The Red Cross Girls in Belgium

After six months of nursing in the British trenches the four American Red Cross girls were inspired to offer their services to the French soldiers. An autumn and a winter they spent together in southern France, keeping house in the little French "Farmhouse with the Blue Front Door."

Here the girls were so interested and so happy that for a little time they almost forgot the tragedies near at hand.

During the first months there had come a lull in the fighting along the borders of Alsace-Lorraine, where the American girls were now stationed. So they had opportunity for enjoying the fragrant woods, "the pool of Melisande" and the romantic atmosphere of the French country.

Their farmhouse was close upon the borders of an old chateau and belonged to its owner, the Countess Castaigne. After a slight misunderstanding a friendship develops between the old Countess and three out of the four American girls. And here in the dignified old Louis XIV drawing room they meet for the second time young Captain Henri Castaigne, whom in Paris they had seen decorated with the Cross of the Legion of Honor.

But between Eugenia Peabody, the New England girl who confesses herself to have been born an "old maid," and the gifted young Frenchman, there seems to be an immediate antagonism. Nevertheless, when the Germans finally surprise the French by an unexpected attack during the French retreat, it is Eugenia who alone rescued and cared for the wounded young officer. The other girls, with the Countess Amélie, join the French army in their new position. Later, when the French retake their old trenches, they return to the former neighborhood.

But for weeks Eugenia has devoted herself to concealing Captain Castaigne from the Germans and to nursing him back to health. Naturally at the end of this time a change in their relations has taken place. Captain Castaigne has developed a deep affection for Eugenia. But it is difficult to understand her attitude toward him.

In any case, she makes up her mind that it is wiser for the four American Red Cross girls again to change their field of labor. So at the close of the story of "The Red Cross Girls on the French Firing Line," they have decided to leave for Belgium.

"We simply must get into Brussels some time this afternoon," Barbara Meade declared. She was wearing her nurse's uniform and her manner and expression were more than ordinarily professional.

About ten days before the four American Red Cross girls had arrived in Belgium.

They were now seated on piles of loose brick and stone looking out toward a brilliant sunset. Before them the land lay bleak and desolate, while a half-burned house formed their background.

Nevertheless, as it was early summer time, tiny blades of green were peeping up from the dry stubble. On the single apple tree that had been left standing in a once comfortable orchard, a few apples at the top were slowly ripening. Except for this there were few other signs of summer's fulfilment.

In response to Barbara's speech Eugenia Peabody now shook her head with her usual decision.

"Sorry, but I can't go with you," she answered abruptly. "I have something more important to do. Tell them at the headquarters I'll try and come another day."

Then without glancing at any one, Eugenia rose and stalked away. She walked toward a small one-room cottage at some distance behind the ruined house. There she stood with her hands clasped before her. The place was utterly still and deserted. Yet it was difficult to tell whether Eugenia was listening for some unusual sound, or whether she was thinking upon a subject hundreds of miles from the present scene.

The girls were living in a big house a few miles outside of Brussels. This was only a temporary arrangement, as they had not yet received their orders for work from the Belgian Red Cross headquarters.

Barbara at this moment dug her shoe reflectively into the soft earth, in the meanwhile staring after her friend.

"Do you know, girls, Eugenia Peabody has become a mystery to me lately? When we started off on our expedition to Europe together, I thought I understood her character better than either of you. Now I simply don't see through her at all!"

Barbara frowned meditatively.

"Here she has been an heiress all this time, much richer even than Mildred Thornton, when we believed her as poor as a church mouse! But how could any human being have suspected Eugenia of riches when she wore such dreadful clothes?"

So plaintively did Barbara conclude her speech that her two companions laughed. Since arriving in tragic little Belgium they had not been able to laugh frequently. But being only girls they welcomed every opportunity.

Nona nodded agreement with her friend's point of view. The next moment she turned from one to the other of them. Her expression had grown more serious.

"We were hurt with Eugenia for not taking us into her confidence sooner, weren't we?" she remarked, not so much in the manner of asking a question as of making a statement.

If there had not been a rose-colored light on her face from the sunset Nona would seem to have flushed at this instant.

"I was wounded," she went on, "even though Eugenia explained that she had not meant to deceive us. She grew up very poor and when an old bachelor uncle left her a fortune she never learned how to spend her money because of her frugal New England training."

"Well, she is learning to spend it on other people now," Mildred Thornton interrupted. "It seems tremendously kind for Eugenia to have brought the little French girl, Nicolete, over to Belgium with us. She really shocks Eugenia every five minutes in the day, but I suppose Gene is trying to turn the child into a Puritan. Really, she had no reason in the world for being interested in Nicolete except that she was helpful when Captain Castaigne was ill. Then I presume Eugenia felt she might get into trouble with no one to look after her, as she would spend her time amusing the French soldiers."

"Mildred!" Barbara Meade whispered, "do be more careful. You know we promised to say nothing of Nicolete's French origin. She would never have been allowed to come into Belgium if her nationality had been known. And Eugenia is dreadfully nervous for fear the child may be suspected as a spy. No one is too young to escape suspicion these days!"

Barbara made this speech in hushed tones all the time looking carefully about her.

The countryside was for the time being deserted, but at any moment a group of German soldiers might pass by on the way to their barracks. A well-traveled road ran along in front of the place where the Red Cross girls were seated.

About an hour before they had come out together for a walk before dinner and were now resting on their journey back to their new Belgian headquarters.

At this moment Nona Davis got up and stood facing her other two friends.

"I have something to tell you," she began, "and I expect I had best not put it off any longer. I had it in mind when I spoke of Eugenia's secrecy, for you see we have all grown so intimate that we are almost like sisters. I--I too have a confession to make. I tried to tell you when we were crossing on the steamer together. Then it seemed to me I had no right to think you would be interested, and probably you won't be interested now."

Barbara was leaning her rounded chin on her hand. Mildred's lips were parted and her breath coming a little quicker by reason of her interest.

For she and Barbara both recalled Nona Davis' previous hesitation when talking of herself. They only knew a few facts concerning her history. She had been brought up by her father, an old southern soldier, in the city of Charleston, South Carolina. She had led a very lonely, secluded life. These were all their facts.

But since Nona was still hesitating Barbara smiled at her, wrinkling up her small nose in the absurd fashion she had when particularly in earnest.

"Go on, Nona, tell us at once. Are you a princess in disguise? I am quite prepared to believe it. To tell you the honest truth, it would not surprise me half so much as Eugenia's turning into an heiress. Alas, that I am what I am, a maid without a mystery!"

However, Nona was not in the humor to be diverted by her friend's nonsense.

"I am sorry my story is not in the least like that. So I am afraid it won't be of interest to you. Perhaps I am foolish to speak of this, since I have never, never talked of it to any one before."

Nona's brown eyes were clear and straightforward, although her chin quivered sensitively.

"I know nothing about my mother," she went on speaking quickly, now that she had made up her mind to the confidence. "Of course, I remember her when I was a very little girl in our old house in Charleston. But after she went away my father would never talk of her nor answer any of my questions. I do know, however, that she was a great deal younger than he, and I think she was French and came from New Orleans. There must have been something strange about my mother or her family; I never could decide and no one would ever tell me. Even after I grew up and asked questions of my father's old friends there was always the same silence. This was one of the reasons why I made up my mind to come away from Charleston," Nona finished quietly.

She had not been tragic or dramatic in the telling of her story, and yet neither of her two girl friends knew exactly what to answer.