides, " headded bitterly, "she knows me, and as like as not she'll sleep there, tobe on hand to forestall me. "

As I look back, I am convinced that a desire to do his bit, as he termedit, was only a part of his anger that evening. The rest was the feelingthat Tish's superior acumen had foiled him. He had a truly masculinehatred of being thwarted by a woman, even by a beloved aunt. 

"Well, " he said at last, picking up his hat. "I'll be off. " He went tothe door, but turned back and glowered at us both, although I am sure wehad done nothing whatever. "But mark my words, and remind her of themthe day after tomorrow. This thing's not over yet. She's pretty devilishclever"--(I regret to record this word, but he was greatlyexcited)--"but she hasn't all the brains in the family. "

For a day that was to contain so much, however, the fifth of Junestarted quietly enough. We telephoned Hannah, and she reported that Tishhad left the house at five-thirty, although obliged to go only one blockto the engine house which was her destination. 

So far as I can learn, for Tish is very uncommunicative about the entirematter, the morning passed quietly enough. She had taken the precautionof having her folding card table and two pillows sent to the enginehouse, and when Aggie and I arrived at midday she was seatedcomfortably, with her hat hung on a lamp of the fire truck. When wearrived she was asking the sexton of the Methodist Church, whom she hasknown for thirty years, if he had lost a leg or an arm. 

Aggie had brought a basket with some luncheon for her, and she placed iton the truck. But there was an alarm of fire soon after, and the thingwent out in a rush with the lunch and also with Tish's hat. 

Tish was furiously angry. Indeed, I have since thought that much of whatfollowed was due to the loss of the luncheon, which the firemen declaredthey had not seen, although Aggie was positive she saw one of themeating one of the doughnuts that afternoon behind a newspaper. 

But, worst of all, Tish's hat was missing. It reappeared later, however, but was brought in by the engine house dog, after having been run overby the Chief's machine, two engines and a ladder truck. 

As I say, that was part of her irritation, but what really upset her wasthe number of married men. More than once, as she grew excited, I heardher say:

"Married? How many wives?"

When of course she meant how many children. 

She had registered twenty-four married men and two single ones by oneo'clock, and she was looking very discouraged. But at one o'clock theclerk from the shoe store at the corner came in, and said he haddependent on him a wife, four children, a mother-in-law, a sister-in-lawand his sister-in-law's husband. 

"Of course, " Tish said bitterly, "you claim exemption. "

"Me?" he said. "Me, Miss Carberry? My God, no. "

Well, about two o'clock Charlie Sands came in. Tish saw him the momenthe entered the door, and stopped work to watch him. But he made noattempt to register. He said he was doing a column of slackers for thenext morning's paper. 

"There's aren't many, " he said, "but of course there are some. Thelicense court is the place to nail them. "

"Do you mean to tell me, " Tish demanded, "that there are traitors inthis country who are getting married _today_?"

"There are, " said Charlie Sands, sitting down on the fire truck. "Evenso, beloved aunt. They are getting married so they can claim exemptionbecause of a dependent wife. And I'll bet the orphan asylums are full offellows trying to get ready-made families. "

Tish is a composed and self-restrained woman, but she spoke sodistinctly of how she felt about such conduct that Charlie Murray, ourgrocer's assistant, who has four children, did not so much as mentionthem when she made out his card. 

"Of course, " Charlie Sands observed, "I don't want to dictate to you, because you're doing all that can be expected of you now. But if someone would go to the license court and tell those fellows a bit ofwholesome truth, it might be valuable. "

"You do it, Lizzie, " Tish said. 

"I? I never made a speech in my life, Tish Carberry, and you know it. "

"And I never before tried to get the truth from an idiot who says he istwenty-eight and has a daughter of eighteen! See here, " Tish said to aman in front of her, waving her pen and throwing a circle of ink about. "I'll have you know that I represent the government today, and if youthink you are being funny, you are not. "

Well, it turned out that he had married a widow with a child, but had acork leg anyhow, so it made no difference. But Tish's mind was not onher work. However, she was undecided until Charlie Sands said:

"By the way, I saw your friend Culver among the Cupid-chasers today. Andthis is his district. You'd better round him up. "

"Culver!" Tish said. "Do you mean that--Lizzie, where's my hat?"

Well, we had to recover it again from the engine house dog, whom wefound burying it in the back yard. Tish's mind, however, was far away, and she merely brushed it absently with her hand and stuck it on herhead. Then she turned to Charlie Sands. 

"I'm going to the license court, " she said, between clenched teeth. "AndI am going to show that young fool that he is not going to hide behindany petticoats today. "

"It's his privilege to get married if he wants to. "

"When I finish with him, " said Tish, grimly, "he won't want to. "

All the way to the court house Tish's lips were moving, and I knew shewas rehearsing what she meant to say. I think that even then her shrewdand active mind had some foreboding of what was to come, for she calledback unexpectedly to Aggie:

"Look in the right-hand pocket and see if there is a box of tacksthere. "

"Tacks?" said Aggie. "Why, what in the world----"

"I had tacks to nail up flags this morning. Well?"

"They are here, Tish, but no hammer. "

"I shan't need a hammer, " Tish replied, cryptically. 

I am afraid I had expected Tish to lead the way into the license courtand break out into patriotic fury. But how little, after all, I knewher! Already in that wonderful brain of hers was seething the plot whichwas so to alter certain lives, and was to leave an officer of thelaw--but that comes later on. 

Mr. Culver was at the desk. Just as we arrived, a clerk handed him apaper, and he walked across the room to an ice-water cooler and took adrink. 

"The slacker!" said Tish, from clenched teeth. "The coward! Thepoltroon! The----"

At that moment Mr. Culver, with a paper cup in his hand, saw us andstared at us fixedly. The next moment he had whipped off his hat, andwas coming toward us. 

"Well!" he said, as he came up to us, "so it really did happen!"

Tish took a deep breath, to begin on him, but he went on blithely:

"You see, when I got back home that day, I felt it hadn't really beentrue. I had _not_ gone rabbit-shooting, and found three ladieshalf-buried in a haystack. And of course I had not driven an automobilealong a creek bed and through the old swimming hole, with my own gunlevelled at my back. "

Tish took another breath and opened her mouth. 

"Then, the other day, " he went on, smiling cheerfully, "I thought I hadhad a return of the hallucination, because I fancied I saw you all on awagon. But the next moment the wagon was driving on, and you werenowhere in sight. "

"That was because, " said Aggie, "when the wagon started we all sat downunexpectedly, and----"

"Aggie!" Tish said, in a savage tone. "Now, young man, I want to saysomething to you, and I'd thank you----"

"Oh, I say!" he broke in, looking suddenly depressed, "I can see you arestill down on me. But don't scold me. Please don't. Because I am asensitive person, and you will ruin what was going to be a perfect day. I know I was wrong. I apologize. I eat my words. And now I'll leave you, because if you should vanish into thin air again I should have to go andlock myself up. "

Well, with all his gaiety he did not look particularly gay, and he wasrather hollow in the cheeks. I came to the conclusion that he was goingto marry another young woman, partly to keep out of going to war, butpartly to spite the first. I must say I felt rather sorry for him, especially when I saw the way he looked at her. Oh, yes, I picked herout at once, because she never took her eyes off him. 

I didn't think she was fooled much, either, because she looked as if sheneeded to go off into a corner and have a good cry. Well, she got herwish later, if that was what she wanted. 

But Tish is a woman of one idea. While he chattered with one eye on thegirl, Tish was eyeing him coldly. At last she caught him by the arm. 

"I have something to say to you, young man, " she commenced. "I want toask you what you think of any one who----"

"I beg your pardon, " he interrupted, and freed his arm. "Awfully sorry. I think a young lady over there wishes to speak to me. "

He left us briskly enough, but he slowed up before he got across theroom. He stopped once and half turned, too, with the unhappiest faceI've ever seen on a human being. Aggie was feeling in her knitting bagfor the glasses. 

"Is she pretty?" she asked. 

"Too pretty to be a second choice, " I replied, shortly. "She's a nicelittle thing, and deserves something better than a warmed-over heart. "

Tish had been angry enough before, but when I told her that he had beendisappointed in love, and was merely making the girl a tool, her eyeswere savage. 

"She is pretty, " Aggie observed. "Perhaps, after all, he _does_ loveher. Or if not he may learn to. And he cannot be very unhappy aboutmarrying her. He said, you know, it was a perfect day. "

"Go down and get into the car, " Tish said, in a choking voice. "I'll fixhis perfect day for him. Go down and start the engine. "

I took a last glance as Aggie and I left the License Court, and if wehad had any doubts they vanished then, because he was speaking to thegirl with angry gestures, and she was certainly crying. 

"Brute, " Tish said, with her eyes on him. "A bully as well as a slacker. Never mind. She won't have to put up with him long. If I have anyinfluence in this community that youth will be drafted and sent to a mudhole in France. Mark my words, " she went on, settling her hat with ajerk, "that boy will be registered as a single man before this day'sover. Go and start the engine, Lizzie. I daresay you remember thatmuch. "

Seeing that she had a plan, and "ours not to reason why, ours but to doand die, " as Aggie frequently quotes, we went down to the street again. I was even then vaguely apprehensive, an apprehension not withoutreason, as it turned out. For, reaching over to start the engine, asTish had taught me by turning a lever on the dashboard and moving up athrottle on the wheel, what was my horror to see the car moving slowlyoff, with Aggie in the rear seat and as white as chalk. 

Tish, in her patriotic fervor, had stopped the thing in gear. 

I ran beside it, but was unable to get onto the running board. I thensaw Aggie, generally so timid, crawling over the back of the seat, andcalled to her to put on the brake. She did so, but not until the car hadmounted the sidewalk and struck a policeman in the back. 

This would not be worth recording, as there were no immediate results, had it not been for the policeman. It brought us to his attention, andcame near to ruining Tish's plan. But of this later on. 

I do not, even now, know just what arguments Tish used with Myrtle. Yes, that was her name. We had a great deal of time later on to learn hername, and all about her. The matter is a delicate one, and we have notsince discussed the events of that day. But Aggie said later on, when wewere sitting in the dark and wondering what to do next, that Tish hadprobably waited until Mr. Culver went out to look up a minister. 

Whatever Tish said or did, the result was that only a short time afterAggie had jammed on the brake, they came out together, and Tish wascarrying a suitcase. Myrtle was hanging back, but Tish had her by thearm. 

At first she did not see us. When she did, however, she worked her waythrough the crowd and opened the rear door. 

"Get in, " she said, in an uncompromising tone. 

"But I really think, " said Myrtle, "that I should----"

"Get in, " Tish said again, firmly. "We can talk it over later. "

"But are you sure he sent for me?" she demanded, looking ready to cryagain. "I think it must be a mistake. He said to wait, and he would comeback as soon as----"

It was the crowd that really settled the matter, for some one yelledthat the girl had been eloping and that her mother had caught her in theLicense Court. Most of them were men, but they called to Myrtle not tolet the old lady bully her. Also one young man said that if her youngman didn't come back she could have him and welcome. It frightenedMyrtle, and she got into the car and asked Tish to drive away quickly. 

"I know it will be in the papers, " she said forlornly. "And my peoplethink I am at a house party. "

But the next moment I caught her looking at Tish's hat, and her lipquivered. 

"I guess I'm nervous, " she said, in a choking voice. "I had no idea itwas so much trouble to get married. "

Tish heard her, although she had her hands full getting the car back tothe street. She said nothing until we were in the street again, andmoving away slowly. 

"Then you might as well settle down and be quiet, " she said. "Becauseyou are not going to be married today. "

Myrtle may have suspected something before that, perhaps when she firstsaw Tish's hat, for she looked dazed for a moment, and then stood up inthe car and yelled that she was being kidnapped. Tish threw on the gasjust then, and she had to sit down, but I looked back just in time tosee Mr. Culver and the policeman standing in the center of the street, gesticulating madly. 

"Little fool!" Tish muttered, and bent low over the wheel. 

Well, they followed us. At the top of the first hill the girl was cryinghard, and there were eleven automobiles, Aggie counted, not far behindus. At the end of the next rise there were still ten. It was then thatTish, with her customary presence of mind, told us to scatter the tacksover the road behind us. 

The result was that only four were to be seen when we got to the top ofGraham's Hill, and they had lost time and were far away. Tish was in aterrible way. Her plan had been merely to take the girl away, becauseCulver belonged in her precinct and it was her business, as ordered bythe government, to gather in all the slackers, matrimonial or otherwise. Then, after Culver had registered as a single man, he could, as Tishtersely observed later, either marry or go and drown himself. It wasimmaterial to her. 

But now we were likely to be arrested for abduction, and the whole thingwould get in the papers. 

"Tish, " Aggie begged, "do stop and put her out in the road. That Culverand the policeman are in the first car. I can see them plainly--and theycan pick her up and take her back. "

But Tish ignored her, and kept on. She merely asked, once, if we had anyscissors with us, and on Aggie finding a pair in her knitting bag, saidto get them out and have them ready. 

I pause here for a moment to reflect on Tish's resourcefulness. How manytimes, in the years of our association, has her active brain come to ourrescue in trying times? And, once the danger is over, how quickly shebecomes again one of us, busy with her charities, her Sunday schoolclass, and her knitting for the poor! Indomitable spirit and Christiansoul, her only fault, if any, perhaps a slight lack of humor, that isLetitia Carberry. 

"Watch for a barbed wire fence, Lizzie, " she said, as we flew along. "And see how near they are. "

Well, they were very close, but owing to Tish leaving the macadam atthis point, they lost time at a crossroads. At the top of the next hillAggie said she could not see anything of them. It was then that Myrtletried to jump out, and would have succeeded had not Tish speeded up thecar. 

I could hear Aggie trying to soothe her, and telling her that Tish wasnot insane, but was merely saving her from a terrible fate. 

"I have never been married, my dear, owing to an unfortunatecircumstance, " she said, in her gentle voice. "But to marry withoutlove----"

The girl sat up, startled. 

"But how do you know I don't love him?" she demanded. 

"I am speaking of the young man, " said Aggie. "My dear child, all overthis great land of ours today, here and there are wretches who would usea confiding young woman in order----"

"Barbed wire!" said Tish exultantly, and stopped the car with a jerk. Inan instant she was out in the road, cutting lengths of barbed wire froma fence with the scissors and placing them across the road behind us. Her expression was set and tense. When she had placed some six pieces ofwire in position, she returned to the car. 

"We can thank the war for that, " she observed, coolly. "As long as thebarbed wire fences hold out they'll never get us. "

The first car was in sight by that time, and we could see that Mr. Culver and the policeman were in it. They shouted with joy when they sawus, but Tish merely smiled, and let in the clutch. Soon after we heard aseries of small explosions, and Tish observed that the enemy attack waschecked against our barbed wire, and that she reckoned we could hold theposition indefinitely. 

Aggie looked back and reported that they were both out of the car, andthat the policeman was standing on one foot and hopping up and down. 

It had been Tish's intention, as I learned later, merely to take theyoung woman for a country ride, and there to strive to instill into herthe weakness and folly of being married by Mr. Culver as an exemptionplea. But as we had been making forty-five miles an hour by thespeedometer, there had been little opportunity. 

However, as the last car was now standing on four rims in the barbedwire entanglement behind us, and as Tish's farm was not far ahead, sheimproved the occasion with a short but highly patriotic speech, flungover her shoulder. 

"I don't believe it, " said Myrtle, sullenly. "He loves me. We only ranaway today instead of some other day later because my father is leadingthe parade in my town, and mother is presenting a flag at theschoolhouse. "

"Very well, " said Tish. "If he loves you, well and good. When your youngman has registered, I'll see that you get married, if I have to kidnap apreacher to do it. But I'll tell you right now, I don't think you'll begetting anything worth having. "

Well, Myrtle grew quieter then, and I heard Aggie saying Miss Tish nevermade a promise she could not fulfill. She then told about Mr. Wiggins, and had just reached the place where he had slipped on the eve of hiswedding and fallen off a roof, when the car stopped dead. 

Tish pushed a few things on the dashboard, but it only hiccoughed twiceand then stopped breathing. 

"No gasoline!" she exclaimed, in a rage. "We'll have to run for it. "

The farmhouse was in sight now, about a half mile ahead. Aggie groaned, but got out and turned to Myrtle. But Myrtle was sitting back in the carwith a gleam of triumph in her eyes. 

"Certainly _not_, " she said calmly. 

"Very well, " Tish replied. "I don't know but you are just as well whereyou are. That last car is done for, if I know anything about barbedwire, and they're not likely to chase a machine on foot. They'reprobably on their way back to town now, and I hope the policeman has tohop all the way. It's only forty miles or so. "

She then started up the road, but turned:

"Bring her suitcase, Lizzie, " she said. "There's no use leaving it therefor tramps to come along and steal it. "

She then stalked majestically up the road, and we followed. I am not acomplaining woman, but if that girl had left any clothes at home theycouldn't have amounted to much. Aggie refused to help with the suitcase, as she had her knitting bag, and as any exertion in summer brings on herhay fever. 

It was perhaps five minutes later that I heard a faint call behind me, and turned to see Myrtle coming along behind. She was not crying now, and her mouth was shut tight. 

"I suppose, " she said angrily, "that it does not matter if tramps get_me_. "

"Miss Tish invited you to the farm, " I replied. 

"Invited!" she snapped. "If this is what she calls an invitation, I'dhate to have her make it a request. "

However, she seemed to be really a very nice girl, although misguided, for she took one end of the suitcase. But I learned then how difficultit is for the average mind to grasp the high moral purpose and loftyconception of a woman like Tish. 

"I might as well tell you now, " she said, "that I don't believe they'llpay any large sum. They're not going to be very keen about me at home, since this elopement business. "

"Who'll pay what sum?"

"The ransom, " she said, impatiently. "You don't suppose I fell for allthat patriotic stuff, do you?"

I could only stare at her in dumb rage. 

"At first, of course, " she said, "I thought you were white slavers. ButI've got it now. The other game is different. Oh, I may come from asmall town, but I'm not unsophisticated. You people didn't send myfather those black hand letters he's been getting lately, I suppose?"

"Tish!" I called sharply. 

But Tish had stopped and was listening intently. Suddenly she said:

"Run!"

There was a sort of pounding noise somewhere behind, and Aggie screechedthat it was the Knowleses' bull loose on the road. I thought it quitelikely, and as we had once had a very unpleasant time with it, spendingthe entire night in the Knowleses' pig pen, with the animal putting hishorns through the chinks every now and then, I dropped the suitcase andran. Myrtle ran too, and we reached the farmhouse in safety. 

It was then that we realized that the sound was the pursuing car, bumping along slowly on four flat tires. Tish shut and bolted the door, and as the windows were closed with wooden frames, nailed on, we werethen in darkness. We could hear the runabout, however, thudding slowlyup the drive, and the voices of Mr. Culver and the policeman as theytried the door and the window shutters. 

Tish stood just inside the door, and Myrtle was just beside me. Aggiehad collapsed on a hall chair. I have, I think, neglected to say thatthe farmhouse was furnished. Tish's mother used to go out there everysummer, and she was a great woman for being comfortable. 

At last Mr. Culver came to the front door and spoke through it. 

"Hello, inside there!" he called, in a furious voice. As no one replied, he then banged at the door, and from the sound I fancy the policeman washammering also, with his mace. 

"Open, in the name of the law!" bellowed the policeman. 

"Stop that racket, " Tish replied sternly. "Or I shall fire. "

Of course she had no weapon, but they did not know this. We could hearMr. Culver telling the policeman to keep back, as he knew us, and we hadany other set of desperadoes he had ever heard of beaten forrecklessness with a gun. 

There was a moment's silence, during which I heard Aggie's knittingneedles going furiously. She learned to knit by touch once when she hadiritis and was obliged to finish a slumber robe in time for Tish'sbirthday. So the darkness did not trouble her, and I knew she wasknitting to compose herself. 

Tish then stood inside the door, and delivered through it one of themost inspiring patriotic speeches I have ever heard. She spoke of ourlong tolerance, while the world waited. Then of the decision, and thecall to arms. She said that the sons of the Nation were rising that dayin their might. 

"But, " she finished, "there are some among us who would shirk, wouldavoid the high and lofty duty. There are some who would profane the nameof love, and hide behind it to save their own cowardly skins. To theseignoble ones there is but one course left open. Go. Put your name on theroster of your country as a free man, unmarried and without impedimentsof any sort. Then return and these doors will fly open before the magicof a blue card. "

It was at that time, we learned later, that the policeman, who was but arough and untutored type, decided that Tish was insane--how often, alas, is genius thus mistaken!--and started off for the Knowles farm to bringhelp. Mr. Culver made no reply to Tish's speech, and we learned laterhad gone away in the midst of it. Later on he was reported by Aggie, wholooked out from an upper window, to be sitting under the chestnut treewhere he had once rescued Tish's black alpaca skirt, sulking andwatching. 

Tish then went up and spoke to him from the window. 

"See here, " she said angrily, "do you think that I did not mean what Isaid through that door?"

He had the audacity to yawn. 

"I didn't hear all of it, " he said. "But judging from what I know ofyou, I daresay you meant it. Would you mind tossing me a tin cup orsomething to drink out of?"

"You are not going back to town to register, then?"

"It's early, " he replied, coolly. "If you mean do I intend to walk back, I do not. I shall wait for the Sheriff and the posse. "

It was then that Tish saw the policeman crossing a field toward theKnowles farm and she tried to reason with the young man. But he droppedhis pretence of indifference, and would not even listen to her. 

"I've only one thing to say, " he said, fiercely. "You be careful of thatyoung lady. As to whether I register or not, that's my business and hasnothing to do with the case. When you open that door and send her out, with four good tires to take the place of the ones you ruined, I'll talkto you, and not before. "

He then got up and walked away, and Tish came downstairs and lighted acandle with hands that shook with rage. We had heard the entireconversation, and in the candlelight I could see that Aggie was as whiteas wax. 

Well, the situation was really desperate, but Tish's face forbadequestions. Aggie ventured to observe that perhaps it would be better tounlock the door and release the girl, but Tish only gave her a ferociousglance. 

"I am doing my duty, " she said, firmly. "I have done nothing for whichthe law can punish me. If a young lady comes willingly into my car for aride, as you did"--she turned sharply to Myrtle--"and if a young foolchooses to sit in my front yard instead of registering to serve hiscountry, it is not my fault. As a matter of fact, I can probably havehim arrested for trespass. "

As I have said, the farmhouse is still furnished with Tish's mother'sthings. She was a Biggs, and all the things the Biggses had not wantedfor sixty years were in the house. So at least we had chairs to sit on, and if we had only had water, for we were all thirsty from excitementand dust, we could have been fairly comfortable, although Myrtlecomplained bitterly of thirst. 

"And I want to wash, " she said fretfully. "If I could wash I'd change myblouse and look like something. "

"For whom?" Tish demanded. "For that slacker outside?"

Suddenly Myrtle laughed. She had been in tears for so long that itsurprised us. We all stared at her, but she seemed to get worse andworse. 

"She's hysterical, poor child, " Aggie said, feeling for her smellingsalts. "I don't know that I blame her, Tish. No one knows better than Ido what it is to expect to be married, and then find the divine hand ofProvidence intervening. "

But Myrtle suddenly walked over to Aggie and, stooping, kissed her onthe top of her right ear. 

"You dear thing!" she said. "I still don't get all the idea, but I don'tmuch care if I don't. I haven't had so much excitement since I ran awayfrom boarding school. "

She then straightened and looked at Tish. It was clear that her feelingfor dear Tish was still vague, but was rather more of respect than oflove. 

"As for the--the young man outside, " she said, "I seem to gather that hehasn't registered, and that I am not to marry him until he has. Verywell. I hadn't thought about it before, but that speech ofyours--suppose you tell him that I won't marry him until he has a--amagic blue card. I should like to see his face. "

But Tish is a woman of delicacy, and she suggested that Myrtle do itherself, from an upper window. I went up with her, and we found Mr. Culver again under the tree. The conversation ran like this:

MYRTLE, (looking very pretty indeed but very firm): Look here, I--I'vedecided not to marry you. 

MR. CULVER (rousing suddenly and staring up at her): I beg your pardon!

MYRTLE: I know now that I was making a terrible mistake. No matter howmuch I care for you, I cannot marry a slacker. 

MR. C. (furiously angry and glaring at her): You know better than that!

MYRTLE: Not at all. Can you deny that you haven't registered yet?

MR. C. : What's that got to do with it? I daresay I'm losing my mind. Itwouldn't be much wonder if I have. When I think of the way I've sufferedlately--look at me!

MYRTLE (in a somewhat softened voice): Have you really suffered?

MR. C. : I? Good Lord, Myrtle--why, I haven't slept for weeks. I----

But here he stopped, with his eyes fixed on the roof overhead. 

"Watch out!" he yelled. "Get back. Myrtle, she'll fall on you. "

"Not at all, " said Tish's calm voice from overhead. There was a raspingsound, and then a long wire fell past the window. "Now, " she calledtriumphantly, "let your policeman telephone for the Sheriff and a posse!That was a party wire, and that farmhouse over there is on it. Thereisn't another telephone for ten miles. "

Well, I looked around for Myrtle, and she was on the guest room bed, face down. 

"Oh, " she groaned, "I wouldn't have missed it for a trip to Europe. Andhis face! Miss Lizzie, did you see his face?" She then got up suddenlyand put her arms around me. "I'm simply madly happy, Miss Lizzie, " shesaid. "I have to kiss somebody, and since he--may I kiss you?"

Well, of course I allowed her to, but I was surprised. It was notnatural, somehow. 

Myrtle came down soon after and said that Mr. Culver was bringing somewater from the well, and would he be allowed to come in with it? ButTish was firm on this point. She gave her consent, however, to hisleaving the pail on the porch and then retiring to the chestnut tree. Hedid so, whistling to signify that he was at a safe distance, and I thencarried it in. 

"I say, " he called to me when he saw me, "this situation is getting onmy nerves. I carried off that policeman, for one thing. He was on duty. "

"You needn't stay here. "

"I daresay not, " he replied rather bitterly. "But what I want to ask isthis: Won't it be deucedly unpleasant for you three, when I report thatyou deliberately put my car out of commission so I could not get back bynine o'clock to register? Of course, " he went on, "a box of tacks mayhave spilled itself on the road, but I never heard of a barbed wirefence trying to crawl across a road and getting run over, like a snake. "

I reported this to Tish, and I saw that she was uneasy, although shemerely remarked that he still had two legs, and that she had not askedhim to follow us. All she had set out to do was to see that he didn'tget married before he registered, and she was doing that to the best ofher ability. The rest was his affair. 

It was six o'clock by that time, and Tish had had nothing to eat sincefive in the morning, and none of us had had any luncheon. Although awoman who thinks little or nothing of food, I found her, shortlyafterwards, in the pantry, looking into jars. There was nothing, however, except some salt, a little baking powder and a package of driedsage. But Aggie, going to an attic window to look for the policeman, discovered about a quart of flour in a barrel up there, and scraping itout, brought it down. 

"I might bake some biscuits, Tish, " she suggested. "I feel that I'llhave to have some nourishment. I'm so weak that my knees shake. "

"Myrtle, " Tish said abruptly, with that quick decision so characteristicof her, "you might tell that worthless young man of yours to look in thegranary. Sometimes the Knowleses' hens come over here, and I daresaythey've eaten enough off the place to pay for the eggs. "

But Myrtle, after a conference from the window, reported that Mr. Culverhad said he would get the eggs, if there were any, on condition that heget his pro rata share of them. 

"If there are ten eggs, " she said, "he wants two. And if there is an oddnumber he claims the odd one. "

This irritated Tish, but at last she grudgingly consented. In a shorttime, therefore, Mr. Culver knocked at the kitchen door. 

"I am leaving, " he said, "eleven eggs, eight of undoubtedrespectability, two questionable, and one that I should advise openinginto a saucer first. Also some corn meal from the granary. And if youwill set out a pail and come after me if I am wounded, I shall go aftera cow that I see in yon sylvan vale. "

His voice was strangely cheerful, but, indeed, the prospect of food hadcheered us all, although I could see that Tish was growing more andmore anxious, as time went on and no policeman appeared in theKnowleses' machine. However, we worked busily. Myrtle, building a fireand setting the table with the Biggses' dishes, and Aggie makingbiscuits, without shortening, while Tish stirred the corn meal mush. 

"Many a soldier in the trenches, " she said, "would be grateful for sucha frugal meal. When one reflects that the total cost of mush and milk isbut a trifle----"

Here, however, we were interrupted by Mr. Culver outside. He spoke ingasps and we heard the pail clatter to the porch floor. 

"I regretfully report----" he said, through the keyhole. "No milk. Wrongsex. Sorry. "

Ten of the eggs proving good, we placed two of them on a plate withthree biscuits and a bowl of mush, and Tish carried it out, placing iton the floor of the porch, much as she would have set it out for thedog. 

"Here, " she called. "And when you have finished you might go after thataccomplice of yours. He's probably asleep somewhere. "

"Dear lady, " said Mr. Culver, "I would, but I dare not. A fierycreature, breathing fury from its nostrils, is abroad and----"

But Tish came in and slammed the door. 

It was after supper that we missed Tish. She was nowhere in the house, and the kitchen door, which had been bolted, was unlocked. Aggie wrungher hands, but Myrtle was quite calm. 

"I shouldn't worry about her, " she said. "She's about as well able totake care of herself as any woman I ever saw. "

It was now quite dark, and our fears increased. But soon afterwards Tishcame in. She went to the stove and pouring out a cup of hot water, drankit in silence. Then she said:

"I've been to the Knowleses'. The dratted idiots are all away, probablyto the schoolhouse, registering. The car's gone, and the house isclosed. "

"And the policeman?" I asked. 

"I didn't see him, " said Tish. But she did not look at me. She fell topacing up and down the kitchen, deep in thought. 

"What time is it, Lizzie?" she asked. 

"Almost eight. "

Here Tish gave what in another woman would have been a groan. 

"It's raining, " she observed, and fell to pacing again. At last she toldme to follow her outside, and I went, feeling that she had at last madea decision. Her attitude throughout her period of cogitation had beennot unlike that of Napoleon before Waterloo. There were the same benthead and clasped hands, the same melancholy mixed with determination. 

Mr. Culver was sitting under his tree, with his coat collar turned uparound his neck. Tish stopped and surveyed him with gentle dignity. 

"You may enter the house, " she said. "The country will gain nothing byyour having pneumonia, although personally I am indifferent. And, afterthinking over your case, I have come to this decision. " She paused, asfor oratorical effect. "I shall deliver you to your registrationprecinct by nine o'clock, " she said impressively, "and immediately afterthat, I shall see that you two are married. I am not young, " she wenton, "and perhaps I do not think enough of sentiment. But it shall neverbe said of me that I parted two loving hearts, one of which may, beforethe snow flies, be still and pulseless in a foreign grave. "

She then, still with that new air of melancholy majesty, led me to thebarn, leaving him staring. 

It was there, by means of a key hanging round her neck, that LetitiaCarberry, great hearted woman and patriot that she is, bared her innerheart to me. In the barn was a large and handsome ambulance, with largered crosses on side and top, which she had offered to the government ifshe might drive it herself. But the government which she was even thenso heroically serving had refused her permission, and Tish had buriedher disappointment in the bucolic solitude of her farm. 

Such, in brief, was Tish's tragic secret. 

"I shall take it in to the city tonight, Lizzie, " she said heavily. "Andtomorrow I shall present it to the Red Cross. Some other hand than minewill steer it through shot and shell, and ultimately into Berlin. It haseverything. There's a soup compartment and--well, " she finished, "it isdoing its work even tonight. Get in. "

We found Aggie on the porch, having with her usual delicacy of feelingleft the lovers alone inside. When she saw the Ambulance, however, shefell to sneezing violently, crying out between paroxysms that if Tishwas going to the war, she was also. But Tish hushed her sternly. 

There was a good engine in the Ambulance. Tish said she had ordered afast one, because it was often necessary to run between shells, as itwere. She then shoved on the gas as far as it would go, and we were off. After a time, finding it impossible to sit on the folding seats inside, we all sat on the floor, and I believe Mr. Culver held Myrtle's hand allof the way. 

He said little, beyond observing once that he felt a trifle queer aboutleaving the policeman, who had been on duty when he picked him up atthe Court House, and who was now lost some forty-five miles from home, in a strange land. 

I am glad, in this public manner, to correct the report that on theevening of June fifth a German Zeppelin made a raid over our country, and that the wounded were hurried to the city in a Red Cross Ambulance, traveling at break-neck speed. 

At nine o'clock Mr. Culver was registered at Engine House number eleven, fourteenth ward, third precinct. 

At nine-fifteen Mr. Culver and Myrtle were married at the same addressby Mr. Ostermaier, standing in front of the fire truck. 

But this should be related in detail. So bitter was Charlie Sands, souneasy about the license, and so on, that I feel in fairness to Tishthat I should relate exactly what happened. 

At ten o'clock that night everything was over, and we had gathered inTish's apartment while Hannah broiled a steak, for Tish felt that theoccasion permitted a certain extravagance, when Charlie Sands came in. Behind him was a dishevelled young man, with wild eyes and a suitcase. Charlie Sands stood and glared at us. 

"Well!" he said. And then: "Where's the young lady?"

"What young lady?" asked Tish, coldly. 

The young man stepped forward, with his fists clenched. 

"Mine!" he bellowed. "Mine! Don't deny it. I recognize you. I sawyou--the lot of you. I saw you drag her into a car and kidnap her. I sawthat ass Culver and a policeman chasing you in another car. Oh, I knowyou, all right. Didn't I pay twenty-two dollars for a taxicab that gotthree punctures all at once thirty miles from the city? _Now where isshe?_"

"Just a moment, " said Tish's nephew, holding him back by an arm acrosshis chest. "Just remember that whatever my aunt has done was done withthe best intentions. "

"D---- her intentions! I want Myrtle. "

The dreadful truth must have come to Tish at that moment, as it did tothe rest of us. I know that she turned pale. But she rose and pointedmagnificently to the door. 

"Leave my apartment, " she said majestically. And to Charlie Sands: "Takethat madman away and lock him up. Then, if you have anything to say tome, come back alone. "

"Not a step, " said the young man. "Where's my marriage license?Where's----"

But Charlie Sands pushed him out into the hallway and closed the dooron him. Then, with folded arms he surveyed us. 

"That's right!" he said. "Knot! I believe most pirates knit on off days. Now, Aunt Letitia, I want the whole story. "

"Story?"

"About the license. He says the girl had the license. "

"What license?"

"Don't evade!" he said sternly. "Where were you this afternoon?"

"If you want the truth, " said Tish, "although it's none of yourbusiness, Charlie Sands, and you can unfold your arms, because the posehas no effect on me, --I was out rounding up a young man who had notregistered. I got him and brought him in to my precinct at five minutesto nine. "

"And that's the truth?"

"Go and ask Mr. Ostermaier, " said Tish, in a bored tone. 

"But this boy outside----"

"Look here, " Tish said suddenly, "go and ask that noisy young idiot forhis blue card. It's my belief he hasn't registered and more than likelyhe's been making all this fuss so he'll have an excuse if he's foundout. How do we know, " she went on, gaining force with each word, "thatthere _is_ a Myrtle?"

"By George!" said Charlie Sands, and disappeared. 

It was then, for the first time in her valiant life, that I saw our Tishweaken. 

"Lizzie!" she groaned, leaning back in her chair. "That Culver wasmarried with another man's name on the license. What's more, I marriedhim to that flibbertygibbet who had just jilted him. What have I done?Oh, what have I done?"

"They both seemed happy, Tish, " I tried to soothe her. But she refusedall consolation, and merely called Hannah and asked for some blackberrycordial. She drank fully half a tumbler full and she recovered her poiseby the time Charlie Sands stuck his head through the door again. 

"You're right, most shrewd of aunts, " he said. "He's been playing me fora sucker all right. Not a blue card on him! And he belongs out of town, so it's too late. "

"It's a jail matter, " said Tish, knitting calmly, although we afterwardsdiscovered that she had put a heel on the wristlet she was making. "You'd better get his name, and I'll notify the sheriff of his county inthe morning. "

Charlie Sands came over to her and stood looking down at her. 

"Aunt Tish, " he said. "I believe you. I believe you firmly. I shall noteven ask about a young man named Culver, who went to get our marriagelicense list at the Court House this afternoon and has not been seensince. But I want to bring a small matter to your attention. Thatpoliceman had not registered. "

He then turned and went toward the door. 

"But I did, dear Aunt Letitia, " he said and was gone. 

 * * * * *

Tish came to see me the next afternoon, bringing the paper, whichcontained a glowing account of her gift to the local Red Cross of a fineambulance. An editorial comment spoke of her public spirit, which for somany years had made her a conspicuous figure in all civic work. 

"The city, " it finished, "can do with many like our Miss 'Tish'Carberry. "

But Tish showed no exultation. She sat in a rocking chair and rockedslowly. 

"Read the next editorial, Lizzie, " she said, in a low voice. 

I have it before me now, cut out rather raggedly, for I confess I wasfar from calm when I did it. 

 * * * * *

"A SHAMEFUL INCIDENT. 

"Perhaps nothing has so exposed this city to criticism as the conduct ofOfficer Flinn, as shown in a news item in our columns exclusively. Officer Flinn has been five years on the police force of this city. Hehas until now borne an excellent record. But he did not registeryesterday, and on limping into the Central Station this morning told astory manifestly intended to indicate temporary insanity and thus stillfurther disqualify him for the service of his country. His statement ofseeing three elderly women kidnap a young girl from in front of theCourt House, his further statement of following the kidnappers far intothe country, with a young man he cannot now produce, is sufficientlyoutrageous. 

"But, not satisfied with this, the inventive ex-officer went further andadded a night in a pigpen, constantly threatened by a savage bull, and ajourney of forty-five miles on foot when, early this morning, the animalretired for a belated sleep!

"Representatives of this paper, investigating this curious situation, found the farmhouse which Officer Flinn described as being the den ofthe kidnappers and which he stated he had left in a state of siege, thebandits and their victim within and the young man who had accompaniedthe officer, without. Needless to say, nothing bore out his story. Ayoung married couple, named Culver, who are spending their honeymoonthere, knew nothing of the circumstances, although stating that theybelieved that a neighboring family possessed a belligerent bull. 

"It is a regrettable fact that the only scandal which marred a fine andpatriotic outburst of national feeling yesterday should have involvedthe city organization. Is it not time that loyal citizens demand aninvestigation into----"

 * * * * *

"Never mind the rest, Lizzie, " Tish said wearily. "I suppose I'll haveto get him something to do, but I don't know what, unless I employ himto follow me around and arrest me when I act like a dratted fool. "

She sighed, and rocked slowly. 

"Another thing, Lizzie, " she said. "I don't know but what Aggie wasright about Charlie Sands. I've been thinking it over, and I guess itwas evening, for I remember seeing a new moon just before he came, andwishing he would be a girl. But I guess I was too late. If I'd knownabout this war, I'd have wished it sooner. I'm a broken woman, Lizzie, "she finished. 

She put on her hat wrong side before, but I had not the heart to tellher, and went away. 

However, late that evening she called me up, and her voice was not thevoice of a broken creature. 

"I thought you might like to come over, Lizzie, " she said. "That womanbelow has told the janitor she is going to pour ammonia water down on mytomato plants tonight, and I am making a few small preparations. "

SALVAGE

I

After Charlie Sands had gone to a training camp in Ohio there was agreat change in Tish. She seemed for the first time to regret that shewas a woman, and there were times when that wonderful poise and dignitythat had always distinguished her, even under the most tryingcircumstances, almost deserted her. She wrote, I remember, a number ofletters to the President, offering to go into the Secret Service, andsending a photograph of the bandits she had caught in Glacier Park. Butshe only received a letter from Mr. Tumulty in reply, commencing "May Inot thank you, " but saying that the Intelligence Department had recentlybeen increased by practically the entire population of the country, andsuggesting that she could best use her energies for the national welfareby working for the return of the Democratic Party in 1920. 

However, as Tish is a Republican she was not interested in this, and fora time she worked valiantly for the Red Cross and spent her eveningslearning the national anthem. But she recited it, since, as thewell-known writer, Mr. Irvin Cobb, has observed, it can only be properlysung by a boy whose voice is changing. It was evident, however, that shewas increasingly restive, and as I look back I wonder that we did notrealize that there was danger in her very repression. 

As Aggie has said, Tish is volcanic in her temperament; she remainsinactive for certain preparatory periods, but when she overflows shedoes so thoroughly. 

The most ominous sign was when, in July of 1917, she stopped knittingand took up French. 

Only the other day, while house cleaning, she came across the aeroplanephotograph of the French village of V----, where our extraordinaryexperience befell us, and she turned on us both with that satiric yetkindly gaze which we both knew so well. 

"If you two idiots had had your way, " she observed, "I should have beenknitting so many socks for Charlie Sands that he'd have had to be acentipede to wear 'em all, instead of----"

"Tish, " Aggie said in a shivering voice, "I wish you wouldn't talk aboutit. I can't bear it, that's all. It sets me shivering. "

Tish eyed her coldly. "The body is entirely controlled by the mind, Aggie, " she reminded her. "And when I remember how nearly your lack ofcontrol cost us our lives, when you insisted on sneezing----"

"Insisted! If you had been in a shell hole full of water up to yourneck, Tish Carberry----"

"The difference between you and me, Aggie, " Tish replied calmly, "isthat I should not have been in a shell hole full of water up to myneck. " The war was over then, of course, but there was still a disturbedcondition in certain countries, and Tish's eyes grew reflective. 

"I see they are thinking of sending a real army into Russia, " she saidthoughtfully. "I suppose that Russian laundress of the Ostermaiers'could teach a body to talk enough to get about with. "

Shortly after that Aggie disappeared, and I found her later on in Tish'sbathroom 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 lifefalling into shell holes and being potted at by all sort of strange menshe can just think again. Besides that, I have been true to the memoryof one man for a good many years, and I simply refuse to be kissed byany more of those immoral foreigners. "

Aggie had in her youth been betrothed to a gentleman in the roofingbusiness, who had met with an unfortunate accident, owing to havingslipped on a tin gutter, without overshoes, one rainy day; and it isquite true that we had all been kissed by two French generals and a manin civilian clothes who had not even been introduced to us. But up tothat time we had kept the osculatory incident a profound secret. 

"Aggie, " I said with sudden suspicion, "you haven't told Mrs. Ostermaierabout that affair, have you?"

Aggie put down the towel and looked at me defiantly. 

"I have, Lizzie, " she said. "Not all of it, but some. She said she hadgone to the moving pictures with the youngest girl, but that she hadbeen obliged to take her away before it was over, owing to a picturefrom France of Tish's being kissed by a French general. She said that assoon as he had kissed her on one cheek she turned the other, and thatshe thinks the effect on Dolores was extremely bad. "

It was a great shock to us all to learn that the incident of the town ofV---- had thus been made public, and that there was a moving picture ofour being decorated, et cetera, going about the country. It is, Ibelieve, quite usual to kiss the persons receiving the Croix de Guerre, even when of the masculine sex, and I know positively that Tish neversaw that French general again. 

However, in view of the unfortunate publicity I have decided to makethis record of the actual incident of the French town of V----. For thestory has got into the papers, and only yesterday Tish discovered thatthe pleasant young man who had been trying to sell her a washing machinewas really a newspaper reporter in disguise. 

Certain things are not true. We did not see or have any conversationwith the former Emperor of the Germans; nor were any of us wounded, though Aggie got a piece of plaster in her right eye when a shell hitthe church roof, and I was badly scratched by barbed wire. It is nottrue, either, that Aggie had her teeth knocked out by a German sentry. She unfortunately fell in the darkness and lost her upper set, and itwas impossible to light a match in order to search for them. 

It was, as I have said, in July of the first year of the war that bothAggie and I noticed the change in Tish. She grew moody and abstracted, and on two Sundays in succession she turned over her Sunday-school classto me and went for long walks into the country. Also, going to herapartment for Sunday dinner on, I believe, the second Sunday of themonth we were startled to see the Andersons, very nice people whooccupy the lower floor of the building, running out wildly into thestreet. They said that the janitor had been quarreling with some one inthe furnace cellar, and that from high words, which they could plainlyhear, they had got to shooting, and a bullet had come up through thefloor and hit the phonograph. 

I had a strange feeling at once, and I caught Aggie's agonized eyes onme. We remained for some time in the street, and then, everythingseeming to be quiet, we ventured in, with two policemen leading the way, and the Anderson baby left outside in its perambulator for fear ofaccident. All was quiet, however, and we made our way upstairs to Tish'sapartment. She was waiting for us, and reading the _PresbyterianBanner_, but I thought she was almost too calm when we told her of theAndersons' terrible experience. 

"It's a good riddance, " she said, referring to the phonograph. "Besides, what right have people over here to fuss about one bullet? Think of ourboys in the trenches. "

After a time she looked up suddenly and said: "It didn't go anywherenear the baby, I suppose?"

We said it had not, and she then observed that the building was a mereshell, and that people with small children should raise them in thecountry anyhow. 

It was during dinner--Tish had been reading Horace Fletcher for sometime, and meals lasted almost from one to the next--that Hannah came inand said the janitor wanted to see Tish. She went out and came backsomewhat later, looking as irritated as our dear Tish ever looks, andgot her pocketbook from behind the china closet and went out again. 

"I expected as much, " Hannah said. Hannah is Tish's maid. "She's payingblackmail. Like as not that janitor will collect a hundred dollars fromher, and that phonograph never cost more than thirty-five. They'repaying for it on the installment plan, and the man only gets a dollar aweek. "

"Hannah, " I said sharply, "if you mean to insinuate----"

"Me?" Hannah replied in a hurt tone. "I don't insinuate anything. If Iwas called tomorrow before a judge and jury I'd say that for all I knowMiss Tish was reading the _Banner_ all morning. But I'd pray theywouldn't take a trip here and look in the upper right-hand sideboarddrawer. "

She then went out and slammed the door. 

Aggie and I make it a point of honor never to pry into Tish's secrets, so we did not, of course, look into the drawer. However, a moment laterI happened to upset my glass of water and naturally went to thesideboard drawer in question for a fresh napkin. And Tish's revolver waslying underneath her best monogrammed tray cover. 

"It's there, Aggie, " I said. "Her revolver. She's practicing again; andyou know what that means--war. "

Aggie gave a low moan. 

"I wish we'd let her get that aeroplane. She might have been satisfied, Lizzie, " she said in a shaken voice. 

"She might have been dead too, " I replied witheringly. 

And then Tish came back. She said nothing about the Andersons; but lateron when the baby started to cry she observed rather bitterly that shedidn't see why people had to have a phonograph when they had that, andthat personally she felt that whoever destroyed that phonograph shouldhave a vote of thanks instead of---- She did not complete the sentence. 

It was soon after that that we went to visit Charlie Sands, Tish'snephew, at the camp where he was learning to be an officer. We called tosee the colonel in command first, and Aggie gave him two extra blanketsfor Charlie Sands' bed and a pair of knitted bedroom slippers. He wasvery nice to us and promised to see personally that they went to theproper bed. 

"I'm always delighted to attend to these little things, " he said. "Fineto feel that our boys are comfortable. You haven't by any chance broughtan eiderdown pillow?"

He seemed very regretful when he found we had not thought of one. 

"That's too bad, " he said. "I've discovered that there is nothing socomforting as a down pillow after a day of strenuous labor. "

It was rather disappointing to find that the duties of his position kepthim closely confined to the office, and that therefore he had not yethad the pleasure of meeting Tish's nephew, but he said he had no doubtthey would meet before long. 

"They're all brought in here sooner or later, for one thing or another, "he said pleasantly. 

As Tish observed going out, it was pleasant to to think of CharlieSands' being in such good hands. 

It was, however, rather a shock to find him, when we did find him, lyingon his stomach in a mud puddle with a rifle in front of him. We did notrecognize him at once, as a lot of men were yelling, and indeed just atfirst he did not seem particularly glad to see us. 

"Suffering cats!" he shouted. "Don't you see we're shooting? You'll bekilled. Get behind the line!"

"I guess it won't defeat the Allies if you stop shooting for twominutes, " Tish observed with her splendid poise. "But if you will takecharge of this homemade apple butter, which I didn't trust your colonelwith, we will go to your sitting room, or wherever it is you receivevisitors. "

There was quite a crowd of young officers round us by that time and wewaited to be introduced. But Charlie Sands did not seem to think of it, so Tish put down the apple butter on the ground and said to one of them:

"Now, young man, since we seem to be in your way, perhaps you will takeus to some place to wait for my nephew. " Then seeing that he lookedrather strange she added: "But perhaps you have never met. This is mynephew, Mr. Sands. If you will tell me who you are----"

"Williams is my name, " he said. "I--Major Williams. I--I've met yournephew--that is---- Private Sands, take these ladies to the Y. M. C. A. Hut, and report back here in an hour. "

Tish did not like this; nor did I. As Tish observed later, he mighthave been speaking to the butler. 

"He might at least have said 'Mister, ' and a 'please' hurts no one, " shesaid. As for giving him only an hour when we had come a hundredmiles--it was absurd. But war does queer things. 

It had indeed strangely altered Tish's nephew. We were all worried abouthim that day. It was his manner that was odd. He seemed, as Tish saidlater, suppressed. When for instance we wished to take him back toheadquarters and present him to the colonel he said at once: "Who? Me?The colonel! Say, you'd better get this and get it right: I'm nothinghere. I'm less than nothing. Why, the colonel could walk right over meon the parade ground and never even know he'd stepped on anything. If Iwas a louse and he was a can of insect powder----"

"Now see here, Charlie Sands, " Tish said firmly, "I'll trouble you toremember that there are certain words not in my vocabulary; and louse isone of them. "

"Still, a vocabulary is a better place than some others I can think of, "he observed. 

"What is more, " Tish added, "you are misjudging that charming colonel. He told us himself that he tried to be a mother to you all. "

She then told him how interested the colonel had been in the blankets, and so on, but I must say Charlie Sands was very queer about it. Hestopped and looked at us all in turn, and then he got out the dirtiesthandkerchief I have ever seen and wiped his forehead with it. 

"Perhaps you'd better say it again, " he said; "I don't seem to get italtogether. You are sure it was the colonel?"

So Tish repeated it, but when she came to the eiderdown pillow he heldup his hand. 

"All right, " he said in a strange tone. "I believe you. I--you don'tmind 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 thedeadliest effects of war. It takes the bright young spirit of youth andfeeds it on stuff cooked by men, with not even time enough to chewproperly, and puts it on its stomach in the mud, while its head is inthe clouds of idealism. I think that a letter to the Secretary of Warmight be effective. "

I must admit that we had a series of disappointments that day. The firstwas in finding that they had put Tish's nephew, a grandson of a formerJustice of the Supreme Court, into a building with a number of othermen. Not only that but without so much as a screen, or a closet inwhich to hang up his clothing. 

"What do you mean, hang up my clothes?" he said when we protested. "They're hung up all right--on me. "

"It seems rather terrible, " Aggie objected gently. "No privacy oranything. "

"Privacy! I haven't got anything to hide. "

We found some little comfort, however, in the fact that beneath thepitiful cot that he called his bed he had a small tin trunk. Even thatwas destroyed, however, by the entrance of a thin young man calledSmithers, who reached under the cot and dragging out the trunk proceededto take out one of the pairs of socks that Aggie had knitted. 

Charlie Sands paid no attention, but Tish fixed this person with a coldeye. 

"Haven't you made a mistake?" she inquired. The young man was changinghis socks, with his back to us, and he looked back over his shoulder. 

"Sorry!" he said. "Didn't like to ask you to go out. Haven't any placeelse to go, you know. "

"Aren't you putting on my nephew's socks?"

"Extraordinary!" he said. "Did you notice that?"

"I'll trouble you to take them off, young man. "

"Well, " he said reflectively, "I'll tell you what we'll do: I'll takeoff these socks if he'll return what he's got on that belongs to me. Idon't remember exactly, but I'm darn sure of his underwear and hisbreeches. You see, while you good people at home are talking democracywe're practicing it, and Sands' idea is the best yet. He swaps an entireoutfit for a pair of socks. Even the Democratic Party can't improve onthat. "

Tish was very thoughtful during the remainder of the afternoon, but shebrightened somewhat when, later on, we sat on the steps of a buildingwatching Charlie Sands and a number of others going through what MajorWilliams called setting-up exercises. She was greatly interested andmade notes in her memorandum book. I have a copy of the book before menow. The letter T, S, A and B stand respectively for Toes, Stomach, Armsand Back. I shall not quote all Tish's notes, but this one, forinstance, is illustrative of her thorough methods:

"Lying on B. In mud, H. Flat on ground, L. Rigidly extended: Rise L. Inair six times. Retaining prone position rise to sitting position withoutaid of A. , but using S. Muscles. Repeat six times. [Note: Director useslanguage unfitting a soldier and a gentleman. Report to the Secretary ofWar. ]"

She recorded the other movements with similar care, and after one isthe thoughtful observation: "Excellent to make Lizzie look less like abolster. "

I find all of Tish's notes taken that day as very indicative of thethoroughness with which she does everything. For instance she made thefollowing recommendations to be sent to the War Department:

"That the camp cooks be instructed to use hemmed tea towels instead ofsacking, and to boil the dish towels after each meal, preferably withsoap powder and soda. 

"That screens be provided between cots, to give that measure of privacynecessary to a man's self-respect. 

"Large, commodious clothes closets in the barracks. A bag of camphor ineach one would serve to keep away moths. Also, that wearing apparelshould not be borrowed. 

"All army blankets should be marked as to the end to go to the top ofthe cot. Sheets should also be provided, as blankets scratch and have atendency to keep the soldier awake. 

"Soda fountains here and there through the camp would do a great deal toprevent the men in training from going to neighboring towns aftercertain deleterious liquids. [Should, however, be served by maleattendants. ]

"Pyjamas should be included in every soldier's equipment. [CharlieSands had told us a startling thing. On inquiring what had become of theraw-silk pyjamas we had made him as a part of his army equipment heconfessed that he did not use them, and in fact had torn them into ragsto clean his gun. He went even further, and stated that it was not thecustom of the men to use pyjamas at all, and that in fact on cold nightssome of them merely removed their hats and shoes, and then retired. ]

"Table linen, even if coarse, should be provided. Are our men to comeback to us savages?"

 * * * * *

It may have been purely coincidence, but soon after Tish'srecommendations had been received at the War Department the FosdickCommission was appointed. Yet we carried away a conviction that thoughcertain things had been sadly neglected Charlie Sands was in good hands. The colonel came up to speak to us when, seeing the men standing in rowson the parade ground about sunset while the band played, we stoodwatching. 

He was very pleasant, and said that they were about to bring in theflag. Some such conversation then ensued:

TISH: Do you bring in the flag every night?

THE COLONEL: Every night, madam. 

TISH: Then you are a better housekeeper than I thought you were. 

THE COLONEL: I beg your pardon?

TISH (magnanimously): You may not know much about dishcloths, but youare right about flags. They do fade, and I dare say dew is about as badas rain for them. 

He seemed very much gratified by her approval, and said in twenty-fiveyears in the Army he had never failed to have the flag brought in atnight. "I may fail in other things, " he said wistfully. "To err ishuman, you know. But the flag proposition is one I stand pat on. "

It was after our return visit to the camp that the real change in Tishbegan. We had gone to our cottage in Lake Penzance for the summer, andTish suggested that we study French there. She had an excellent Frenchbook, with photographs in it showing where to place the tongue and howto pucker the lips for certain sounds. At first she did not allow us todo anything but practice these facial expressions, and I rememberfinding Hannah in the kitchen one night crying into her bread sponge andasking her what the trouble was. 

"I just can't bear it, Miss Lizzie, " she said; "when I look in and seethe three of you sitting there making faces I nearly go crazy. I've gotso I do it myself, and the milkman won't leave the bottles no nearerthan the gate. "

After some days of silent practice Tish considered that we could advancea lesson, and we began with syllable sounds, thus:

_Ba_--Said with tip of tongue against lower teeth. 

_Be_--Show two upper middle teeth. 

_Bi_--Broad smile. 

_Bu_--Whistle. 

_Bon_--Pout. 

It was an excellent method, though we all found difficulty in showingonly two upper middle teeth. 

There were also syllables which called for hollow cheeks, and I rememberTish's irritation at my failure. 

"If you would eat less whipped cream, Lizzie, " she said scathingly, "youmight learn the French language. Otherwise you might as well give itup. "

"I dare say there are plump people among the French, " I retorted. "And Inever heard that a Frenchwoman who put on twenty pounds or so went dumb. That woman who trims your hats isn't dumb so you could notice it. I'dthank my stars if she was. She can say forty dollars fast enough, andshe doesn't suck in her cheeks either!"

In the end Aggie and I gave up the French lessons, but Tish kept themup. She learned ten nouns a day, and she made an attempt at verbs, butgave it up. 

"I can secure anything I want, if I ever visit our valiant Ally, " shesaid, "by naming it in the French and then making the appropriategesture. "

She made the experiment on Hannah, and it worked well enough. She wouldsay "butter" or "spoon" and point to her place at the table; but Hannahalmost left on the strength of it, and when she tried it on Mr. Jennings, the fishman, he told all over Penzance that she had losteither her mind or her teeth. 

Aggie and I were extremely uneasy all of July, for Tish does nothingwithout a motive, and she was learning in French such warlike phrases as"Take the trenches, " "The enemy is retiring, " and "We must attack fromthe rear. " She also took to testing out the engine of her automobile invarious ways, and twice, trying to cross a plowed field with it, had tobe drawn out with a rope. She took to driving at night without lightsalso, and had the ill luck to run into the Penzance doctor's buggy andtake a wheel off it. 

It was after that incident, when we had taken the doctor home and puthim to bed, that I demanded an explanation. 

But she only said with a far-away look in her eyes: "It may be a usefulaccomplishment sometime. If one were going after wounded at night itwould be invaluable. "

"Not if you killed all the doctors on the way!" I snapped. 

The limit to our patience came soon after that. One morning about thefirst of August the boatman from the lake came up the path with a spadeover his shoulder. Tish, we perceived, tried to take him aside, but hegave her no time. 

"Well, I've done it, Miss Tish, " he said, "and God only knows what'llhappen if somebody runs into it between now and tomorrow morning. "

"Nobody will know you did it unless you continue to shout the way youare doing now. "

"Oh, I'll not tell, " he observed; "I'm not so proud of it. But'twouldn't surprise me a mite if we both did some time together in thecounty jail, on the head of it, Miss Tish. "

Well, Aggie went pale, but Tish merely gave him five dollars and spentthe rest of the day shut in the garage with her car. I went back andlooked in the window during the afternoon, and she was on her backunder it, hammering at something. 

That night at dinner she made an announcement. 

"I have for some time, " she said, "been considering--go out, Hannah, andclose the door--been considering the values of different engines for anambulance which I propose to take to France. "

"Tish!" Aggie cried in a heart-rending tone. 

"And I have come to the conclusion that my own car has the best engineon the market. Tonight I propose to make a final test and if it succeedsI shall have an ambulance body built on it. I know this engine; I mayalmost say I have an affection for it. And it has served me well. Why, Iask you, should I abandon it and take some new-fangled thing that wouldas like as not lie down and die the minute it heard the first shell?"

"Exactly, " I said with some feeling; "why should you, when you can counton me doing it anyhow?"

She ignored that, however, and said she had fully determined to goabroad and to get as near the Front as possible. She said also that shehad already written General Pershing, and that she expected to start themoment his reply came. 

"I told him, " she observed, "that I would prefer not being assigned toany particular part of the line, as it was my intention, though notsacrificing the national good to it, to remain as near my nephew aspossible. Pershing is a father and I felt that he would understand. "

She then prepared to take the car out, and with a feeling of desperationAggie and I followed her. 

For some time we pursued the even tenor of our way, varied only byTish's observing over her shoulder: "No matter what happens, do not bealarmed, and don't yell!"

Aggie was for getting out then, but we have always stood by Tish in anemergency, and we could not fail her then. She had turned into a darklane and we were moving rapidly along it. 

"When I say 'Ready!' brace yourselves for a jar, " Tish admonished us. Aggie was trembling, and she had just put a small flash of blackberrycordial to her lips to steady herself when the machine went over theedge of a precipice, throwing Aggie into the road and myself forwardinto the front of the car. 

There was complete silence for a moment. Then Aggie said in areproachful voice: "You didn't say 'Ready!' Tish. "

Tish, however, said nothing, and in the starlight I perceived her bentforward over the steering wheel. The car was standing on its forward endat the time. 

"Tish!" I cried. "Tish!"

She then straightened herself and put both hands over the pit of herstomach. 

"I've burst something, Lizzie, " she said in a strangled tone. "My gallbladder, probably. "

She then leaned back and closed her eyes. We were greatly alarmed, as itis unlike our brave Tish to give in until the very last, but finally shesat erect, groaning. 

"I am going back and kill that boatman, " she said. "I told him to dig ashell hole, not a cellar. " Here she stood up and felt her pulse. "IfI've burst anything, " she announced a moment later, "it's a corsetsteel. That boatman is a fool, but at least he has given us a chance tosee if we are of the material which France requires at this tragicjuncture. "

"I can tell you right away that I am not, " Aggie said tartly. "I'm notand I don't want to be. Though I can't see how biting my tongue halfthrough 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 chickenhouse. The machine is stalled in a shell hole and contains a woundedsoldier. We are being shelled and there are those what-you-call-'emlights overhead. We must escape or be killed. There is only one thing todo. Lizzie, what is your idea of the next step?"

"Anybody but a lunatic would know that, " I said tartly. "The thing to dois to go home and make an affidavit that we never saw that car, and thatthe hole in this road is where it was struck by lighting. "

"Aggie, " Tish said without paying any attention to me, "here is a shovelfor you. "

But Aggie sniffed. 

"Not at all, Tish Carberry, " she observed. "I am the wounded soldier, and I don't stir a foot. "

In the end, however, we all went to work to dig the car out of the hole, and at three o'clock in the morning Tish climbed in and started theengine. It climbed out slowly, but as Tish observed it gave an excellentaccount of itself. 

"And I must say, " she said, "I believe we have all shown that we canmeet emergency in the proper spirit. As for the hole, that drivelingidiot who dug it can fill it up tomorrow morning and no one be thewiser. "

I have made this explanation because of the ugly reports spread by theboatman himself. It is necessary, because it appears that he becameintoxicated on the money Tish had so generously given him, and the milkwagon which supplied us going into the hole an hour or so after we hadleft he shamelessly told his own part and ours in the catastrophe. Theresult was that waking the next morning with a severe attack of lumbagoI heard our splendid Tish being attacked verbally by the milkman andforced to pay an outrageous sum in damages. 

By September Tish had had the old body removed from her automobile andan ambulance body built on. She made the drawings for it herself, and itcontained many improvements over the standard makes. It contained, forinstance, a cigarette lighter--not that Tish smokes, but because woundedmen always do, and we knew that matches were scarce in France. It alsocontained an ice-water tank, a reading lamp, with a small portablelibrary of improving books selected by our clergyman, Mr. Ostermaier, and a false bottom. This last Tish was rather mysterious about, merelyremarking that it might be a good place for Aggie to retire to if shetook a sneezing spell within earshot of the enemy. 

When I look back and recall how foresighted Letitia Carberry was I amfilled with admiration of those sterling qualities which have so manytimes brought us safely out of terrible danger. 

We were, however, doomed at first to real disappointment. Witheverything arranged, with the ambulance ready and our costumes made, wecould not get to France. Tish made a special trip to Washington to seethe Secretary of War, and he remembered very well her recommendations asto the camps, and so forth, and said that he had referred the matter ofpyjamas, for instance, to the Chief of Staff. He himself felt that thepoint was well taken. He believed in pyjamas, and wore them, but that hehad an impression, though he did not care to go on record about it, thatthe chief of staff advocated nightshirts. He also said that he had aletter from General Pershing asking that no relatives of soldiers go toFrance, as he was afraid that the gentle and restraining influence oftheir loved ones would impair their taste for war. 

Aggie and I began to have a little hope at that time, and Aggie tore upa will she had made leaving her property to the Red Cross, on conditionthat it kept up Mr. Wiggins' lot in the cemetery. But just as we werefeeling more cheerful Aggie had a warning. She had been readingeverywhere of the revival in spiritualism, and once before when she wasin doubt she had been most successful with a woman who told the futurewith the paste letters that are used in soup. She went to a clairvoyantand he told her to be very careful of high places, and that the warningcame from some one who had passed over from a high place. He thought itwas an aviator, but we knew better, and Aggie looked at me with agonizedeyes. 

Aggie has said since that when she was in her terrible position at V----she remembered that warning, but of course it was too late then. 

It was when we had gone back to the city that we realized that Tish wasstill determined to get to France. Only two days after our return shecame in with a book called "Military Codes and Signals, " and gave it toAggie. She had it marked at a place which told how to signal at nightwith an electric flashlight, and from that time on for several weeks shewould sit in her window at night, with Aggie on the pavement across thestreet, also with a pocket flash, both of them signaling anything thatcame into their heads. It was rather hard on Aggie on cold evenings, andI remember very well that one night she came in and threw her flashlighton the floor, and then burst into tears. 

"I'm through, Tish, " she said, "and that's all there is to it! I'vestood being frozen until my feet are so cold I can't tell one from theother, but I draw the line at being insulted. "

"Insulted?" Tish said. "If you are going to mind trifles when yourcountry's safety is in question you'd better stay at home. Who insultedyou?"

Well, it seems that by way of conversation Aggie had flashed that thewretch with the cornet who rooms above Tish's apartment was at thewindow watching and she wished he'd fall out and break his neck. 

He had then put out his own light and had appeared in the window again, and had flashed in the same code: "Come, birdie, fly with me. "

For certain reasons I have decided not to reveal how Tish finallyarranged that we should get to France. As the Secretary of War says, itmight make him very unpopular with the many women he had been obliged torefuse. It is enough to say that the wonderful day finally came when wefound ourselves on the very ocean which had carried Tish's nephew on hisglorious mission. Aggie was particularly exalted as we went down thebay, escorted by encircling aeroplanes. 

"I'm not a brave woman, Tish, " she said softly, "but as I look back onthat glorious sky line I feel that no sacrifice is too great to make forit. I am ready to do or die. "

"Humph, " said Tish. "Well, as far as I'm concerned, after the pricesthey charged me at that hotel the Germans are welcome to New York. I'dgive it to them and say 'Thank you' when they took it. "

We then went below and tried on our life-preserving suits, which theclerk at the steamship office had rented to us at fifteen dollars each. 

He said they were most essential, and that when properly inflated onecould float about in them for a week. Indeed, as Tish said, with acompass and a small sail one could probably make the nearest land, suchas the Azores, supporting life in the meantime with ship's biscuits, andso on, in waterproof packages, carried in the pockets provided for thepurpose. She did indeed go so far as to place a bottle of blackberrycordial in the pocket of each suit, and also a small tin of preservedginger, which we have always found highly sustaining. But we weresomewhat uneasy to discover that it required a considerable length oftime to get into the suits. 

We had barely got into them when we heard a bugle blowing and menrunning. Just after that an alarm bell began to ring, and Aggie said "Ithas come!" and as usual commenced to sneeze violently. We ran out ondeck, dear Tish saying to be calm, as more lives were lost throughexcitement than anything else; though she herself was none too calm, for when we found afterward that it was only a lifeboat drill Idiscovered that she was carrying her silver-handled umbrella. 

Every one was on the deck, and I must say that we were followed byenvious glances. As we had inflated the suits they were not immodest, effectually concealing the lines of the figure, but making it difficultto pass through doorways. 

There was a very nice young man on deck, in a Red Cross uniform, and hesaid that as he was the only male in our lifeboat he was pleased to seethat three of the eighteen ladies in it were prepared to take care ofthemselves. He said that he felt he would probably have his hands fullsaving the fifteen others. 

"Not, " he added, "that I should feel comfortable until you were safelyin the boat anyhow. I should not like to think of you floating about, perhaps for weeks, and possibly dodging sharks and so on. "

Tish liked him at once, and said that in case of trouble if the boatwere crowded we would only ask for a towing line. 

It was while this conversation was going on that Aggie suddenly said:"I've changed my mind, Tish, I'm not going. "

Well, we looked at her. She was a green color, and she said she'd thankus to put her off in something or other and let her go back. She wasn'tseasick, but she just didn't care for the sea. She never had and shenever would. And then she said "Ugh!" and the Red Cross man put his armaround her as far as it would go in the rubber suit, and said thatcertainly she was not seasick, but that some people found the sea airtoo stimulating, and she'd better go below and not get too much of it atfirst. 

He helped us get Aggie down to her cabin, but unluckily he put her downon Tish's knitting. We had the misfortune to hear a slow hissing sound, and her inflated suit began to wilt immediately, where a steel needlehad penetrated it. 

Even then both Tish and I noticed that he had a sad face, and later on, when we had put Aggie to bed in her life suit, for she refused to haveit taken off, we sat in Tish's cabin across, listening to Aggie's moansand to his story. 

Tish had immediately demanded to know why he was not in the uniform of afighting man, and he said at once: "I'm glad you asked me that. I'vebeen wanting to tell the whole ship about it, but it's so darnedridiculous. I've tried every branch and they've all turned me down, fora--for a physical infirmity. "

"Flat feet?" Tish asked. 

"No. The truth is, I've had a milk leg. Fact. I know itis--er--generally limited to the other sex at--er--certain periods. ButI've had it. Can't hike any distance. Can't run. Couldn't even kick aHun, " he added bitterly. "And what's more, there's a girl on this shipwho thinks I'm a slacker, and I can't tell her about it. She wouldn'tbelieve me if I did--though why a fellow would make up a milk leg Idon't know. And she'd laugh. Everybody laughs. I've made a lot of peoplehappy. "

"Why don't you tell her you have heart disease?" Tish inquired in agentler tone. Though not young herself she has preserved a fine interestin the love affairs of youth. 

"Oh, I've got that all right, " he said gloomily. "But it's not the sortthat keeps a fellow out of the Army. It's--well, that doesn't matter. But suppose I told her that? She wouldn't marry me with heart disease. "

"Tish!" Aggie called faintly. 

In the end we were obliged to cut the rubber suit off with the scissors, as she not only refused to get up but wanted to drown if we weretorpedoed. We therefore did not see the young man again until evening, and then he was with a very pretty girl in a Y. M. C. A. Uniform. We hadgone up on deck for air, and Tish was looking for the captain. She hada theory that if we could put Aggie in a hammock she would feel better, as the hammock would remain stationary while the ship rocked. Just as wepassed them, the girl said: "He's the best-looking man on the shipanyhow. And he's a captain in the infantry. He says it is the mostdangerous branch of the service. "

"Oh, he does, does he?" said the Red Cross young man. "Well, you'dbetter wait six months before you fall too hard for him. He may get hisface changed, and there isn't much behind it. "

He spoke quite savagely, and both Tish and I felt that he was making amistake, and that gentleness, with just a suggestion of the cavemanbeneath, would have been more efficacious. Indeed when we knew Mr. Burton better--that was his name--we ventured the suggestion, but heonly shook his head. 

"You don't know her, " he said. "She is the sort of girl who likes totake the soft-spoken fellow and make him savage. And when she gets thecave type she wants to tame him. I've tried being both, so I know. I'mdamned--I beg your pardon--I'm cursed if I know why I care for her. Isuppose it's because she has about as much use for me as she has for adose of Paris green. But if you hear of that Weber who hangs round hergoing overboard some night, I hope you'll understand. That's all. "

That conversation, however, was later on in the voyage. That first nightout Tish saw the captain and he finally agreed, if we said nothing aboutit, to have a sailor's hammock hung in Aggie's cabin. 

"It wouldn't do to have it get about, madam, " he said. "You know how itis--I'd have all the passengers in hammocks in twenty-four hours, andthe crew sleeping on the decks. And you know crews are touchy thesedays, what with submarines and chaplains and young shave-tails ofofficers who expect to be kissed every time they're asked to get off acoil of rope. "

We promised secrecy, and that evening a hammock was hung in Aggie'scabin. It was not much like a hammock, however, and it was so high thatTish said it looked more like a chandelier than anything else. GettingAggie into it required the steward, the stewardess, Mr. Burton andourselves, but it was finally done, and we all felt easier at once, except that I was obliged to stand on a chair to feed her her beef tea. 

However, just after midnight Tish and I in our cabin across heard aterrible thud, followed by silence and then by low, dreadful moans. Aggie had fallen out. She did not speak at all for some time, and whenshe did it was to horrify Tish. For she said: "Damnation!"

Tish immediately turned and left the cabin, leaving me to press a coldknife against the lump on Aggie's head and to put her back into herberth. She refused the hammock absolutely. She said she had forgottenwhere she was, and had merely reached out for her bedroom slippers, which were six feet below, when the whole thing had turned over andthrown her out. 

She insisted that she did not remember saying anything improper, butthat the time Tish's horse had thrown her in the cemetery she hadcertainly used strong language, to say the least. 

I remember telling Tish this, and she justified herself by thesubconscious mind, which she was studying at the time. She said that thesubconscious mind stored up all the wicked words and impulses which theconscious mind puts virtuously from it. And she recalled the fact thatMr. Ostermaier, our clergyman, taking laughing gas to have a toothdrawn, tried to kiss the dentist on coming out, and called him a sweetlittle thing--though Mrs. Ostermaier is quite a large woman. 

We became quite friendly with Mr. Burton during the remainder of thevoyage. He formed the habit of coming down every evening before dinnerto our cabin and having a dose of blackberry cordial to preventseasickness. 

"I've had it before, " he said on one occasion, "but never withsuch--er--medicinal qualities. You don't put anything in it butblackberries, do you?"

"Only a little alcohol to preserve it, " I told him with some pride. Igenerally make it myself. 

"I will say this for it: It's extremely well preserved, " he said, andfilled up the tooth mug again. It was after that that he told us thatHilda had refused to marry him, and was flirting outrageously withCaptain Weber. 

"I only say this, " he added gloomily: "He's right when he says hebelongs in the infantry. He's got the photographs of five youngsters inhis 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 saiddespondently. "What chance have I against a shipload of 'em, anyhow? Ifit 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 athis feet and worship. God only knows what would happen if we had aCroix de Guerre on board. "

He sat for some time, sipping the blackberry cordial and looking intospace. 

"I've got it figured out this way, " he said at last. "I've got to pulloff something over there. That's all. Got to get in the papers and get amedal and a wooden leg. She'd stand for a wooden leg better than a milkone, " he added viciously. 

Both Aggie and I noticed that Tish regarded him with a contemplativeeye, and from, that time on she spent at least a part of every day withhim. He paid no attention at all to Hilda from that time on, and onemorning while Tish and Mr. Burton were walking by her chair she droppeda book. But he did not seem to see it, and that evening the captainmoved over to her table, and Mr. Burton was very gay, but ate hardly anydinner. 

We all went in the same train to Paris, and he had a sort of revengethen. For the captain could not speak French, and she had to ask Mr. Burton to order her dinner for her. But he ordered only one, and thecaptain was furious, naturally. 

"Look here, Burton, " he said, "I'm here, you know. "

"Why, so you are, " said Mr. Burton coldly. "I hadn't noticed you. "

"How the devil can I make that woman understand that I'm hungry?"

Mr. Burton reflected. 

"I'll tell you, " he said. "You might open your mouth and point down yourthroat. Most of these French know the sign language. "

He turned away then, and I saw a gleam of triumph in Tish's eye. Sheleaned over to him. 

"She's furious that he can't speak French, " she said. "Talk to me inFrench, and don't mind what I say. The only thing I can remember is alist of a hundred nouns. I'll string them together somehow. "

There was a French officer near us, and I saw him watching Tishcarefully as the conversation went on. She said afterward that as nearas she could make out, Mr. Burton was telling the history of the countrywe went through, and that when he paused she would say in French:"Handkerchief, fish, trunk, pencil, book, soup, " or some such list. 

But it impressed Hilda; I could see that. 

It was some time before we got out of Paris, and the news we had ofCharlie Sands was that he was at the Front, near V----, which was heldby the enemy. Tish went out and bought a map, and decided that shewould be sent in that direction or nowhere. But for several weeksnothing happened, and she found the ambulance had come and was beingused to carry ice cream to convalescent hospitals round Paris. What wasmore, she could not get it back. 

For once I thought our dauntless Tish was daunted. How true it is thatwe forget past success in present failure! But after a number ofmysterious absences she came into my room after Aggie had gone to bedand said: "I've found where they keep it. "

"Keep what?"

"My ambulance. "

I was putting my hair on wavers at the time, and I saw in the mirrorthat she had her hat and coat on, and the expression she wears when shehas decided to break the law. 

"I'm not going to spend this night in a French jail, Tish Carberry, " Isaid. 

"Very well, " she retorted, and turned to go out. 

But the thought of Tish alone, embarked on a dangerous enterprise, wastoo much for me, and I called her back. 

"I'll go, " I said, "and I'll steal, if that's what you're up to. But I'ma fool, and I know it. You can't deceive a lot of Frenchmen with yourhandkerchief-fish-trunk-pencil stuff. And you can't book-soup-oystersyourself out of jail. "

"I'm taking my own, and only my own, " Tish said with dignity. 

Well, I dressed and we went out into the street. I tried to tell Tishthat even if we got it we couldn't take it home and hide it under thebed or in a bureau drawer, but she was engrossed in her own thoughts, and besides, the streets were entirely dark and not a taxicab anywhere. She had a city map, however, and a flashlight, and at last about two inthe morning we reached the street where she said it was stored in agarage. 

I was limping by that time, and there were cold chills running up anddown my spine, but Tish was quite calm. And just then there was aterrific outburst of noise, whistles and sirens of all sorts, and a manwalking near us suddenly began to run and dived into a doorway. 

"Air raid, " said Tish calmly, and walked on. I clutched at her arm, butshe shook me off. 

"Tish!" I begged. 

"Don't be a craven, Lizzie, " she said. "Statistics show that thepercentage of mortality from these things is considerably less than frommumps, and not to be compared with riding in an elevator or with theperils of maternity. "

All sorts of people were running madly by that time, and suddenlydisappearing, and a man with a bird cage in his hand bumped flat into meand knocked me down. Tish, however, had moved on without noticing, andwhen I caught up to her she was standing beside a wide door which wasopen, staring in. 

"This is the place, " she said. And just then half a dozen men poured outthrough the doorway and ran along the street. Tish drew a long breath. 

"You see?" she said. "Providence watches over those whose motives arepure, even if compelled to certain methods----"

There was a terrible crash at that moment down the street, followed byglass falling all round us. 

"----which are not entirely ethical, " Tish continued calmly. "We mightas well go inside, Lizzie. They may drop another, and we shall neverhave such a chance again. "

"I can't walk, Tish, " I said in a quavering voice. "My knees are bendingbackward. "

"Fiddlesticks!" she replied scornfully and stalked inside. 

I have since reflected on Tish during that air raid, on the calm mannerin which she filled the gasoline tank of her ambulance, on the way inwhich she flung out six empty ice-cream freezers, and the perfectaplomb with which she kicked the tires to see if they containedsufficient air. For such attributes I have nothing but admiration. But Iam not so certain as to the mental processes which permitted her calmlyto take three spare tires from other cars and to throw them into theambulance. 

Perhaps there is with all true greatness an element of ruthlessness. Orperhaps she subsequently sent conscience money to the Red Crossanonymously. There are certain matters on which I do not interrogateher. 

I was still sitting on the running board of a limousine inhaling mysmelling salts when she pronounced all ready and we got into the drivingseat and started. Just as we moved out a man came in from the street andbegan to yell at us. When Tish paid no attention to him he took a flyingleap and landed on the step beside us. 

"Here, what the---- do you think you are doing?" he said in English. "Where's your permit?"

Tish said nothing, but turned out into the street and threw on the gas. He was on my side and the jerk almost flung him off. 

"Stop this car!" he yelled. "Hey, Grogan! Grogan!"

But whoever Grogan was he was still in some cellar probably, and bythat time we were going very fast. Unluckily the glass in the street cutall four tires almost immediately, and we swung madly from one side tothe other. And just then, too, we struck the hole the shell had made, and went into it with a terrible bump. The man disappeared immediately, but Tish was quite composed. She simply changed gears, and the carcrawled out on the other side. 

"This motor will go anywhere, Lizzie, " she said easily. "I feel that myjudgment is entirely vindicated. Where's that man?"

"Killed, probably, " I retorted with a certain acidity. 

"I hope not, " she replied with kindly tolerance. "But if he is it willbe supposed that a bomb did it. "

As a matter of fact the _Herald_ next morning reported the miraculousescape of an American found on the very edge of a shell hole, recovering, but showing one of the curious results of shell shock, beingconvinced that two women had stolen a car from his garage, and had runit into the hole in a deliberate attempt to kill him. 

Aggie read this to us at breakfast, and Tish merely observed that it wasvery sad, and that she proposed studying shell shock at the Front. Notuntil months later did we tell Aggie the story of that night. 

That morning Tish disappeared, and at noon she came back to say that shehad at last secured the ambulance, and that we would start for the Frontat once. Privately she told me that in a pocket of the car she had foundpermits to get us out of Paris, but that the car would be missed beforelong, and that we would better start at once. 

It is strange to look back and recall with what blitheness we preparedto leave. And it is interesting, too, to remember the conversation withMr. Burton when he called that afternoon. 

"Hello!" he said, glancing about. "This looks like moving on. Where to, oh, brave and radiant spirits?"

"We haven't quite decided, " Tish said. She was cleaning her revolver atthe time. 

"You haven't decided! Great Scott, haven't you any orders? Or anypermits?"

"All that are necessary, " Tish said, squinting into the barrel of herrevolver. "Aggie, don't forget your hay-fever spray. "

"But look here, " he began, "you know this is France in wartime. I hateto throw a wrench into the machinery, but no one can travel a mile inthis country without having about a million papers. You'll be arrested;you'll be----"

"Young man, " Tish said quietly, pouring oil on a rag, "I was arrestedbefore you were born. Aggie, will you order some tea? And make mine veryweak. "

"Weak tea!" he repeated with a sort of groan. "Weak tea! And yet youstart 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'sstomach and a mad affection for a girl who thinks I prefer servingdoughnuts to fighting! I do that, while you----"

"Why do you go to St. -Nazaire?" Tish inquired. "You can sit with Aggieinside 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 intendto do. "

"I'll have a cup of tea, " he said in a strange voice. "Very strong, please; I seem rather dazed. "

"I figure this way, " Tish went on, putting down her revolver and takingup her knitting: "I don't believe an ambulance loaded with cigarettesand stick candy and chocolate, with perhaps lemons for lemonade, isgoing to be stopped anywhere as long as it's headed for the Front. Iunderstand they don't stop ambulances anyhow. If they do you canstretch out and pretend to be wounded. This is one way in which you canbe very useful--being wounded. "

He took all his tea at a gulp, and then looked round in an almostdistracted manner. 

"Certainly, " he said. "Of course. It's all perfectly simple. You--youdon't mind, I suppose, if I take a moment to arrange my mind? It seemsto be all mussed up. Apparently I think clearly, but somehow orother----"

"We are actuated by several motives, " Tish went on, beginning to turnthe heel of the sock. "First of all, my nephew is at the Front. I wantto be near him. I am a childless woman, and he is all I have. Second, Ifancy the more cigarettes and so on our boys have the better for them, though I disapprove of cigarettes generally. And finally, I do notintend to let the biggest thing in my lifetime go by without having beena part of it, even in the most humble manner. "

"Entirely reasonable too, " he said. 

But he still had a strange expression on his face, and soon after thathe said he'd walk round a little in the air and then come back and tellus his decision. 

At five o'clock he was back and he was very pale and wore what Aggieconsidered a haunted look. He stalked in and stood, his cap in hishand. 

"I'll go, " he said. "I'll go, and I don't give a--I don't care whether Icome back or not. That's clear, isn't it? I'll go as far as you will, Miss Tish, and I take it that means moving right along. I'll go there, and then I'll keep on going. "

"You've seen Hilda!" Aggie exclaimed with the intuition of her ownexperience in matters of the heart. 

"I've seen her, " he said grimly. "I wasn't looking for her. I've giventhat up. She was with that--well, you know. If I had any sense I'd havestolen those photographs and mailed them to her, one at a time. Fivedays, one each day, I'd have----"

"You might save all that hate for the Germans, " Tish said. "I don't careto promise anything, but I have an idea that you may have a chance touse it. "

And again, as always, our dear Tish was right. 

We left Paris that evening. We made up quite comfortable beds in theambulance, which had four new tires and which Tish with her customaryforethought had filled as full as possible with cigarettes and candy. Ihave never inquired as to where Tish secured these articles, but I havelearned that very early Tish adopted an army term called salvage, whichseems to consist of taking whatever is necessary wherever it may befound. For instance, she has always referred to the night when shesalvaged the ambulance and the extra tires; and the night later on, whenwe found the window of a warehouse open and secured seven cases oforanges for some of our boys who had no decent drinking water, she alsoreferred to our actions at that time as salvage. 

In fact, so common did the term become that I have heard her speaking ofthe time we salvaged the town of V----. 

_In re_ the matter of passports--_in re_ is also military, and meansreferring to, or concerning; I find a certain tendency myself to usemilitary terms. _In re_ the matter of passports and permits, since theauthenticity of our adventure has recently been challenged here at home, particularly in our church, though we have been lifelong members, it isa strange fact that we never required any. The sacred emblem on theambulance and ourselves, including Mr. Burton, was amply sufficient. Andthough there were times when Mr. Burton found it expedient to lie in theback of the car and emit slow and tortured groans I have alwayscontended that it was not really necessary in the two months whichfollowed. 

Over those two months I shall pass lightly. Our brave Tish was almostincessantly at the wheel, and we distributed uncounted numbers ofcigarettes and so on. We had, naturally, no home other than theambulance, but owing to Tish's forethought we found, among otherarticles in the secret compartment under the floor, a full store ofcanned goods and a nest of cooking kettles. 

With this outfit we were able to supplement when necessary suchprovisions as we purchased along the way, and even now and then to makesuch occasional delicacies as cup custard or to bake a few muffins orsmall sweet cakes. More than once, too, we have drawn up beside the roadwhere troops were passing, and turned out some really excellent hotdoughnuts for them. 

Indeed I may say that we became quite well known among both officers andmen, being called The Three Graces. 

But when so many were doing similar work on a much larger scale our poorefforts are hardly worthy of record. Only one thing is significant! Wemoved slowly but inevitably toward the Front, and toward that portion ofthe Front where Charlie Sands was serving his country. 

During all this time Mr. Burton never mentioned Hilda but once, and thatwas to state that he had learned Captain Weber was a widower. 

"Not that it makes any difference to me, " he said. "She can marry himtomorrow as far as I'm concerned. I've forgotten her, practically. If Imarry it will be one of these French girls. They can cook anyhow, andshe can't. Her idea of a meal is a plate of fudge. "

"He's really breaking his heart for her, " Aggie confided to me later. "Do you notice how thin he is? And every time he looks at the moon hesighs. "

"So do I, " I said tartly; "and I'm not in love either. Ever since thatmoonlight night when that fool of a German flew over and dropped a bombonto the best layer cake I've ever baked I've sighed at the moon too. "

But he was thinner; and, when the weather grew cold and wet and wesuggested flannels to him as delicately as possible, he refused toconsider them. 

"I'd as soon have pneumonia as not, " he said. "It's quick and easy, and--anyhow we need them to cover the engine on cold nights. "

It was, I believe, at the end of the seventh week that we drew in onenight at a small village within sound of the guns. We limped in, indeed, for we had had one of our frequent blowouts, and had no spare tire. 

Scattering as was our custom, we began a search for an extra tire, butwithout results. There was only one machine in the town, and thatbelonged to General Pershing. We knew it at once by the four stars. Aswe did not desire to be interrogated by the commander-in-chief we drewinto a small alleyway behind a ruined house, and Aggie and I cooked aSpanish omelet and arranged some lettuce-and-mayonnaise sandwiches. 

Tish had not returned, but Mr. Burton came back just as I was placingthe meal on the folding table we carried for the purpose, and we saw atonce that something was wrong. He wore a look he had not worn since weleft Paris. 

"Leg, probably, " I said in an undertone to Aggie. He was subject toattacks of pain in the milk leg. 

But Aggie's perceptions were more tender. 

"Hilda, most likely, " she said. 

However, we were distracted by the arrival of Tish, who came in with hercustomary poise and unrolled her dinner napkin with a thoughtful air. She commented kindly on the omelet, but was rather silent. 

At the end of the meal, however, she said: "If you will walk up theroad past the Y. M. C. A. Hut, Mr. Burton, it is just possible you willfind an extra tire lying there. I am not positive, but I think itlikely. I should continue walking until you find it. "

"Must have seen a rubber plant up that way, " Mr. Burton said, ratherdisagreeably for him. He was most pleasant usually. 

"I have simply indicated a possibility, " Tish said. "Aggie, I think I'llhave a small quantity of blackberry cordial. "

With Tish recourse to that remedy indicated either fatigue or a certainnervous strain. That it was the latter was shown by the fact that whenMr. Burton had gone she started the engine of the car and suggested thatwe be ready to leave at a moment's notice. She then took a folding chairand placed herself in a dark corner of the ruined house. 

"If you see the lights of a car approaching, " she called, "just tell me, will you?"

However, I am happy to say that no car came near. Somewhat later Mr. Burton appeared rolling a tire ahead of him, and wearing the dazed lookhe still occasionally wore when confronted with new evidences of Tish'sefficiency. 

"Well, " he said, dropping the tire and staring at Aggie and myself, "she dreamed true. Either that or----"

"Mr. Burton, " Tish called, "do you mind hiding that tire until morning?We found it and it is ours. But it's unnecessary to excite suspicion atany time. "

I am not certain that Mr. Burton's theory is right, but even if it is Icontend that war is war and justifies certain practices hardly to becondoned in times of peace. 

Briefly, he has always maintained that Tish being desperate and arguingthat the C. In C. --which is military for commander-in-chief--was able tosecure tires whenever necessary--that Tish had deliberately unfastened aspare tire from the rear of General Pershing's automobile; not of courseactually salvaging it, but leaving it in a position where on the car'sgetting into motion it would fall off and could then be salvaged. 

I do not know. I do know, however, that Tish retired very early to herbed in the ambulance. As Aggie was heating water for a bath, havingfound a sheltered horse trough behind a broken wall, I took Mr. Burtonfor a walk through the town in an endeavor to bring him to a morecheerful frame of mind. He was still very low-spirited, but he offeredno confidences until we approached the only undestroyed building insight. He stopped then and suggested turning back. 

"It's a Y hut, " he said. "We'll be about as welcome there as a skunk ata garden party. "

I reprimanded him for this, as I had found no evidence of any jealousybetween the two great welfare organizations. But when I persisted inadvancing he said: "Well, you might as well know it. She's there. I sawher through a window. "

"What has that got to do with my getting a bottle of vanilla extractthere if they have one?"

"Oh, she'll have one probably; she uses it for fudge! I'm not goingthere, and that's flat. "

"I thought you had forgotten her. "

"I have!" he said savagely. "The way you forget the toothache. But Idon't go round boring a hole in a tooth to get it again. Look here, MissLizzie, do you know what she was doing when I saw her? She was droppingsix lumps of sugar into a cup of something for that--that parent she'sgone bugs about. "

"That's what she's here for. "

"Oh, it is, is it?" he snarled. "Well, she wasn't doing it for thefellow with a cauliflower ear who was standing beside him. There was aline of about twenty fellows there putting in their own sugar, allright. "

"I'll tell you this, Mr. Burton, " I said in a serious tone, "sometimes Ithink things are just as well as they are. You haven't a disposition formarriage. I don't believe you'll make her happy, even if you do gether. "

"Oh, I'll not get her, " he retorted roughly. "As a matter of fact, Idon't want her. I'm cured. I'm as cured as a ham. She can feed sugar tothe whole blamed Army, as far as I'm concerned. And after that she cango home and feed sugar to his five kids, and give 'em colic and sit upat night and----"

I left him still muttering and went into the Y hut. Hilda gave a littlescream of joy when she saw me and ran round the counter, which was aplank on two barrels, and kissed me. I must say she was a nice littlething. 

"Isn't France small after all?" she demanded. "And do you know I've seenyour nephew--or is it Miss Tish's? He's just too dear! We had a longtalk here only a day or two ago, and I was telling about you three, andsuddenly he said: 'Wait a minute. You've mentioned no names, but I'llbet my tin hat my Aunt Tish was one of them!' Isn't that amazing?"

Well, I thought it was, and I took a cup of her coffee. But it was poorstuff, and right then and there I made a kettleful and showed her how. But I noticed she grew rather quiet after a while. 

At last she said: "You--I don't suppose you've seen that Mr. Burtonanywhere, have you?"

"We saw something of him in Paris, " I replied, and glanced out thewindow. He was standing across what had once been the street, and ifever I've seen hungry eyes in a human being he had them. 

"He was so awfully touchy, Miss Lizzie, " she said. "And then I was neversure---- Why do you suppose he isn't fighting? Not that it's any affairof mine, but I used to wonder. "

"He's got a milk leg, " I said, and set the coffee kettle off. 

"A milk leg! A milk---- Oh, how ridiculous! How---- Why, Miss Lizzie, how can he?"

"Don't ask me. They get 'em sometimes too. They're very painful. Mycousin, Nancy Lee McMasters, had one after her third child and----"

I am sorry to say that here she began to laugh. She laughed all over thehut, really, and when she had stood up and held to the plank and laughedshe sat down on a box of condensed milk and laughed again. I am atruthful woman, and I had thought it was time she knew the facts, but Isaw at once that I had make a mistake. And when I looked out the windowMr. Burton had gone. 

I remained there with her for some time, but as any mention of Mr. Burton only started her off again we discussed other matters. 

She said Charlie Sands was in the Intelligence Department at the Front, and that when he left he was about to, as she termed it, pull off araid. 

"He's gone to bring me a German as a souvenir; and that CaptainWeber--you remember him--he is going to bring me another, " she cried. "He gave me my choice and I took an officer, with a nice upcurledmustache and----"

"And five children?"

"Five children? Whatever do you mean, Miss Lizzie?"

"I understand that Captain Weber has five. I didn't know but that youhad a special preference for them that way. "

"Why, Miss Lizzie!" she said in a strained voice. "I don't believe it. He's never said----"

I was washing out her dish towels by that time, for she wasn't much of ahousekeeper, I'll say that, though as pretty as a picture, and I neverlooked up. She walked round the hut, humming to herself to show how calmshe was, but I noticed that when her broom fell over she kicked at it. 

Finally she said: "I don't know why you think I was interested inCaptain Weber. He was amusing, that's all; and I like fighting men--thebravest are the tenderest, you know. I--if you ever happen on Mr. Burtonyou might tell him I'm here. It's interesting, but I get lonelysometimes. 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 judgedshe'd had neuralgia, and Aggie was nowhere in sight. But round thecorner an ammunition train of trucks had come in and I suddenlyremembered Aggie and her horse trough. Unfortunately I had not asked herwhere it was. 

I roused Tish but her neuralgia had ruffled her usual placid temper, andshe said that if Aggie was caught in a horse trough let her sit in it. If she could take a bath in a pint of water Aggie could, instead ofhunting up luxuries. She then went to sleep again, leaving me in ananxious frame of mind. 

Mr. Burton was not round, and at last I started out alone with aflashlight, but as we were short of batteries I was too sparing of itand stepped down accidentally into a six-foot cellar, jarring my spinebadly. When I got out at last it was very late, and though there weresoldiers all round I did not like to ask them to assist me in mysearch, as I had every reason to believe that our dear Aggie had soughtcleanliness in her nightgown. 

It was, I believe, fully 2 A. M. When I finally discovered her behind awall, where a number of our boys were playing a game with a lantern anddice--a game which consisted apparently of coaxing the inanimate objectswith all sorts of endearing terms. They got up when they saw me, but Iobserved that I was merely taking a walk, and wandered as nonchalantlyas I was able into the inclosure. 

At first all was dark and silent. Then I heard the trickle of runningwater, and a moment later a sneeze. The lost was found!

"Aggie!" I said sternly. 

"Hush, for Heaven's sake! They'll hear you. "

"Where are you?"

"B-b-behind the trough, " she said, her teeth chattering. "Run and get mybathrobe, Lizzie. Those d-d-dratted boys have been there for an hour. "

Well, I had brought it with me, and she had her slippers; and we startedback. I must say that Aggie was a strange figure, however, and one ofthe boys said after we had passed: "Well, fellows, war's hell, allright. "

"If you saw it too I feel better, " said another. "I thought maybe thisfrog liquor was doing things to me. "

Aggie, however, was sneezing and did not hear. 

I come now to that part of my narrative which relates to Charlie Sands'raid and the results which followed it. I felt a certain anxiety abouttelling Tish of the dangerous work in which he was engaged, and waiteduntil her morning tea had fortified her. She was, I remember, sitting ona rock directing Mr. Burton, who was changing a tire. 

"A raid?" she said. "What sort of a raid?"

"To capture Germans, Tish. "

"A lot of chance he'll have!" she said with a sniff. "What does he knowabout raids? And you'd think to hear you talk, Lizzie, that pullingGermans out of a trench was as easy as letting a dog out after aneighbor's cat. It's like Pershing and all the rest of them, " she addedbitterly, "to take a left-handed newspaper man, who can't shut his righteye to shoot with the left, and start him off alone to take the wholeGerman Army. "

"He wouldn't go alone, " said Mr. Burton. 

"Certainly not!" Tish retorted. "I know him, and you don't, Mr. Burton. He'll not go alone. Of course not! He'll pick out a lot of men who playgood bridge, or went to college with him, or belong to his fraternity, or can sing, or some such reason, and----"

Here to my great surprise she flung down one of our two last remainingteacups and retired precipitately into the ruins. Not for us to witnessher majestic grief. Rachel--or was it Naomi?--mourning for her children. 

However, in a short time she reappeared and stated that she was sick offooling round on back roads, and that we would now go directly to theFront. 

"We'll never pull it off, " Mr. Burton said to me in an undertone. 

"She has never failed, Mr. Burton, " I reminded him gravely. 

Before we started Mr. Burton saw Hilda, but he came back looking moroseand savage. He came directly to me. 

"Look me over, " he said. "Do I look queer or anything?"

"Not at all, " I replied. 

"Look again. I don't seem to be dying on my feet, do I? Anything wanabout me? I don't totter with feebleness, do I?"

"You look as strong as a horse, " I said somewhat acidly. 

"Then I wish to thunder you'd tell me, " he stormed, "why thatgirl--that--well, you know who I mean--why the deuce she should firstgiggle all over the place when she sees me, and then baby me like anidiot child? 'Here's a chair, ' she'd say, and 'Do be careful ofyourself'; and when I recovered from that enough to stand up like a manand ask for a cup of coffee she said I ought to take soup; it wasstrengthening!"

Fortunately Tish gave the signal to start just then, and we moved out. Hilda was standing in her doorway when we passed, and I thought shelooked rather forlorn. She blew kisses to us, but Mr. Burton onlysaluted stiffly and looked away. I have often considered that to theuninitiated the ways of love are very strange. 

It was when we were out of the village that he turned to me with astrange look in his eyes. 

"She doesn't care for Weber after all, " he said. "Didn't I tell you theminute she found she could have him she wouldn't want him? Do you thinkI'd marry a girl like that?"

"She's a nice little thing, " I replied. "But you're perfectlyright--she's no housekeeper. "

"No housekeeper!" he said in a tone of astonishment. "That's thecleanest hut in France. And let me tell you I've had the only cup ofcoffee----"

He broke off and fell into a fit of abstraction. Somewhat later helooked up and said: "I'll never see her again, Miss Lizzie. "

"Why?"

"Because I told her I wouldn't come back until I could bring her aGerman officer as a souvenir. Some idiot had told her he was going to, and, of course, I told her if she was collecting them I'd get her one. Afat chance I have too! I don't know what made me do it. I'm onlysurprised I didn't make it the Crown Prince while I was at it. "

But how soon were our thoughts to turn from soft thoughts of love tograver matters!

Tish, as I have said before, has a strange gift of foresight thatamounts almost to prophecy. 

I have never known her, for instance, to put a pink bow on an afghan andthen have the subsequent development turn out to be a boy, or viceversa. And the very day before Mr. Ostermaier fell and sprained hisankle she had picked up a roller chair at an auction sale, and in twentyminutes he was in it. 

At noon we stopped at a crossroads and distributed to some passingtroops our usual cigarettes and chocolate. We also fried a number ofdoughnuts, and were given three cheers by various companies as theypassed. It was when our labors were over that Tish perceived a brokenmachine gun abandoned by the roadside, and spent some time examining it. 

"One never knows, " she said, "what bits of knowledge may one day beuseful. "

Mr. Burton explained the mechanism to her. 

"I'd be firing one of these things now, " he said gloomily, "if it werenot for that devilish piece of American ingenuity, the shower bath. "

"Good gracious!" Aggie said. 

"Fact. I got into a machine-gun school, but one day in a shower one ofthe officers perceived my--er--affliction, badly swollen from a hike, and reported me. "

Tish was strongly inclined to tow the machine gun behind us andeventually have it repaired, but Mr. Burton said it was not worth thetrouble, and shortly afterward we turned off the main road into a lane, seeking a place for our luncheon. Tish drove as usual, but she continuedto lament the gun. 

"I feel keenly, " she said, "the necessity of being fully armed againstany emergency. And I feel, too, that it is my solemn duty to salvagesuch weapons as come my way at any and all times. "

I called to her just then, but she was driving while looking over hershoulder at Mr. Burton, and it was too late to avoid the goat. We wentover it and it lay behind us in the road quite still. 

"You've killed it, Tish, " I said. 

"Not at all, " she retorted. "It has probably only fainted. As I wassaying, I feel that with our near approach to the lines we should bearmed to the teeth with modern engines of destruction, and should alsoknow how to use them. "

We were then in a very attractive valley, and Tish descending observedthat if it were not for the noise of falling shells and so on it wouldhave been a charming place to picnic. 

She then instructed Aggie and me to prepare a luncheon of beefcroquettes and floating island, and asked Mr. Burton to accompany herback to the car. 

As I was sitting on the running board beating eggs for a meringue at thetime I could not avoid overhearing the conversation. 

First Mr. Burton, acting under orders, lifted the false bottom, and thenhe whistled and observed: "Great Cæsar's ghost! Looks as though there isgoing to be hell up Sixth Street, doesn't it?"

"I'll ask you not to be vulgar, Mr. Burton. "

"But--look here, Miss Tish. We'll be jailed for this, you know. You maybe able to get away with the C. In C. 's tires, but you can't steal ahundred or so grenades without somebody missing them. Besides, whatthe--what the dickens are you going to do with them? If it had been eggsnow, or oranges--but grenades!"

"They may be useful, " Tish replied in her cryptic manner. "Forearmed isforewarned, Mr. Burton. What is this white pin for?"

I believe she then pulled the pin, for I heard Mr. Burton yell, and asecond later there was a loud explosion. 

I sat still, unable to move, and then I heard Mr. Burton say in afurious voice: "If I hadn't grabbed that thing and thrown it you'd havebeen explaining this salvage system of yours to your Maker before this, Miss Carberry. Upon my word, if I hadn't known you'd blow up the wholeoutfit the moment I was gone I'd have left before this. I've got nervesif you haven't. "

"That was an over-arm pitch you gave it, " was Tish's sole reply. "I hadalways understood that grenades were thrown in a different manner. "

I distinctly heard his groan. 

"You'll have about as much use for grenades as I have for pink eye, " hesaid almost savagely. "I don't like to criticize, Miss Tish, and I mustsay I think to this point we've made good. But when I see you stockingup with grenades instead of cigarettes, and giving every indication ofbeing headed for the Rhine, I feel that it is time to ask what next?"

"Have you any complaint about the last few weeks?" Tish inquired coldly. 

"Well, if we continue to leave a trail of depredations behind us----It's bad enough to have a certain person think I'm a slacker, but if shegets the idea that I'm a first-class second-story worker I'm done, that's all. "

Fortunately Aggie announced luncheon just then. 

Every incident of that luncheon is fixed clearly in my mind, because ofwhat came after it. We had indeed penetrated close to the Front, as wasshown by the number of shells which fell in it while we ate. The dirtfrom one, in fact, quite spoiled the floating island, and we werecompelled to open a can of peaches to replace it. It was while we weredrinking our after-dinner coffee that Tish voiced the philosophy whichupheld her. 

"When my hour comes it will come, " she said calmly. "Viewed from thatstandpoint the attempts of the enemy to disturb us becomeamusing--nothing more. "

"Exactly, " said Mr. Burton, skimming some dust from the last explosionout of his coffee cup. "Amusing is the word. Funny, I call it. Funny asa crutch. Why, look who's here!"

There was a young officer riding up the valley rapidly. I remember Tishtaking a look at him and then saying quickly: "Lizzie, go and close thefloor of the ambulance. Don't run. I'll explain later. "

Well, the officer rode up and jumped off his horse and saluted. 

"Some of our fellows said you were trapped here, Miss Carberry, " hesaid. "I didn't believe it at first. It's a bad place. We'll have to getyou out somehow. "

"I'm not anxious to get out. "

"But, " he said, and stared at all of us--"you are---- Do you know thatour trenches are just beyond this hill?"

"I wish you'd tell the Germans that; they seem to think they are in thisvalley. "

He laughed a little and said: "They ought to make you a general, MissCarberry. " He then said to Mr. Burton: "I'd like to speak to you for amoment. "

Looking back I believe that Tish had a premonition of trouble then, forduring their conversation aside she got out her knitting, always withher an indication of perturbation or of deep thought, and she spokerather sharply to Aggie about rinsing the luncheon dishes morethoroughly. Aggie said afterward that she herself had felt at that timethat peculiar itching in the palms of her hands which always with herpresages bad news. 

"If he asks about those grenades, Lizzie, you can reply. Say you don'tknow anything about them. That's the truth. "

"I know where they are, " I said with some acidity. "And what's more, Iknow I'm not going to ride a foot in that ambulance with thatconcentrated extract of hell under my feet. "

"Lizzie----"

She began sternly, but just then the two men came back, and theofficer's face was uncomfortable. 

"I--from your demeanor, " he said, "and--er--the fact that you haven'tmentioned it I rather gather that you have not heard the er--the news, Miss Carberry. "

"I didn't see the morning papers, " Tish said with the dry wit socharacteristic of her. 

"You have a nephew, I understand, at the Front?"

Tish's face suddenly grew set and stern. 

"Have--or had?" she asked in a terrible voice. 

"Oh, it's not so bad as all that. In fact, he's a lot safer just nowthan you are, for instance. But it's rather unfortunate in a way too. Hehas been captured by the enemy. "

Aggie ran to her then with the blackberry cordial, but Tish waved heraway. 

"A prisoner!" she said. "A nephew of mine has allowed himself to becaptured by the Germans? It is incredible!"

"Lots of us are doing it, " he said. "It's no disgrace. In fact, it's amark of courage. A fellow goes farther than he ought to, and the firstthing he knows he's got a belt of bayonet points, and it is a time fordiscretion. "

"Leave me, please, " Tish said majestically. "I am ashamed. I am humbled. I must think. "

Shortly after that she called us back and said: "I have come to thisconclusion: The situation is unbearable and must be rectified. Do youknow where he is enduring this shameful captivity?"

"I wouldn't take it too hard, Miss Tish, " said the officer. "He's verycomfortable, as we happen to know. One of our runners got back at dawnthis morning. He said he left your nephew in the church at V----, playing pinochle with the German C. O. The runner was hidden in thecellar under the church, and he said the C. O. Had lost all his moneyand his Iron Cross, and was going to hold Captain Sands until he couldwin them back. "

He then urged her, the moment night fell, to retire from our dangerousposition, and to feel no anxiety whatever. 

"If I know him, " were his parting words, "he'll pick that German asclean as a chicken. Pinochle will win the war, " he added and rode away. 

During the remainder of the afternoon Tish sat by herself, knitting andthinking. It was undoubtedly then that she formed the plan which in itsexecution has brought us so much hateful publicity, yet without whichthe town of V----might still be in German hands. 

II

We knew, of course, that Tish's fine brain was working on the problem ofrescuing Charlie Sands; and Mr. Burton was on the whole rather keenabout it. 

"I've got to get a German officer some way, " he said. "She's probablyplanning now to see Von Hindenburg about Sands. She generally aims high, I've discovered. And in that case I rather fancy myself taking the oldchap back to Hilda as a souvenir. " He then reflected and scowled. "Butshe'd be flirting with him in ten minutes, damn her!" he added. 

Tish refused both sympathy and conversation during the afternoon. 

On Aggie's offering her both she merely said: "Go away and leave mealone, for Heaven's sake. He is perfectly safe. I only hope he took histoothbrush, that's all. "

It is a proof of Tish's gift of concentration that she thought out herplan so thoroughly under the circumstances, for the valley was shelledall that afternoon. We found an abandoned battery position and the threeof us took refuge in it, leaving Tish outside knitting calmly. It was apoor place, but by taking in our folding table and chairs we made itfairly comfortable, and Mr. Burton taught us a most interesting game ofcards, in which one formed pairs and various combinations, and countedwith coffee beans. If one had four of any one kind one took all thebeans. 

It was dusk when Tish appeared in the doorway, and we noticed that shewore a look of grim determination. 

"I have been to the top of the hill, " she said, "and I believe that Iknow now the terrain thoroughly. In case my first plan fails we may becompelled to desperate measures--but I find my present situationintolerable. Never before has a member of my family been taken by anenemy. We die, but we do not surrender. "

"You can speak for your own family, then, " Aggie said. "I've got afamily, too, but it's got sense enough to surrender when necessary. Andif 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 hisdivision to rescue my nephew and thus wipe out the stain on the familyhonor. Failing that, I am prepared to go to any length. " Here she eyedAggie coldly. "It is no time for craven spirits, " she said. "We may bearrested and court-martialed for being so near the Front, to say nothingof what may eventuate in case of a refusal. I intend to leave no stoneunturned, but I think it only fair to ask for a vote of confidence. Those in the affirmative will please signify by saying 'aye. '"

"Aye, " I said stoutly. I would not fail my dear Tish in such a crisis. Aggie followed me a moment later, but feebly, and Mr. Burton said: "Idon't like the idea any more than I do my right eye. Why bother with thegeneral? I'm for going to V---- and breaking up the pinochle game, andbringing home the bacon in the shape of a Hun or two. "

However, I have reason to think that he was joking, and that subsequentevents startled him considerably, for I remember that when it was allover and we were in safety once again he kept saying over and over in adazed voice: "Well, can you beat it? Can you beat it?"

In some way Tish had heard, from a battery on the hill, I think, thatheadquarters was at the foot of the hill on the other side. She made herplans accordingly. 

"As soon as darkness has fallen, " she said to Mr. Burton, "we threewomen shall visit the commanding officer and there make ourplea--without you, as it will be necessary to use all the softeningfeminine influence possible. One of two things will then occur: Eitherhe will rescue my nephew or--I shall. "

"Now see here, Miss Tish, " he protested, "you're not going to leave meout of it altogether, are you? You wouldn't break my heart, would you?Besides, you'll need me. I'm a specialist at rescuing nephews. I--I'verescued thousands of nephews in my time. "

Well, she'd marked out a place that would have been a crossroads if theGerman shells had left any road, and she said if she failed with theC. O. He was to meet us there, with two baskets of cigarettes for the menin the trenches. 

"Cigarettes!" he said. "What help will they be against the enemy? Unlessyou mean to wait until they've smoked themselves to death. "

"Underneath the cigarettes, " Tish went on calmly, "you will have anumber of grenades. If only we could repair that machine gun!" shereflected. "I dare say I can salvage an automatic rifle or two, " shefinished; "though large-sized firecrackers would do. The real thing isto make a noise. "

"We might get some paper bags and burst them, " suggested Mr. Burton;"and if you feel that music would add to the martial effect I can playfairly well on a comb. "

It was perhaps nine o'clock when we reached the crest of the hill, andhad Tish not thoughtfully brought her wire cutters along I do notbelieve we would have succeeded in reaching headquarters. We got therefinally, however, and it was in a cellar and--though I do not care toreflect on our gallant army--not as tidy as it should have been. Mr. Burton having remained behind temporarily the three of us made our wayto the entrance, and Tish was almost bayoneted by a sentry there, whowas nervous because of a number of shells falling in the vicinity. 

"Take that thing away!" she said with superb scorn, pointing to thebayonet. "I don't want a hole in the only uniform I've got, young man. Watch your head, Lizzie!"

"The saints protect us!" said the sentry. "Women! Three women!"

Tish and I went down the muddy incline into the cellar, and two officerswho were sitting there playing cribbage looked at us and then stood upwith a surprised expression. 

Tish had assumed a most lofty attitude, and picking out the general withan unfailing eye she saluted and said: "Only the most urgent matterswould excuse my intrusion, sir. I----"

Unfortunately at that moment Aggie slipped and slid into the room feetfirst in a sitting posture. She brought up rather dazed against thetable, and for a moment both officers were too surprised to offer herany assistance. Tish and I picked her up, and she fell to sneezingviolently, so that it was some time before the conversation was resumed. It was the general who resumed it. 

"This is very flattering, " he said in a cold voice, "but if you ladieswill explain how you got here I'll make it interesting for somebody. "

Suddenly the colonel who was with him said: "Suffering Crimus! It can'tbe! And yet--it certainly is!"

We looked at him, and it was the colonel who had been so interested inCharlie Sands at the training camp. We all shook hands with him, and heoffered us chairs, and said to the general: "These are the ladies I havetold you about, sir, with the nephew. You may recall the helpfulsuggestions sent to the Secretary of War and forwarded back to me by theGeneral Staff. I have always wanted to explain about those dish towels, ladies. You see, you happened on us at a bad time. Our dish towels hadcome, but though neatly hemmed they lacked the small tape in the cornerby which to hang them up. I therefore----"

"Oh, keep still!" said the general in an angry tone. "Now, what bringsyou women here?"

"My nephew has been taken prisoner, " Tish said coldly. "I want to knowmerely whether you propose to do anything about it or intend to sit herein comfort and do nothing. "

He became quite red in the face at this allusion to the cribbage board, et cetera, and at first seemed unable to speak. 

"Quietly, man, " said the colonel. "Remember your blood pressure. "

"Damn my blood pressure!" said the general in a thick tone. 

I must refuse to relate the conversation that followed--hardlyconversation, indeed, as at the end the general did all the talking. 

At last, however, he paused for breath, and Tish said very quietly:"Then I am to understand that you refuse to do anything about mynephew?"

"Who is your nephew?"

"Charlie Sands. "

"And who's Charlie Sands?"

"My nephew, " said Tish. 

He said nothing to this, but shouted abruptly in a loud voice:"Orderly! Raise that curtain and let some air into this rat hole. "

Then he turned to the colonel and said: "Thompson, you're younger than Iam. I've got a family, and my blood pressure's high. I'm going out tomake a tour of the observation posts. "

"Coward!" said the colonel to him in a low tone. 

The colonel was very pleasant to us when the other man had gone. Thegeneral was his brother-in-law, he said, and rather nervous because theyhadn't had a decent meal for a week. 

"The only thing that settles his nerves is cribbage, " he explained. "Ithelps his morale. Now--let us think about getting you back to safety. I'd offer you our humble hospitality, but somebody got in here today andstole the duckboard I've been sleeping on, and I can't offer you thegeneral's cellar door. He's devoted to it. "

"What if we refuse to go back?" Tish demanded. "We've taken a risky tripfor a purpose, and I don't give up easily, young man. I'm inclined tosit 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 tomake things difficult for me, are you? There's a regulation againstthis sort of thing. "

"We are welfare workers, " Tish said calmly. "Behind us there stand theentire American people. If kept from the front trenches while trying toserve our boys there are ways of informing the people through thepress. "

"It's exactly the press I fear, " he said in a sad voice. "Think of theresults to you three, and to me. "

"What results?" Tish demanded impatiently. "I'm not doing anything I'mashamed of. "

He was abstractedly moving the cribbage pins about. 

"It's like this, " he said: "Not very far behind the lines there are alot of newspaper correspondents, and lately there hasn't been much news. But perhaps I'd better explain my own position. I am engaged to a lovelygirl at home. I write to her every day, but I have been consciousrecently that in her replies to me there has been an element of--shall Isay suspicion? No, that is not the word. Anxiety--of anxiety, lest Ishall fall in love with some charming Red Cross or Y. M. C. A. Girl. Nothing could be further from my thoughts, but you can see my situation. Three feminine visitors at nightfall; news-hungry correspondents; allthe rest of it. Scandal, dear ladies! And absolute ruin to my hopes!"

"Bosh!" said Tish. But I could see that she was uncomfortable. "Ifthere's trouble I'll send her our birth certificates. Besides, I thoughtyou said the general was your brother-in-law?"

Aggie says he changed color at that but he said hastily: "By marriage, madam, only by marriage. By that I mean--I--he--the general is marriedto my brother. "

"Really!" said Tish. "How unusual!"

She said afterward that she saw at once then that we were only wastingtime, and that neither one of them would move hand or foot to getCharlie Sands back. Aggie had been scraping her skirt with a tableknife, and was now fairly tidy, so Tish prepared to depart. 

"On thinking it over, " she said, "I realize that I am confronting asituation which requires brains rather than brute force. I shalltherefore attend to it myself. Good night, colonel. I hope you findanother duckboard. And--if you are writing home present my complimentsto the general's husband. Come, Aggie. "

At the top of the incline I looked back. The colonel was staring afterus and wiping his forehead with a khaki handkerchief. 

"You see, " Tish said bitterly, "that is the sort of help one gets fromthe Army. " She drew a deep breath and looked in the general direction ofthe trenches. "One thing is sure and certain--I'm not going back untilI've found out whether Charlie Sands is still in that town over there orwhether he has been taken away so we'll have to get at him fromSwitzerland. "

Aggie gave a low moan at this, and Tish eyed her witheringly. 

"Don't be an idiot, Aggie!" she observed. "I haven't asked you to go--orLizzie either. I'd be likely, " she added, "to get through our linesunseen and into the very midst of the German Army--with one of yousneezing with hay fever and the other one panting like a locomotivefrom, too much flesh. "

"Tish----" I began firmly. But she waved her hand in silence anddemanded Aggie's flashlight. She then led the way behind the ruins of awall and took a bundle of papers from under her jacket. 

"If the Army won't help us we have a right to help ourselves, " sheobserved. And I perceived with a certain trepidation that the paperswere some that had been lying on the table at headquarters. 

"'Memorandum, '" Tish read the top one. "'Write home. Order boots. Sendto British Commissary for Scotch whisky. Insect powder!' Wouldn't youknow, " she said bitterly, "that that general would have to make amemorandum about writing home?"

Underneath, however, there was an aeroplane picture of the Front andV----, and also a map. Both of these she studied carefully until severalbullets found their way to our vicinity, and a sentry ran up and wasvery rude about the light. On receiving a box of cigarettes, however, hebecame quite friendly. 

"Haven't had a pill for a week, " he said. "Got to a point now where westeal the hay from the battery horses and roll it up in leaves from myBible. But it isn't really satisfying. "

Tish gave him a brief lecture on thus mutilating his best friend, but hesaid that he only used the unimportant pages. "You know, " heexplained--"somebody begat somebody else, and that sort of thing. Youhaven't any more fags about you, have you?" he asked wistfully. "I'll besandbagged and robbed if I go back without any for the other fellows. "

"We can bring some, " Tish suggested, "and you might show us to thetrenches. I particularly wish to give some to the men in the mostadvanced positions. "

"You're on, " he said cheerfully. "Bring the life savers, and we'll seethat you get forward all right. "

Tish reflected. 

"Suppose, " she said at last--"suppose that we wish to be able onreturning to our native land to state that we have not only been to ouradvanced positions but have even made a short excursion into thedebatable territory--that is, into what is commonly known as No Man'sLand?"

"All of you?" he asked doubtfully. 

"All of us. "

He then considered and said: "How many cigarettes have you got?"

"About a hundred packages, " Tish replied. "Say, five to you, and therest used where considered most efficacious. "

"Every man has his price, " he observed. "That's mine. I'm taking achance, but I've seen you round, so I know you're not spies. And if youget an extra helmet out there you might give me one. I've been here sixmonths and I've never seen one, on a German or off. I let a womanreporter through last week, " he added, "and d'you think she thanked me?No. She gave me hell because the Germans had a raid that night andnearly got her. I'm a soldier, not a prophet. "

Tish left us immediately to go back to Mr. Burton, and Aggie clutchedat my arm in a frenzy of anxiety. 

"She's going to do it, Lizzie!" she said with her teeth chattering. "She's going to V---- to rescue Charlie Sands, and we'll all be caught, and--Lizzie, I feel that I shall never see home again. "

"Well, if you ask me, I don't think you will, " I said as calmly aspossible. Aggie put her head on my shoulder and wept between sneezes. 

"I know I'm weak, Lizzie, " she moaned, "but I'm frightened, and I'm notafraid to say so. You'd think she only had to shoo those Germans like alot of chickens. I love Tish, but if she'd only sprain her ankle orsomething!"

However, Tish came back soon, bringing Mr. Burton with her and twobaskets with cigarettes on top and grenades below, and also ourrevolvers and a supply of extra cartridges. She had not explained herplan to Mr. Burton, so we sat down behind the wall and she told him. Heseemed quite willing and cheerful. 

"Certainly, " he said. "It is all quite clear. We simply go into No Man'sLand for souvenirs, and they pass us. Perfectly natural, of course. Wethen continue to advance to the German lines, and then commit suicide. I've been thinking of doing it for some time anyhow, and this way has anelement of the dramatic that appeals to me. " I have learned since thathe felt that the only thing to do was to humor Tish, and that he wasconvinced that about a hundred yards in No Man's Land would hurt no one, and, as he expressed it, clear the air. How little he knew our dearTish!

As it is not my intention to implicate any of those brave boys whosought to give us merely the innocent pleasure of visiting the strip ofland between the two armies I shall draw a veil over our excursionthrough the trenches that night, where we were met everywhere withacclaim and gratitude, and finally assisted out of the trenches by meansof a ladder. As it was quite dark the grenades in the basket entirelyescaped notice, and we found ourselves at last headed toward the Germanlines, and fully armed, though looking, as Mr. Burton observed, like apicnic party. 

He persisted in making humorous sallies such as: "Did any one rememberthe pepper and salt?" and "I hope somebody brought pickles. What's apicnic without pickles?"

I regret to say that we were fired on by some of our own soldiers whodidn't understand the situation, shortly after this, and that the bottleof blackberry cordial which I was carrying was broken to fragments. 

"If they hit this market basket there'll be a little excitement, " Mr. Burton said. He then stopped and said that a joke was a joke, but therewas such a thing as carrying it too far, and that we'd better look for ahelmet or two and then go back. 

"The Germans are just on the other side of that wood, " he whispered;"and they don't know a joke when they see one. "

"I thought, Mr. Burton, you promised to take Hilda a German officer, "Tish said scornfully. 

"I did, " he agreed. "I did indeed. But now I think of it, I didn'tpromise her a live one. The more I consider the matter the more I amsure that no stipulation was made as to the conditions of delivery. I----"

But when he saw Tish continuing to advance he became very serious, andeven suggested that if we would only go back he would himself advance asfar as possible and endeavor to reach V----. 

Just what Tish's reply would have been I do not know, as at that momentAggie stumbled and fell into a deep shell hole full of water. We heardthe splash and waited for her voice, as we were uncertain of her exactposition. 

But what was our surprise on hearing a deep masculine voice say: "Handsup, you dirty swine!"

"Let go of me, " came in piteous accents from Aggie. 

There was then complete silence, until the other voice said: "Well, I'llbe damned!" It then said: "Bill, Bill!"

"Here, " said still another voice, a short distance away, in a sort ofloud whisper. 

"There's a mermaid in my pool, " said the first voice. "Did you drawanything?"

"Lucky devil, " said the other voice. "I'm drawing about eight feet ofwater, that's all. "

Tish then advanced in the direction of the voices and said: "Aggie, areyou 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 therewould be one mermaid less, or whatever you are. "

The Germans at that moment sent up one of their white lights, whichresemble certain of our Fourth of July pieces, which float a long timeand give the effect of full moonlight. 

"Down, " said Mr. Burton, and we all fell flat on our faces. Before doingso, however, we had a short glimpse of Aggie's head and another abovethe water in the shell hole, and realized that her position was veryuncomfortable. 

When the light died away the two men emerged, and with some difficultydragged her out. It was while this was going on that Tish caught my armand whispered: "Lizzie, I have heard that voice before. "

Well, it had a familiar sound to me also, and when he addressed theother man as Grogan I suddenly remembered. It was the man we had thrownfrom the ambulance in Paris the night Tish salvaged it! I told Tish in awhisper, and she remembered the incident clearly. 

"You sure gave me a scare, " he said to Aggie. "For if you were a GermanI was gone, and if you were an officer of the A. E. F. I was gone more. Bill and I just slipped out to take a look round the town behind thosewoods, account of our captain being a prisoner there. "

"Who is your captain?" Tish asked. 

"Name's Weber. We pulled off a raid last night, and he and a fellownamed Sands got grabbed. "

"Weber?" said Mr. Burton, forgetting to whisper. 

"You--you don't mean Captain Weber?" I asked after a sickening pause. 

"That's the man. "

"Oh, dear!" said Aggie. 

Suddenly Mr. Burton stopped and put down the basket of grenades. 

"I'm damned if I'm going to rescue him!" he said firmly. "Now look here, Miss Tish, I hate to disappoint you, but I've got private reasons forleaving Weber exactly where he is. 

"I don't wish him any harm, but if they'd take him and put him to roadmending for three or four years I'd be a happier man. And as far as I'mconcerned, I'm going to give them the chance. "

The two men had stood listening, and now Bill spoke:

"Am I to understand that this is a rescue party?" he said. "Seeing thebasket I thought it was a picnic. I just want to say this: If you haveany idea of going to V----, and as we were going in that directionourselves, we might combine. My friend here and I were over last night, and we know how to get into the town. "

"Very well, " Tish agreed after a moment's hesitation. "I have noobjection. It must be distinctly understood, however, that I am incharge. Captain Sands is my nephew. "

Another light went up just then, and I perceived that he was staring ather. 

"My--my word!" he gasped. 

We then fell on our faces, and while lying there I heard him whisperingto Bill. He then said to Tish: "I believe, lady, that we have metbefore. "

"Very possibly, " Tish said calmly. "In the course of my welfare work Ihave met many of our brave men. "

"I wouldn't call it exactly welfare work you were doing when I saw you. "

"No?" said Tish. 

"You may be interested to know that if you hadn't stolen thatambulance----"

"Salvaged. "

"----salvaged that ambulance I would now be in safety in Paris, insteadof---- Not that I'd exchange, " he added. "I wouldn't have missed thisexcursion for a good bit. But they made it so darned unpleasant for methat I enlisted. "

The starlight having now died we rose and prepared to advance. Mr. Burton, however, was very difficult and tried to get Tish to promise toleave Captain Weber if we found him. 

"It's the only bit of luck I've had since I left home, Miss Tish, " hesaid. 

Tish, however, ignored him, and with the help of our new allies brieflysketched a plan of campaign. 

I make no pretensions to military knowledge, but I shall try to explainthe situation at V----, as our dear Tish learned it from the general'spapers and the two soldiers. The real German position--a military termmeaning location and not attitude--was behind the town, but they keptenough soldiers in it to hold it, and in case of an attack they filledit up with great rapidity. So far the church tower remained standing, asthe Allies wished on taking the town to use it to look out from andobserve any unfriendly actions on the part of the Germans. 

"If only, " Tish said, "we could have repaired that machine gun andbrought it the affair would be extremely simple. It has from thebeginning been my intention to give the impression of an attack inforce. "

She then considered for a short time, and finally suggested that the twosoldiers return to the allied Front and attempt to secure two automaticrifles. 

"And it might be as well, " she added, "to take Miss Aggie with you. Sheis wet through, and will undoubtedly before long have a return of herhay fever, which with her has no season. A sneeze at a critical timemight easily ruin us. "

Aggie, however, absolutely refused to return, and said that by holdingher nostrils closed and her mouth open she could, if she felt theparoxysm coming on, sneeze almost noiselessly. She said also thatthough not related to her by blood Charlie Sands was as dear as her own, and that if turned back she would go to V---- alone and, if captured, atleast suffer imprisonment with him. 

Tish was quite touched, I could see, and on the two men departing toattempt the salvage of the required weapons she assisted me in wringingout Aggie's clothing and in making her as comfortable as possible. 

We waited for some time, eating chocolate to restore our strength, andattempting to comfort Mr. Burton, who was very surly. 

"It has been my trouble all my life, " he observed bitterly, "not toleave well enough alone. I hadn't any hope of the success of thisexpedition before, but now I know you'll pull it off. You'll get Sandsand you'll get Weber and send him back--to--well, you understand. It'sjust my luck. I'm not complaining, but if I'm killed and he isn't I'mgoing to haunt that Y hut and make it darned unpleasant for both ofthem. "

Tish reproved him for debasing the future life to such purposes, but hewas firm. 

"If you think I'm going to stand round and be walked through and sat on, and all the indignities that ghosts must suffer, without getting back, "he said gloomily, "you can think again, Miss Tish!"

When the two men returned Tish gave them a brief talking-to. 

"First of all, " she said, "there must be no mistake as to who is incommand of this expedition. If we succeed it will be by finesse ratherthan force, and that is distinctly a feminine quality. Second, there isto be no unnecessary fighting. We are here to secure my nephew, not theGerman Army. "

The man we had bumped off the step of the ambulance, whose name provedto be Jim, said at once that that last sentence had relieved his mindgreatly. A few prisoners wouldn't put them out seriously, but the Allieswere feeding more than they could afford already. 

"But a few won't matter, " he added. "Say, a dozen or so. They won't kickon that. "

 * * * * *

I have never learned where Tish learned her strategy--unless from thepapers she took from the general's cellar. 

Military experts have always considered the plan masterly, I believe, and have lauded the mobility of a small force and the greater element ofsurprise possible, as demonstrated by the incidents which followed. 

Briefly Tish adhered to her plan of making the attack seem a large one, by spreading the party over a large area and having it make as much noiseas possible. 

"By firing from one spot, and then running rapidly either to right orleft, and firing again, " she said, "those who have only revolvers mayeasily appear to be several persons instead of one. "

She then arranged that the two automatic rifles attack the town from infront, but widely separated, while Aggie and myself, endeavoring to be aplatoon--or perhaps she said regiment--would advance from the left. Onthe right Mr. Burton was to move forward in force, firing his revolverand throwing grenades in different directions. Of her own plans she saidnothing. 

"Forward, the Suicide Club!" said Mr. Burton with that strange sarcasmwhich had marked him during the last hour. 

I have since reflected that certain kinds of men seem to take love veryunpleasantly. Aggie, however, maintains that the deeper the love thegreater the misery, and that Mr. Wiggins once sent back a muffler shehad made for him on seeing her conversing with the janitor of the churchabout dust in her pew. 

In a short time we had passed through the wood and the remainder of theexcursion was very slow, owing to being obliged to crawl on our handsand knees. We could now see the church tower, and Tish gave the signalto separate. The men left us at once, but for a short time Tish was nearme, as I could tell by an irritated exclamation from her when she becameentangled in the enemy's barbed wire. But soon I realized that she hadgone. Looking back I believe it was just before we met the Germans whowere out laying wire, but I am not quite certain. There were about tenof the enemy, and they almost stepped on Aggie. She said afterward thatshe was so alarmed that she sneezed, but that having buried her entireface in a mudhole they did not hear her. We lay quite still for sometime, and when they had gone and we could move again Tish haddisappeared. 

However, we obeyed orders and went on moving steadily to the left, andbefore long we were able to make out the ruins of V---- directly beforeus. They were apparently empty and silent, and concealing ourselvesbehind a fallen wall we waited for the automatic rifles to give thesignal. Aggie had taken cold from her wetting, and could hardly speak. 

"I'b sure they've taked Tish, " were her first words. 

"Not alive, " I said grimly. 

"Lizzie! Oh, by dear Tish!"

"If you've got to worry, " I said rather tartly, "worry about theGermans. It wouldn't surprise me a particle to see her bring in thelot. "

Well, the attack started just then and Aggie and I got our revolvers andbegan shooting as rapidly as possible, firing from the end of thevillage, and with Mr. Burton's grenades from one side and our revolversfrom the other it made a tremendous noise. Aggie and I did our best, Iknow, to appear to be a large number, firing and then moving to a newpoint and firing again. I must say from the way those Germans ran towardtheir own lines behind the town I was not surprised at the rapidity ofthe final retreat which ended the war. As Aggie said later, we were notthere to kill them unless necessary, but they ran so fast at times itwas difficult to avoid hitting them. They fairly ran into the bullets. 

In a very short time there was not one in sight, but we kept on firingfor a trifle longer, and then made for the church, meeting the twoprivates on the way. When we arrived Mr. Burton was already there andhad unfastened a large bolt on the outside of the door. We crowded in, and somebody closed the door and we had a moment to breathe. 

"Well, here we are, " said Mr. Burton in a quite cheerful tone. "And nota casualty among us--or the Germans either, I fancy, save those thatdied of heart disease. Are we all here, by the way?"

He then struck a match, and my heart sank. 

"Tish!" I cried. "Tish is not here!"

It was then that a voice from the far end of the church said:"Suffering' snakes! I'm delirious, Weber! I knew that beer would get me. I thought I heard----"

Some one was hammering at the door with a revolver, and we heard Tish'sdear voice outside saying: "Keep your hands up! _Lizzie!_"

Mr. Burton opened the door and Tish backed in, followed by a figure thatwas muttering in German. She had both her revolvers pointed at it, andshe said: "Close the door, somebody, and get a light. I think it's ageneral. "

Well, Charlie Sands was coming with a candle stuck in the neck of abottle, and he seemed extremely surprised. He kept stumbling over thingsand saying "Wake me, Weber, " until he had put a hand on my arm. 

"It's real, " he said then. "It's a real arm. Therefore it is, it mustbe. And yet----"

"Stop driveling, " Tish said sharply, "and tie up this general orwhatever he is. I don't trust him. He's got a mean eye. "

It has been the opinion of military experts that the reason the enemyhad apparently lost its morale and failed to make a counter-attack atonce was the early loss of this officer. In fact, a prisoner taken laterI believe told the story that V---- had been attacked and captured by anentire division, without artillery preparation, and that he himself hadseen the commanding officer killed by a shell. But the truth was thatTish, having fallen into an empty trench a moment or so before I missedher, had after recovering from the shock and surprise followed thetrench for some distance, finding that she could advance more rapidlythan by crawling on the surface. 

She had in this manner happened on a dugout where a German officer wassitting at a table with a lighted candle marking the corners of certainplaying cards with the point of a pin. He seemed to be in a very badhumor, and was muttering to himself. She waited in the darkness until hehad finished, and had shoved the cards into his pocket. When he hadextinguished the candle he started back along the trench toward thevillage, and Tish merely put her two revolvers to his back and capturedhim. 

I pass over the touching reunion between Tish and her beloved nephew. He seemed profoundly affected, and moving out of the candlelight gaveway to emotion that fairly shook him. It was when he returned wiping hiseyes that he recognized the German officer. He became exceedingly graveat once. 

"I trust you understand, " he said to him, "that this--er--surprise partyis no reflection on your hospitality. And I am glad to point out alsothat the pinochle game is not necessarily broken up. It can continueuntil you are moved back behind the Allied lines. I may not, " he added, "be able to offer you a church, because if I do say it you people havebeen wasteful as to churches. But almost any place in our trenches isentirely safe. "

He then looked round the group again and said: "Don't tell me Aunt Aggiehas missed this! I couldn't bear it. "

"Aggie!" I cried. "Where is Aggie?"

It was then that the painful truth dawned on us. Aggie had not enteredthe church. She was still outside, perhaps wandering alone among a crueland relentless foe. It was a terrible moment. 

I can still see the white and anxious faces round the candle, and Tish'sinsistence that a search be organized at once to find her. Mr. Burtonwent out immediately, and returned soon after to say that she was notin sight, and that the retiring Germans were sending up signal rocketsand were probably going to rush the town at once. 

We held a short council of war then, but there was nothing to do but toretire, having accomplished our purpose. Even Tish felt this, and saidthat it was a rule of war that the many should not suffer for the few;also that she didn't propose losing a night's sleep to rescue CharlieSands and then have him retaken again, as might happen any minute. 

We put out the candle and left the church, and not a moment too soon, for a shell dropped through the roof behind us, and more followed it atonce. I was very uneasy, especially as I was quite sure that betweenexplosions I could hear Aggie's voice far away calling Tish. 

We retired slowly, taking our prisoner with us, and turning round tofire toward the enemy now and then. We also called Aggie by name atintervals, but she did not appear. And when we reached the very edge ofthe town the Germans were at the opposite end of it, and we were obligedto accelerate our pace until lost in the Stygian darkness of the wood. 

It was there that I felt Tish's hand on my arm. 

"I'm going back, " she said in a low tone. "Driveling idiot that she is, I cannot think of her hiding somewhere and sneezing herself intocaptivity. I am going back, Lizzie. "

"Then I go too, " I said firmly. "I guess if she's your responsibilityshe's mine too. "

Well, she didn't want me any more than she wanted the measles, but thetime was coming when she could thank her lucky stars I was there. However, she said nothing, but I heard her suggesting that we separate, every man for himself, except the prisoner, and work back, to our ownside the best way we could. 

With her customary thoughtfulness, however, she held a shortconversation with Mr. Burton first. I have not mentioned Captain Weber, I believe, since our first entrance into the church, but he was with us, and I had observed Mr. Burton eying him with unfriendly eyes. Indeed, Iam quite convinced that the accident of our leaving the church withoutthe captain, and finding him left behind and bolted in, was no accidentat all. 

Tish merely told Mr. Burton that the prisoner was his, and that if hechose and could manage to present him to Hilda he might as well do it. 

"She's welcome to him, " she said. 

"He's not my prisoner. "

"He is now; I give him to you. "

Finding him obdurate, however, she resorted to argument. 

"It doesn't invalidate an engagement, " she said rather brusquely, "for aman to borrow the money for an engagement ring. If it did there would befewer engagements. If you want to borrow a German prisoner for the samepurpose the principle is the same. "

He seemed to be weakening. 

"I'd like to do it--if only to see her face, " he said slowly. "Not butwhat it's a risk. He's a good-looking devil. "

In the end, however, he agreed, and the last we saw of them he wasdriving the German ahead, with a grenade in one hand and his revolver inthe other, and looking happier than he had looked for days. 

Almost immediately after that I felt Tish's hand on my arm. We turnedand went back toward V----. 

Military experts have been rather puzzled by our statement that theGermans did not reënter V---- that night, but remained just outside, andthat we reached the church again without so much as a how-do-you-do fromany of them. I believe the general impression is that they feared atrap. I think they are rather annoyed to learn that there was a periodof several hours during which they might safely have taken the town; infact, the irritable general who was married to the colonel's brother wasmost unpleasant about it. When everything was over he came to Paris tosee us, and he was most unpleasant. 

"If you wanted to take the damned town, why didn't you say so?" heroared. "You came in with a long story about a nephew, but it's my plainconviction, madam, that you were flying for higher game than your nephewfrom the start. "

Tish merely smiled coldly. 

"Perhaps, " she said in a cryptic manner. "But, of course, in these daysof war one must be very careful. It is difficult to tell whom to trust. "

As he became very red at that she gently reminded him of his bloodpressure, but he only hammered on the table and said:

"Another thing, madam. God knows I don't begrudge you the falderalsthey've been pinning on you, but it seems to me more than a coincidencethat your celebrated strategy followed closely the lines of amemorandum, madam, that was missing from my table after your departure. "

"My dear man, " Tish replied urbanely, "there is a little military word Imust remind you of--salvage. As one of your own staff explained it to meone perceives an object necessary to certain operations. If on salutingthat object it fails to return the salute I believe the next step is tocapture it. Am I not right?"

But I regret to say that he merely picked up his cap and went out of oursitting room, banging the door behind him. 

To return. We reached the church safely, and from that working out indifferent directions we began our unhappy search. However, as it wasstill very dark I evidently lost my sense of direction, and whilepeering into a cellar was suddenly shocked by feeling a revolver thrustagainst my back. 

"You are my prisoner, " said a voice. "Move and I'll fire. "

It was, however, only Tish. We were both despondent by that time, andagreed to give up the search. As it happened it was well we did so, forwe had no more than reached the church and seated ourselves on thedoorstep in deep dejection when the enemy rushed the village. I confessthat my immediate impulse was flight, but Tish was of more heroic stuff. 

"They are coming, Lizzie, " she said. "If you wish to fly go now. I shallremain. I have too many tender memories of Aggie to desert her. "

She then rose and went without haste into the church, which was sadlychanged by shell fire in the last two hours, and I followed her. By theaid of the flashlight, cautiously used, we made our way to a break inthe floor and Tish suggested that we retire to the cellar, which we did, descending on piles of rubbish. The noise in the street was terrible bythat time, but the cellar was quiet enough, save when now and then afresh portion of the roof gave way. 

I was by this time exceedingly nervous, and Tish gave me a mouthful ofcordial. She herself was quite calm. 

"We must give them time to quiet down, " she said. "They sound quitehysterical, and it would be dangerous to be discovered just now. Perhapswe would better find a sheltered spot and get some sleep. I shall needmy wits clear in the morning. "

It was fortunate for us that the French use the basements of theirchurches for burying purposes, for by crawling behind a marblesarcophagus we found a sort of cave made by the debris. Owing to thatprotection the grenades the enemy threw into the cellar did no harmwhatever, save to waken Tish from a sound sleep. 

"Drat them anyhow!" she said. "I was just dreaming that Mr. Ostermaierhad 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. "Shehates dying about as much as most people. My own private opinion is andhas been that she went back to our lines hours ago. "

"Tish!" I exclaimed. "Then why----"

"I just want to try a little experiment, " she said drowsily, and wasimmediately asleep. 

At last I slept myself, and when we wakened it was daylight, and theGermans were in full possession of the town. They inspected the churchbuilding overhead, but left it quickly; and Tish drew a keen deductionfrom that. 

"Well, that's something in our favor, " she said. "Evidently they'reafraid the thing will fall in on them. "

At eight o'clock she complained of being hungry, and I felt the need offood myself. With her customary promptness she set out to discover food, leaving me alone, a prey to sad misgivings. In a short time, however, she returned and asked me if I'd seen a piece of wire anywhere. 

"I've got considerable barbed wire sticking in me in various places, " Isaid rather tartly, "if that will do. "

But she only stood, staring about her in the semidarkness. 

"A lath with a nail in the end of it would answer, " she observed. "Didn't you step on a nail last night?"

Well, I had, and at last we found it. It was in the end of a plank andseemed to be precisely what she wanted. She took it away with her, andwas gone some twenty minutes. At the end of that time she returnedcarrying carefully a small panful of fried bacon. 

"I had to wait, " she explained. "He had just put in some fresh sliceswhen I got there. "

While we ate she explained. 

"There is a small opening to the street, " she said, "where there is amachine gun, now covered with debris. Just outside I perceived a soldiercooking his breakfast. Of course there was a chance that he would notlook away at the proper moment, but he stood up to fill his pipe. I'dhave 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 toeat. "

Breakfast fortified us both greatly, but it also set me to thinkingsadly of Aggie, whose morning meal was a crisp slice of bacon, variedoccasionally by an egg. I had not Tish's confidence in her escape. AndTish was restless. She insisted on wandering about the cellar, and nearnoon I missed her for two hours. When she came back she was covered withplaster dust, but she made no explanation. 

"I have been thinking over the situation, Lizzie, " she said, "and itdivides itself into two parts. We must wait until nightfall and thensearch again for Aggie, in case my judgment is wrong as to her escape. And then there is a higher law than that of friendship. There is ourduty to Aggie, and there is also our duty to the nation. "

"Well, " I said rather shortly, "I guess we've done our duty. We've takena prisoner. I owe a duty to my backbone, which is sore from these rocks;and my right leg, which has been tied in a knot with cramp for threehours. "

"When, " Tish broke in, "is a railroad most safe to travel on? Just aftera wreck, certainly. And when, then, is a town easiest to capture? Justafter it has been captured. Do you think for one moment that they'llexpect another raid tonight?"

"Do you think there will be one?" I asked hopefully. 

"I know there will. "

She would say nothing further, but departed immediately and was gonemost of the afternoon. She came back wearing a strange look of triumph, and asked me if I remembered the code Aggie used, but I had neverlearned it. She was very impatient. 

"It's typical of her, " she said, "to disappear just when we need hermost. If you knew the code and could get rid of the lookout they keep inthe tower, while I----"

She broke off and reflected. 

"They've got to change the lookout in the tower, " she said. "If the onecomes down before the other goes up, and if we had a hatchet----"

"Exactly, " I said. "And if we were back in the cottage at Penzance, withnothing worse to fight than mosquitoes----"

We had no midday meal, but at dusk Tish was lucky enough to capture aknapsack set down by a German soldier just outside the machine-gunaperture, and we ate what I believe are termed emergency rations. Bythat time it was quite dark, and Tish announced that the time had cometo strike, though she refused any other explanation. 

We had no difficulty in getting out of the cellar, and Tish led the wayimmediately to the foot of the tower. 

"We must get rid of the sentry up there, " she whispered. "The moment hehears a racket in the street he will signal for reënforcements, whichwould be unfortunate. "

"What racket?" I demanded. 

But she did not reply. Instead she moved into the recess below the towerand stood looking up thoughtfully. I joined her, and we could make outwhat seemed to be a platform above, and we distinctly saw a light on it, as though the lookout had struck a match. I suggested firing up at him, but Tish sniffed. 

"And bring in the entire regiment, or whatever it is!" she saidscornfully but in a whisper. "Use your brains, Lizzie!"

However, at that moment the sentry solved the question himself, for hestarted down. We could hear his coming. We concealed ourselves hastily, and Tish watched him go out and into a cellar across the street, whereshe said she was convinced they were serving beer. Indeed, there couldbe no doubt of it, she maintained, as the men went there in crowds, andmany of them carried tin cups. 

Tish's first thought was that he would be immediately relieved byanother lookout, and she stationed herself inside the door, ready tomake him prisoner. But finally the truth dawned on us that he hadtemporarily deserted his post. Tish took immediate advantage of hisabsence to prepare to ascend the tower, and having found a large knifein the knapsack she had salvaged she took it between her teeth andclimbed the narrow winding staircase. 

"If he comes back before I return, Lizzie, " she said, "capture him, butdon't shoot. It might make the rest suspicious. "

She then disappeared and I heard her climbing the stairs with her usualagility. However, she returned considerably sooner than I hadanticipated, and in a state of intense anger. 

"There is another one up there, " she whispered. "I heard him sneezing. Why he didn't shoot at me I don't know, unless he thought I was theother one. But I've fixed him, " she added with a tinge of complacency. "It's a rope ladder at the top. I reached up as high as I could and cutit. "

She then grew thoughtful and observed that cutting the laddernecessitated changing a part of her plan. 

"What plan?" I demanded. "I guess my life's at stake as well as yours, Tish Carberry. "

"I should think it would be perfectly clear, " she said. "We've eithergot to take this town or starve like rats in that cellar. They've got sonow that they won't even walk on the side next to the church, and someof them cross themselves. The frying pan seems to have started it, andwhen the knapsack disappeared---- However, here's my plan, Lizzie. Fromwhat I have observed during the day pretty nearly the entire lot, exceptthe sentries, will be in that beer cellar across in an hour or so. Therest will run for it--take my word--the moment I open fire. "

"I'll take your word, Tish, " I said. "But what if they don't run?"

She merely waved her hand. 

"My plan is simply this, " she said: "I've been tinkering with thatmachine gun most of the day, and my conviction is that it will work. Yousimply turn a handle like a hand sewing machine. As soon as you hear mestarting it you leave the church by that shell hole at the back and goas rapidly as possible back to the American lines. I'll guarantee, " sheadded grimly, "that not a German leaves that cellar across the streetuntil my arm's worn out. "

"What shall I say, Tish?" I quavered. 

I shall never forget the way she drew herself up. 

"Say, " she directed, "that we have captured the town of V---- and thatthey can come over and plant the flag. "

I must profess to a certain anxiety during the period of waiting thatfollowed. I felt keenly the necessity of leaving my dear Tish to captureand hold the town alone. And various painful thoughts of Aggie added tomy uneasiness. Nor was my perturbation decreased by the reëntrance ofthe lookout some half hour after he had gone out. Concealed behinddebris we listened to his footsteps as he ascended the tower, and coulddistinctly hear his ferocious mutterings when he discovered that therope had been cut. 

But strangely enough he did not call to the other man, cut off on theplatform above. 

"I don't believe there was another, " I whispered to Tish. But she wasconfident that she had heard one, and she observed that very probablythe two had quarreled. 

"It is a well-known tendency of two men, cut off from their kind, " shesaid, "to become violently embittered toward each other. Listen. He iscoming down. "

I regret to say that he raised an immediate alarm, and that we wereforced to retire behind our sarcophagus in the cellar for some time. During the search the enemy was close to us a number of times, and hadnot one of them stepped on the nail which had served us so usefully Ifear to think what might have happened. He did so, however, and retiredsnarling and limping. 

I believe Tish has given nine o'clock in her report to G. H. Q. As thetime when she opened fire. It was therefore about eight forty-five whenI left the church. For some time before that the cellar across had beenfilling up with the enemy, and the search for us had ceased. By Tish'sinstructions I kept to back ways, throwing a grenade here and there toindicate that the attack was a strong one, and also firing my revolver. On hearing the firing behind them the Germans in the advanced trenchesapparently considered that they had been cut off from the rear, and Iunderstand that practically all of them ran across to our lines andsurrendered. Indeed I was almost run down by three of them. 

I was almost entirely out of breath when I reached our trenches, and hadI not had the presence of mind to shout "Kamerad, " which I had heard wasthe customary thing, I dare say I should have been shot. 

I remember that as I reached the trenches a soldier called out: "Damnedif the whole German Army isn't surrendering!"

I then fell into the trench and was immediately caught in a very rudemanner. When I insisted that he let me go the man who had captured meonly yelled when I spoke, and dropped his gun. 

"Hey!" he called. "Fellows! Come here! The boches have taken to fightingtheir women. "

"Don't be a fool!" I snapped. "We've taken V----, and I must see thecommanding officer at once. "

"You don't happen to have it in your pocket, lady, have you?" he said. He then turned a light on me and said: "Holy mackerel! It's Miss Lizzie!What's this about V----?"

"Miss Carberry has taken V----, " I said. 

"I believe you, " was all he said; and we started for headquarters. 

I recall distinctly the scene in the general's headquarters when we gotthere. The general was sitting, and both Charlie Sands and Mr. Burtonwere there, looking worried and unhappy. At first they did not see me, and I was too much out of breath to speak. 

"I have already told you both that I cannot be responsible for threeerratic spinsters. They are undoubtedly prisoners if they returned toV----. "

"Prisoners!" said Charlie Sands. "If they were prisoners would they besignaling from the church tower for help?"

"I have already heard that story. It's ridiculous. Do you mean to tellme that with that town full of Germans those women have held the churchtower since last night?"

Mr. Burton drew a piece of paper from his pocket. 

"From eight o'clock to nine, " he said, "the signal was 'Help, ' repeatedat frequent intervals; shortly after nine there was an attempt at aconnected message. Allowing for corrections and for the fact that thelight was growing dim, as though from an overused battery, the messageruns: 'Help. Bring a ladder. They have cut the----' I am sorry that thelight gave out just there, and the message was uncompleted. "

How terrible were my emotions at that time, to think that our dear Tishhad cut off Aggie's only hope of escape. 

The general got up. 

"I am, afraid you young gentlemen are indulging in a sense of humor atmy expense. Unfortunately I have no sense of humor, but you may find itfunny. Captain Sands to continue under arrest for last night's escapade. As Mr. Burton is a member of a welfare organization I do not find himunder my direct jurisdiction, but----"

"Then I shall go to V---- myself!" Mr. Burton said angrily. "I'llcapture the whole damned town single-handed, and----"

I then entered the cellar and said: "Miss Carberry has captured V----, general. She asks me to tell you that you may come over at any time andplant the flag. The signaling is being done by Miss Pilkington, who isat present holding the tower. I am acting as runner. "

I regret to say that I cannot publish the general's reply. 

 * * * * *

As the remainder of the incident is a matter of historical record Ishall not describe the advance of a portion of our Army into V----. 

They found the garrison either surrendered, fled or under Tish's fire inthe beer cellar, and were, I believe, at first seriously menaced by thatindomitable figure. It was also extremely difficult to rescue Aggie, asat first she persisted in firing through the floor of the platform themoment she heard any one ascending. In due time, however, she wasbrought down, but as any mention of the tower for some time gave her anervous chill it was several weeks before we heard her story. 

I doubt if we would have heard it even then had not Mr. Burton and Hildacome to Paris on their wedding trip. We had a dinner for them at theCafé de Paris, and Mr. Burton told us that we were all to have the Croixde Guerre. He insisted on ordering champagne to celebrate, and Aggiehad two glasses, and then said the room was going round like the weathervane on the tower at V----. 

She then went rather white and said: "The ladder was fastened to it, youknow. "

"What ladder?" Tish asked sharply. 

"The rope ladder I was standing on. And when the wind blew----"

Well, we gave her another glass of wine, and she told us the tragicstory. She had fallen behind me, and was round a corner, when she felt asneezing spell coming on. So seeing a doorway she slipped in, and shesneezed for about five minutes. When she came out there was nobody insight, and after wandering round she went back to the doorway and closedthe door. 

There were stairs behind her, and when the counter attack came she ranup the stairs. She knew then that she was in the church tower, but shedidn't dare to come down. When the firing stopped in the streets asoldier ran down the stairs and almost touched her. A moment later sheheard him coming back, so she climbed up ahead and got out on a balconyabove the clock. But he started to come out on the balcony, and just asshe was prepared to be shot her hand touched a rope ladder and she wentup it like a shot. 

"It was dark, Tish, " she said with a shudder, "and I couldn't look down. But when morning came I was up beside the weather vane, and a sniperfrom our lines must have thought I didn't belong there, for he fired atme every now and then. "

Well, it seems she hung there all day, and nobody noticed her. Luckilythe wind mostly kept her from the German side, and the sentry couldn'tsee her from the balcony. Then at last, the next evening, she heard himgoing down, and she would have made her escape, but he had cut the ropeladder below. She couldn't imagine why. 

Tish looked at me steadily. 

"It is very strange, " she said. "But who can account for the instinct ofdestruction in the Hun mind?"