The Hosts of the Air | Page 5

and Calais.
I hear that he had more than a messenger's share in these engagements,
throwing some timely bombs."
"Was he well when you saw him?" asked John. "He had not been hurt?
He had not been in any accident?"
"He was in the best of health, bard and fit. But his activities in the
Arrow had diminished recently. Snow, rain, icy hail make difficulties
and dangers for aviators. But we wander. He had not heard from his
mother, Madame Lannes, or his sister, the beautiful Mademoiselle Julie,
for a long time, and he seemed anxious about them."
"He himself took Mademoiselle Julie back to Paris in the Arrow," said
John.
"So he told me. They arrived safely, as you know, but Lannes was
compelled to leave immediately for the extreme western front. The
operations there were continuous and so exacting that he has been
unable to return to Paris. He has not heard from his mother and sister in
more than two months, and his great anxiety about them is quite
natural."
"But since the retreat of the Germans there is no danger in Paris save
from an occasional bomb."

"No. But a few days after seeing Lannes my own duties as a messenger
carried me back to Paris, and I took it upon myself to visit Lannes'
house. I had two objects, both I hope justifiable. I wanted to take to
them good news of Lannes and I wanted to take to Lannes good news
of them."
"You found them there?" said John, his anxiety showing in his tone.
"I did. But a letter from Lannes, by good luck, had just come through
the day before. It was a noble letter. It expressed the fine spirit of that
brave young man, a spirit universal now throughout France. He said the
fighting had been so severe and the wounded were so many that all
Frenchwomen who had the skill and strength to help must come to the
hospitals, where the hurt in scores of thousands were lying."
"Did he mention any point to which she was to come?"
"A village just behind the fortress of Verdun. To say that she was
willing was not enough. A great spirit, a magnificent spirit, Mr. Scott.
The soul of chivalry may dwell in the heart of a young girl. She was
eager to go. Madame, her mother, would have gone too, but she was ill,
so she remained in the house, while the beautiful Mademoiselle Julie
departed with the great peasant, Antoine Picard, and his daughter
Suzanne."
"Do you know how they went?"
"By rail, I think, as far as they could go, and thence they were to travel
by motor to the tiny village of Chastel, their destination. Knowing your
interest in Mademoiselle Julie, I thought it would not displease you to
hear this. Chastel is no vast distance from this point."
A blush would have been visible on John's face had he not been tanned
so deeply, but he felt no resentment. Captain Colton took his cigarette
from his lips and said tersely:
"Every man likes a pretty face. Man who doesn't--no man at all."

"I agree with you, Captain Colton," said Weber heartily. "When I no
longer notice a beautiful woman I think it will be time for me to die.
But I take no liberty, sir, when I say that in all the garden of flowers
Mademoiselle Julie Lannes is the rarest and loveliest. She is the
delicate and opening rose touched at dawn with pearly dew."
"A poet, Weber! A poet!" interjected Captain Colton.
"No, sir, I but speak the truth," said Weber seriously. "Mademoiselle
Julie Lannes, though a young girl but yet, promises to become the most
beautiful woman in Europe, and beauty carries with it many privileges.
Men may have political equality, but women can never have an
equality of looks."
"Right, Weber," said Captain Colton.
John's pulses had begun to leap. Julie was coming back to the front, and
she would not be so far away. Some day he might see her again. But he
felt anxiety.
"Is the journey to Chastel safe, after she leaves the railway?" he asked
of Weber.
"Is anything safe now?"
"Nothing in Europe," interjected Captain Colton.
"But I don't think Mademoiselle Lannes will incur much danger," said
Weber. "It's true, roving bands of Uhlans or hussars sometimes pass in
our rear, but it's likely that she and other French girls going to the front
march under strong escort."
His tone was reassuring, but his words left John still troubled.
"My object in telling you of Mademoiselle Lannes' movements, Mr.
Scott," continued Weber, "was to enable you to notify Lieutenant
Lannes of her exact location in case you should see him. Knowing your
great friendship I thought it inevitable that you