Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 189, No. 4 — page 79: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

KING’S a man, on the flank, and listened to a fare- well speech by the depot commandant, while the recruits of the London Light In- fantry stood at attention on the sidelines. “Good-by and good luck,” the speech ended, “and always remember you carry the honor of the London Light Infantry with you. Some of you will not come back from France. To those I say good-by in- deed—and for the rest a glorious return.” Drums and cymbals crashed in unison, cheers billowed in deafening waves from the recruits, from the crowds on the sidewalks, and the column plowed through the mass of relatives and friends that hurried along to Keep up with the marching men. Hats and handkerchiefs waved from win- dows and doorways and from the lines of Londoners on the curb—for Kitchener’s Army drafts might march away every day, and did but the enthusiasm was ever fresh —and the band pounded away gayly in front, and presently Waterloo Station hove in sight, with the empty trains waiting un- der the shed. Women everywhere—dry-eyed and tear- ful, frightened and brave, white-faced and smiling, or trying hard to smile—women carrying children, carrying parcels of home- baked food—women of fashion and women of toil—all breaking into the ranks to hold in their arms, for one brief moment, the men of their hearts’ desire, the children of their hearts’ blood—women who gave hero- ically to the great, black god that brooded over France, and women who gave dumbly, unprotesting and bewildered. Harmon gazed around and was glad he had no one there, whose clinging hands he would have to tear from his shoulders, looked again and saw Denise and the pound- ing of his pulses was louder in his ears than the booming of the blaring band. She was standing between Tremanner and the silent, tight-lipped Aunt Maud, and the dark-fringed, clear eyes were turned away. Tremanner beckoned to Harmon. Face to face with Denise again, all the things that Harmon had wanted to tell her seemed to evaporate leaving his mind a blank. He was like a man suddenly called upon to address an expectant audience on a subject that he knew nothing about. KHAKI. 549 “It was good of you to come,” he said gruffly, and then after a long pause: “I hardly hoped you would make the long journey.” 3 “Tt was nothing, monsieur.” She was much the more composed of the two. “That—that day in the studio—I didn’t know what I—” Whistles sounded along the platform. The raucous voice of Sergeant Narley came from behind him. Men hurriedly brushed by. Her lips moved forming the words that were barely audible above the blasts from the locomotive and the shouts from the platform. “You must go, monsieur! See, you must go!” “Denise! Denise!” Eyes and voice pleaded with her and for a second her hand lay crushed in his broad palm—only for a second before he turned away and jumped aboard the moving train. “Thought we’d lost you,” Tuesday said, helping him aboard the compartment. “ Old sour-face Narley’s been cursin’ you from here to Kingdom Come.” He settled back in his seat and produced a flat bottle. “A stitch in time,” he explained apolo- getically. ‘I don’t aim to be seasick cross- in’ the Channel to-night an’ they say it’s a long trip from Southampton to Havre. This is slow-actin’ medicine so I better start now.” He was not seasick at all, but very jovial, when, under cover of darkness the crowded transport slipped out of Southampton that evening with a gunboat at either flank. ‘“ Well,” he grinned happily, “ they give us @ great send-off anyways. They was some swell dames on the platform when we left. I had three of them lamping me. But they ain’t in it with that French gal Aunt Maud adopted. She’s real class when it comes to looks an’ style, an’ she’s a real good kid, too. Here’s somethin’ she give me for you, Dick. I got one, too. It’s a ‘housewife’ with needles and thread an’ everything. Made it herself.” Harmon made no answer but reached for the little packet and held it tightly in his hand. ecom <S (E .OO Com