_New Year's Eve in Coblenz_
THERE was no great difficulty in establishing the American Red Cross
hospital at Coblenz. Dr. Clark had a large and efficient staff who were
accustomed to working with him and naturally the demands were not so
severe as in time of war.
Indeed Dr. Clark had no idea of asking the same degree of energy and
devotion which the last six months of fighting had required of every
human being in any way engaged in the great struggle in Europe. A
reasonable amount of work and of discipline was as necessary for the
hospital staff as for the soldiers and officers of the American Army of
Occupation engaged in their new duty of policing the Rhine. Yet whenever
it was possible opportunity was given for freedom and pleasure.
There were but few of the expected difficulties between the Americans
and the Germans which the people of both nations had feared. A certain
friction of course and suspicion and gossip about secret plots, but no
open quarreling or dissension.
The new Red Cross hospital occupied an old castle which had formerly
been used as a German hospital, although the last German wounded had
been removed before the arrival of the American army.
The castle itself stood on a hill with a drop of a hundred feet to the
bank of the Rhine, a path led down the hill to the river's edge.
Crowning the summit were two old Roman towers which commanded a
wonderful view; through the windows one could see many miles up and down
the historic stream and on either side other castles famous in ancient
legends long before the foundation of the modern German empire.
Within view of the American Red Cross hospital was the famous German
fortress of Ehrenbreitstein across the river from Coblenz. The fortress
was set on a rocky promontory four hundred feet above the river and
surrounded by a hundred acres of land. From its flagstaff, where for a
hundred years the German standard had waved, now floated the stars and
stripes.
On New Year's day at about four o'clock in the afternoon Sonya Clark
stood waiting just outside the hospital for the appearance of her
husband. It had become their custom for the past two weeks, whenever
there was no real reason to prevent, to take a walk every afternoon at
about the same hour.
However, on this afternoon, Sonya and Dr. Clark had a definite
destination.
A New Year's eve entertainment for the amusement of the soldiers was to
take place at the Red Cross headquarters about a mile from the hospital
and both Sonya and her husband had promised to be present. As a matter
of fact as many of their Red Cross nurses as Miss Blackstone had been
able to release from their duties had been spending the afternoon at the
headquarters and an equal number of the hospital staff of physicians and
orderlies.
A light snow was falling when Sonya and Dr. Clark set out. The court
yard in front of their hospital sloped gradually to the road, so that
the steep incline was only in the rear.
To her husband at least Sonya looked very young and handsome in her long
fur coat and hat, which had been one of his gifts since reaching Europe.
Their walk was to lead through a number of quiet streets and then along
one of the main thoroughfares of the German city.
At first Sonya and Dr. Clark spoke of nothing of any importance and then
finally walked on for several moments in silence.
At the end of this time, Sonya glanced toward her husband and smiled.
"What is it you wish to talk to me about?" she inquired. "I don't know
why, but I always seem able to feel a something in the atmosphere when
you have a problem on your mind which you can't quite decide to discuss
with me."
Dr. Clark laughed.
"Well, you see, Sonya, when I married you I was under the impression
that you were unsuited to Red Cross work and that so far as possible,
since you would insist upon working with me, you must be saved from as
many difficulties as possible. At present, although I have not yet quite
reached the state of advising with you upon my professional
responsibilities, when my problems are human, you are the only person to
whom I can turn. Miss Blackstone is an admirable superintendent of a
hospital along the same lines that I have been a fairly successful
physician and surgeon, but when we have to deal with personal equations
we are both hopelessly unfit."
"And all this long speech, which may or may not be complimentary, leads
up to just what human equation at present?" Sonya queried.
"Can't you guess and tell me first, Sonya?" Dr. Clark demanded. "I
always feel so much better satisfied if you have noticed certain
situations yourself before I speak to you of them. Then I am convinced
that I have not made a mistake in my own sometimes faulty observations."
"I suppose at this instant you are considering the problem of Hugh
Raymond and Thea Thompson, aren't you, if problem there is in which any
outside human being has a right to interfere? No, don't interrupt me
until I finish," Sonya protested.
"I realize that you are very seriously opposed to the least personal
relation existing between any of your Red Cross nurses and physicians
and so far we have been remarkably successful. But it has been more luck
I think than my distinguished husband's objection to the possibility.
One can't arrange, when young persons are more or less intimately
associated with each other and living under the same roof, that they
always maintain a friendly and yet highly impersonal attitude. Of course
I also understand that you have great hopes for Hugh Raymond's future,
and that as he is extremely poor you would dislike to see him marry a
poor girl before his position is more assured. I also understand that
neither you nor I especially like Thea Thompson. She has rather a
curious history and is not herself an ordinary person. One thing I have
noticed. At the beginning of their acquaintance it was Thea who made an
effort to interest Hugh, since then I don't think she has been
particularly interested in him. The interest has been on his side. It is
to me rather unfortunate because Ruth Carroll might have liked Hugh,
and, oh well, I must not speak of this! All I wished to say was that
whatever our personal feeling in the matter it will be wiser, my dear
husband, for you to say nothing to Hugh at present and for me to say
nothing to Thea, which is what you rather had in mind to suggest.
Moreover, nothing has so far developed between them for which you need
have cause to worry! Thea told me the other day that she was happy here
in Coblenz because she has been able to have a relief from the constant
strain of the hospital work, which she confesses was becoming a little
hard to endure, by dancing with the soldiers at the Red Cross
headquarters in her free hours. She has been helping one of the Red
Cross managers, a Mrs. Adams, to teach some of the soldiers folk
dancing. I believe she has a gift for it and the soldiers are getting a
good deal of amusement out of their own efforts to learn. A good thing
for all of them! We must remember our years and realize that young
people need all kinds of relaxation."
"Thanks, Sonya, for including me along with your youthful self, even if
we are in a class apart," Dr. Clark returned. "I wonder if you will be
as severe with me concerning my other complaint. As a matter of fact I
am ashamed of this myself and do not honestly consider it gravely. But
you know we are in a curious position here in Coblenz. On the outside
apparently everything is going well. As comfortable a relation as one
could expect has been established between our former enemy and
ourselves. Yet Coblenz is full of rumors. There is a very strong
pro-Kaiser element in the city, which means there is a party deeply in
opposition to all American thought and feeling and to the establishment
of any new form of government in Germany which shall not include the
Kaiser.
"The point of all this is that I insist there be no display even of
conventional friendliness between any member of our Red Cross unit and
a single German resident of Coblenz. The information has been brought to
me that Nora Jamison, one of our own nurses, has been making friends
with a group of German children. They meet her and the little French
girl, Louisa, in one of the city parks every afternoon and there they
play together. Of course, this appears innocent, but knowing the
children in a too friendly fashion may mean knowing their families
later. The army officers tell me there has been this same problem among
our soldiers. No one seems to have been able to prevent their getting on
intimate terms with every little Hans and Gretel who makes their
acquaintance. But I do wish you would protest mildly to Miss Jamison. It
is true that we know little of her history except that her credentials
must have been satisfactory to the Red Cross. I confess I agreed to have
her form a part of our Red Cross unit rather on an impulse, when I
learned Barbara Thornton was forced to return home. Besides, Miss
Jamison herself attracted me. She has some unusual characteristic which
I cannot exactly explain, but which nevertheless--"
"Ah, well, you need not try to explain it, David, because the thing is
'charm,' which I believe no one has successfully explained so far,"
Sonya answered. "I presume this same charm is what endears her to the
German children; it has kept the little French Louisa close beside her
since we left France. The little girl is getting all right too, talking
and behaving like a normal person. But of course I'll ask Miss Jamison
to be careful that her friendship with the German children does not lead
to any intimacy in their homes. She told me that she was a kind of Pied
Piper of Hamlin. Do you remember how the Pied Piper led the German
children away into some undiscovered country when their parents refused
to pay him his just dues? But I think the girl is Peter Pan instead and
has some childish quality which we cannot understand but which children
recognize and love in her. You see the young soldier to whom she was
engaged was killed in the fighting near Chateau-Thierry and apparently
children are her one consolation. She is friendly with all our Red Cross
unit, but not intimate with one of us."
When Sonya and her husband finally reached the Red Cross headquarters,
already the large building was lighted, as the darkness fell early in
the winter afternoons.
Going unannounced into the big reception room they found it fairly
crowded. The room must have been fifty feet in length and nearly equally
wide and extended from the front of the building to the rear.
In one end was a giant Christmas tree, left over from the Christmas
celebration for the soldiers which in honor of New Year's eve was again
lighted with a hundred white candles according to a German custom.
There were few other lights in the room.
Up against the walls were double rows of chairs in which a number of
persons were seated. Others were dancing in the centre of the floor.
Immediately Mrs. Arthur Adams, who was in charge of the Red Cross
headquarters, came forward to speak to Dr. and Mrs. Clark. She was
accompanied by Major James Hersey, who had entirely recovered from his
attack of influenza and was now in command of his battalion in Coblenz.
A little later, after they had secured chairs, Bianca Zoli and Dr.
Raymond joined them.
Nona Davis was dancing with Sergeant Donald Hackett, Thea Thompson with
Carlo Navara.
Sonya noticed no one else at the moment whom she knew particularly well.
Yes, there standing up against the wall was Nora Jamison, with the
little French girl's hand in hers and a line of children on either side.
Nona Davis changing partners, Sergeant Donald Hackett went over
evidently to ask Nora Jamison to dance with him, but she must have
declined as he continued standing beside her, laughing and talking.
"Have you been dancing, Bianca?" Sonya inquired. "You usually enjoy it
so much."
Leaning over, Bianca whispered.
"Please don't discuss the question aloud, Sonya. No one has asked me
recently, only Major Hersey and Dr. Raymond earlier in the afternoon.
Dr. Raymond dances abominably."
"Not Carlo?" Sonya demanded.
And Bianca shook her head.
Something of their whispered conversation Hugh Raymond must have
guessed.
"We are not to have any more of the ordinary dancing just at present,
Mrs. Clark. Miss Thompson and Carlo Navara are to do a folk dance
together."
Just as he was speaking, suddenly the music ceased and the dancers
crowded into places along the wall.
A few moments later, standing in the centre of the floor and alone, were
Thea Thompson and Carlo Navara.
This afternoon Thea did not look plain; she had on a simple black dress
of some thin material, a bright sash and black slippers and stockings.
Her red hair formed a brilliant spot of color.
Carlo was in uniform.
Their dance was probably an Irish folk dance, although it was
comparatively simple yet the effect was charming.
Sonya believed she had never seen two more graceful persons than Thea
and Carlo as they advanced toward each other and receded, later forming
an arch with their hands above their heads and circling slowly in and
out.
Sonya had known nothing of Carlo as more than an ordinary dancer, but
evidently he and Thea must have been practicing together for the
afternoon's entertainment. Naturally, Carlo's musical gifts would make
him a more successful dancer than anyone without a sense of rhythm and
time.
In any case the effect was charming and the applause at the close
enthusiastic.
As soon as the dance was ended, Carlo came directly over to where Sonya
and her husband were seated. Bianca and Dr. Raymond were standing close
beside them.
"Carlo, you have not asked Bianca to dance, you won't forget, will you?"
Sonya murmured as soon as she had the opportunity without being
overheard. "I am afraid you have hurt her, but please don't let her
guess I have spoken to you."
Carlo flushed slightly.
"I am sorry my dear lady," he returned, which had been one of his old
time titles for Sonya. "I am afraid I have neglected Bianca. Miss
Thompson is such a wonderful dancer, she is apt to make one forget any
other partner."
But although Sonya smiled upon Carlo and forgave him, declining the
honor of dancing herself, Bianca was not to be appeased.
"I suppose Sonya asked you to invite me to dance, since you waited until
she arrived before you thought of me. Thank you just the same but I'd
rather not," Bianca said later in answer to his invitation.
Afterwards, although Carlo pleaded for her favor and returned several
times with a fresh request, nevertheless Bianca continued firm.
Then, a few moments before going back to the hospital with Sonya and Dr.
Clark, she waltzed for a short time with Dr. Raymond, in spite of the
fact that she had been right in declaring that he was a conspicuously
poor dancer.