“I think I could die for my country if I were a man,” said Gretel, with kindling eyes. “I never realized how much I loved it till the war came, but now every time I see the American flag, I feel as if I wanted to go right off and do something.”
Then Mrs. Douaine spoke of something else, and nothing more was said about the war till the car drew up before the house on a quiet, uptown street, which had been Gretel’s home for the past three years.
“It is glorious to be at home, even if all the furniture is covered up in brown linen,” cried Gretel, joyfully, as she followed her sister-in-law up-stairs, after greeting the elderly butler and smiling parlor maid in the front hall.
“Your room hasn’t been disturbed yet,” said Mrs. Douaine. “I wouldn’t have it touched till you came home. I thought it would seem more homelike to find everything just as usual. The rest of the house is pretty well dismantled, however. There’s so much to be done, and we may remain in Washington till the war is over.”
“You are a dear, Barbara!” exclaimed Gretel, heartily. “It will be lovely to find all my things just as I left them. I do love that room so. I dream about it sometimes at school. But I’d love to help with the packing. You have no idea what a good packer I have grown to be. The girls all get me to help them with their trunks. Ah, here’s Dora.” And she paused to shake hands with a rosy-cheeked maid, who was awaiting them at the head of the stairs.
There was no doubt of the fact that Dora was pleased to welcome her young lady home. Her honest face fairly beamed with pleasure, and she followed Gretel to her room, and insisted on unpacking her suit-case.
“You’ll spoil me if you wait on me too much,” protested Gretel, laughing. “We have to wait on ourselves at school. I’ve made my own bed every morning all winter.”
Dora looked rather shocked.
“Well, you won’t make your own bed here, that’s one sure thing,” she announced, with decision. “I don’t see why young ladies want to do their own work.”
“I believe you have imbibed some of Higgins’s English ideas about young ladies,” laughed Gretel. “I never shall forget her horror when Percy and Barbara said I might go out by myself. ‘Such a proceeding had never been heard of in the Henglish Haristocracy.’ By the way, has any one heard from Higgins lately?”