The War-Workers

speaking of Miss V

e? I ask you, where is it to end

o receive from her any suggestion of a term to that which in fact appeared to be interminable, so

e's old-fashioned in many ways-and then he said Char wasn't strong enough, and to a certain extent I agreed with him. But I put aside all that and absolutely encouraged her, as you know, to organize this Supply Dep?t. But I must say, Miss

he very War Office itself knows the value of dear Charmian's

upplies are all very well, but when it comes to meeting all the troop-trains and supplying all the bandages,

e of her employer's infelicitous

g so fearfully hard, and keeping these strange, irregular hours, but I'm convinced that it's perfectly unavoidable

replacableness of her daughter ap

done is perfectly marvellous, but I must say I wish she'd taken up nursing or something re

arial equivalent for laugh

can work in a hospital. But I should like to know what other woman could do Charm

I don't suppose-any more than it's going to end twenty-four hours sooner because Char h

fpenny stamps to the postcards that formed an incre

u're working

se I'm always imploring her to let me do some of the mechanical work that any one can manage, a

people there. Pray, are they all being paid out of Red Cross f

everything-hold the whole thing together. She looks through every letter that leaves that office, a

do. She e

tiveness, but the little secretary reddened unbe

responsibility, and she know

prophet in his own country, and I suppose Char is no exceptio

't say it because it's her, but quite dispassionately. I hope that even if I knew nothing of Charmian's own personal attractiveness and-and kindness, I should

utterances, it seemed to Lady Vivian, would have been ha

le who ran their small organizations and war charities quite comfortably for the first six or eight months of

ordination is

must say that some of the things she's said and written, to perfectly well-meaning people who've be

ne in her position is bound

since she was a little scrap in short petticoats aren't going to stand it. Why, she won't even be thirty till next month!-though, I must say, she might be sixty from the way she talks. But then she always was like that, from the tim

bviously regretted opportunity lost by Lady Vivian for the

the telephone-bell

hampered by the paraphernalia of her

ow he likes telephoning, because then he can think he is

mplicated reason, sat down again, and

r. You know, I specially asked her to get back early tonight becau

to the one-sid

ng.... We'll put off dinner for half an hour if that would help you.... But, my dear, he'll be very much disappointed not to see you, and it really seems a pity, when the poor chap is just back ... he'll be so

ice reached her; but when Sir Piers had put back the receive

couldn't be back in time fo

nna Vivian's voice was always gentle in speaking to

ry good of her, but isn't she overdoing it just a litt

head of this show, you know. I suppose

to with which she always impressed upon Sir Piers her recollection of his increasing deafness.

ld man, looking puzzled. "Ten to six-that's office hours. S

have orders to meet a train at any hour of the day or night, and the telephone often goes on ringing ti

ewildered, and his

every night. It really is very hard on the servants, and, besides, I don't think we shall have enough petrol this winter for it to be possibl

ary?" inquired Si

hrugged he

se we must let her do what she can, even though she's a girl.

d to give up all her time as she does. But I'm sorry she can't be back fo

and refrained from addi

contempt for her cousin's Philistinism was only equalled by his unconcealed re

ith us tonight. Captain Trevellyan is bringing over a brother-officer and

Piers. "I hadn't heard that. Who

bia Carroll, and I knew her years ago-before she m

hey mo

Johnnie's

g reverberated t

e," remarked Lady Vivian, "bu

have been as a girl. Her hair was thick and dark, with more than a sprinkling of white, and two deep vertical lines ran from the corners

and had never known popularity. As the wife of Sir Piers Vivian, the only man who had ever wished to marry her, and

ought that Lady Vivian looked very handsome as she came down in h

papers come?" was

iers had them

an frowne

him so dreadfully. We must try and keep off the subject of

Piers Vivian ought not to be weighed in the balance against the universal tendency to discuss the war. That the su

iew, and profoundly indifferent to it. She even took a rather

to talk about. As a girl she had the voice of a pea-hen, and never stop

vocal powers could not but recur to Miss Bruce with a se

yet buoyant advance. Tall as Lady Vivian was, and by no means slightly built, she seemed to Miss Bruce to be at

ghtful to see you so absolutely and utterly unchanged! Dear

her seemed to include the drawing-room and i

.," said Lady Vivian flippantly, and

led at her with steady blue eyes that bore a great resemblance to her own, and wrung her

ia Willoughby piercin

t unnaturally sheepish, and Tr

Willoughby to you? My

f yours," shrieked Lesbia reproachfully. "I think it quite disg

Lady Vivian ruthlessly, "he wasn't born or tho

s mo

nce. You must all be very

it most unpatriotic. We're all going to be starving quite soon, and the poor are living on simply nothing a day as it

an appearance that almost amounted to impropriety, by merely putting a large bare elbow on the table and flinging back an elaborately dressed head set on a short neck and opulent shoulders, thickly dredged with heavily scen

?" Trevellyan inqui

ack till late. It's this Supply Dep?t of hers; she's giving every minute of the day and night to it," sa

ul to see all these young things devoting themselves? As for me, I'm literally run off my feet in town. I'm having a holiday here-just to see som

ly. "I hope you're going to be he

t very moment, I must simply dash back to London. My dear, I can't tell

," said Lew

is D.S.O. in South Africa, and whom no doctor

permitted him to follow more than the drift of general conversation. "Now, Charmian, our daughter, has taken up a most

do could ever be enough for the brave fathers, and husbands, and brothers, and sweethearts, who are risking their l

shed scarlet. He had fought in Belgium, and in Flanders, until a bullet lodged in his knee, and now his next Medical Board might send him to France to rejo

he table Joanna Vi

rious as to your work, Lesb

gave her high,

urs I've stood outside Claridge's carrying a tray and seeing insolent wretches walk past me without buying. I've been so exhausted by the end of the day I've had to have an hour's mas

you really!" said T

, her husband excepted, she was secretly fonder and more proud of Johnnie than of any one in the world, and she did not make the mis

lians, though I have a passion for Anzacs. But I take some of them somewhere every day-just show them London, you know. Not one of th

f them, and Char thought they'd enjoy a day out in the country. She manages everything, you know-even the hospitals. The doc

Universal Provider-w

ty for obeying, even at the eleventh hour, Lady Vivian's injunctions as to the trend of the conversation, a

everal strenuous efforts from Lesbia