Ada’s manner was very cordial, but sensitive Gretel could not help fancying that there was a difference in her manner when she turned from Geraldine to herself, and particularly when presenting her to her mother as “my friend, Gretel Schiller.”
Mrs. Godfrey, a stout, energetic woman, with a loud, decided voice, received the visitors kindly, and the girls were introduced to several other ladies who had already arrived for the morning’s work. More people appeared, and they were soon all busy folding bandages and making surgical dressings.
Gretel was skillful with her fingers and eager to learn, and before the morning was over she had won golden opinions from many of the workers. It would all have been very pleasant if Mrs. Godfrey and one of the other ladies had not begun entertaining the party with stories of German atrocities, ending in what they both declared to be a true account of ground glass having been found in some surgical dressings which had been sent in by a branch of the Red Cross.
“Of course, some German did it,” Ada’s mother stated positively. “People should be more careful whom they allow to work. I have heard of one branch who will not accept any work done by a person even having a German name.”
Gretel felt her cheeks tingle, but kept her eyes steadily bent on her work, and so quite failed to notice the quick, warning glance that Ada cast at her mother. But the next words she heard were in Mrs. Chester’s kind voice.
“That seems to me a little unfair. Many people with German names are quite as good Americans as we are.”
“I wouldn’t trust one of them,” declared another lady, who, to do her justice, had no idea there was any one present having a German name. And she immediately launched forth into another story of German treachery, if possible, even more shocking than the last.
“Well, it wasn’t so bad, after all, was it?” remarked Molly, cheerfully, as they were walking home to luncheon.
“I liked it,” said Geraldine. “It’s nice to feel we are doing something, even if it’s only a little. I’m afraid I was very stupid and clumsy, though. You did wonderfully, Gretel.”
“She did, indeed,” chimed in Mrs. Chester. “Is this your first experience, Gretel?”