The War-Workers

e organization, there might be a panic next time an air-raid takes place. According to Mrs. Willoughby, e

x. It threw into greater relief the contrast which she knew

ther to her annoyance, Lady Vivian came

g her offspring's arrogantly expressed opinions. "As for your being there, in my opinion, it's a very good thing you weren't

en in the basement,"

unless, as Director of the Midland Supply Dep?t, a

and even Miss Bruce saw some exaggeration in the white, tense

the secretary, anxiou

the work with her in here this mornin

You won't distur

were going to s

es, I want to s

almost intolerable. There were no interviews, the telephone-bell was not allowed to ring, no one urged her not to neglect the substantial meals which were served for her

nd Supply Dep?t was compl

self, while the organization which she had practic

th

Lady Vivian and the professional nurse who had come from London, and when she rather indignantly demanded of Dr. Prince whether he did not think that he had better utilize her hospital experience at Plessing, the doctor merely repli

ing it's rather waste of time for an able-bodied woman with a certain amount o

tor, who had suffered considerably under the Central Dep?t's arbitrary interference with his Hospital work, "it'll do you a lot of good to keep quiet for six months or so. You've been sufferi

very triumphantly af

haps I shall get station transport for my cases properly put thr

y jealous of the R.A.M.C. men who've come to the fore. He's never f

nybody must, but he's known you ever since you were tiny,

ss Jones an account of panic at the Canteen on the occasion of the air-raid wh

, Miss Jones wa

ll. Captain Trevellyan was there, and asked

splendid, all of them, and that you set

, but didn't see anything. The men did, of course. They saw the Zeppelin come down

me!" exclai

Char, unsmiling. "That sort of haphazard sauve qui peut is

lorgnon and look

y post at a time like this. Everybody must see that unless I had any extremely definite call elsewhere,

sheaf of bulging envelopes w

face to Grace Jones, whose eyes were cast do

ce tomorrow or Monday, Miss Jones. You may tell the staff. Sir Piers's condition is not likely to alte

was si

s!" said C

yes and looked straight at the Dir

ss acute than those of Char Vivian could have felt the intense

ntly and coldly, in a tone as remote as

g else. The relative positions of the Director of the Midland Supply Dep?t and one of her staff were far too clearly

evellyan dine

he drawing-room. Then she took out some needlework. Sir Piers had always lik

under the big

naware of an impending crisis. Miss Bruce fidgeted with the fire-irons, dropped th

e can be no question of your returning to th

ack had

ugh her mind that her mother should have sought a cowardly prot

ed quietly. "My fa

o him. He asked me this afternoon if you were at home, and was glad when I

er forb

forbidden you anything? But he thinks that your

which she did not try to keep out of her voice. "D

ask for you at any time. He wishes yo

lly wanted me. It's simply because you-and he-won't be reminded of the war-of the ghastly horrors

denly. "Don't say things you

for speaking the truth. Yo

tle hour's comfort by ignoring the war, and keeping every thought of it away from him,

. Char had never seen her mother give way to such impetuous ag

doing work in Questerham-real, absolutely necessary w

y, going through all those letters and thin

m a quick glanc

eagerly. "You can have any one you please out here-s

sion was i

ildren out here to play with me. Good heavens, mother I do you

ant of being told," said he

cuse me of self-complacency in the tiny lit

acutest form"-Miss Bruce bounded irrepressibly on her chair-"but I will not have your fa

o the personal question-women always do. But I can't see it like that.

spairingly. "Tell her tha

gently. "You can do work here, you know, an

who'll be under your orders,

r, when it evoked from Johnnie the inspired suggestion: "Miss Jones! Make

hort laugh, which made Trevellyan look at her

iss Bruce began ti

said Joann

any reason-anything to fear-any danger," fal

came to h

be any immediate change, for worse or

ut he's not. We've already been told so. He may go on in this state for months and months.

r. "The point is not that you should be at hand in case of any crisis, but simpl

ne doubted that Joanna was angry, angrier

can be no need to arrange it tonight," said John. "Suppose we

's would ever be exercised in favour of Char's

said Lady Vivian. "He ought to be her

Miss Bruce, glanc

e that I ought to remain in idleness when e

ion," said John unexpectedly. "That's what we want Dr. Prince to tell us-wh

d in her easy-going cousin's voice, silenced her. She felt

udden spasm of most unwonted gratitude. Brucey at least knew that a real struggle was in progress between Char's sense of pa

tions of affection towards the faithful Miss Bruce. She smiled at her, pain and gratit

in his pockets, and looked at Joanna with inarticula

ack dress sweeping round her tall figure as she moved. In the silence, broken only by the rustling

look at Lady Vivian, then

the hall, and then she came back agai

k him to co

t least, I told them

med her res

upon the doctor, entering with the stooping gait

Joanna abruptly. "Will you give

he doctor, glancing sharply fr

my father is not in a fit state for me to take up my work at Questerham again. That I ou

n fact, there is every reason to hope that he is getting better.

cried Miss Bruce. "It's only a case of

his shoulders and gl

hat's reason enough. It distressed him very much, even bef

ay are not very easily assimilated by o

great ladies of his own generation, instead of in a Questerham office. But he had also been rather ashamed of his thoughts, and woul

use the need for workers is desperate. I can do the job I've undertaken, and so far as I can

icially, "as though any one cou

rked, with unexpected logic, "it's not as

rfectly well that I don't; we spoke of it the other day. Can you conscientiously tell me th

essionally, I can'

m, but it was evident that the doctor had not

it some twenty years or so before you came into the world. That's what you want. I can't tell you, as a matter of medical opinion, that it will bring on a second stroke, if you vex and disappoint your good father by monkeying about in a becoming uniform and a bit of gold braid on an office stool while he desires you to stay at home; but I can and I do tell you that you're

the doctor took out a large han

t I should have said it myself, but upon my word,

Miss Bruce.

at her, whit

t, as my mother has just implied, it is her own

s her daughter. "Not altogether, Char. Only I

hoice is made. I cannot, and will not, let a

an to g

the day aft

. Miss Bruce, looking half frightened and half admiring, crept after her, and Joa

sterham. I won't have you coming back and disturbing the house and wakin

quiescence, and went with

t unconquerably colloquial in the midst of her pain and anger. "