[Illustration: _Page 93_ "EMMELINE," HE SAID GENTLY, "DO YOU SUPPOSE YOU COULD HELP ME?"] EMMELINE BY Elsie Singmaster _With Illustrations_ [Illustration] BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY PERRY MASON COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY ELSIE SINGMASTER LEWARS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO Miss Annie Wallace Horner IS DEDICATED THIS LITTLE STORY OF HER NATIVE TOWN CONTENTS I. THE SOUND OF BUGLES 1 II. EMMELINE AND THE SCHMIDTS TAKE A JOURNEY 27 III. EMMELINE MEETS THE ENEMIES OF HER COUNTRY 53 IV. THE SECOND DAY OF BATTLE 80 V. PRIVATE CHRISTY SAYS FAREWELL 103 VI. THE TERROR PAST 130 ILLUSTRATIONS "EMMELINE," HE SAID GENTLY, "DO YOU SUPPOSE YOU COULD HELP ME?" (page 93) _Frontispiece_ "I AM IN GREAT TROUBLE, EMMELINE" 32 EMMELINE WATCHED HIM GO 128 "YES," ANSWERED MRS. WILLING. "BERTHA IS ASLEEP UPSTAIRS" 150 _Reproduced by courtesy of "The Youth's Companion" from drawings by B. J. Rosenmeyer_ EMMELINE CHAPTER I THE SOUND OF BUGLES For an hour at least Emmeline lay quietly curled up on the rear seat of the Willing surrey. This vehicle was very old and low and broad; it had been built in the days when people made long journeys in carriages and liked to have them comfortable. At present the surrey was not in motion, but in repose in the Willing wagon shed. Tranquillity was not characteristic of Emmeline. She was by nature a jumping jack. Although she was fifteen years old and very desirous of appearing much older, she had put few of the ways of childhood behind her. This June day was hot, and Emmeline had been active since early morning. She had risen at six o'clock, eaten her breakfast, fed the chickens, washed the dishes, and picked the last of the red raspberries; then, while she sat by Sister Bertha's bed, she had raveled enough lint to fill a pint measure. After taking Sister Bertha her tray, she had gone downstairs to eat her own dinner hungrily. While she waited on Sister Bertha, or when she heard the neighbors talk about Sister Bertha, Emmeline's face was a blank mask. Of her sister--or, rather, her sister-in-law--Emmeline was deeply ashamed.