World War, 1914-1918 -- United States -- Juvenile fiction; Young women -- Societies and clubs -- Juvenile fiction
Sheila, with squeals of delighted glee, was circling about the
combatants, piping shrilly. “Give ’im a plug in the snoot, Danny! Pound
’im in the mug!” to the accompaniment of big, forceful oaths that rolled
from the mouths of the fighting boys. As the little maid sighted
Nathalie, she ejaculated, with a broad grin, “Ain’t them kids fierce!”
which caused poor Nathalie to gasp again.
“Oh, boys, you mustn’t fight!” the agonized girl cried, as she reached
down and tried to separate the young pugilists, with her limbs all of a
tremble. But her efforts were useless, and, regardless of her screams
and expostulations, the punching and scratching continued, punctuated by
defiant yells, and such horrifying language that the girl shivered.
As she stared as if fascinated by this new and revolting experience, she
saw a little trickle of blood oozing down Danny’s face, for Tony, who
was the underdog, was an expert at nail-digging. It was a _fearsome_
sight, and Nathalie, appalled by the thought that he might dig out an
eye or so in his blinded wrath, in frenzied horror screamed, “Oh, Tony,
you’re killing Danny!” But the only result of her cry was, “Yer bet yer
life he ain’t!” and the hair continued to fly, as Danny yelled
triumphantly, “Gee! I knew I could lick yer wid one hand!” and the gory
battle continued.
Then, in sheer desperation, hopelessly wringing her hands, she started
in the direction of the house to call her mother. Suddenly she stopped.
Oh, no; her mother would send them away, and then—O dear! Ah, she knew
what she would do. Terror speeded her feet, and two minutes later she
reappeared on the lawn, and with one swing of her arm there came a
terrific “Clang! Clang!” as the girl, with big excited eyes, thrust the
still clanging bell between the faces of the boys.
The effect was magical, for the lads, with screams of terror, unlocked
their arms, hands, and legs, and rolled apart, while gazing with dilated
eyes, as if they had heard the crack of doom, at the bell that Nathalie
had thrust into their faces.
A few moments later, almost unclothed, dust-begrimed, blood-besmeared,
and both sniffling from nerve-shock, but still breathing out dire
vengeance one upon the other, Nathalie led her two charges up-stairs and
thrust one into the bathroom and the other into a dark closet. Jan, at
this moment, appeared in the hall, and the girl excitedly dragged her
into her bedroom, and, in a hushed, nervous whisper, made known the
proceedings of the last few moments.
But Jan, who at home was a district nurse, and had witnessed many slum
fights, burst into a peal of laughter. And then, with her face still red
with mirth and laughter, demanded, “Well, young lady, what else did you
expect if you will take ragamuffins and street Arabs to your bosom?”
Nevertheless Janet’s sympathies were aroused, for Nathalie, if not for
the boys, and in a few moments the two girls were industriously making
the boys presentable once more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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