“Oh, of course! And I don’t intend to butt in. I never cared for her, and you know it. She’s an only daughter, and thoroughly spoiled.” Nat did not seem to realize that he was an only son and over-indulged. “Just the same, I think Lieutenant Gebauer has got the upper hand of you. He helped her at some charity exhibitions, and took her out riding, and to one of the dances, and I don’t know what all. He’s been calling on her right along, and the rumor is around Crumville that they are secretly engaged.”
“Nat, you’re making that so-called rumor up yourself!” cried Dave. “I know all about how Max Gebauer has been calling on Jessie and how he forced his attentions on her. She herself has written to me about it, if you must know. I don’t give that fellow any credit for what he has done. But now that he is in France and she is done with him, why not let the whole matter drop?”
“Oh, so she wrote to you about him, did she? Well, maybe she told the truth and maybe she didn’t. Oh, now don’t get too hot!” cried Nat hastily, as Dave’s eyes suddenly flashed fire and he clenched his fists. “I’m only telling you about things that I saw with my own eyes. I know that she went out with him a great deal and that she seemed to like his company. And whether you want to believe it or not, there is a rumor that they are secretly engaged and that they are to announce the engagement publicly as soon as she can get some sort of a decent pretext for breaking off her engagement with you. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
And having thus delivered himself, Nat Poole turned to where a motor-lorry bound for his camp was standing, and a few minutes later was off, leaving Dave in a much disturbed frame of mind staring after him.
CHAPTER XIII
THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL
An hour later found Dave on a heavy motor-lorry bound for the place to which the fighting engineers had moved after the thrilling fight on the new roadway through the forest. Our hero had been told by one of the hospital staff that the lorry was headed that way, and the driver, a young American college man, had readily consented to give him a lift.
The drive to the engineers’ camp took about two hours. For the greater part it was over roadways much torn up by shell-fire and being used by a steady stream of lorries and other turnouts coming and going. On the way they met a battery which was shifting its position, and also a regiment of soldiers who were swinging along whistling popular tunes. They likewise passed a number of French people, most of them carrying some of their worldly possessions on their backs or under their arms. All of them looked much downcast, as if they had lost their last friend on earth, yet when they met the eyes of the Americans they would smile hopefully.
“They’re looking to our boys to do a whole lot for them,” said the lorry driver to Dave.
“And we’re going to make good!” answered our hero promptly. “Those folks are all going to have their homes back again.”
At the time Dave returned to camp the engineers had finished one piece of work and were awaiting orders. As soon as he leaped from the lorry there was a rush to greet him.