Young Hilda at the Wars

station. The three women were entertaining a distinguished guest at the evening meal of tinned rabbit and dates. Their visitor was none other than F. Ainslie-Barkleigh, the famous

rict, with heavy inked red lines for the position of friend or foe. He was a tall man, with an immense head, on which were stuck, like afterthoughts, very tiny features-a nose easily overlooked, a thin slit of a mouth, and small inset eyes. All the upper part of him was overhanging and alarming, till you chanced o

assistant, sat opposite him at table. Hilda did the honors by s

u wear," said Hilda. "W

rs," returned Bar

bons, I should have the case letter and the exhibit number printed on e

s out of their sockets to see which one her fing

eturned Hilda; "that alone would merit decoration at their

the Balkans. I always did g

e King and his Chief of Staff called you out on the Town-hall steps. You must eit

urse," returned he

spered Scotch to the eve

slie-Barkleigh, clearing his throat for

lt in you. But what you really mean is that you don

e explain,

ad," sa

f the battle-front. Here you are in a cellar, sleeping in bags on the straw, living on bully-b

sed Hilda. "When I went to the Red Cross at Pall Mall in Lon

"But what I mean is, this is reckless; you

ome from the trenches, with a gunshot wound in the hand, or a piece of shell in a leg, and we fix them up. That's bet

at," broke in t

olite to interrupt when a gentl

ack to the c

itary doctor had clapped a treatment over it, when the wound was fresh and dirty, without first cleaning it out. Mrs. Bracher treated it every two hours for six days. The bo

t quite satisfy me. Wait till you get some real hot she

rising slowly but pow

rposed Hilda, at a gallop, "sa

ways in the action. She was one of those silent, comfortable persons, without whom no group is complete.

ou are doing?" persisted the co

ant to know?"

nt to know,"

ernoon and we'll go to Nieuport. We promised to go over and visit the

King of the Belgians. In the early afternoon, the buzz of motors penetrated to the stuffy cellar, and it needed no yelping horn, squeezed by the firm hand of Smith, to bring Hilda to the surface, alert for the expedition. Two motor ambulances were puffing their lungs out, in the roadway. Pale-faced Smit

ed he, "we're o

tion for the first quarter hour. They speeded by sentinel after sentinel, who smiled and murmured, "Les Anglais." Corporals, captains, commandants, gazed in amazement and awe at the massive figure of the war-correspondent, as

ised to answer my question. Why are you out here? Why isn't

brary in Pittsburg, let us say. Yes, we're out to help. But we're out for another reason, too. For generations now, you men have had a monopoly of physical courage. You have faced storms at sea, and charged up hills, and pulled out drowning children, and footed it up fire-ladders, till you think that

"When the danger is so close you can see it, a woman's nerve is

," retorted Hilda, "we

ck," mutt

soldiers, trudging south. The rumble had become a series of reports. The look of the peaceful

are all turn

ight," Hil

y're all marching back. That me

da; "it simply means that Nieupo

igh. "It is foolish to go into the town

retreat as fast as the other men, so I'm afraid we shall have to look them up.

, a habit of his when he anticipated a breezy time. Th

asonry. The blur of red brick-dust in the air, and the fires from a half dozen blazing houses, filled the eyes with hot prickles. The street was a mess over which the motor veered and tossed like a careening boat in a heavy seawash. In the other car, their leader, brave, per

sheltering. Here, too, in the cellar, was the dressing-station for the wounded. A small, spent, but accurately directed obus, cam

. "I didn't know they got tired like that, and came

t," he muttered, "the

illing glass had seized his attention. Th

had a pane,"

doomed," sa

his?" he insisted. "Th

woman, is it?"

" she added politely, "

ent. About a stone's throw to the

e carefully shook them one after the other, and spoke pleasantly to a dog that was wandering about the Grand Place

one stretcher, and we'll clear the place out. Hild

down the Grand Place, felt of the machinery of each of the two ambula

he said; "

ing as if you were ch

Barkleigh. "I said so, away back ther

most annoying, don't you, Mr. Barkleigh? Now shrapnel seems more friendly-quite like a hail-

looking toward the Town-hall.

e only three of them actively at work

their stretcher. Dr. McDonnell was leading two others, who were able to walk wi

yse," ordered

re ready for them. So was an English T

erly. "You must return to Dunkirk at once.

d assented with a nod of his head.

h you, and go out again. Very interesting and all th

d himse

ervention," brea

ll the cruel winter: refuge and rest for their weary troops, and citadel of their King? And was not that their King, standing over yonder on the pavement, higher than the generals and statesmen on the steps of the Town-hall back of him? Tall and slender, crowned with youth and beauty, did he not hold in his hand the hearts of all his people? And to-day he was passing on merit to two English dames, and the people were glad of this, for the two English dames h

standing quietly watching the joyous crowds and their King. Pushing thr

," said Hilda, "th

shame,"

shame?" as

rating you? You're th

n deserve all that is coming to them. I am

unfastened the bright decorations on hi

said, "I have no heart for t

t wear them," she answered, a

, "if you won't wear them, keep them. Hide them, throw them away. I'm don

the ribbons u

e said, "for, verily

LGIAN

all him to his suffering. No indemnity will cleanse his mind of the vileness committed on what he loved. By every aspect of a once-prized beauty, the face of his torment is made more clear. Of all that fills the life

rd and the meadow where first love came to the meeting, the eager city where ambition, full-panoplied, sprang from the brain. The mind is hung with pictures of what once was. But there must always be a local habitation for these rekindled h

slaughter. All that was fair in his consciousness has been seared with horror. Where can he go to be at home? To England? To a new continent? What stranger-city will give him back his memories? He is condemned forever to live i