CHAPTER XVII

AUNT MADGE RETURNS TO THE CITY

Jim Lee left on Thursday to join his regiment. There was a quiet leave-taking between Mary Lee and the man. Neither showed emotion--it was kept within the depths of their hearts. On Friday Tom Marshall left with several men for the mine. Mr. Saunders was to follow a few days later.

Mary Lee received some disquieting news on the same day. Dr. Payson informed her that with the return of Dr. Anderson he intended to join the first assignment of physicians and nurses bound for France. He felt, however, that her services could be used by Dr. Anderson to good advantage. Her experience would be of great help and under Dr. Anderson she would continue to progress.

Saturday afternoon found the old Campfire Group awaiting the train which was late.

"Won't Aunt Madge be pleased with our Red Cross work at the school?" commented Grace Olcott.

"Wonder if she'll be displeased at our group's merging with the Red Cross work?" remarked Edith.

"Of course, she won't," answered Ruth. "Will she, Mary Lee?"

The girls had an idea that Mary Lee's opinion and decision on most things was usually sound.

"I'm sure she won't. She'll feel that it was a very democratic and sensible thing to do," was Mary Lee's answer.

The train was in at last and the waiting girls stood on tiptoe watching the passengers as they came from the coaches.

"I see her, I see her," called Letty. "And there's Dr. Anderson and Bob, too."

But the other girls were no less quick in seeing the Andersons and there was excited gesticulating as well as calls. Finally, Mrs. Anderson saw them. She waved her hand and drew her husband's attention to the girls. The doctor lifted his hat and smiled at them.

Bob made his way through the throng for he also had espied them.

He was the first to get to the gate.

"Hello girls!" he called. "Hello, Mary Lee, it's good to see you."

"I'm glad to see you, too," answered the girl. By that time Aunt Madge had also arrived and the former had embraced and kissed all the girls.

"Well, Mary Lee," she said, when it was her turn, "when I see you I feel I'm at home."

"It certainly does seem so," added her husband who was keenly interested in his favorite. "Dr. Payson has been giving me some good reports of you, young lady."

Several of the girls had come in cars, so it was an easy matter to take everyone home.

Mary Lee was seated with the Andersons. Bob was in the car with Ruth.

As they sped homeward, the conversation between Ruth and Bob naturally turned to Mary Lee.

"Do you know that Jim Lee and Tom Marshall were here? And that Jim Lee joined the army?"

Bob didn't know a thing about it as Mary Lee had not written to tell him. Ruth was not a bit averse to telling him all about Jim Lee.

"He's so nice and so romantic. And he's turned over his share of the money from his mine to Mary Lee. And Tom Marshall has returned to the mine. You'd like them both, Bob."

"Guess I would," replied Bob. "Wish I could have gone with Mr. Marshall to the mine. I'm glad Mary Lee has seen Mr. Lee and I'm glad he's nice," he added.

"Isn't it all wonderful?" Ruth concluded as they reached the home of the Andersons.

Bob, too, got out at this point for he was going to stay with his aunt as his mother and father were out of town. He, therefore, did not get another chance that afternoon to talk to Mary Lee.

Bob, however, made up for lost time the next day for he made it a point to call on Mary Lee. He was to be in the city for only that day as he was due at school on Monday.

Mary Lee greeted him warmly. Somehow, the stiffness of their greeting the day before was gone. Neither could tell just why they had been so cool and so formally polite upon seeing each other, unless it was due to the fact that so many others were about.

"I wish you had been here to see Jim and Mr. Marshall, Bob. I told them so much about you and they were very anxious to meet you."

"No more than I am to meet them," was the reply of the boy. "Tell me something more about everything. Ruth told me but I want to hear it first-hand."

Mary Lee went into an account of the meeting and everything that had happened. The boy listened intently.

She then gave him an account of the Red Cross work and what the girls had done.

Bob was deeply interested.

"Our Boy Scouts at school are doing good work too. They are all anxious to spend vacation time on farms. I hope to get permission from mother and father to go to one during the summer. There isn't a boy at school who isn't anxious to help at this time and I wish you could see the big garden we have there. I wonder if Jim Lee will go to France," the boy added.

"He is anxious to go, but of course no one knows what is to be done," replied Mary Lee.

"Isn't it great to be part of such a big undertaking? Of course, war is terrible, but I've often envied the boys and men who lived during the Civil War. Now we are living in even bigger times and it's great to help, even if only in a small way."

"I noticed yesterday how naturally you walk, Bob. No one would ever suspect you had ever been lame."

The boy flushed with pride. He was proud of the fact that he was now like other boys. He valued the use of both his limbs, the more, because he had been so long without their use. Nothing pleased him so much as to be told he was like other boys.

Letty came in a little later and the three took a long walk.

"Isn't Bob brave to travel by himself on a sleeper? I'd be scared," said Letty.

"Huh," answered the boy, "that's because you're a girl. At that," he added, "I'll bet Mary Lee wouldn't be afraid."