按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
the burning of San Francisco； upon the destruction of Messina。
〃We were betrayed； general；〃 whispered the head…waiter。
〃We were betrayed； baron；〃 replied the bearded one。
〃But you were in time to warn the flotilla。〃
With a sigh； the older man nodded。
〃The last message I received over the wireless；〃 he said； 〃before I
destroyed it； read； 'Your message understood。 We are returning。 Our
movements will be explained as manoeuvres。 And；〃 added the general；
〃The English； having driven us back； will be willing to officially accept
that explanation。 As manoeuvres； this night will go down into history。
Return to the hotel；〃 he commanded； 〃And in two months you can rejoin
your regiment。〃
On the morning after the invasion the New York Republic published a
map of Great Britain that covered three columns and a wood…cut of Ford
that was spread over five。 Beneath it was printed： 〃Lester Ford； our
81
… Page 82…
THE RED CROSS GIRL
London correspondent； captured by the Germans； he escapes and is the
first to warn the English people。〃
On the same morning； In an editorial in The Times of London；
appeared this paragraph：
〃The Germans were first seen by the Hon。 Arthur Herbert； the eldest
son of Lord Cinaris； Mr。 Patrick Headford Birrell both of Balliol College；
Oxford； and Mr。 Lester Ford； the correspondent of the New York Republic。
These gentlemen escaped from the landing party that tried to make them
prisoners； and at great risk proceeded in their motor…car over roads
infested by the Germans to all the coast towns of Norfolk； warning the
authorities。 Should the war office fail to recognize their services； the
people of Great Britain will prove that they are not ungrateful。〃
A week later three young men sat at dinner on the terrace of the Savoy。
〃Shall we； or shall we not；〃 asked Herbert； 〃tell my uncle that we three；
and we three alone； were the invaders？〃
〃That's hardly correct；〃 said Ford； 〃as we now know there were two
hundred thousand invaders。 We were the only three who got ashore。〃
〃I vote we don't tell him；〃 said Birrell。 〃Let him think with everybody
else that the Germans blundered； that an advance party landed too soon
and gave the show away。 If we talk；〃 he argued； 〃We'll get credit for a
successful hoax。 If we keep quiet； everybody will continue to think we
saved England。 I'm content to let it go at that。〃
82
… Page 83…
THE RED CROSS GIRL
CHAPTER 4。 BLOOD WILL
TELL
David Greene was an employee of the Burdett Automatic Punch
Company。 The manufacturing plant of the company was at Bridgeport； but
in the New York offices there were working samples of all the punches；
from the little nickel…plated hand punch with which conductors squeezed
holes in railroad tickets； to the big punch that could bite into an iron plate
as easily as into a piece of pie。 David's duty was to explain these different
punches； and accordingly when Burdett Senior or one of the sons turned a
customer over to David he spoke of him as a salesman。 But David called
himself a 〃demonstrator。〃 For a short time he even succeeded in
persuading the other salesmen to speak of themselves as demonstrators；
but the shipping clerks and bookkeepers laughed them out of it。 They
could not laugh David out of it。 This was so； partly because he had no
sense of humor； and partly because he had a great…great…grandfather。
Among the salesmen on lower Broadway； to possess a great…great…
grandfather is unusual； even a great…grandfather is a rarity； and either is
considered superfluous。 But to David the possession of a great…great…
grandfather was a precious and open delight。 He had possessed him only
for a short time。 Undoubtedly he always had existed； but it was not until
David's sister Anne married a doctor in Bordentown； New Jersey； and
became socially ambitious； that David emerged as a Son of Washington。
It was sister Anne； anxious to 〃get in〃 as a 〃Daughter〃 and wear a
distaff pin in her shirtwaist； who discovered the revolutionary ancestor。
She unearthed him； or rather ran him to earth； in the graveyard of the
Presbyterian church at Bordentown。 He was no less a person than General
Hiram Greene； and he had fought with Washington at Trenton and at
Princeton。 Of this there was no doubt。 That； later； on moving to New York；
his descendants became peace…loving salesmen did not affect his record。
To enter a society founded on heredity； the important thing is first to catch
your ancestor； and having made sure of him； David entered the Society of
the Sons of Washington with flying colors。 He was not unlike the man
83
… Page 84…
THE RED CROSS GIRL
who had been speaking prose for forty years without knowing it。 He was
not unlike the other man who woke to find himself famous。 He had gone
to bed a timid； near…sighted； underpaid salesman without a relative in the
world； except a married sister in Bordentown； and he awoke to find he was
a direct descendant of 〃Neck or Nothing〃 Greene； a revolutionary hero； a
friend of Washington； a man whose portrait hung in the State House at
Trenton。 David's life had lacked color。 The day he carried his certificate of
membership to the big jewelry store uptown and purchased two rosettes；
one for each of his two coats； was the proudest of his life。
The other men in the Broadway office took a different view。 As
Wyckoff； one of Burdett's flying squadron of travelling salesmen； said；
〃All grandfathers look alike to me； whether they're great； or great…great…
great。 Each one is as dead as the other。 I'd rather have a live cousin who
could loan me a five； or slip me a drink。 What did your great…great dad
ever do for you？〃
〃Well； for one thing；〃 said David stiffly； 〃he fought in the War of the
Revolution。 He saved us from the shackles of monarchical England； he
made i