The Best of Mary Roberts Rinehart

by Mary Roberts Rinehart

  "I believe you," was all he said; and we started for headquarters.

  I recall distinctly the scene in the general's headquarters when we got there. The general was sitting, and both Charlie Sands and Mr. Burton were there, looking worried and unhappy. At first they did not see me, and I was too much out of breath to speak.

  "I have already told you both that I cannot be responsible for three erratic spinsters. They are undoubtedly prisoners if they returned to V----."

  "Prisoners!" said Charlie Sands. "If they were prisoners would they be signaling from the church tower for help?"

  "I have already heard that story. It's ridiculous. Do you mean to tell me that with that town full of Germans those women have held the church tower since last night?"

  Mr. Burton drew a piece of paper from his pocket.

  "From eight o'clock to nine," he said, "the signal was 'Help,' repeated at frequent intervals; shortly after nine there was an attempt at a connected message. Allowing for corrections and for the fact that the light was growing dim, as though from an overused battery, the message runs: 'Help. Bring a ladder. They have cut the----' I am sorry that the light gave out just there, and the message was uncompleted."

  How terrible were my emotions at that time, to think that our dear Tish had cut off Aggie's only hope of escape.

  The general got up.

  "I am, afraid you young gentlemen are indulging in a sense of humor at my expense. Unfortunately I have no sense of humor, but you may find it funny. Captain Sands to continue under arrest for last night's escapade. As Mr. Burton is a member of a welfare organization I do not find him under my direct jurisdiction, but----"

  "Then I shall go to V---- myself!" Mr. Burton said angrily. "I'll capture the whole damned town single-handed, and----"

  I then entered the cellar and said: "Miss Carberry has captured V----, general. She asks me to tell you that you may come over at any time and plant the flag. The signaling is being done by Miss Pilkington, who is at present holding the tower. I am acting as runner."

  I regret to say that I cannot publish the general's reply.

  * * * * *

  As the remainder of the incident is a matter of historical record I shall not describe the advance of a portion of our Army into V----.

  They found the garrison either surrendered, fled or under Tish's fire in the beer cellar, and were, I believe, at first seriously menaced by that indomitable figure. It was also extremely difficult to rescue Aggie, as at first she persisted in firing through the floor of the platform the moment she heard any one ascending. In due time, however, she was brought down, but as any mention of the tower for some time gave her a nervous chill it was several weeks before we heard her story.

  I doubt if we would have heard it even then had not Mr. Burton and Hilda come to Paris on their wedding trip. We had a dinner for them at the Café de Paris, and Mr. Burton told us that we were all to have the Croix de Guerre. He insisted on ordering champagne to celebrate, and Aggie had two glasses, and then said the room was going round like the weather vane on the tower at V----.

  She then went rather white and said: "The ladder was fastened to it, you know."

  "What ladder?" Tish asked sharply.

  "The rope ladder I was standing on. And when the wind blew----"

  Well, we gave her another glass of wine, and she told us the tragic story. She had fallen behind me, and was round a corner, when she felt a sneezing spell coming on. So seeing a doorway she slipped in, and she sneezed for about five minutes. When she came out there was nobody in sight, and after wandering round she went back to the doorway and closed the door.

  There were stairs behind her, and when the counter attack came she ran up the stairs. She knew then that she was in the church tower, but she didn't dare to come down. When the firing stopped in the streets a soldier ran down the stairs and almost touched her. A moment later she heard him coming back, so she climbed up ahead and got out on a balcony above the clock. But he started to come out on the balcony, and just as she was prepared to be shot her hand touched a rope ladder and she went up it like a shot.

  "It was dark, Tish," she said with a shudder, "and I couldn't look down. But when morning came I was up beside the weather vane, and a sniper from our lines must have thought I didn't belong there, for he fired at me every now and then."

  Well, it seems she hung there all day, and nobody noticed her. Luckily the wind mostly kept her from the German side, and the sentry couldn't see her from the balcony. Then at last, the next evening, she heard him going down, and she would have made her escape, but he had cut the rope ladder below. She couldn't imagine why.

  Tish looked at me steadily.

  "It is very strange," she said. "But who can account for the instinct of destruction in the Hun mind?"

  * * *

  CONTENTS

  AFFINITIES AND OTHER STORIES

  By Mary Roberts Rinehart

  AFFINITIES

  I

  SOMEBODY ought to know the truth about the Devil's Island affair and I am going to tell it. The truth is generally either better or worse than the stories that get about. In this case it is somewhat better, though I am not proud of it.

  It started with a discussion about married women having men friends. I said I thought it was a positive duty it kept them up to the mark with their clothes and gave a sort of snap to things, with out doing any harm. There were six of us on the terrace at the Country Club at the time and we all felt the same way that it was fun to have some body that everybody expected to put by one at dinners, and to sit out dances with and like the way one did one's hair, and to say nice things.

  "And to slip out on the links for a moonlight chat with you," said Annette, who is rather given to those little pastimes, the most harmless in the world.

  We were all awfully bored that Sunday after noon. Most of the men were golfing; and when you meet the same people all the time day after day, dinner after dinner, dance after dance any thing new is, welcome. Really the only variety we had was a new drink now and then. Some one would conic home from his vacation with a brand-new idea in beverages and order one all round, and it was a real sensation.

  That was all we had had all summer for excite ment, except the time Willie Anderson kissed Sybilla she was his wife on a wager. They had been rather cool to each other for a month or so.

  We would sit on the terrace and the conversation would be about like this:

  "There's the Jacksons' car."

  "Why on earth does Ida Jackson wear green?"

  "Hello, Ida! When d'you get back?"

  "Yesterday. Bully time!"

  Just in time to save us from utter boredom some body would yawn and remark:

  "Here comes the Henderson car."

  "Jane Henderson's put on weight. She's as big as a house! Hello, Jane!"

  "Hello, everybody! My goodness! Why did I come back? Isn't it hot?"

  More excitement for a minute and then more yawns. It was Ferd Jackson who suggested the affinity party. He had heard about what I had said on the terrace, and he came to me while Day was playing on the links. Day is my husband.

  "Had a nice afternoon?" he asked.

  "Only fair. Day's been underfoot most of the time. Why?"

  "How'd you like a picnic?"

  "I would not!" I said decisively. "I hate cold food and motoring in a procession until you choke with dust and Day getting jealous and disagree able and wanting to get home early."

  "Poor little girl!" said Ferd, and patted my hand in a friendly way.

  Ferd was a good scout always; we got along together pretty well and sat together at dinners whenever we could. He never made love to me or anything like that, but he understood me thoroughly, which Day never took the trouble to do. It is absurd, now that it's all over, to have the others saying he was my affinity or anything of the sort. I never cared for him.

  "I didn't mean the usual sort of picnic," Ferd said. "How has it got its pretty hair fixed to-day? Rather nice, lady-l
ove; but why do you hide your pretty ears?"

  Lady-love was only a nickname.

  "So I won't be able to hear Day bragging about his golf score. What sort of a picnic?"

  "It's a peach of an idea!" Ferd said. "It came to me out of a clear sky. Every picnic we've ever had has been a failure because why? Because they were husband-and-wife picnics. There's no trouble about a picnic where nobody's married, is there?"

  "Humph! What's the peach of an idea? To get divorces?"

  "Certainly not! Have husbands and wives only somebody else's husband or somebody else's wife. You and I do you see? and Annette and Tom; Jane Henderson and Emerson Riley; Catherine Fredericks and that fellow who's visiting the Moores. How about it?"

  "Day would have a convulsion, Ferd."

  "Good gracious, Fanny!" he said. "Haven't you any imagination? What has Day got to do with it? You wouldn't tell him, of course!"

  Well, that was different. I was rather scared when I got to thinking of it, but it sounded amusing and different. One way and another I see such a lot of Day. He's always around unless there's a golf tournament somewhere else.

  "It's moonlight," Ferd said. "The only thing, of course, is to get off. I can stay over at the club or go on a motor trip. It's easy enough for the fellows; but the girls will have to work out some thing."

  So we sat and thought. Day came in from the links just then and stopped by my chair.

  "Great afternoon!" he said, mopping his face. "Y'ought to hear what I did to Robson, Fan--I drove off my watch and never touched it. Then he tried it with his. Couldn't even find the case!"

  "Go away, Day," I said. "I'm thinking."

  "Ferd doesn't seem to interfere with your thinking."

  "He's negative and doesn't count," I explained. "You're positive."

  That put him in a good humour again and he went off for a shower. I turned to Ferd.

  "I believe I've got it," I said "I'll have a fight with Day the morning of the picnic and I'll not be there when he gets home. I've done it before. Then, when I do go home, he'll be so glad to see me he'll not ask any questions. He'll think I've been off sulking."

  "Good girl!" said Ferd.

  "Only you must get home by ten o'clock that's positive. By eleven he'd be telephoning the police."

  "Sure I will! We'll all have to get home at reasonable hours."

  "And I'm a wretch, Ferd. He's so fond of me!"

  "That's no particular virtue in him. I'm fond of you and that's mild, Fan; but what's a virtue in Day is a weakness in me, I dare say."

  "It's an indiscretion," I said, and got up. Enough is a sufficiency, as somebody said one day, and I did not allow even Ferd to go too far.

  Annette and Jane and Catherine were all crazy about it. Annette was the luckiest, because Charles was going for a fishing trip, and her time was her own. And Ferd's idea turned out to be perfectly bully when the eight of us got together that evening and talked it over while the husbands were shooting crap in the grill room.

  "There's an island up the river," he explained, "where the men from our mill have been camping; and, though the tents are down, they built a wooden pavilion at the edge of the water for a dining hall and, of course, that's still there. We can leave town at, say, four o'clock and motor up there you and Tom, Annette and--"

  "I've been thinking it over, Ferd," I put in, "and I won't motor. If the car goes into a ditch or turns over you always get in the papers and there's talk. Isn't there a street car?"

  "There's a street car; but, for heaven's sake, Fanny--"

  "Street car it is," I said with decision. "With a street car we'll know we're going to get back to town. It won't be sitting on its tail lamp in a gully; and we won't be hiding the license plates under a stone and walking home, either."

  There was a lot of demur and at first Annette said she wouldn't go that way; but she came round at last.

  "I'll hand a basket up late in the afternoon," Ferd said, "with something to eat in it. And you girls had better put on sensible things and cut out the high heels and fancy clothes. If you are going in a street car you'd better be inconspicuous."

  That was the way we arranged it finally the men to take one car and the girls another and meet opposite the island on the river bank. We should have to row across and Ferd was to arrange about boats. We set Thursday as the day.

  Some sort of premonition made me nervous and I was sorry about Day too; for though the picnic was only a lark and no harm at all, of course he would have been furious had he known. And he was very nice to me all the week. He sent flow ers home twice and on Wednesday he said I might have a new runabout. That made it rather difficult to quarrel with him Thursday, as I had arranged.

  I lay awake half the night trying to think of something to quarrel about. I could not find any thing that really answered until nearly dawn, when I decided to give him some bills I had been holding back. I fell asleep like a child then and did not waken until eleven o'clock. There was a box of roses by the bed and a note in Day's writing.

  "Honey lamb!" he wrote: "Inclosed is a telegram from Waite calling me to Newburyport to the tour nament. I'll hardly get back before to-morrow night. I came to tell you, but you looked so beautiful and so sound asleep I did not have the heart to waken you. Be a good girl! DAY."

  Somehow the note startled me. Could he have had any suspicion? I felt queer and uneasy all the time I was dressing; but after I had had a cup of tea I felt better. There is nothing underhanded about Day. He has no reserves. And if he had learned about the picnic he would have been bleating all over the place.

  The weather was splendid a late summer day, not too warm, with a September haze over every thing. We met at the hairdresser's and Jane Henderson was frightfully nervous.

  "Of course I'm game," she said, while the man pinned on her net; "but my hands are like ice."

  Catherine, however, was fairly radiant.

  'There's a sort of thrill about doing something clandestine," she observed, "that isn't like anything else in the world. I feel like eloping with Mr. Lee. You'll all be mad about him. He's the nicest thing!"

  Mr. Lee was the Moores' guest.

  I had got into the spirit of the thing by that time and I drew a long breath. Day was safely out of the way, the weather was fine, and I had my hair over my ears the way Ferd liked it.

  II

  Everything went wonderfully up to a certain point. Have you ever known it to fail? Everything swims along and all is lovely and the thing, whatever it may be, is being so successful that it is almost a culmination; and then suddenly, out of a clear sky, there is a slip-up somewhere and you want to crawl off into a corner and die.

  Ferd had got there early and had a boat ready, all scrubbed out and lined with old carpets. He was just as excited as any of us.

  "The trouble with us," he said, as we rowed over to the island, "is that we are all in a rut. We do the same things over and over, at the same places, with the same people. The hoi polloi never make that mistake and they get a lot more out of life. Every now and then the puddlers from the mill come over here and have a great time."

  There were two islands, one just above the other, with about a hundred feet of water between them. The upper island was much the nicer and it was there that Ferd had planned the party.

  He does things awfully well, really. He had had a decorator out there early in the day and the pavilion was fixed up with plants and vines which looked as if they grew on it. He had the table fixed too, with a mound of roses and the most interesting place cards. Mine had a little jewelled dagger thrust through it, and the card said:

  That's as much as to say, they are fools that marry.

  He said the quotation was from Shakespeare and the dagger was for Day.

  Annette's card said:

  She was married, charming, chaste, and twenty-three,

  which delighted Annette, she being more than twenty-three.

  Ferd's own card said:

  Another woman now and then

 
; Is relished by the best of men.

  I have forgotten the others. The dagger was a pin, and each card had something pretty fastened to it.

  We sat and gossiped while we waited for the others and then we wandered round. The island was not very pretty flat and weedy mostly, with a good many cans the campers had left, and a muddy shore where a broken dock, consisting of two planks on poles, was the boat landing. But it was only later that I hated it, really. That after noon we said it was idyllic, and the very place for a picnic.

  The other men arrived soon after, and it was really barrels of fun. We made a rule first. No one was to mention an absent husband or wife; and the person who did had to tell a story or sing a song as a forfeit. I was more than proud of Ferd. He had even had a phonograph sent up, with a lot of new music. We danced the rest of the after noon and the Lee man danced like an angel. I never had a better time. Jane voiced my feelings perfectly.

  "It's not that I'm tired of Bill," she said. "I dote on him, of course; but it is a relief, once in a while, not to have a husband in the offing, isn't it? And the most carping critic could not object to anything we are doing. That's the best of all.''

  The dinner was really wonderful trust Ferd for that too. We were almost hilarious. Between courses we got up and changed our own plates, and we danced to the side table and back again. Once we had an alarm, however. An excursion boat came up the river and swung in close tc the pavilion. We had not noticed it until it was quite near and there was no time to run; so we all sat down on the floor inside the railing, which was covered with canvas, and had our salad there.

  By the time dinner was over it was almost dark; and we took a bottle of champagne down to the dock and drank it there, sitting on the boards, with our feet hanging. Ferd had been growing sentimental for the last hour or two and I had had to keep him down. He sat beside me on the boards and kept talking about how he envied Day, and that Ida was a good wife and better than he deserved; but no one had ever got into him the way I had.

  "I'm not trying to flatter you, Fanny," he said. "I've always been honest with you. But there's a woman for every man, and you're my woman."