Under
Fire:
Bu RICHARD PARKER
Rased oo the ditmt of
ROI COOPER MEGRUB
Author of "Under Cow" nd co-athof
of "It Pui to Advertise"
Ouprrttfbt, Witt, 'I Maeaulaf Ounpan:.
SYNOPSIS.
4
Georgy Wagstaff, daughter of Sir
George, of the British admiralty, h.nts a
liaison between her governeas. Ethe
Wlllougliby, and Henry Streetman. Ethe
denies U. Henry Streetman culls on Ethel
and while waiting for her talks to Brows
tor. Sir Geoige's butler, who Is a Ge'man
upv. about his failure to get at admiralty
papers In Sir George's possession. He
phones to Gorman secret service neau
ouarieis. Streetman, the German spy, ana
Roeder (alias Brewster, the butler) are
discussing the possibility of war. when
Kthel appears tie tries to force her to get
from Sir George knowledge of t-he sailing
orders to the British fleet. Though she
believes him a French Instead of a iter
man spy, she refuses until he threatens
her. She begs him to announce their se
cret marriage, as Georgy is suspicious,
but he puts her off. At tea Georgy and
Iter lover. Guy Falconer, tease Sir George,
and Streetman makes an awkward at
tempt to talk politics. Streetman, the
German spy. Sir George Wagstaff. British
naval official. Ethel Willoughby, -secret
wife of Streetman, ad others are haying
tea ot the Wagsstaff home. The party is
discussing a play. Charlie Brown, news
paper man of New York, entertains the
tea party with his views on tha threat
ened war In Europe.
If vou recall your history les
sons, you'll remember the hard
time the North had to get
enough soldiers during the Civil
war, and how finally conscrip
tion was adopted. You know,
too, that the English have had
te use conscription to get enough
nwn In the present conflict. Pa
triotism is a queer thing with
most of us. We wave flags and
enjoy Fourth of July oratory,
but many of us are inclined to
6hy at real sacrifice. An Inter
esting discussion of the subject
comes up in this Installment.
An English tea party at the home of
Sir George Wagstaff of the British ad
miralty. Includes Charlie Brown,
American newspaper reporter, and
streetman, a Herman spy. ins group
is discussing a possible European war.
, CHAPTER VI Continued.
"You do talk like a German," he
told Streetmau after be had blown out
a cloud of smoke.
"That Is a matter of opiulon." the
other replied stiffly.
"Yes, I think he talks like a Ger
mau. too," Georgy Wagstaff chimed
In. "But as we know he Isn't one,
docs It really matter? . . . Go ou,
gentlemen! Argue!" Sir George's
daughter was having the time of her
young life.
"Here's one thing I'd like to know,"
Guy put In "where on earth is all
the blooming money to come from?"
"My dear boy, there's nothing so
elastic as national credit," bis friend
from the States replied with a calm
assurance that came partly from the
speaker's having, at one time in his
career, conducted the financial page
for his newspaper. "Why, down In that
two-by-four affair In Mexico, one of
their week-end presidents ran out of
money; no he Issued an order for fifty
thousand dollars, stuck a gun In the
other gentleman's chest, and said.
That Is worth fifty thousand dollars'
and It was."
1 Mr. Falconer felt that It was hard
ly proper that the men should monopo
lize all the conversation.
"I can't believe there will really be
wnr B great war," she announced.
"Think what it would mean absolute
barbarism! And this is the twentieth
century."
"It would put us back a hundred
years." Sir George declared wearily.
He both realized and dreaded the hor
rors that he knew must Inevitably at
tend such a titanic struggle as seemed
imminent
"It's too horrible to think of," Ethel
Willoughby exclaimed with something
approaching a shudder. "It doesn't
seem real that we're sitting here quite
calmly talking over even the possibil
ity of such a thing.'
"And this won't be a war like other!
wars."- the American pointed out
"There'll be no personal heroes no
charges op San Juan bill no bands
plsjing or flags flying. It's going t
be a cold, deadly thing of mathemat
ics and mobilizations, of big guns and
aobmarines. of aeroplanes and ammo
nitloa. of millions of little mites called
ibea. who will be only little, unimpor
tant cogs in the big machine. It's
going to be brutal, cruel, barbarous
order, conducted on the most modem
scientific basis."
"And afterwards whatll we do for
tnenr" - Georgy wagstaff jnquiren
thoughtfully, as if the dearth of males
that threatened the world were a ca
lamity almost too great to face. "Not
that I really care so much about that
personally." she added, with an Insin
uating glance at Guy Falcouer. who
always dogged her footsteps, "for men
bore me." . .
"Thanks!" Guy remarked. If Georgy
had a fault (a possibility he was sel
dom willing to admit, even to himself
be felt that It consisted of a caustic
tnncue. And occasionally the thought
of living with her, facing Ber across
the breakfast table, for instance, put
a vague fear into him. Up to the pres
ent time, however, he had always suc
ceeded In rlddlug himself of "such mls
clvinca. i
"And who do you think Is going to
win, Mr. Brown?" Sir George put the
question abruptly. He, as well as
Streetman, perceived that their some
what bizarre guest from the other side
of the Atlantic had gathered unto him
self a "surprising fund of Information
during his short stay In their midst
Before Charlie Brown could reply,
the spy Streetman threw himself Into
the conversational gap.
"I'm sure troca what Mr. Brown has
said he agrees with me that the Ger
mans have the best chance," he inter
posed. Mr. Brown himself merely smiled at
the Interruption. He may have
thought Streetman a cad a lobster,
he would probably have termed him.
But whatever his' feelings might have
been, he concealed them admirably. -
"Well, I'll tell you" he said, as he
turned his back squarely upon Street
man and faced Sir George. "When I
was drinking Munich beer, I was rath
er pro-German. But now that I'm
switched to tea', I've sort of swung
over to the allies."
A burst of laughter, punctuated
with cries of "Bravo!" greeted the an
swer. Turning to them all again, "You
see." he explained, "I like the English
as individuals, and I like a lot of
their general ways, too. I admire the
easy-going fashion in which they do
business. I commend the fact that
they won't talk shop over a luncheon.
I like their afternoon tea." He smiled
at Miss Willoughby as he said that.
"I like the fact that knights and ladles,
clerks and shopgirls take their half
hour off for It. I like the way they
respect their own laws when they de
cide to make one they decide at the
same time to keep it. But, collectively,
the English irritate me, because they're
so blamed sure they're a little bit su
perior to all the rest of the world.
That's annoying, personally, but I can
and I do admire it as a great racial
quality that's made 'em win out a
thousand times. If England goes to
war, it'll take the English about a
year before they realize they have a
war they really are slow, you know
but once they wake up to It they'll
raise the deuce, and I think they'll
win."
Sage noddlngs of various heads and
the exchange of approving glances on
the part of the members of the little
party or of air but Henry Streetman
set a seal of appreciation upon
Charlie Brown's views.
"Please God. you're right!" Sir
George Wagstaff cried fervently, with
a show of emotion that was, for him,
most unusual.
"Please God, he Is!" Mrs. Falconer
agreed.
"I do hope so! The Germans are so
aggressive!" Ethel Willoughby ob
served. "And so rude!" Georgy added. She
could not forget much less forgive
having been shouldered off a sidewalk
In Berlin by the kaiser's haughty offi
cers. "Ah! But I fancy that pride In one's
country Is a universal trait in every
nation," her more moderate father said.
"Exactly! And as Mr. Brown has
pointed out, we English have a tenden
cy to be somewhat superior also." As
he spoke, Streetman rose. He was be
coming restless under the galling of
that one-sided discussion of the merits
of the nations.
"Well, I hope there Isn't any war!"
Guy Falconer said fervently. "If there
is, you can bet your boots I'm not
going near it"
"Guy!" Sir George turned upon him
with Incredulity writ large upon his
fine face.
"Oh, I mean it Sir George Guy
insisted shamelessly. "If it comes to
war, this will be a war of millions,
if there are a thousand men killed in
a battle or only nine hundred and
ninety-nine, what difference does It
make except to the thousandth man?
. . . None! Bnl if I happened to
be he. It'd represent a deuce of a lot
to me, and. with my luck, -I'd be the
first man shot anyhow. . . . No,
sir! Military service Is not compul
sory In England.- thank heaven! And
if there is a war, I'm going to sit
home at my club and discuss very
harshly the mistakes of the war office."
Gay's mother regarded him with no
less amazement than did Sir George.
My son you're not serious?" she
exclaimed, scarcely belieTing what she
beard.
"Of course be liT said Georgy. I
oerer saw a maa who thought as
mach of his own precious hide o
much more than anyone else thinks of
ur
ir von're onlte In earnest Guy. I
nra positively ashamed of you." Sir
George Wagstaff told him. As a mau
who was high In the councils of his
country. Sir George did ludeed hear
the young man's declaration with
somethlug bordering upon alarm, as
well as mere disapproval. If other
English youths should take the same
attitude as Guy's, be foresaw endless
trouble for the recruiting stations. '
"If I were shot." Guy retorted. "I
suppose the fact that I could say,
Now, Sir George is not ashamed of
me,' would ease the pain a bit? . . .
No. thank youf I tell you. If worse
comes to worst, I shall sail for Cuba."
At that his mother approached him
much as she must have when as a
small boy he had been guilty of naugh
tiness. She thought It high time to
assert her authority.
"Guy," she said, "I forbid you to
talk like that."
"Oh. uow, mother" he remon-.
strated.
"1 think heV spoofing." Charlie
Brown told them, as quick to adopt a
new word as he was to detect signs of
shamming on Guy's part "IT war
comes, I bet he'll go to the front. He's
like the rest of yon English half
ashamed to say what he really reels."
The nilarrassed Guy faced "him
sheepishly.
"Oh, I say that's all swank!" be re
monstrated. "'Swank!' That's a good word!'
Charlie Brown exclaimed. "I'm going
to take that back to America, too."
And then, returning to the subject of
their conversation, who was manifest
ly III at ease. Mr. Brown continued.
"Once you do touch Guy ou the raw
of his patriotism he'd go through and
go through big."
"I think Mr. Brown is right," Street
man declared. "It was only two months
ago at tbe Rltz in Paris that I. met a
young English officer. We got to chat
ting. . He seemed very downvln the
month some trouble over a girl; he'd
been jilted, or hadn't enough money to
propose, or she'd married someone else
usual sort of thing, so I paid no at
tention to the incident. But one night-,
walking along the Champs Elysees, a
man ahead of me suddenly turned
aside behind one of the trees. Silhouet
ted against the . moonlight I saw his
hand go to his pocket, as if to draw a
revolver. I ran up to him, and seized
the pistol. ... It was my young
English friend. I dare say the moon
had gone to his head. He was quite
desperate really started to struggle
with me at first. We stood there for
an hour talking. I'd taken quite a
fancy to Mm. It seemed such a waste
of good materia, for him to kill him
self; but he was quite firm. Finally,
I appealed to him as ou English officer
in bis majesty's service. Some day his
country might need him I told him
and he wouldn't be there, because he
was a coward a traitor. . . . That
hit him. I pressed the point. And
eventually he gave me his word."
They had all listened . eagerly to
Streetman's vivid recital
"Did he keep his word?" Ethel asked.
"I don't know! I've never seen him
since; but he's the sort of man who
would. I merely mention the Incident
to show that wheu nothing else count
ed, his country did. And most men
are like that" Streetman added, as be
patted Gny Falconer onhe back.
Somehow, Guy resented the familiar
ity. But he merely moved away. So
far as be knew, Streetman was a de
cent enough chap. But he did not rel
ish being patronized by him.
All at once Sir George Wagstaff no
ticed for the first time thaTthe after
noon light was fast fading. Looking
at his watch, he rose hastily.
"By Jove!" he said, "I'd no Idea It
was so late. I shall have to be getting
back to the admiralty."
"I must be leaving, too." Streetman
announced.
"So must I," said Charlie Brown.
"Good-by, Miss Willoughby!"
"Oh, don't .you hurry off, too!" Ethe!
protested. "Stay and have oue more
cup of tea!" In some Inexplicable way
she felt drawn toward the outspoken
American. And she could not avoid
the Impression that they were destined
to know each other better.
"I can't resist you," he said, yielding
at once to her cordial urging. And he
accepted another cup of tea.
Sir George and Streetman were al
ready at tbe door when Charlie Brown
called after tbe older man:
"If there's any news of your fleet for
publication. Sir George, you'll letme
know?"
"Surely, surely!" came the good-na
tured answer. And with that Sir
George left them, accompanied by
Streetman, to whom be offered a lift
in his car.
CHAPTER VII.
Redmond of the Irish Guards.
Charlie Brown had thanked his friend
of the British admiralty. And now he
said to those who still lingered there In
Miss Wllloughby's sitting room
Too know, I think there Is going to
be news and might soon. "You listen
to me."
"We bave been listening with great
pleasure," Mrs. Falconer informed him.
"But now we must go."
He sprang to bis feet
"That Is a bit of a hint" be ex
claimed, albeit with entire good humor.
"tint uua't forget I told you I loved to
talkT ' r '.!
"You'll come again?" Ethel asked
him.
"Often, I hope!" he said heartily, as
he took the hand she held out to hlna.'
"Good-by, Charlie!". Guy Falconer
said with a wink that the ethers did
not catch. "If I don't see you before I
sail, drop me a. postal My address
will be lu care of the General Post Of
fice, Jlavana, Cuba." .
Charlie Brown smiled at him indul
gently. He knew Just how serious Guy
was in regard to shirking his duty. Bat
Mrs. Falconer was still troubled"-by
her son's apparent disaffection.
"Pleab, Guy!" she pleaded. She
could not bear to hear her own child
brand himself as unpatriotic, if not au
actual coward.
"I never knew till now that you
w.ere a Spartan mother." Guy told ber.
"Besides, I didn't think you'd want to
see your own little boy all shot to
pieces." . '
They were on the -point of leaving
when Sir George's butler brought the
news to Miss Willoughby that Captain
Redmond was calling.
"Captain Redmond!" she repeated,
as If the news were almost too strange
for belief. "Ask him to 'come up.
Brewster."
At the name. Guy Falconer, turned
to Ethel Joyfully.
"Larry back after a whole year?"
he cried. "Isn't that ripping!"
"Oh, we must wait, to see -Larry!"
his mother said. - -
"Oh, indeed we must!" added
Georgy.
In another moment Captain Red
mond stood before them. There was
certainly no question as to his greet
ing. Guy Falconer all but fell upon
his neck.
"Hello, good people!" the newcomer
said with an all-embracing smile. He
was Irish. The hint of the brogue even
in those few words showed that much,
had his dancing blue eyes left any
chance of doubt as to his race. ' Ad
miration, as well as affection, shone in
tbe faces of his friends as they feasted
their own eyes upon him, for the cap
tain was unquestionably a tine figure
of a man, in his spruce uniform of the
Irish Guards. Ethel Willoughby was
the last to greet him. But when the
rest had released him she held out het
hand to him.
"Larry. I am glad to see you," she
said from the bottom of her heart.
He stopped short in his acknowl
edgments of the others' greetings. And
turning abruptly to Ethel, as if he had
eyes for her alone, he exclaimed:
"Sure, not as much as I am to see
you!" ''And he fairly beamed his de
light at seeing her once more.
"When did you get back, old mau?"
Guy asked, when they had. Introduced
Larry and Charlie Brown.
"Only this morning," Captain Red
mond answered, "but I thought I'd
have to come here directly to pay my
respects to an old friend and I meet
three old friends."
Georgy Wagstaff pouted at that She
was extremely fond of the dashing of
ficer, and she dearly loved to banter
with him.
"I'm not so terribly old," she object
ed "or 3o you think I've aged much?"
"In a year, sure, you've grown
younger. You're only a slip of a girl
now; nnd you were getting to be quite
a yoaug woman when I left." he told
her.
"it's a .whole year since you went
away," Ethel Willoughby half whis
pered to Redmond ashe came uearer
her.
"And it seems a hundred!" he de
clared. Charlie Brown, catching his
reply to her, knew of a certainty that
he was Irish. But underneath the cap
tain's fulsome remarks there often lay
a sincerity that was more deeply root
ed than a casual bystander might sup
pose. Mr. Brown felt that he must really
tear himself away from that interest
ing party.
"Good-by, Miss Willoughby!" he
said. "Good-by, captain! I hate to
bust up a reunion like this, but I've
got to get back and write a piece for
the paper.""
Still Mrs. Falconer would not let her
son's friend escape quite yet
"Mr. Brown," she said, "for some
reason I like you. I fancy it's because
you amuse me. Why don't you dine
with us? Perhaps If I ask Captain
Redmond, Ethel will come."
"Let's dine early," Guy said. "Don't
bother to dress. We'll go to the Savoy
grill and meanwhile 111 get tickets for
the Talace. There's an awfully clever
American girl there now."
"We'll pick you up here, Ethel," bis
mother added "say in half an hour.
We might be able to motor to Rich
mond for dinner and atlll see the
show." ,
"Will you pick me up here, too?"
Captain Redmond asked.
"In half an hour!" she agreed.
In the doorway Georgy Wagstaff
cast a roguish glance back at ber
pretty governess.
What do you think will come
out of this meeting between
Redmond and his eld sweetheart
Ethel Wllloiifihbyf Is It likely
that the girl will tell him the
truth at encet
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APPENDICITIS
If rrrm tt'a'mlw'"" tjISLHS
BrtlaTIO!. A8 or him ;" PUFF
att wr tat rlV Book of Worwuo Hfcfc
ITa. ax- rr a-a.na wuJ"-tJtt
W. H. U, CINCINNATI, NO. S5-1916
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