Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-22
THE DAILY STORY
Billeting and Barbara

Even after war had been declared and
the troops we're actually on the march.
Barbara Heathcote failed 70 realize the
gravity Of the situation. Comfortably
ensconced in her great country bunga-
low. surrounded by servants and every
luxury, she did not see the necessity Of
worrying about war which would not
upset her own weil-ordered existence
Barbara had not stopped to realize that
the little village in Bedfordshire was
right on the line Of march. nor did she
know that being householder. she
would be ordered to provide temporary
shelter for officers and men OF the troops
when they should pass on the way to
backgrounds.
II was with great surprise that she
found herself watching an OFFICER re-
treating from her door having bileted
a score OF soldiers on her. She had been
asked lin the name OF the king" to
provide shelter for a day or two for the
men on the march. and Barbara had
been first indignant, then Indifferent. Her
servants, she decided. could make pro-
vision for the soldiers
But Barbaras equilibrium was upset.
War had been forced into her conscious
ness and she wished the troops had taken
another route to the backgrounds. She
disliked annoyance of any kind, for she
was selfish and self-centred.
Where will these troops sleep?" she
asked of her old servant.
ION the veranda, Miss Barbara, and
In the garden" replied Jenkins, more ex-
cited than the soldiers themselves. I'VE
will feed them In the servants hall"
When Jenkins had gone Barbara's brow
puckered. She well knew that fighting
men were accustomed to hardship, but
the thought of them sleeping on wooden
floors or perhaps in the dew-dampened
garden was not pleasant. Certainly 1t
would disturb her owns night rest to
have them there. During the day, how
ever, she tried to harden herself by the
thought that there was much worse ahead
of them than sleeping in sheltered gar
dens.
In the evening, when a score or more
OF tired but laughing soldiers in khaki
came trooping through the great hedge
gate Barbara watched them with quickly
beating heart. Somehow and without
warning a sharp emotion fripped her. She
tried to stife a desire to cry and won
dering why she should feel so helpless all
Of sudden. The men were big and
brave and were going off happily to fight
for their country and their womenfolk
She, Barbara, who was nourished and
cared for as II she were a hothouse bud,
was miserable, and the realization of her
own smallness dawned on her.
She looked again at the men, now
going toward the back of the house, and
their war kits brought fresh emotion to
Barbaras heart. They were going to
battle for perhaps months, and maybe
years, with that small provision for COM
fort. Never before had Barbara seen
the troops in full war kit, and the mea-
gerness of their equipment appalled, her
She who had slept beneath rose-colored
eiderdowns all her life could conceive
OF nothing so terrible as that pitiful sup
ply of human comforts. She turned from
the window and to the telephone.
Jenkins she called down to her old
servant, "see that cook provides the best
of everything for these men. Spare no
expense or trouble to make them COM
Portable"
When she had hung up the receiver
Barbara felt trihe more like herself.
After all, most OF the men would return
from the war. She was upsetting her
self for vague fears. She tried to throw
of the chastity pictures that the sight
of the troops had put before her, but It
was useless, now that her very doorstep
was thronged with soldiers to feel other
than fearful for their fate. Again she
wished that the burden of worry had
not been flung upon her. The thought
sent a wave of shame over her. Perhaps
for the first time in her entire life Bar
bara knew how despicably selfish she
was She was regretting the entrance
into her life Of that score of brave men.