The Red Cross Girls with the Russian Army

r Acqua

ed. The face of the woman before her was oddly familiar, although s

d dark brows and lashes, even the rather sad expression of them. Howeve

e woman inside a bare chamber, furnished with only a few chairs and a rough table. In an upper corner hung an ikon, the Russian image of t

olic what the crucifix is to the Roman Catholi

nsideration to her surroundings. Before her companion cou

nce our meeting on board the 'Philadelphia' and your stay at the Sacred Heart Hospital I have so

ying anything more the older woman found a

an you dream," she returned quietly, yet with evident earnestness. "I have been well and I suppose as happy as m

ce the months they had spent as fellow workers for the British soldiers at the Sacred Heart Hospital. Nevertheless she still fel

had followed her surprising meeting with the British officer, Colonel Dalton, and their betrayal of a former acquaintanceship. Although the older woman had promised to explain the

hts. For here was the most surprising situation of all! Lady Dorian had seemed to be a woman of wealth at the beginning of their acquaintance and

velveteen, laced with black cords over a white cotton waist

tion in spite of her costume, even while her present cir

level brows drawn together look

I blame you, for I do not know myself whether it is wise for me to have intruded into your life aga

rowing discomfort. Lady Dorian was appearing more mysterious than ever! If she desired to renew their acquaintance because they had

d gotten up and no

please cease to call me Lady Dorian, for that is not my name. Nor is it remarkable for you to discover me living in Russia, because I am a Russian by birth. I ha

wish to speak of mysel

Nona, for although you may find it har

usands of miles both in fact and in thought from her own home and her own history. She could not belie

," she explained. "My mother was a southern woman, who lived very quietly in

emained seated with her forme

esentment at this use of her mother's name. N

rotested in the formal manner which Barbara Mea

d no attention to the younger girl's hauteur. She m

I knew she had a daughter by your name, but curiously when I first met you on board the steamer your name conveyed nothing to me. Perhaps the last thing I expected was to find the daughter of your father, General Robert Davis, serving as a Red Cross nurse. He was a conservative of the old school, and I supposed would never have allowed you to leave

occurred to her that the woman before her was so associated with mysteries that a family problem must be comparativel

ociation between her own people and Lady Dorian, who had ju

a stranger. First she wished to have time to think the situation over and to try to m

, which she always wore. In the back it held her mother's picture,

when she had been her ardent defender in their earlier acquaintance!

class distinctions which had so impressed her in En

g, to find herself associated with the lower orders of Russian society was distinctly disagreeable

asant woman. Some strange change must have taken place in her life to reduce her to s

. Later perhaps she might be willing to hear what

e must try not to think of her any longer as Lady Dorian, though "Sonya"

revealed surprise and sorrow at her attitude, but was without resen

roundings, but the present need not affect the past. I know that your father has kept your mother's story a secret from you.

y further, Nona continued obstinately walking t

r with Mildred and Barbara to find out their opinion of me and of what I have tried to tell you, you can explain to them that I am not alone. I realize tha

blue eyes with their curiously dark brows and lashes w

gh she grew more anxious each minute to be away,

the strangest land in the world. How could her history as a young American girl have any connection with it? Why had she so insisted upon co

er of rough clothes. They were both heavily built, with stupid, sad faces and they mumbled something in broken English when they were introduced to Nona, e

me, some queer Russian name

ivil to say in return, which they might be able to u

opened the door in the hall

of anxiety cross the faces of her three co

asp of surprised admiration whe

om. He wore the uniform of a Cossack:

ssian of the better classes. He was extremely handsome, more t

where a number of wounded were being cared for. He remembered having seen Nona and her two frien

oke it with distinctness, but gave him no title

ons alone. Yet as she hurried on she was thinking over the afternoon until her head ached with the my

to co