"The officers, from the Colonel down, have been so good to me," she said. "They have told me so many things about Harry. And the Sergeants and the Corporals, every one in his company, have written me. They are beautiful letters. They make me laugh and cry, but Ilove them. Dear boys, how I love them, and how I love to work for them!" She showed Larry a thick bundle of letters. "And they all say he was so jolly. I like that, for you know, being a Y. M. C. A. man in college and always keen about that sort of thing--I am afraid I did not help him much in that way--he was not so fearfully jolly. But now I am glad he was that kind of a man, a good man, Imean, in the best way, and that he was always jolly. One boy says, 'He always bucked me up to do my best,' and another, a Sergeant, says, 'He put the fear of God into the slackers,' and the Colonel says, 'He was a moral tonic in the mess,' and his chum officer said, 'He kept us all jolly and clean.' I love that. So you see Isimply have to buck up and be jolly too."
"Helen, you are wonderful," said Larry, who was openly wiping away his tears. "Scuddy was a big man, a better man I never knew, and you are worthy of him."They were passing out of the room when Helen pulled Larry back again. "Larry," she said, her words coming with breathless haste, "don't wait, oh, don't wait. Marry Jane before you go. That is my great regret to-day. Harry wanted to be married and I did too.
But father and mother did not think it wise. They did not know.
How could they? Oh! Larry," she suddenly wrung her hands, "he wished it so. Now I know it would have been best. Don't make my mistake, don't, Larry. Don't make my mistake. Thank you for coming to see me. Good-bye, Larry, dear. You were his best friend. He loved you so." She put her arms around his neck and kissed him, hastily wiped her eyes, and passed out to Jane with a smiling face.
They hurried away, for the hours in Winnipeg were short and there was much to do and much to say.
"Let her go, Jane," said Larry. "I am in a deuce of a hurry.""Why, Larry, what is the rush about just now?" said Jane in a slightly grieved voice.
"I have something I must attend to at once," said Larry. "So let her go." And Jane drove hard, for the most part in silence, till they reached home.
Larry could hardly wait till she had given her car into the chauffeur's charge. They found Dr. Brown and the Colonel in the study smoking.
"Dr. Brown," said Larry, in a quick, almost peremptory voice, "may I see you for a moment or two in your office?""Why, what's up? Not feeling well?" said Dr. Brown, while the others looked anxiously at him.
"Oh, I am fit enough," said Larry impatiently, "but I must see you.""I am sure there is something wrong," said Jane, "he has been acting so queer this evening. He is so abrupt. Is that the military manner?""Perhaps so," said the Colonel. "Nice chap, Larry--hard worker--good soldier--awfully keen in his work--****** good too--best officer I've got. Tell you a secret, Jane--expect promotion for him any time now."Meantime Larry was facing Dr. Brown in his office. "Doctor," he said, "I want to marry Jane.""Good heavens, when did this strike you?"
"This evening. I want to marry her right away.""Right away? When?"
"Right away, before I go. To-night, to-morrow.""Are you mad? You cannot do things like that, you know. Marry Jane! Do you know what you are asking?""Yes, Doctor, I know. But I have just seen Helen Brookes. She is perfectly amazing, perfectly fine in her courage and all that, and she told me about Scuddy's death without a tear. But, Doctor, there was a point at which she broke all up. Do you know when?
When she told me of her chief regret, and that was that she and Scuddy had not been married. They both wanted to be married, but her parents were unwilling. Now she regrets it and she will always regret it. Doctor, I see it very clearly. I believe it is better that we should be married. Who knows what will come? So many of the chaps do not come back. You are going out too, I am going out.
Doctor, I feel that it is best that we should be married.""And what does Jane think about it?" enquired the Doctor, gazing at Larry in a bewildered manner.
"Jane! Good Lord! I don't know. I never asked her!" Larry stood gaping at the Doctor.
"Well, upon my word, you are a cool one!"
"I never thought of it, Doctor," said Larry.
"Never thought of it? Are you playing with me, boy?" said the Doctor sternly.
"I will go and see her," said Larry, and he dashed from the room.
But as he entered the study, dinner was announced, and Larry's question perforce must wait.
Never was a meal so long-drawn-out and so tedious. The Colonel and Jane were full of conversation. They discussed the news from the West, the mine and its prospects, the Lakeside Farm and its people, the Colonel's own family, the boys who had enlisted and those who were left behind, the war spirit of Canada, its women and their work and their heroism (here the Colonel talked softly), the war and its prospects. The Colonel was a brilliant conversationalist when he exerted himself, and he told of the way of the war in England, of the awakening of the British people, of the rush to the recruiting offices, of the women's response. He had tales, too, of the British Expeditionary Force which he had received in private letters, of its glorious work in the Great Retreat and afterwards.
