Grace Harlowe with the American Army on the RhineChase, Josephine
General
Grace Harlowe with the American Army on the Rhine
Chase, Josephine
Rhine River -- Juvenile fiction; War stories; World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile fiction
“We all feel as you do,” agreed the general, “but you, like the rest
of us, will be in the thick of things even then. One can’t get the
fireside habit immediately after having spent months on the western
front. I suppose you are thinking of getting back to your billets?”
suggested the general politely.
“Yes, if you please, sir. I am most grateful for this pleasant evening
and the excellent dinner. The bacon tastes like that which we have at
home.”
“Straight from the States,” the general informed her. “This,
unfortunately, is the last of it, and we shall live on army chow
hereafter, unless the Germans see fit to give us something more worth
while. The pleasure this evening has been wholly ours, Mrs. Gray and
Miss Briggs, and we thank you for coming. I am in hopes of meeting
your husband one of these days. I wish to tell him what I think of his
wife,” added the general.
“I am grateful to you for the information,” said the captain in a low
tone, for the Chinese servant had just come in, though the general sent
him out immediately to order the car for the visitors.
Good nights were said, and a few moments later the Overton girls were
on their way to their billets.
“You surely gave those army gentlemen a genuine shock, Loyalheart,”
declared Miss Briggs. “It was all news to me. How you can keep things
in the back of your head, and never say a word to your next best
friend, is more than I can understand. When did you see all you told
them about?”
“While you were in dreamland, my dear. If you will rise early enough
to-morrow, you may see something too.”
“No, thank you. My desire to sleep is greater than my curiosity. You
may do all the sleuthing you choose, J. Elfreda prefers her beauty
sleep. I wonder what Mrs. Smythe would say were she to know that we
had been dining with a general. I’ll venture to say that she does hear
about it; then look out for squalls. Here we are.”
The car came to a stop before their billets, and as it did Grace
observed that some one was standing leaning against the wall of the
house. She could not make out much more than that in the darkness.
Perhaps it was some one seeking protection from the chill wind that was
sweeping up the street, and under which both girls were shivering a
little.
Grace stepped up on the walk, went up to the man standing there, and
peered into his face.
“Who are you?” she demanded.
“Me Won.”
“Indeed! What are you doing here so late, Won?”
“Me watchee.”
“Watching what?” Grace was puzzled.
“Watchee Missie Glay’s slatchel,” the Chinaman informed her, pointing
to something standing against the side of the building.
“Elfreda, will you look here?” called Grace. “Our belongings are out
here on the street.”
“You don’t say! What can have happened?”
“I should say from the appearance of things that we had been evicted.
Who threw these things out, Won?”
“Number one boss woman.”
“Who?”
“Blig boss woman. Tlow everything all over, a-la.”
“Do you mean Mrs. Smythe?” demanded “Captain” Grace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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