Chapter XX

by Mary Roberts Rinehart

　　Harvey proceeded to put his plan into effect at once, with the simplemethod of an essentially simple nature. The thing had becomeintolerable; therefore it must end.

　　On the afternoon following his talk with Belle he came home at threeo'clock. Belle heard him moving about in his room, and when she enteredit, after he had gone, she found that he had shaved and put on his bestsuit.

　　She smiled a little. It was like Harvey to be literal. He had said hewas going to go round and have a good time, and he was losing no time.But in their restricted social life, where most of the men worked untilfive o'clock or even later, there were fewer afternoon calls paid.Belle wondered with mild sisterly curiosity into what arena Harvey wasabout to fling his best hat.

　　But though Harvey paid a call that afternoon it was not on any of theyoung women he knew. He went to see Mrs. Gregory. She was at home—hehad arranged for that by telephone—and the one butler of theneighborhood admitted him. It was a truculent young man, for all hispoliteness, who confronted Mrs. Gregory in her drawing-room—a quietlytruculent young man, who came to the point while he was still shakinghands.

　　"You're not going to be glad to see me in a minute," he said in replyto her greeting.

　　"How can you know that?"

　　"Because I've come to get you to do something you won't want to do."

　　"We won't quarrel before we begin, then," she said pleasantly. "BecauseI really never do anything I don't wish to do."

　　But she gave him a second glance and her smile became a trifle forced.She knew all about Harvey and Sara Lee. She had heard rumors of hisdisapproval also. Though she was not a clever nor a very keen woman,she saw what was coming and braced herself for it.

　　Harvey had prepared in his mind a summary of his position, and hedelivered it with the rapidity and strength of a blow.

　　"I know all about the Belgians, Mrs. Gregory," he said. "I'm sorry forthem. So is every one, I suppose. But I want to know if you think agirl of twenty ought to be over there practically at the Front, andalone?" He gave her time to reply. "Would you like to have yourdaughter there, if you had one?"

　　"Perhaps not, under ordinary circumstances. But this is war."

　　"It is not our war."

　　"Humanity," said Mrs. Gregory, remembering the phrase she had writtenfor a speech—"humanity has no nationality. It is of all men, forall men."

　　"That's men. Not women!"

　　He got up and stood on the hearthrug. He was singularly reminiscent ofthe time he had stood on Aunt Harriet's white fur rug and had told SaraLee she could not go.

　　"Now see here, Mrs. Gregory," he said, "we'll stop beating about thebush, if you don't mind. She's got to come home. She's coming, if Ihave to go and get her!"

　　"You needn't look at me so fiercely. I didn't send her. It was her ownidea."

　　Harvey sneered.

　　"No," he said slowly. "But I notice your society publishes her reportsin the papers, and that the names of the officers are rarely missing."

　　Mrs. Gregory colored.

　　"We must have publicity to get money," she said. "It is hard to get.Sometimes I have had to make up the deficit out of my own pocket."

　　"Then for God's sake bring her home! If the thing has to go on, sendover there some of the middle-aged women who have no ties. Let 'em getshot if they want to. They can write as good reports as she can, ifthat's all you want. And make as good soup," he added bitterly.

　　"It could be done, of course," she said, thoughtfully. "But—I musttell you this: I doubt if an older woman could have got where she has.There is no doubt that her charm, her youth and beauty have helped hergreatly. We cannot—"

　　The very whites of his eyes turned red then. He shouted furiously thatfor their silly work and their love of publicity, they were trading ona girl's youth and beauty; that if anything happened to her he wouldpublish the truth in every newspaper in the country; that they would atonce recall Sara Lee or he would placard the city with what they weredoing. These were only a few of the things he threw at her.

　　When he was out of breath he jerked the picture of the little house ofmercy out of his pocket and flung it into her lap.

　　"There!" he said. "Do you know where that house is? It's in a ruinedvillage. She hasn't said that, has she? Well, look at the masonrythere. That's a shell hole in the street. That soldier's got a gun.Why? Because the Germans may march up that street any day on their wayto Calais."

　　Mrs. Gregory looked at the picture. Sara Lee smiled into the sun. AndRené, ignorant that his single rifle was to oppose the march of theGerman Army to Calais—René smiled also.

　　Mrs. Gregory rose.

　　"I shall report your view to the society," she said coldly. "Iunderstand how you feel, but I fail to see the reason for this attackon me."

　　"I guess you see all right!" he flung at her. "She's my future wife.If you hadn't put this nonsense into her head we'd be married now andshe'd be here in God's country and not living with a lot of foreignerswho don't know a good woman when they see one. I want her back, that'sall. But I want her back safe. And if anything happens to her I'llmake you pay—you and all your notoriety hunters."

　　He went out then, and was for leaving without his hat or coat, but thebutler caught him at the door. Out in the spring sunlight he walkedrapidly, still seething, remembering other bitter things he had meantto say, and repeating them to himself.

　　But he had said enough.

　　Mrs. Gregory's account of his visit she reported at a meeting speciallycalled. The narrative lost nothing in the repetition. But the kindlywomen who sat in the church house sewing or knitting listened to whatHarvey had said and looked troubled. They liked Sara Lee, and many ofthem had daughters of their own.

　　The photograph was passed around. Undoubtedly Sara Lee was living in aruined village. Certainly ruined villages were only found very near theFront. And René unquestionably held a gun. Tales of German brutalitiesto women had come and were coming constantly to their ears. MabelAndrews had written to them for supplies, and she had added to thechapter of horrors.

　　Briefly, the sense of the meeting was that Harvey had been brutal, butthat he was right. An older woman in a safe place they might continueto support, but none of them would assume the responsibility of thecrushing out of a young girl's life.

　　To be quite frank, possibly Harvey's appeal would have carried lessweight had it not coincided with Sara Lee's request for more money.Neither one alone would have brought about the catastrophe, butaltogether they made question and answer, problem and solution. Moneywas scarce. Demands were heavy. None of them except Mrs. Gregory hadmore than just enough. And there was this additional situation to face:there was no end of the war in sight; it gave promise now of going onindefinitely.

　　Joifre had said, "I nibble them." But to nibble a hole in the GermanyArmy might take years. They had sent Sara Lee for a few months. Howabout keeping her there indefinitely?

　　Oddly enough, it was Harvey's sister Belle who made the only protestagainst the recall.

　　"Of course, I want her back," she said slowly. "You'd understand betterif you had to live with Harvey. I'm sorry, Mrs. Gregory, that he spoketo you as he did, but he's nearly crazy." She eyed the assembly withher tired shrewd eyes. "I'm no talker," she went on, "but Sara Lee hasdone a big thing. We don't realize, I guess, how big it is. And Ithink we'll just about kill her if we bring her home."

　　"Better to do that than to have her killed over there," some one said.

　　And in spite of Belle's protest, that remained the sense of the meeting.It was put to the vote and decided to recall Sara Lee. She could bringa report of conditions, and if she thought it wise an older woman couldgo later, to a safer place.

　　Belle was very quiet that evening. After dinner she went to Harvey'sroom and found him dressing to go out.

　　"I'm going with a crowd to the theater," he said. "First week of thesummer stock company, you know."

　　He tied his tie defiantly, avoiding Belle's eyes in the mirror.

　　"Harvey," she said, "they're going to bring Sara Lee home."

　　He said nothing, but his hands shook somewhat. "And I think," Bellesaid, "that you will be sorry for what you have done—all the rest ofyour life."