The Boy Scouts in Front of Warsaw
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Colonel George Durston >> The Boy Scouts in Front of Warsaw
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Then Martha took a stick and stood before Elinor.
"Look at me!" she commanded, and when the child's frightened eyes
sought her face she said, "You are to beg for your supper, do you
hear? As soon as you see a kind looking lady or gentleman, you are to
put out your hand, and say, 'Please, we are starving,' like that. Say
it!"
Elinor was silent.
"Say it!" she repeated. But Elinor was still.
"Do you want to be beaten?" Martha asked in a terrible voice. "Do
you?"
Elinor found her voice. "No," she said in Polish. "No, please do not
beat me, but I cannot beg. My brother will come soon and get me. I do
not want any supper. I will wait for him."
Martha sat down, the stick still in her hand, and thrust her ugly face
close to the child's.
"Hear me!" she growled. "Your brother will never come for you. He is
dead. Dead, I tell you! You will never see him again. You are going
to live here with me, and you are going to do just what I tell you or I
shall beat you so you will never forget it. Now do you understand?"
Elinor looked her steadily in the eyes.
"Yes," she said.
"Then say what I told you," said Martha, getting to her feet.
Elinor looked at her, then reading the threat in her eyes, she said,
"Please, we are starving." It seemed more than her independent spirit
could bear even with the fear of the stick on her heart. She added,
"Some day I shall ran away."
"That settles it!" cried Martha. "We will settle this now!"
She threw the helpless child on the ground and began beating her with
the stick. For a long while Elinor endured it, then unable to keep
silent under the pain, she burst into screams and sobs. The woman
continued her blows until Elinor's voice held a thin note of agony, and
she lifted her and flung the quivering little body on a pile of rags,
and sat herself down by the table.
"That ought to break her spirit," she said.
She waited until the sobs and cries subsided, and then called the
child. The terrified little girl slipped from the bed and ran to her
tormentor. Martha looked at her critically.
"That did you good," she said. "Now we will get out of here, and go to
work."
"Have you any money at all?" asked her sister, turning to Michael.
"A little," he grudgingly admitted.
"Well, let us have enough to go to the market while it is open. I go
late each morning, and buy the spoiled vegetables that are left over."
"A good plan," said Martha.
When they had finished with the market, the women walked slowly down
through the city, begging wherever they could. They were able to
recognize foreigners wherever they met them, although they were not
many. Always, however, they gave, and gave generously. The store of
coins in Martha's sack grew and grew.
"We will have to exchange this stuff for a few larger coins somewhere,"
she said. "I think we can do so safely at the railroad station. Let
us go there."
The day had been a time of torture for the two children. Elinor was so
tired that she thought that she would fall at each step, but the
relentless hand held her up and pulled her on.
Rika, in the other woman's arms, had fallen asleep several times.
They did not mind that; her tear-stained little face with its long,
curling lashes looked very pitiful, and as long as she slept they told
a sad story, about her being lame. But Elinor had to walk; and she was
sure that when she fell from exhaustion, Martha would probably kill
her.
There was a great crowd at the station, and dozens of other beggars;
but Martha noted with satisfaction that none had such beautiful
children to beg for. There were many more coins in the sack before
long, and just as Elinor's knees bent, under her, and she thought that
now at last she would fall, the women set the children on a big box,
and with the most horrible threats if they, stirred or spoke to anyone,
walked off to the ticket office to change the small coins into
something safer to handle.
CHAPTER XI
THE RED CROSS CAR
When Warren was dismissed from the hospital, he found himself being
stared at by Ivan in a very perplexing manner. Finally he demanded the
reason. Ivan laughed.
"You look so clean," he said. "Your face does not go with the rest of
you, those ragged clothes and all that. Besides, I have not seen what
your natural face looked like for a few days. I had forgotten just
what you did look like."
Warren smiled.
"Just the same, it did seem good to clean up little," he said.
"However, just to oblige you I'll put on a few frills." He stooped and
rubbed his hands in some plaster dust, and transferred it to his face.
Ivan studied the change.
"That's better," he said. "As long as we have to wear these clothes, I
think we had better look the part. There is one thing certain though.
We are dressed exactly as we were in Warsaw, when we were visiting our
friends, the thieves.
I wish we could get some other clothes."
"I hadn't thought of that," said Warren. "I wish we could change, but
how can we?"
"I don't know," said Ivan. "Certainly we can't risk having those
people see us. We will have to be cautious."
"Where shall we go, I wonder?" mused Warren.
"I don't suppose it matters now," said Ivan. "It is so late in the
afternoon. Tomorrow morning we will have to watch the market. They
will be sure to come for more provisions."
"True enough," said Warren. "Let's go down to the central station and
see if the trains are running again."
The boys sauntered down through the streets without being molested by
the sharp- eyed soldiers who patrolled the way. They found the station
a busy place. The trains were once more running, on broken schedules
of course, but everything was so nearly adjusted to the usual order
that there was transportation for the hundreds who were eagerly seeking
passage. There were a great many foreigners carefully clutching their
transports and hurrying out of the country. At the back of the station
stood an automobile, a low, racing roadster.
"We had a ride in her last night," said Warren, as he approached and
recognized the machine. "And it was some ride, wasn't it, Ivan?"
"It certainly was," said Ivan, smiling. "What's the red cross flag on
it I wonder?"
"The Princess has given it over to the hospital, I suppose," said
Warren. "No one will stop it now. Wonder who drives it? I'm sorry
for anyone who rides with the crazy guy who tried to run it last night.
"
"Here is the chauffeur now," said Ivan, stepping back as a dark, burly
man approached the machine and took a package from the tool-box.
"He is a new one," said Warren.
They wandered around the corner of the building and mingled with the
throngs waiting for the train. It came puffing in, and as the crowd
pressed forward, Warren heard a familiar, coarse, whining voice behind
him. He looked; and as he did so, he was conscious of Ivan who, with
the quickness of a bird, slipped between two people, and was out of
sight. Instantly Warren followed him. They met behind a truck loaded
with boxes.
Warren was shaking. "Did you see?" he asked.
"Yes," said Ivan in a low voice. "Elinor and Rika, too! What are we
going to do?"
"I don't know," said Warren. "Just do what we have to do when the time
comes. Don't risk them another hour. Elinor looks half dead. Keep
out of sight and watch for a chance. Don't let the girls see you, any
more than the women. They would give it away, sure. Come on!"
He slipped quickly through the crowd, only a boy, and unnoticed.
Behind, at his heels, came a thin lad, soiled and ragged. It was
Prince Ivan, Prince of one of the greatest houses in Warsaw, but his
own father would not have recognized him. Together they slyly watched
the two women in front of them who, each with a child, begged pitifully
of the travelers. The woman who had Rika held her in her arms, but
poor little Elinor, on foot, reached a tiny hand toward the passing
throng, and fearfully glanced at her ugly jailer as she did so.
The train remained on the track. It was evidently going to make up a
section. The women wandered here and there, and finally approached a
big packing case near the station door. Here they stood, evidently
consulting. One woman slyly, showed the other a handkerchief full of
kopeks. Then while the boys scarcely dared to breathe, they seated the
two children on the box, and with a fearful threat which caused the
face of Elinor to turn even paler, they hurried into the waiting room,
and turned towards the ticket window.
"Now!" said Warren, "and be quick!"
He ran up to the children, and taking his sister in his arms, pressed
his hand over her mouth until he had spoken a word in her ear. Then
followed by Ivan carrying Rika, he walked steadily round the corner of
the platform.
Before him stood the roadster, with the Red Cross flag. Without an
instant's hesitation, he slipped into the driver's seat, Elinor still
in his arms. He thrust her between his knees, as Ivan took the other
seat, and tucked little Rika out of sight in the same manner.
As he did so, they heard a series of hoarse screams, and the two women,
beating the air and wringing their hands, came rushing around the
corner. Warren started the car full speed, and they started with a
jerk that almost threw them out. Looking behind, Ivan saw the women
point to the car and to his dismay a soldier on a motorcycle jumped
from his machine and ran up to them. As the car sped down the long
avenue, Ivan saw a last glimpse of the man returning to his machine.
They were followed.
"They are after us!" he said to Warren.
"What with?" asked Warren, his eyes on the road. "There was no other
machine."
"A soldier on a motorcycle. Make the first turn you can."
Warren whipped the little racer round one curve and then another. He
was thinking deeply.
Elinor commenced to cry.
"Don't let them get me, Warry!" she begged.
"You are all right, dear," he answered. Then to Ivan:
"I have it. Didn't you say you knew that Princess what-is-her-name
that owns this car?"
"Yes, a little," said Ivan.
"Well, you could make her recognize whose son you are, couldn't you?"
"Of course!" said Ivan.
"Well," said Warren, "we can't get anywhere with the car, and the only
thing for us to do is to go to the hospital as quickly as we can, and
you get hold of that Princess, and do some explaining. You see she
stands in with both sides because of the hospital. It's her own
sister's house, isn't it?"
"Yes," said Ivan, "and that's the only thing to do. This is a Red
Cross car now, and there will be a big fuss about it."
"Where are we, anyway?" said Warren, slowing down to regulation speed.
"Turn to your left and ahead for three blocks, then once to the right,
and you will see the palace in the distance," said Ivan.
They swept on, reached the marble steps of the building, stopped the
car, and Warren leaped to the ground.
He looked at his little sister. He could not speak, but held out his
arms, and she sprang into them. She clung to him trembling, and
calling his name over and over while he pressed kisses on her pale
little cheeks. With Ivan still holding Rika, they hurried up the steps
just as the soldier on the motorcycle whirled to the curb.
He leaped from his seat and followed them, talking furiously in German,
but the boys were so close to the open door that they slipped inside
before the man could lay a hand on them. A nurse came up and a doctor,
and the boys commenced, both at once, one in Polish and the other in
English, to explain matters. The doctor looked grave. No one would
dream that the two thin, pale, ragged little girls were anything but
the beggars they looked to be, and the doctor shook his head.
Ivan stamped his foot. "I want the Princess!" he said. "She will
straighten this out. Send someone for the Princess!" he demanded.
"I think she is out," said the nurse; "but I will send." She gave a
message to an assistant, and they waited in silence while the girl was
gone. She returned in a moment.
"The Princess is not here," she said, "but Madame, her sister, is
coming." As she spoke, the door opened, and the lovely face of Princess
Olga appeared.
"What is the trouble?" she asked of the doctor, and glanced at the
group before her.
One low cry she gave; one spring, and little Rika was folded to her
breast. The baby arms were close around her neck, the little face
hidden while the Princess murmured loving names and strained the little
form close to her heart.
Warren was the first to speak. He turned to Ivan.
"Well, what do you know about that?" he said solemnly in English.
The doctor turned to Ivan and plied him with questions.
Presently the Princess looked up.
"Who are you?" she asked, noting the pale child at his side.
"My name is Morris, Warren Morris," said Warren. He would have
explained farther, but the Princess, rising, lifted her head and
looking reverently up, said simply, "God is good! Come with me!"
Imperiously she led the way down the great hall, now full of cots, and
to a narrow door. She opened this and pushed Warren through ahead of
her.
And Evelyn, poor heart-broken Evelyn, saw him as he came. Then she had
him in her arms; and for once Warren could not kiss her enough or hug
her hard enough. But he had to be shared with Elinor who commenced to
look happy once more.
"Where is father?" asked Warren doubtfully, when Evelyn seemed assured
that he was real, and that she actually had Elinor back again.
"Out with the Princess," said Evelyn. Then for the first time she
noticed that the Princess was gone, and the door shut, and they were
alone.
"Warren, you must be very good to father," said Evelyn gently. "He has
suffered more than I ever knew anyone could. He takes all the blame
for everything."
"Well, --" said Warren stubbornly, "a lot of it has been his fault."
"That doesn't matter now," said Evelyn. "Father is not to blame for
the forgetfulness and selfishness in his work that we find so hard to
bear. His parents are the ones to blame. They thought because he was
such a bright child that everything should be made secondary to his
needs. And then our dear mother went right on spoiling him. So now
we, who are his children, can't expect to make him over. We have just
got to remember that he is a truly great man -- in his own line, and we
are very proud of him. We are older now, and things won't be so hard
for us."
"You bet we are older!" said Warren. "I don't expect to feel any older
when I am ninety than I do now. But you are right about father. I
have felt pretty sore, sis, I confess, and when I thought you were
dead, and Elinor lost for good, it didn't seem as though I could
forgive him. You are right about his people. Folks have no right to
let a kid run the whole place like that, even if it is to develop his
brain. I'll tell you one thing, if ever I have any kids of my own, I'm
going to bring them up after a plan of my own."
Evelyn smiled. "I hope it will work, Warry," she said.
Warren looked savage. "It will, you can bet," he said. "I will make
them go to school, of course, but they will begin to qualify for the
Boy Scouts when they are about three years old; and they will learn to
shoot, and know first aid when they are about four, and a lot of other
things when they are five or so."
Evelyn groaned. "I'm sorry for those children, Warren," she laughed.
"Well, perhaps I will give them a little more time, but they have got
to understand that efficiency is as necessary when they are sixteen as
when they are sixty. Do you remember those chaps we saw in
Switzerland? They were way up in their studies. You know I went to
school with a fellow one day, but when school was out they were doing
things worth while. And the fellow I knew had the dandiest rifle I
ever saw. He said it was a prize from the government for target
shooting. And he knew how to handle that gun, too. He said there was
a fine for carelessness with firearms.
"Then these Germans. I've seen dozens of fellows no older than I am.
They are hard as nails and fit every minute. Say, what's father going
to do?" he demanded. "Are we going to spend our lives here, or are we
going home?"
"Father does not know yet that you are here, you know," Evelyn reminded
him. "He ought to be here soon now."
"Let's get him to go home as soon as we can," said Warren.
"I've seen about all I can stand of these horrors." He put his arm
around Evelyn's shoulders and embraced both dear sisters.
"Evelyn, we will never be the same children again," he said sadly.
"Oh, I'm homesick for America! I want to go home to Princeton. I want
to have it come Fourth of July and hear the crackers go off and see the
flag hanging out of store windows, and upside down and wrong side to on
people's lawns the way they most always hang it. I want to hooray for
'Mericky.' I am dead, dead sick of this, sissy. I want to go where I
belong."
"Poor old Warren!" said Evelyn. "I know how you feel. I want to go,
too. But you can't shake the dust of Europe off like that, you know.
We have made friends, good friends here, and you will have to keep in
touch with the Polish Boy Scouts. You can't shirk that, you know."
"No, of course not," agreed Warren. "I just want to go home and soak
up on America for awhile. I've got a lot of things to tell those
fellows, too!" he said solemnly.
"Well, we could go right away if father is willing, and if we could get
passports and transportation," said Evelyn. "Only I've got to go back
and get the baby."
"The WHAT!" shouted Warren.
"Why, the baby," said Evelyn. "The baby you brought me; the one you
brought me from its dead mother."
"Sure enough!" said Warren. "Well, where is it, anyway?"
"Back in Warsaw," said Evelyn. "I left it with the woman who lived in
the corner house. When the soldiers took us away, she came out to see
what the disturbance was, and she offered to keep the baby."
"A baby!" said Warren. "So you are going to take it home! Well, that
does seem almost the last straw! You don't suppose your friend in
Warsaw would like to keep it?"
"No, I don't," said Evelyn firmly. "That woman has six, and her
husband was killed, and she is ruined. She will have hard enough work
feeding her own. She is an angel to keep it so, long. We have dozens
of relatives over home, and they are all going to have the privilege of
helping to care for our little war baby. I shall name her for the
Princess."
"All right," said Warren. He went to the window and looked out. "I
wish father would come," he said. "Is Jack with him? Suppose I go and
look for them?"
"You will stay right here," said Evelyn. "I don't want one of you out
of my sight from now on. Jack is with father. They went out to go to
the market. Father has been helping a lot here. He has given the
hospital all sorts of things that were badly needed. The Princess will
send him in as soon as she comes. Isn't it like a fairy tale to think
that we had little Rika all the time?"
"I wish you would begin at the beginning and tell me all that happened
after you were arrested," said Warren. "I have had such a lot of
scraps."
"All right," said Evelyn. She looked down at the little sister in her
arms. "See," she said, "she has gone to sleep. The darling is
exhausted."
Warren looked grave. "She has had the worst experience of all," he
said. "We won't know for a good while just what she has undergone. I
would not want to question her. It will have to come out in bits. And
I think the baby will be a good thing after all. It will help occupy
Elinor's attention and make her forget. Yes, we have got to get out of
here as soon as we can on her account. Now go on."
Evelyn cuddled the sleeping child more closely, and commencing at the
moment when the soldiers broke down the door, she told her brother the
thrilling and almost unbelievable story of their adventure. Finally
she reached the end. Warren had made no comments, but the stern and
anxious expression of his face betrayed his feelings. Evelyn paused.
"And to think that I was right on the other side of that door when you
were crying yesterday! Poor little sister, I hope you will never,
never have to cry for me again."
There was a sound of rapid steps at the door. It was flung open and
Jack rushed in, closely followed by the Professor.
Trouble and danger and separation change our viewpoint. There had been
a time not long past when Warren regarded any demonstration of
affection as unmanly, but now he found himself in his father's arms and
only too glad to be there.
CHAPTER XII
OVER THE SEA
Evelyn had told the truth. Professor Morris was a changed man. For
the first time in all his orderly humdrum student existence, he had had
to face war and death and murder, and all the crimes that stalk through
a land at such times.
It had accomplished what all the arguments, all the lecturing, all the
entreaties in the world would never have accomplished. Professor
Morris had been shaken out of himself. There had been sleepless nights
when his life had looked very poor and thin and useless. What was his
book, a dry thing of many pages, when he compared it to the needs of
the dear children who had been so loyal and so true to him? It came to
him that culture may be made as selfish and as harmful as any vice
there is.
But Benjamin Morris was, after all, a man; and late as it was, it was
not too late for him to humbly resolve to be a better father, and a
more valuable citizen. And he kept his word.
Presently Ivan returned. The boy had purposely kept away until the
reunited family had had time to talk everything all over. When he
entered, Professor Morris sat looking at him, with his eyes narrowed
and a puzzled look on his face. Evelyn knew that look, and wondered
what was passing in her father's mind. He sat quite silent, and after
a little left the room. When he returned, he brought the Princess
Olga, who was leading the little Rika as though she dared not leave her
out of her sight.
"We have been talking things over," said Princess Olga. "Of course the
only reasonable thing for Professor Morris to do is to return to
America without delay. He has no right to remain here and possibly
endanger the lives of so many young people, and there is nothing that
he can do for us. Some day we will want help, and then we know that
yon will all come to our aid. Ivan, we have been talking it all over
with my husband, the Prince, and we have decided that the best thing
for you to do is to go also. Wait," she said as Ivan shook his head.
"My boy, our country is in ruins. Your father is at the front, we know
not where. You can not serve him by remaining here where you are,
every moment in danger of being arrested and held as a prisoner or
worse. Your estates are in ruins; but not withstanding, you are, after
your father, the head of your house. You owe to Poland the one thing
you can now do for her. You must preserve and safeguard your life. And
you must go to the University where Professor Morris is such an eminent
instructor. You must learn statesmanship. Some day, Ivan, Poland will
need you. What chance have you here now in this stricken land?
"I want you to go, Ivan. We will take the responsibility. And I want
you to take these jewels, and use them for your expenses and
education!" She held out a glittering handful of priceless gems.
"No," said Professor Morris firmly. "Princess, you will need all you
have. It happens that I have plenty of money, and we live very simply,
so there is enough and to spare for the two children we hope to take
with us."
"Two?" said the Princess.
"The baby, " said the Professor. "I confess the needs of an infant
seem too complex and difficult for me to cope with, but my daughter
entertains no fears, and insists upon taking the little fellow with
us."
"It's a girl, father," corrected Evelyn.
"Ah, yes," said the Professor, bowing. "I believe you did say that he
is a girl."
"I have told him at least a dozen times," said Evelyn in a whisper to
Warren.
"I suppose we have got to take her along, no matter what he is," Warren
whispered back.
"However," said the Professor, glancing reprovingly at the children,
"there is plenty of money, in reason, and if Ivan prefers, we will keep
an account of his educational expenses, and at some future date he can
repay what I shall deem necessary to expend for him."
"That is better," said the Princess. She turned to Ivan
"You will go, Ivan."
"Yes," said Ivan. Then sadly, "But I wish I could see my father."
"It is indeed hard," said the Princess. "We feel that he must be
unhurt however, and I know that he will be so relieved, and glad to
know that you are in a place of safety. So that is settled." She
smiled.
"Now there is one more thing to be done. I have here a permit from the
General in charge of the city. It gives us safe conduct on the roads
to Warsaw and return, to get the baby. I have arranged for one of the
nurses to go with the new chauffeur and Warren. I will take part of
her duties, and Evelyn may assist me. She will get the baby and bring
it here to us. They can go tonight, and return tomorrow. All will
then be ready for your departure, if in the meantime Professor Morris
can arrange to get your passports and your sailing privileges."
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