The Retreat
“As soon as we finish breakfast I think it wiser that you girls make your
arrangements to start on toward Paris at once.”
In the old kitchen of the French château the Camp Fire girls were seated
about an ancient oak table, eating as quietly as if nothing had occurred
to disturb them in the night.
The noise of the firing, which had interrupted Mrs. Burton’s and Yvonne’s
conversation, had not lasted long, and no one knew from what source it
had come, whether the Germans were making a surprise attack nearby, or
the allied troops repulsing one.
At dawn, hearing a knocking at the kitchen door, Mrs. Burton had admitted
an old French peasant woman and her small grandson. At present they were
having their breakfast of coffee and bread in a corner of the big
kitchen, having preferred not to sit at the table. With them they had
brought the news that the Germans had endeavored to cross the river about
ten miles from the Château Yvonne, but had been driven back. Also they
reported that the roads were becoming constantly more crowded with
refugees, and as soon as they had a little food and rest they wished to
journey on.
Following her demand, a little to the Camp Fire guardian’s surprise, no
dissenting voice greeted her.
Instead Alice Ashton replied immediately:
“I entirely agree with you, Tante. The sooner all of you make the effort
to reach Paris the better under the present conditions. I am afraid your
strength will not hold out if you continue waiting much longer in this
uncertainty. You understand that I cannot go with you. I must stay here
until Sally arrives with Aunt Patricia, if they ever do arrive. Sally is
younger than I am and not able to take care of herself in an emergency,
so that if anything happened to her I should always feel responsible. I
see now that to have allowed her to remain behind with Aunt Patricia and
Vera was madness, and yet no one could have anticipated the turn events
have recently taken. Still, in coming to France during war times each one
of us understood the possibility of danger. During our work at our
farmhouse on the Aisne we had a much quieter experience than any of us
anticipated!”
Alice’s speech had made an impression upon her small audience,
notwithstanding, Mrs. Burton shook her head.
“Sorry I can agree with only a part of what you have just said, Alice.
You _must_ go on to Paris with the other girls. I will stay on here to
wait for Aunt Patricia, Sally and Vera. I shall be in no especial danger,
unless the fighting actually reaches this château, which I doubt. But
with you girls here with me the situation would be utterly different.
Never so long as I live would I wish to face a member of your families. I
know now that I should never have brought you with me to France until the
war was actually ended! Personally I shall prefer staying on here for a
few days to rest.”
Mrs. Burton now turned directly to Yvonne Fleury.
“Yvonne, I have not forgotten what you told me last night, nevertheless,
you must go on to Paris. Remember the other girls need you to act as
their guide, as you alone know the roads in this part of the country. It
may be that after you have motored some of the way you may be able to
board a train, so that you will reach Paris more quickly. I don’t know, I
must leave details of the journey to your judgment. Some day, Mary
Gilchrist, I intend writing your father what his gift of a motor to you
has meant to us here in France.
“Also I think he need no longer regret having had no son to send to
France; no one could have accomplished more useful work than you in these
past few months, or handled a car more successfully.”
As she finished her suggestions, which she had made as casual and matter
of fact as possible, Mrs. Burton half rose from the tall wooden stool,
which was serving as her resting place, only to be drawn back again by
Peggy Webster, who laid a firm hold on her.
“Don’t talk nonsense, Tante!” Peggy remarked coolly, although not with
marked respect. “You know I would just as soon march out boldly and alone
to meet the advancing German army as to leave you here in the château by
yourself to await Miss Patricia’s coming. As a matter of fact all of us
realize she may never reach here. There is no use avoiding the truth that
there is every possibility the road may be cut off. Besides, you speak of
the impossibility of your facing our families if misfortune should
overtake one of us. Please think of the situation for me if I should some
day have to confess to my mother that I had left you alone and ill,
utterly deserted by all of us, to meet whatever may come. You are not
well enough to be alone even under ordinary circumstances.”
Peggy Webster possessed certain obstinate characteristics of her father.
Many years before when they were both young, Mrs. Burton and Mr. Webster
had known each other intimately and been eternally at war.
Therefore, Mrs. Burton was secretly a little amused and a little annoyed
at this moment by the firmness of Peggy’s crimson lips, the single
frowning line that appeared between her dark level brows. Moreover, she
knew that at present she had neither strength nor time for argument with
her niece.
“We must either decide it is wisest for us all to leave here for Paris,
or all to remain here,” Bettina Graham added at this instant. “Certainly,
Tante, no one of us will consider going on without you, or even leaving
just one of us here to face the situation with you. It is my opinion that
the way to meet the present difficulty is to meet it together. Our chief
trouble now is, not so much our own danger, as our uncertainty and worry
over Aunt Patricia, Vera and Sally. It seems to me our original mistake
was ever to have separated; either we should have waited with them at the
farmhouse until we could have started off together, or insisted they come
here to the château with us.”
Not alone was Bettina Graham’s opinion of influence among her group of
Camp Fire associates, ordinarily Mrs. Burton was also equally responsive
to it, Bettina possessing an unusual nature, a high sense of honor,
unselfishness and above all else good breeding. And these characteristics
were not due only to her parentage and training, but to something innate
in the girl herself.
Yet this instant, and in spite of Peggy’s restraining hand, Mrs. Burton
managed to rise from her place.
The next, she stood quietly facing the group of girls, who were gazing as
intently upon her. And upon each face the Camp Fire guardian read the
strongest spiritual opposition to her recent suggestion.
During the night Mrs. Burton had slept very little, she was now feeling
more exhausted than she cared to confess. Nevertheless, she faced her
present task with the courage and calmness characteristic of her in
important moments.
Dressing had always been something of an art with Mrs. Burton, even in
the days when as a girl, she, as Polly O’Neill, had little money to
spend. Since that time Mrs. Burton had apologized for herself by
declaring that clothes must do for her what natural beauty accomplished
for other women. They must divert attention from her natural plainness.
But whether or not this were true, and most persons would not have agreed
with her, Mrs. Burton always dressed with exquisite care.
This morning, even under the present trying conditions, her hair was as
carefully arranged, her blue serge costume fitted with the same neatness
and simplicity. Only her face revealed her fatigue and anxiety.
Nevertheless, as she stood gazing at her group of Camp Fire girls with a
mixture of appeal and authority, some quality in her expression gave her
a charm few persons ever possessed, a charm which had been partly
responsible for her remarkable success as an actress. At present her eyes
were very blue and determined, her mouth revealed both strength and
tenderness.
“I am sorry,” she began, “perhaps you girls do not agree with me, perhaps
it may be many years before you will understand what motive is back of my
present decision. I cannot argue or explain to you now. Only by noon you
must be prepared to leave here for Paris and for me to stay behind. I
insist upon it. In the years I have been your Camp Fire guardian I don’t
think I have often attempted to use my authority, or to follow any plan
which has not met with your approval. But today I intend doing both those
things. I will give you all the instructions I can and a letter to
Senator Georges Duval. When you reach Paris he will see that you find a
proper place to live. You will wait there until the rest of us either
join you, or let you hear what to do next. Now we have already spent too
much time in discussion, please get ready at once!”
As she concluded there was a finality in Mrs. Burton’s tones which few
persons were ever able to disregard.
Moreover, she turned at once and left the room.
After she had gone the Camp Fire girls remained silent a moment and then
Mary Gilchrist gave a despairing shrug to her shoulders.
“Well, at least I have no choice, if you girls are to go to Paris I must
go with you to drive our motor. Yvonne, I think you are in the same
situation that I am. We shall need you to tell us about the roads.
Whatever the others think wisest I am willing to do. But assuredly I
don’t believe we ought to leave Mrs. Burton here alone, and just as
certainly I don’t see how we are to take her with us, unless we decide to
do it by force.”
Peggy Webster, who, since the beginning of her aunt’s speech, had sat
with her eyes downcast and her cheeks flushed, now leaned forward resting
her elbows on the table.
“Girls, please listen and help me,” she pleaded. “It is my judgment that
the rest of you must start for Paris, but that I must remain here. Tante
will not go with us, or change her decision. I have known her all my
life. At times she seems easily influenced, at others she is absolutely
immovable. This is one of the times. So I must pretend that I mean to
accompany you, I must make my preparations just as the rest of you will
do, and at the last moment trust to some sudden inspiration which will
allow me to stay behind. There is even the possibility that Aunt Patricia
and Sally and Vera may appear before noon, though I confess I have not
much faith in the idea. Recently, watching for their coming, I have felt
a little like Sister Anne in the story of Bluebeard.”
At this moment Peggy attempted to laugh, although her merriment was not a
conspicuous success.
Immediately after, without questioning Peggy Webster’s conclusion, the
Camp Fire girls set about their preparations to join the groups of
refugees, now retreating for the second time toward Paris.
There was not a great deal to be accomplished.
They had brought with them from their farmhouse on the Aisne only a few
essential things, and no one had completely unpacked.
Fortunately, Yvonne Fleury had stored away at her home, not only
sufficient food for their stay at the Château Yvonne, but enough to take
with them whatever was required for the journey to Paris.
For two hours the girls worked industriously, Mrs. Burton assisting them
in every possible way and never again referring to her own intention not
to accompany them.
Only once for a few moments she had a short talk with her niece.
“I know, Peggy, that these are the days when everybody offers the most
excellent advice to everybody else, so I suppose I am no exception. But
please promise me not to worry about me, or to think of me, until we see
each other in Paris. Then I shall be happy to receive any attention you
wish to bestow upon me. In all probability the French and American troops
will never allow the enemy to reach this neighborhood and I shall enjoy
the rest here alone. But if anything occurs you are to tell my husband
and your mother that it was my usual obstinacy which forced you girls to
make this dangerous trip alone. By the way the old French peasant woman
who came in this morning has promised to stay here with me if you will
take her little grandson with you and see that no harm comes to him. So
you see I shall be perfectly well looked after.”
“Yes,” Peggy answered non-committally, and went her way.
A little before noon Mary Gilchrist drove her motor car into a courtyard
behind the French château.
The courtyard was built of stone.
On the further side a narrow road led on to the main one, which further
on connected with the road to Paris.
A few moments after, the five Camp Fire girls came out of the house
dressed for the journey. They wore their Camp Fire traveling costumes
especially designed for their new service in France.
Mrs. Burton accompanied them, but there was nothing in her appearance or
manner to suggest that she had changed her decision and intended to go on
with them to Paris.
When four of the girls climbed into the motor, she stood nearby talking
to them. Peggy Webster was only a few feet away, making no effort to
enter, and yet with her preparations for the trip as complete as any one
else.
“This is not goodbye, girls, merely the French adieu! Really I suppose
both the farewells mean ‘God be with you till we meet again.’ As for me I
shall see you soon, along with Aunt Patricia, Sally and Vera. Afterwards
we shall remain in Paris until the Allies win the war. This cannot be far
off, this temporary German success is the last flare of a dying fire.
Come, Peggy dear, let me help you climb in.”
Mrs. Burton’s manner was persistently, almost annoyingly cheerful, though
no one of her companions responded to it in the least degree.
“I suppose you might as well know the truth now, Tante,” Bettina Graham
announced. “No one of us has ever meant to allow you to be here alone at
the château. We have merely decided that Peggy is your niece and so has a
greater right to stay than the rest of us. Goodbye, Peggy. If we hear you
and Tante are in special danger we may return to you!”
Like many another person Mrs. Burton had believed in her own triumph
before her battle had been finally won.
Now she walked over and put her hand on Peggy Webster’s shoulder.
“Come, dear, I think you understand I mean to be obeyed.”
Silently two pairs of eyes gauged each other, while two wills fought for
supremacy.
But who would have conquered in the end no one was ever to find out.
At this instant there was an unexpected noise in the narrow road behind
the courtyard of the château.
Forgetting Peggy for the moment, Mrs. Burton ran toward the gate which
led from the courtyard into the road. For the moment she seemed to have
lost courage. Few persons in the neighborhood had known of their presence
in the Château Yvonne for the past few days.
She felt a sudden premonition of evil. Who could be appearing at this
hour to interrupt the effort of the Camp Fire girls to reach Paris in
safety?
Mrs. Burton stepped out into the road with Peggy Webster following close
behind her.
A cavalcade seemed to be approaching them. Yet there was nothing to
suggest danger.
Nevertheless, the spectacle they now beheld was startling even in war
times.
A pair of heavy cart horses were moving up the road, drawing a large farm
wagon.
Two cows, laden like beasts of burden and hitched to the wagon, were
coming on behind.
On the front seat of the wagon was a tall, gaunt spinster, an old man and
a boy. Miss Patricia Lord was driving.
Inside the wagon, surrounded by bundles and boxes of varying sizes, were
two girls, Sally Ashton and Vera Lagerloff.
As the wagon drew near, Miss Patricia Lord stood up and began waving a
long stick.
“Polly Burton, why are you and the Camp Fire girls not already on the
road toward Paris? Perhaps you have not heard the Germans are breaking
through at different points all along the Allied line! I will give you
just five minutes to be ready to go on with us!”