Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-28
continued FROM yesterdays starr

CHAPTER v.
w WITH their bicycle baskets
packed tight with sand
wv wiches and bathing things,
Madge, Dennis and Jimmy
set out for Chewton Glen,
but In the village they stopped TO Cos
AID. There had not been much news
yesterday, because it had been nank
holiday. but It was reported that Ger
many had invaded Luxembourg, and
that the British feet had been mo-
6iliSed. Mrs. Tucker, looking mysterious
and dirnified, as befitted so important
q government servant as o village post
mistress. spoke darkly OF territorials
heinr ordered to guard railway bridges
and the docks at Southampton. Do
what they would, the three OF them
could not avoid the feeling that this
fourth day Of August was momentouS
occasion for q picnic. SO that when
Madre said, "A penny for your
tI1ouShts." she was not altogether sur
rrised when Dennis answered bluntly
mat he was thinking about the posi-
nility Of war.
she pedaled q little harder to get
an A level with him, and they rode
together through the long lane between
f6ne Scotch frs Jimmy, who was
rnusing upon Hobbs wonderful score OF
ass at the Oval yesterday, did not trout
Bile TO catch them up. The war, II IL
came. would not affect him very mucn.
Besides, it wouldn't come. Those things
didn't. m
Nerence 70 you at Sandhurst?" Madge
said. as the personal side Of all these
alarmist newspaper reports struck her
for the first time. Mightn't they want
more officers?"
"sure to-" agreed Dennis. But It
VIII only affect the fellows who've been
Saere for some time. Every one says
The war couldn't last more than three
months. The Germans couldn't stick
more than that. 30 1t won't make any
difference to my passing out. Just my
Sotten luck"
sI can't imagine what It would be
Rire, can your" asked the girl. Would
4 be as bad as the Boer WARP"
Worse. There'd be bigger armies
and much more artillery"
Dennis spoke with neavy authority,
since he was about to 60 to Sandhurst.
He had finished with school for good
and all, and could smoke cigarettes
when and where he liked. except that
Or. Raleigh objected that he was an
ass to do so.
att must be pretty awful on the Con-
what the papers said about the crowds
II Holland and France and Belgium.
Nancie Parsons and her mother went
TO the Tyrol-that's In Germany, isn't
It? I'm glad we were satisfied with
Alum Green and the Forest and Chew
ton Glen. My aunt Isn't It a lovely
day? 1t ought to be ripping bathing"
It was only after lunch, when they
were lying on the sand waiting for an
hour to elapse before they went in the
water again, that Madge thought any
more Of the trouble on the Continent.
And again she thought of IL from a
purely personal point Of view Dennis
would look awfully important in his
6andhurst uniform. People might
think he was really going OF to fight.
OF course, he couldn't be really-that
would upset everything too much. But
4 was rather exciting to imagine that
he was being sent of to the war and
had Just come TO say "good-by." She
she would fling herself on her bed and
CRY, and all her friends would be SYM
pathetic, and impressed because so
close friend Of hers was fighting the
Germans.
She lay on her back, closed her eyes
tight to keep out the red glare Of the
sun through her eyelids, and tried to
ptCGuIS WI1a6 II WOul0 DC ike II OcI1ulS
got wounded. There had once been O
picture In the nursery called 1.-THE Alb
sent-Minded Beggar"-a soldier dressed
In khaki. with. q bandage round his
head. Dennis would look rather nice
with Q bandage round his head, and
his wavy hair standing up above It.
But suppose he got killed? There was
always danger, always a chance that
he might Be fatally wounded. It
would be awful II anything really Seri-
Gus happened TO him, because there
wasn't anybody In the world quite like
Dennis.
She stretched out her hand until she
touched his arm. It was comforting TO
know that he was there, and that It
was only her stupid imagination which
had been galloping on unchecked. Be-
sides, she realized with q laugh Of re-
lief how could he be sent to fight?
There wouldn't be any fighting for the
army, for Great Britain was an island.
Perhaps they'd send him to one Of
those forts on the Isle Of Wight she
had visited on Summer excursions, and
she would be able to run over quite
often TO see him. The Germans would