CHAPTER IV
WAR
As the crowd of young fellows came trooping into the office, oldPeterson, who alone had kept at his books, looked up with a reproofupon his lips.
"What do you fellows think this is, a business office or an athleticclub?" he demanded.
But the querulous look and tone vanished when he had heard the story ofOliver's rescue, and as he turned to his books again the old veteran ofmany battlefields muttered to himself:
"The old American stuff is in the boys yet. If he's the kind thatUncle Sam is going to send to the trenches, Heaven help the Kaiser!"
Three weeks went by, weeks of stern resolve and feverish expectation.It was becoming evident now to every mind that America could not, ifshe would, keep out of the war except at the expense of national honor.
Every day brought its toll of sinking ships and murdered crews, ofwanton brutality and flagrant disregard of plighted faith. The wholeworld was sickening of the German name.
The city of Camport felt the quickening thrill that was running throughthe continent from coast to coast. War was the universal topic. Inthe shop, in the street, in the church, in the courthouse, the oneprevailing subject was war.
The mad dog of Europe was running wild, and it was up to America tojoin with all the rest of the civilized world in putting an end to hisdepredations.
The Thirty-seventh had come back to Camport from the Mexican border,the men hard as nails, sound as nuts, brown as berries, eager andardent for the tremendous task before them, and as the regiment swungthrough the streets, headed by the band, keeping step to the strain ofmartial airs, the little city went wild with enthusiasm.
"There's no use, Frank," said Bart, as with the other young fellows ofthe place they thronged the windows to see the regiment go by. "I'mgoing to join."
"Same here," said Frank. "I can feel Uncle Sam's hand on my shoulderthis minute."
"We're coming father Abraham, one hundred thousand strong!" sang outReddy, from his place on a stool behind them where he had perchedhimself so as to be able to look over their heads.
Just then Billy Waldon passed in the ranks and looked up at them with acheerful grin.
"There's Billy!" cried Tom. "Oh, boy! wouldn't I like to be marchingalongside of him!"
"Let's go around to the armory this very night, Frank, and give in ournames!" cried Bart. "I tell you, this thing's got me, got me bad."
"It's got me just as bad," said Frank, "and the only question is, injust what branch of the service I'm going to enlist when the Presidentcalls for troops. I want to see action and see it quick, and I havethe idea that perhaps the regular army boys will get into the trenchessooner than the national guard. I'll talk it over with my motherto-day and then I'll decide."
By the time the noon hour arrived the parade was over, and Frank, withhis heart and mind full of the stirring scenes he had witnessed, wenthome to lunch.
It was only when the modest little house came into view that histhoughts took a more sober turn and his step slowed a little. Up tonow he had been thinking chiefly of himself. He was like a houndstraining at the leash. Every instinct in him clamored to be in thevery thick and front of the coming fight.
But there was his mother, his mother, whose eyes had grown larger andmore wistful of late as every day had brought nearer and nearer theconflict that was about to claim her only son. He was all that shehad, her one strong support and sure refuge and loving comrade.
What would she do, alone and anguished in this quiet home while he wasbattling at the front in a rain of shells, of poison gas, of liquidfire?
But he must not sadden her by carrying into the house this shadow ofcoming events that for the moment had flung itself over him, and heassumed a gaiety that he did not feel as he ran lightly up the stepswhere she, as usual, stood waiting for him in the open door.
She on her part had hidden her heartache beneath a mask of vivacity.It was a loving deception where each knew that the other was trying todeceive and failing in the attempt.
"Well," she asked, cheerily, as they sat down to the tasteful meal shehad prepared for him, "what is the news in the city to-day? It seemsto me that I have heard nothing but band music all morning."
"I guess the band didn't leave anything out," said Frank with a smile."They played through the whole list of national airs from the "StarSpangled Banner" to "Dixie."
"But I heard something else too," went on his mother. "What was it thenewsboys were crying through the streets?"
"Oh it was an extra of some kind," said Frank, evasively.
"But of what kind?" asked his mother with a gentle persistence.
"Why, it was about the President's speech," said Frank, reluctantly."He's expected to address the Senate this afternoon, and everybody iseager to know what he will have to say."
"I can guess what it will be," said his mother, sadly.
"Yes," agreed Frank, "There's no use blinking the facts, little Mother.He's going to declare that the United States is at war with Germany.And high time, too!" he burst out, his pent-up convictions findingvoice. "We've been patient, Mother, till patience becomes a fault.We've waited and hoped and written and argued, and all the whileGermany has been growing more vile and brutal. Any further patiencewould be cowardice. And that's one thing that, with all its faults,our country has never been guilty of. It's up to us now, Mother, everyone of us," and he emphasized the words, "to show that we're worthy tobe called Americans."
"Yes," faltered his mother, "I suppose it is--in my heart I know it is.But oh, my boy! my boy! how can I let you go?"
"It's duty, Mother," said Frank, gently. "It isn't a question ofchoice. I must go. My country needs me, and I know my mother wellenough to be sure she would be the last one in the world to hold meback."
Before his mother could reply there was a commotion in the streetoutside. They looked at each other inquiringly and then rose from thetable and hurried to the window.
Most of the houses in Camport had been decorated with Old Glory inhonor of the return of the favorite regiment. Frank had seen to itearly in the morning that his own flag had swung from a pole set in theupper window.
Through the whole length of the street there was not a house that didnot show from some point of vantage the Stars and Stripes.
The house directly opposite Frank's had gone even further. Upon one ofthe pillars of the porch had been deftly grouped the flags of Franceand England with Old Glory in the center. It was a type of thealliance that bound together or was soon to bind three of the greatnations that were to fight side by side the battle of civilizationagainst barbarism.
Before the house where these emblems were displayed, a little knot ofpeople were arguing and gesticulating. One of them, a burly fellow,had a face that bore the German stamp. He was greatly excited and hisarms were waving like windmills as he pointed at the three flags thatseemed to have stirred him to anger.
Suddenly, in a fit of rage, he broke away from the group, ran up thewalk to the house, grabbed the offending colors from the pillar of theporch and threw them to the ground where he stamped upon them.
Mrs. Sheldon gasped.
With a bound Frank reached the door, flung it open and rushed acrossthe street. The fellow who had vented his rage on the flags looked up.He saw Frank coming, and the sight of that flying figure, with tautmuscles and blazing eyes was not reassuring.
He ran down the walk in an effort to escape. Frank met him at thegate. Like a flash Frank's fist shot out and the vandal measured hislength on the ground.