the red cross girl-第24节

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greyhound　of　a　boat　that　ate　up　the　distance　between　them；　at　the
jets　of　smoke　and　stabs　of　flame　that　sprang　from　her　bow；　at　the
figures　crouched　behind　her　gunwale；　firing　in　volleys。

To　David　it　came　suddenly；　convincingly；　that　in　a　dream　he　had
lived　it　all　before；　and　something　like　raw　poison　stirred　in
David；　something　leaped　to　his　throat　and　choked　him；　something
rose　in　his　brain　and　made　him　see　scarlet。　He　felt　rather　than
saw　young　Carr　kneeling　at　the　box　of　ammunition；　and　holding　a
shell　toward　him。　He　heard　the　click　as　the　breech　shut；　felt　the
rubber　tire　of　the　brace　give　against　the　weight　of　his　shoulder；
down　a　long　shining　tube　saw　the　pursuing　gun…boat；　saw　her　again
and　many　times　disappear　behind　a　flash　of　flame。　A　bullet　gashed
his　forehead；　a　bullet　passed　deftly　through　his　forearm；　but　he
did　not　heed　them。　Confused　with　the　thrashing　of　the　engines；
with　the　roar　of　the　gun　he　heard　a　strange　voice　shrieking
unceasingly：

〃Cuba　libre！〃　it　yelled。　〃To　hell　with　Spain！〃　and　he　found　that
the　voice　was　his　own。

The　story　lost　nothing　in　the　way　Carr　wrote　it。

〃And　the　best　of　it　is；〃　he　exclaimed　joyfully；　〃it's　true！〃

For　a　Spanish　gun…boat　HAD　been　crippled　and　forced　to　run
herself　aground　by　a　tug…boat　manned　by　Cuban　patriots；　and　by　a
single　gun　served　by　one　man；　and　that　man　an　American。　It　was
the　first　sea…fight　of　the　war。　Over　night　a　Cuban　navy　had　been
born；　and　into　the　limelight　a　cub　reporter　had　projected　a　new
〃hero；〃　a　ready…made；　warranted…not…to…run；　popular　idol。

They　were　seated　in　the　pilot…house；　〃Jimmy〃　Doyle；　Carr；　and
David；　the　patriots　and　their　arms　had　been　safely　dumped　upon
the　coast　of　Cuba；　and　The　Three　Friends　was　gliding　swiftly　and；
having　caught　the　Florida　straits　napping；　smoothly　toward　Key
West。　Carr　had　just　finished　reading　aloud　his　account　of　the
engagement。

You　will　tell　the　story　just　as　I　have　written　it；〃　commanded　the
proud　author。　〃Your　being　South　as　a　travelling　salesman　was　only
a　blind。　You　came　to　volunteer　for　this　expedition。　Before　you
could　explain　your　wish　you　were　mistaken　for　a　secret…service
man；　and　hustled　on　board。　That　was　just　where　you　wanted　to　be；
and　when　the　moment　arrived　you　took　command　of　the　ship　and
single…handed　won　the　naval　battle　of　Nipe　Bay。〃

Jimmy　Doyle　nodded　his　head　approvingly。　〃You　certainty　did；
Dave；〃　protested　the　great　man；　〃I　seen　you　when　you　done　it！〃

At　Key　West　Carr　filed　his　story　and　while　the　hospital　surgeons
kept　David　there　over　one　steamer；　to　dress　his　wounds；　his　fame
and　features　spread　across　the　map　of　the　United　States。

Burdett　and　Sons　basked　in　reflected　glory。　Reporters　besieged
their　office。　At　the　Merchants　Down…Town　Club　the　business　men　of
lower　Broadway　tendered　congratulations。

〃Of　course；　it's　a　great　surprise　to　us；〃　Burdett　and　Sons　would
protest　and　wink　heavily。　〃Of　course；　when　the　boy　asked　to　be
sent　South　we'd　no　idea　he　was　planning　to　fight　for　Cuba！　Or　we
wouldn't　have　let　him　go；　would　we？〃　Then　again　they　would　wink
heavily。　〃I　suppose　you　know；〃　they　would　say；　〃that　he's　a
direct　descendant　of　General　Hiram　Greene；　who　won　the　battle　of
Trenton。　What　I　say　is；　'Blood　will　tell！'〃　And　then　in　a　body
every　one　in　the　club　would　move　against　the　bar　and　exclaim：
〃Here's　to　Cuba　libre！〃

When　the　Olivette　from　Key　West　reached　Tampa　Bay　every　Cuban　in
the　Tampa　cigar　factories　was　at　the　dock。　There　were　thousands
of　them　and　all　of　the　Junta；　in　high　hats；　to　read　David　an
address　of　welcome。

And；　when　they　saw　him　at　the　top　of　the　gang…plank　with　his　head
in　a　bandage　and　his　arm　in　a　sling；　like　a　mob　of　maniacs　they
howled　and　surged　toward　him。　But　before　they　could　reach　their
hero　the　courteous　Junta　forced　them　back；　and　cleared　a　pathway
for　a　young　girl。　She　was　travel…worn　and　pale；　her　shirt…waist
was　disgracefully　wrinkled；　her　best　hat　was　a　wreck。　No　one　on
Broadway　would　have　recognized　her　as　Burdett　and　Sons'　most
immaculate　and　beautiful　stenographer。

She　dug　the　shapeless　hat　into　David's　shoulder；　and　clung　to
him。　〃David！〃　she　sobbed；　〃promise　me　you'll　never；　never　do　it
again！〃

　

Chapter　5。　THE　SAILORMAN

Before　Latimer　put　him　on　watch；　the　Nantucket　sailorman　had　not
a　care　in　the　world。　If　the　wind　blew　from　the　north；　he　spun　to
the　left；　if　it　came　from　the　south；　he　spun　to　the　right。　But　it
was　entirely　the　wind　that　was　responsible。　So；　whichever　way　he
turned；　he　smiled　broadly；　happily。　His　outlook　upon　the　world
was　that　of　one　who　loved　his　fellowman。　He　had　many　brothers　as
like　him　as　twins　all　over　Nantucket　and　Cape　Cod　and　the　North
Shore；　smiling　from　the　railings　of　verandas；　from　the　roofs　of
bungalows；　from　the　eaves　of　summer　palaces。　Empaled　on　their
little　iron　uprights；　each　sailorman　whirledsometimes
languidly；　like　a　great　lady　revolving　to　the　slow　measures　of　a
waltz；　sometimes　so　rapidly　that　he　made　you　quite　dizzy；　and　had
he　not　been　a　sailorman　with　a　heart　of　oak　and　a　head　and
stomach　of　pine；　he　would　have　been　quite　seasick。　But　the
particular　sailorman　that　Latimer　bought　for　Helen　Page　and　put
on　sentry　duty　carried　on　his　shoulders　most　grave　and　unusual
responsibilities。　He　was　the　guardian　of　a　buried　treasure；　the
keeper　of　the　happiness　of　two　young　people。　It　was　really　asking
a　great　deal　of　a　care…free；　happy…go…lucky　weather…vane。

Every　summer　from　Boston　Helen　Page's　people　had　been　coming　to
Fair　Harbor。　They　knew　it　when　what　now　is　the　polo　field　was
their　cow　pasture。　And　whether　at　the　age　of　twelve　or　of　twenty
or　more；　Helen　Page　ruled　Fair　Harbor。　When　she　arrived　the
〃season〃　opened；　when　she　departed　the　local　trades…people
sighed　and　began　to　take　account　of　stock。　She　was　so　popular
because　she　possessed　charm；　and　because　she　played　no　favorites。
To　the　grooms　who　held　the　ponies　on　the　sidelines　her　manner　was
just　as　simple　and　interested　as　it　was　to　the　gilded　youths　who
came　to　win　the　championship　cups　and　remained　to　try　to　win
Helen。　She　was　just　as　genuinely　pleased　to　make　a　four　at　tennis
with　the　〃kids〃　as　to　take　tea　on　the　veranda　of　the　club…house
with　the　matrons。　To　each　her　manner　was　always　as　though　she
were　of　their　age。　When　she　met　the　latter　on　the　beach　road；　she
greeted　them　riotously　and　joyfully　by　their　maiden　names。　And
the　matrons　liked　it。　In　comparison　the　deference　shown　them　by
the　other　young　women　did　not　so　strongly　appeal。

〃When　I'm　jogging　along　in　my　station　wagon；〃　said　one　of　them；
〃and　Helen　shrieks　and　waves　at　me　from　her　car；　I　feel　as　though
I　were　twenty；　and　I　believe　that　she　is　really　sorry　I　am　not
sitting　beside　her；　instead　of　that　good…looking　Latimer　man；
who　never　wears　a　hat。　Why　does　he　never　wear　a　hat？　Because　he
knows　he's　good…looking；　or　because　Helen　drives　so　fast　he　can't
keep　it　on？〃

〃Does　he　wear　a　hat　when　he　is　not　with　Helen？〃　asked　the　new
arrival。　〃That　might　help　some。〃

〃We　will　never　know；〃　exclaimed　the　young　matron；　〃he　never
leaves　her。〃

This　was　so　true　that　it　had　become　a　public　scandal。　You　met
them　so　many　times　a　day　driving　together；　motoring　together；
playing　golf　together；　that　you　were　embarrassed　for　them　and　did
not　know　which　way　to　look。　But　they　gloried　in　their　shame。　If
you　tactfully　pretended　not　to　see　them；　Helen　shouted　at　you。
She　made　you　feel　you　had　been　caught　doing　something　indelicate
and　underhand。

The　mothers　of　Fair　Harbor　were　rather　slow　in　accepting　young
Latimer。　So　many　of　their　sons　had　seen　Helen　shake　her　head　in
that　inarticulate；　worried　way；　and　look　so　sorry　for　them；　that
any　strange　young　man　who　apparently　succeeded　where　those　who
had　been　her　friends　for　years　had　learned　they　must　remain
friends；　could　not　hope　to　escape　criticism。　Besides；　they　did
not　know　him：　he　did　not　come　from　Boston　and　Harvard；　but　from　a
Western　city。　They　were　told　that　at　home；　at　both　the　law　and
the　game　of　politics；　he　worked　hard　and　successfully；　but　it　was
rather　held　against　him　by　the　youth　of　Fair　Harbor　that　he
played　at　there　games；　not　so　much　for　the　sake　of　the　game　as
for　exercise。　He　put　aside　many　things；　such　as　whiskey　and　soda
at　two　in　the　morning；　and　bridge　all　afternoon；　with　the　remark：
〃I　find　it　does　not　tend　toward　efficiency。〃　It　was　a　remark　that
irritated　and；　to　the　minds　of　the　men　at　the　country　clubs；
seemed　to　place　him。　They　liked　to　play　polo　because　they　liked
to　play　polo；　not　because　it　kept　their　muscles　limber　and　their
brains　clear。

〃Some　Western　people　were　telling　me；〃　said　one　of　the　matrons；
〃that　he　wants　to　be　the　next　lieutenant…governor。　They　say　he　is
very　ambitious　and　very　selfish。〃

〃Any　man　is　selfish；〃　protested　one　who　for　years　had　attempted
to　marry　Helen；　〃who　wants　to　keep　Helen　to　himself。　But　that　he
should　wish　to　be　a　lieutenant…governor；　too；　is　rather　an
anticlimax。　It　makes　one　lose　sympathy。〃

Latimer　went　on　his　way　without　asking　any　sympathy。　The
companionship　of　Helen　Page　was　quite　sufficient。　He　had　been
working　overtime　and　was　treating　himself　to　his　first　vacation
in　yearshe　was　younghe　was　in　love　an