The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-12-14
BILLE1ING and BARBARA
BY HARMONY WELLER.

Copyright. 1914. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.
Even after war had been declared
and the troops we're actually on the
march, Barbara Heathcote failed to
realize the gravity Of the situation.
Comfortably ensconced in her great
country bungalow, surrounded by SER
wants and every luxury, she did not
see the necessity of worrying about
q war which would not upset her
own we'll ordered existence.
Barbara had not stopped to realize
that the little village in Bedfordshire
was right on the line of march.
1t was with great surprise that she
found herself watching an officer
retreating from her door having bill
leted a score of soldiers on her.
Where will these troops sleep?"
she asked Of her old servant
ION the veranda, Miss Barbara, and
in the garden" replied jenkins, more
excited than the soldiers themselves.
I'VE will feed them in the servants
hail."
In the evening when score or
more of tired but laughing soldiers
in khaki cane trooping through the
great hedge gate Barbara watched
them with quickly beating heart.
Somehow and without warning
sharp emotion gripped her. She tried
to stifle desire to cry, and wondered
why she should feel SO helpless all
Of a sudden. The men were big and
brave and were going off happily to
fight for their country and their
womenfolk.
She looked again at the men, now
going toward the back of the house,
and their war kits brought fresh emo.
tion to Barbara's heart. They were
going to battle for perhaps months
and maybe years with that small pro-
vision of comfort. She turned from
the window and to the telephone.
Jenkins" she called down to her
old servant, "see that the cook pro-
vides the best of everything for these
men. Spare no expense or trouble
to make them comfortable"
When she had hung up the receiver
Barbara felt a trifle more like her
/ SELF After all, she was regretting
the entrance into her life of that score
of brave men. Barbara felt the sting
of her own weakness and the utter
uselessness of her life.
Even my servants are doing some
thing for those men," she told her.
self when she heard burst of laugh
| ter from the direction of the lower
dining hall. So long did she sit in
the darkness that before she knew it
the troops billeted on her had ceased
their laughter and flung themselves
down on veranda and garden lawn to
WOO sleep as best they might. Bar
bara jumped up and went swiftly into
the moonlight among the soldiers.
| They arose as one man at her coming
and stood looking at the slim white
figure.
Il can't stand it to have you sleep.
ing out here" she said breathlessly.
"You must all come inside. will have
all the room necessary" She smiled
when they demurred. and commanded
in a most adorable manner. please
let me have my way" she said. II
have never done anything in my whole
life for any one save myself. Please
let me do what l can now" And
because she was crying Barbara hast.
ened to help jenkins make up the
many beds In the great house.
The troops remained only until the
morning of the third day, and when
they had marched off with their
bands playing and smile on their
lips Barbara wept as il her heart
would break.
Bedfordshire was impossible to her
| after that The life OF ease and lux.
ury was not to be borne. She could
not sit idly by and wait for news
from the front; she must 60 and be
a part of that working contingent and
do her mite.
Barbara knew that somewhere,
some day, after the great war was
over she would again stand beside
the young lieutenant commander who
had slept beneath her roof on the
way to battle. His eyes had told heI
that he would come back to her, and
Barbara was living only for that day
and for the good she might do to be
worthy of him.
Il am glad" thought Barbara
that / lived on the line of march
ing. Otherwise might never have
known Lieutenant Commander Blake
ly" She smiled softly and added, And
yeti must surely have met him