AN IRATE OFFICER
“Captain” Grace sprang up, gasping for breath, for she had been thrown
violently against the end of the post when the other end struck the
door.
“Are you hurt, Elfreda?” she cried.
“Of course I am.”
“Forget it and let’s get out of here,” urged Grace, assisting her
companion to her feet. “If they catch us now they surely will have a
case against us.”
“I can’t forget, but I’ll try to get out,” promised Miss Briggs,
rubbing a tender spot on one arm.
They hurried from the cellar to the street. Grace looked up and down
the street, then started to the left, having discovered what seemed to
her, from his attitude of bored indifference, to be an M. P. As she
neared the man she recognized him. It was this M. P. who had assisted
the Overton girls to the truck the night before.
“I am truly glad to see you, Buddy,” cried Grace. “We are in
difficulties again. We were locked in a cellar as suspicious characters
and have just broken jail. Can you tell me if the headquarters of
Company A, Forty-seventh, is anywhere near? Also where may I find the
Intelligence headquarters?”
“Forty-seventh is at the other end of the town. Intelligence
headquarters is the last building before you reach the river bridge
right on the way you are headed.”
“What river?”
“The Moselle. Heinie is camped on the other side of it, so be careful
that you don’t get too near the bridge or you are liable to be picked
up again. Come along, I’ll show you the way. It’s on my beat.”
Grace thanked him gratefully.
“You do not happen to know whether or not Captain Boucher is there, do
you?”
The M. P. said he did not, but presumed so, for there was some sort of
a council of war being held at the headquarters.
The M. P. left them at the door and Grace entered, halting when she
found herself facing a sentry. She said she wished to see Captain
Boucher on a matter of importance and asked the sentry to send her
name in to the officer. The sentry told her he did not believe Captain
Boucher wished to be disturbed, but she insisted that she must see
him, so her name was sent in and Grace and Elfreda were seated in the
hall.
The Intelligence officer came out immediately and greeted them with
great cordiality.
“What can I do for you?” he questioned, smiling down into the flushed
face of Grace Harlowe. “Is it something connected with the affair we
were speaking of?”
“Not directly. The person that I said knew something about it is, I
believe, working for us. I am quite certain that he will have something
to report. Have you discovered anything?”
“I have verified your statement.” He smiled grimly. “Beyond that we
have not gone. But you have something else to say to me?”
“Yes, sir.” She glanced at the sentry.
“Come into the kitchen. There is a conference in the front room. Now
what is it?” he demanded when they had reached the rear room and the
door was closed behind them.
“I have just broken out of jail and have come here to ask you to
straighten the matter out for me. Miss Briggs is a lawyer, but her sort
of law isn’t good on the western front. Besides, she is an accessory
both before and after the fact, as she would characterize it.”
“I don’t quite understand,” wondered the captain.
“It is not customary with me to carry my troubles to others, but
something must be done or I shall have to go to General Gordon and
enter a formal complaint, which I do not wish to do,” began Grace. She
thereupon related the story of their ejection from the cottage where
they had planned to berth the previous night; their finding a place
to sleep in a camion; the arrival at the river and their arrest and
imprisonment in the cellar, followed by their smashing the door and
taking matters into their own hands.
As Grace related the story a flush mounted to the temples of the
Intelligence officer.
“Outrageous! Asinine!” he exclaimed explosively. “You are right, this
sort of thing must be put down. I think I see how it happened that you
were kept in the cellar. We are on the border of the enemy territory,
theoretically on it already, and the officers are very busy this
evening, for we have many uncertainties ahead of us.”
“I understand, sir, and should not have come to you, but for the fact
that I am likely to be picked up by the M. P. again at any moment.”
“Rest easy. I will attend to that.”
“Thank you. Please do not report the eviction incident. We can settle
it when we get to the Rhine, or perhaps by then it will have settled
itself,” urged Grace.
“As I was saying, the officers being very busy, the sergeant’s report
may not even yet have been read by the officer in command. I am glad
that you took matters into your own hands. Have you a place to sleep
to-night?”
“Not yet, sir.”
“You ladies will remain here. I will have two cots put in the kitchen.
We shall be in conference more or less most of the night and you may
not get much sleep. However, it will be better than nothing. In the
meantime I will send an orderly to report that you are here and to
vouch for you. Where is your equipment?”
Grace told him that it was left in the truck, and described as well as
she could the place where the truck might be found.
“Good. Don’t worry. I will also send word to Major Colt so he may know
where you are to be found. He has been looking for you, but all he
could learn was that neither of you ladies had been seen all day. No
one appeared to know what had become of you. He wishes you to go up
with him to-morrow. Will you go?”
“Yes, sir, provided I am not then in jail.”
“Very good. I’ll send word to him to that effect,” laughed the captain.
“In the meantime make yourselves tea or coffee. There’s army bacon in
the chest and potatoes in the woodbox.”
“Pardon me, but have you had mess?” asked Grace.
“Haven’t had time to attend to that. In fact, I had forgotten all about
it.”
“With your permission we will get supper for you.”
“That will be fine. Thank you.”
“How many?” questioned “Captain” Grace.
“Just three,” replied the Intelligence officer quizzically. “The others
have messed, but perhaps they will be glad of a pot of tea while I am
eating with you.”
The Overton girls busied themselves at once and soon had a savory meal
going. There were bacon with eggs, French fried potatoes, a bread
pudding made of crusts of bread and dressed with a mound of jelly,
baked beans and a plate of sardines.
“Something of a hodge-podge,” observed Grace, surveying the layout
rather disapprovingly. “It lacks something, but I can’t think what.”
“I know what,” spoke up Elfreda. “It lacks three people with appetites.
The odor of that bacon and eggs nearly drives me frantic, and if we
don’t sit down soon my appetite will overcome my better judgment. The
tea is ready for the council of war. I suppose they have their mess
cups with them.”
“If not, they will be obliged to drink out of the teapot. I’ll hand it
in.” Grace tapped on the door, which was opened by Captain Boucher.
“The tea, sir. Have you cups?” The captain nodded and Grace pointed to
the table. The signal was unnecessary, for the captain’s eyes and nose
had informed him that supper was ready.
The officer joined them soon afterwards, and a pleasant chat helped to
compensate for what was lacking in food. He declared that it was the
daintiest meal he had had, outside of Paris, since coming to France.
“I will send in your belongings as soon as they arrive. You may then
turn in and will not be disturbed. You can lock the door leading into
the front room if you wish.”
Grace thanked him, saying that she preferred to leave the door
unlocked. They had about finished clearing up after the meal when
Captain Boucher entered with two soldiers who had brought the girls’
things from the truck. There was also news for them. Their difficulty
had been adjusted, and nothing further would be done in the matter.
As Captain Boucher had surmised, the officer to whom the sergeant
submitted his report on their arrest had not even taken time to look
at it.
“I presume the French Government will bring in a bill for the door we
broke down,” suggested Grace laughingly.
“Trust the French for that. One never has to ask them for a bill. Oh,
by the way, Major Colt’s car will be here for you at nine-thirty. He
asks me to say to you that he has signed you up for an interesting
voyage in the skies.”
“Do you think, sir, that he has flying togs that I could use?”
“That will be provided. You will have a cold sail, but I don’t suppose
you will mind that after your months of campaigning.”
“No, sir. How will Miss Briggs ride?”
“In the major’s car with myself and two others. She will ride out to
see you make the start. Good-night. Hope you sleep well. The cots are
standing up there in the corner.”
Grace and Elfreda made preparations for retiring and were soon in bed
and asleep, Grace undisturbed by the noise or the thought of what was
to be a thrilling day for her on the morrow.