Bab a Sub-Deb Part 49

"Good for you!" he said. "Evadently that school of yours is worth something after all. But we might have a bit of candy, anyhow, don't you think? Because we want to keep our Industries going and money in circulation."

I could not refuse under such circ.u.mstances, and purchaced five pounds.

Alas, war has already made changes in my Familey. George, the butler, has felt the call of Duty and has enlisted, and we now have a William who chips the best china, and looks like a German although he says not, and willing to put out the Natioual Emblem every morning from a window in father's dressing room. Which if he is a Spy he would probably not do, or at least without being compeled to.

I said nothing about the G. A. C. during dinner, as I was waiting to see if father would give me ten dollars before I organized it. But I am a person of strong feelings, and I was sad and depressed, thinking of my dear Country at War and our beginning with soup and going on through as though nothing was happening. I therfore observed that I considered it unpatriotic, with the Enemy at our gatez, to have Sauterne on the table and a c.o.c.ktail beforehand, as well as expencive tobacco and so on, even although economising in other ways, such as furnature.

"What's that?" my father said to me, in a sharp tone.

"Let her alone, father," Leila said. "She's just dramatising herself as usual. We're probably in for a dose of Patriotism."

I would perhaps have made a sharp anser, but a street piano outside began to play The Star-Spangled Banner. I then stood up, of course, and mother said: "Sit down, for heaven's sake, Barbara."

"Not until our National Anthem is finished, mother," I said in a tone of gentle reproof. "I may not vote or pay taxes, but this at least I can do."

Well, father got up to, and drank his coffee standing. But he gave William a dollar for the man outside, and said to tell him to keep away at meal times as even patriotism requires nourishment.

After dinner in the drawing room, mother said that she was going to let me give a Luncheon.

"There are about a dosen girls coming out when you do, Bab," she said.

"And you might as well begin to get acquainted. We can have it at the Country Club, and have some boys, and tennis afterwards, if the courts are ready."

"Mother!" I cried, stupafied. "How can you think of Social pleasures when the enemy is at our gates?"

"Oh nonsense, Barbara," she replied in a cold tone. "We intend to do our part, of course. But what has that to do with a small Luncheon?"

"I do not feel like festivaty," I said. "And I shall be very busy this holaday, because although young there are some things I can do."

Now I have always loved my mother, although feeling sometimes that she had forgoten about having been a girl herself once, and also not being much given to Familey embrases because of her hair being marceled and so on. I therfore felt that she would probably be angry and send me to bed.

But she was not. She got up very sudenly and came around the table while William was breaking a plate in the pantrey, and put her hand on my shoulder.

"Dear little Bab!" she said. "You are right and I am wrong, and we will just turn in and do what we can, all of us. We will give the party money to the Red Cross."

I was greatly agatated, but managed to ask for the ten dollars for my share of the Tent, etcetera, although not saying exactly what for, and father pa.s.sed it over to me. War certainly has changed my Familey, for even Leila came over a few moments ago with a hat that she had bought and did not like.

I must now stop and learn the Star-Spangled Banner by heart, having never known but the first verse, and that not entirely.

LATER: How helpless I feel and how hopeless!

I was learning the second verse by singing it, when father came over in his ROBE DE NUIT, although really pagamas, and said that he enjoyed it very much, and of course I was right to learn it as aforsaid, but that if the Familey did not sleep it could not be very usefull to the Country the next day such as making sh.e.l.ls and other explosives.

APRIL 11TH: I have had my breakfast and called up Jane Raleigh. She was greatly excited and said:

"I'm just crazy about it. What sort of a Unaform will we have?"

This is like Jane, who puts clothes before everything. But I told her what I had in mind, and she said it sounded perfectly thrilling.

"We each of us ought to learn some one thing," she said, "so we can do it right. It's an age of Specialties. Suppose you take up signaling, or sharp-shooting if you prefer it, and I can learn wireless telegraphy.

And maybe Betty will take the flying course, because we ought to have an Aviator and she is afraid of nothing, besides having an uncle who is thinking of buying an Aeroplane."

"What else would you sugest?" I said freezingly. Because to hear her one would have considered the entire G. A. C. as her own idea.

"Well," she said, "I don't know, unless we have a Secret Service and guard your father's mill. Because every one thinks he is going to have trouble with Spies."

I made no reply to this, as William was dusting the Drawing Room, but said, "Come over. We can discuss that privatly." I then rang off.

I am terrably worried, because my father is my best friend, having always understood me. I cannot endure to think that he is in danger.

Alas, how true are the words of Dryden:

"War, he sung, is Toil and Trouble, Honour but an empty Bubble."

NOON: Jane came over as soon as she had had her breakfast, and it was a good thing I had everything written out, because she started in right away to run things. She wanted a Const.i.tution and By-Laws as I had expected. But I was ready for her.

"We have a Const.i.tution, Jane," I said, solemnly. "The Const.i.tution of the United States, and if it is good enough for a whole Country I darsay it is good enough for us. As for By-laws, we can make them as we need them, which is the way laws ought to be made anyhow."

We then made a list, Jane calling up as I got the numbers in the telephone book. Everybody accepted, although Betty Anderson objected to the orange tie because she has red hair, and one of the Robinson twins could not get ten dollars because she was on probation at School and her Familey very cold with her. But she had loned a girl at school five dollars and was going to write for it at once, and thought she could sell a last year's sweater for three dollars to their laundress's daughter. We therfore admited her.

All is going well, unless our Parents refuse, which is not likely, as we intend to purchace the Tent and Unaforms before consulting them. It is the way of Parents not to care to see money wasted.

Our motto we have decided on. It is but three letters, W. I. H., and is a secret.

LATER: Sis has just informed me that Carter Brooks has not enlisted, but is playing around as usual! I feel dreadfully, as he is a friend of my Familey. Or rather WAS.

7 P. M.: The G. A. C. is a fact. It is also ready for duty. How wonderful it is to feel that one is about to be of some use to one's own, one's Native Land!

We held a meeting early this P. M. in our library, all doors being closed and Sentries posted. I had made some fudge also, although the cook, who is a new one, was not pleasant about the b.u.t.ter and so on.

We had intended to read the Const.i.tution of the U. S. out loud, but as it is long we did not, but signed our names to it in my father's copy of the American Common Wealth. We then went out and bought the Tent and ten camp chairs, although not expecting to have much time to sit down.

The G. A. C. was then ready for duty.

Before disbanding for the day I made a short speach in the shop, which was almost emty. I said that it was our intention to show the members of the Other s.e.x that we were ready to spring to the Country's call, and also to a.s.sist in recruiting by visiting the different Milatary Stations and there encouraging those who looked faint-hearted and not willing to fight.

"Each day," I said, in conclusion, "one of us will be selected by the Captain, myself, to visit these places and as soon as a man has signed up, to pin a flower in his b.u.t.tonhole. As we have but little money, the tent having cost more than expected, we can use carnations as not expencive."

The man who had sold us the tent thought this was a fine idea, and said he thought he would enlist the next day, if we would be around.

We then went went to a book shop and bought the Plattsburg Manual, and I read to the members of the Corps these rules, to be strictly observed:

1. Carry yourself at all times as though you were proud of Yourself, your Unaform, and your Country.

2. Wear your hat so that the brim is parallel to the ground.