CHAPTER XVIII
BEARING THE BURDEN
It was dusk before Ruth Fielding arrived at the Clair Hospital afterher exciting call at the Chateau Marchand. She had refused to allowMajor Marchand to accompany her to the village, for she learned he mustbe off for the front lines later in the evening, and would in any casehave but a few hours with his mother.
Ruth had conceived a plan.
She had been in serious conference with Major Marchand and thecountess. Neither, of course, knew the particulars of Tom Cameron'sarrest at Merz, beyond the German lines. However, they sympathizedwith her and applauded her desire to help Tom.
For there was a chance for Ruth to aid the young American lieutenant.The major admitted it, and the countess admired Ruth's courage insuggesting it.
The brief announcement of Tom's arrest sent by Count Marchand by Bubu,the greyhound, together with facts that the major knew, aided Ruth ingaining a pretty clear understanding of Tom Cameron's situation.
He had volunteered for this dangerous service and had been assigned towork with the French secret agents on both sides of the battle line.After his own comrades' suspicion was fixed on him, it was decided, Tomagreeing, that he would be able to do better work in Germany. MajorMarchand had himself guided the American lieutenant to Merz, andintroduced him to Count Allaire Marchand.
"And we both consider him, Mademoiselle," said the major generously, "amost promising recruit. We arranged for him to enter Merz in the guiseof a wealthy Bavarian Hauptman on leave. Merz, you must understand,was quite a famous health resort before the war. Many foreigners, aswell as Germans, went there to drink the waters. That is why we had asummer estate on the outskirts of Merz."
In addition, the major told of Tom's early successes in gettingacquainted with the chief men of the town--particularly with the goutyold Prussian general, who was the military governor of the district.Information which Tom had gained, the major whispered, had spurred theAmerican authorities in this sector to remove the civilian populationfor several miles back of the trenches.
There was soon to be a "surprise" attack upon the Americans, and thehuge guns being brought up for the bombardment before the infantryadvance might utterly wreck the open country immediately back of theAmerican trenches.
Tom Cameron, posing as Captain Von Brenner, was apparently awaiting atMerz's best hotel the appearance of his sister, who, he declared, wouldjoin him before the conclusion of his furlough. At first the oldgeneral and the other authorities had accepted the American at his facevalue.
Somehow, suspicion must have been aroused within the last twenty-fourhours. The message that had come by Bubu stated that Tom was underarrest as a suspicious person, but that he was detained only in thegeneral's quarters.
It was something that might blow over. Finesse was required. Ruth hadsuggested a plan, which, although applauded by the major and hismother, they could not advise her to carry out. For, if it failed, herown peril would be as great as Tom Cameron's. In fact, the result offailure would be that both of them would be shot!
But the American girl was inspired for the task. So, urged by thecountess, her son had agreed to assist Ruth in an attempt which hecould but approve. Had Count Allaire Marchand, or any of his Frenchoperatives in and near Merz, attempted to assist in Tom Cameron'sescape out of Germany, they would merely lay themselves open tosuspicion, and possibly to arrest.
Ruth saw a code message written to the count, who was hiding on whathad been the Marchand estate before the war, and then saw Bubu calledinto the library and the twist of oiled paper secreted in the dog'smouth. When the greyhound was released for his return journey to Merz,Ruth, likewise, left the chateau. A short time later, as has beensaid, she arrived safely at the hospital in the village.
Just as she was about to enter the gateway, a heavy touring car rumbledup the road from the south. It stopped before the hospital gate.There was a uniformed officer on the seat beside the chauffeur; but theonly occupants of the tonneau were two women.
"We wish to see Miss Fielding," said one of these women, rising andspeaking hastily to the sentinel who had presented arms before thegateway.
"I shall have to call somebody from inside, Mademoiselle," said the oldterritorial who was on guard duty. "There is such a name here, Ibelieve."
"Never mind calling anybody!" Ruth suddenly exclaimed, springingforward. "Miss Fielding is here to answer the call. Will you girlstell me what under the sun you have come here for? I thought you wouldknow enough to remain safely in Paris!"
"Ruthie!" shrieked Helen Cameron, fairly throwing herself from theautomobile into Ruth's arms. "It is she! It is her! It is herowniest, owniest self!"
"Hold on," said the second occupant of the automobile tonneau,alighting more heavily. "Leave a bit for me to fall on, Nell."
"Don't you dare, Heavy Stone!" cried Ruth. "If you fell upon myfrailness----"
"Hush! Tell it not in Gath," cried Jennie sepulchrally. "I have lostflesh--positively."
"Yes," agreed Helen, quite dramatically. "She barked her knuckle.Every little bit counts with Heavy, you know."
Ruth welcomed the plump girl quite as warmly as she did her ownparticular chum. Immediately the military automobile rolled away. Thevisitors both carried handbags.
"How did you come to get here--and where under the sun will you stay?"Ruth demanded again.
"Now, never mind worrying about us, Martha," Jennie Stone returned."We will get along very well. Isn't there a hotel?"
"A hotel? In Clair?" gasped the girl of the Red Mill."I--should--say--not!"
"Very well, dear; we'll put up wherever you say," said Helen airily."We know you are always a favorite wherever you go, and you must haveloads of friends here by this time."
"The unqualified nerve of you!" gasped Ruth. "But come in. I'll speakto _Madame la Directrice_ and see what can be done. But how did youever get permission to come here?" she repeated.
"It is our furlough. We have earned it. Haven't _you_ earned afurlough yet?" Helen demanded, making big eyes at her chum.
"It never crossed my mind to ask for one," admitted the girl of the RedMill. "But merely your having a furlough would not have won you avisit so near the front."
"Really?" asked Jennie. "Do you mean to say this _is_ near the battleline?"
"You'd think so at times," returned Ruth. "But answer me! How did youget your passports viseed for such a distance from Paris?"
"Forget not," said Jennie, "that Mr. Cameron was over here onGovernment business. Helen can do almost anything she likes with theseFrench officials."
"Humph!" was all that came from Ruth in answer to this.
"You don't seem glad to see us at all, Ruthie Fielding!" cried Helen,as they crossed the courtyard and mounted the steps to the hospital.
But Ruth was frankly considering how she could make the best use of hertwo college chums, now that they were here. In less than twenty-fourhours she expected to leave Clair for an extended absence. She hadbeen troubled regarding her duty to the Red Cross.
Circumstances had played into her hands. She could trust Helen andJennie to do her work here at the Clair Hospital while she was absent.
She found the matron and took her aside before introducing her to thenewcomers. She did not explain her reason for wishing to absentherself from duty for some days, nor did the tactful Frenchwoman askafter she was told that the Countess Marchand approved. But she toldthe matron about her two girl friends who had arrived so unexpectedly.
"They are good girls, and capable girls, and I can show them verybriefly my ordinary duties, Madame."
"It is well, Mademoiselle Fielding," the woman said with cordiality."Let me now greet your friends."
So Helen and Jennie were introduced, and the matron said she would findtwo rooms in the nurses' quarters for the visitors. But first thethree girls must go to Ruth's little cell and have tea while theytalked.
"First of all," Helen began. "How is Tommy-boy?"
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"He is perfectly well as far as I know," Ruth said gravely.
"Goodness! You are not _mad_ with him?"
"Of course not. How silly," her chum returned.
"Well, but don't you see him every day or two?"
Ruth Fielding stared at her chum, not alone with gravity, but withscorn.
"I think it is well you have come up here to visit," she said. "Don'tyou know yet that we are in this war, Helen Cameron?"
"I don't know what you mean," returned Helen, pouting. "If we were notat war with Germany, do you think I would be away from Ardmore Collegeat this time of year?"
"Tom is on active service," Ruth said quietly. "I am rather busilyengaged myself. I have seen him just twice since I have been at Clair.But I happened to learn to-day that--beyond peradventure--he is inhealth."
"That's good enough!" exclaimed Helen. "And I suppose you can get wordto him so he'll know Jennie and I are here?"
"I will try to get word to him," agreed Ruth soberly.
"He can ask off and come to see us, can't he?"
"Not being in military charge of this sector, I cannot tell you," thegirl of the Red Mill said dryly. "But if you remain here long enough Ihope Tom will come to see you, my dear."
She could tell them no more. Indeed, to-night she did not even wishthe girls to know that she proposed absenting herself from the hospitalfor a time and expected Helen and Jennie to do her work.
She had a burden to shoulder that she could not share with her friends.She sent them to their beds a little later to sleep confidently andhappily after their long journey from Paris.
As for Ruth Fielding, she scarcely closed her eyes that night.