_ CHAPTER XXVI. THROUGH SHROUDING MISTS
To the girls, the week that followed seemed like some vivid, disjointed nightmare. They were hurried from Paris to London and from London to Liverpool, along with crowds of worried, anxious Americans, who, like themselves, were fleeing from the unexpected cataclysm.
After much difficulty, Mr. Payton finally succeeded in securing two staterooms, second cabin, while Jack and his Uncle were lucky enough to get one not very far removed from our party.
"But how are we going to manage with only two cabins for six of us; little ones at that, from your account?" Mrs. Payton protested, in dismay. "Why, the three girls and I will have to occupy one between us!"
"Can't be helped," replied Mr. Payton, and then added, with intense earnestness, "I don't believe that one of you realize yet the magnitude of this tragedy that menaces Europe. If you did, you would thank your lucky stars every minute of the day that you have the chance to leave England for our own blessed country, no matter what the cost or inconvenience. Why, within a month this whole continent will be involved in war. There are people now besieging the booking offices by the hundreds who would be glad and thankful to find room in the steerage. If we had not started when we did, we would be among them."
Lucile shivered. "Oh, Dad, it does make the thought of home seem good," she said.
Their ship was to sail at nine o'clock the following morning, and long before the appointed time the girls were up and ready for the voyage.
"What a difference!" mused Lucile, looking wistfully out upon a dreary, leaden prospect. "Even the weather seems to be in sympathy with the country's trouble."
Jessie adjusted her hat soberly and thoughtfully before she spoke. "Yes," she said, at last, "one day it's all sunshine and happiness, and the next--oh, girls, I'm absolutely miserable!"
"What good does that do?" queried Evelyn, snapping her bag shut with an air of finality. "Besides, you're only breaking one of the camp-fire's strictest laws, you know."
"Yes; that sounds all right, but it's pretty hard to be cheerful when everything's going wrong," said Jessie, pessimistically. "I don't notice that anybody looks particularly happy these days, anyway."
"That's no reason why we shouldn't be the exception," said Lucile, shaking off the weight of depression with an effort and smiling bravely. "You never know what you can do till you try."
"Miss Howland always used to say that. We'll see her and the girls soon, anyway, and that's one big consolation," said Jessie, brightening perceptibly.
"Somewhere the sun is shining," began Lucile.
"Somewhere the world is gay," added Jessie.
Evelyn flung her arms about her friends. "Somewhere the bells are chiming----"
"And that's in the U. S. A.," finished Lucile, and they went down laughing.
Mr. Payton met them at the foot of the stairs, and the frown on his anxious face turned to a smile as he heard the merry laughter.
"It does me good just to look at you," he said, sincerely.
It was their third night out. In accordance with the strict orders of the captain, there were no lights on board, for there might be hostile warcraft lurking near. So the ship stole silently as a ghost through the mists that shrouded her.
Lucile, Jack and Evelyn were leaning against the rail, talking in subdued tones, awed by the grandeur of the drama being enacted before their eyes.
"Your uncle says that people farther inland are having all sorts of trouble trying to get to the coast," said Lucile, "and now I'm beginning to realize the truth of what Dad said about being lucky to get off as we did. Oh, but the cabin is awful!" she sighed, naively.
Jack laughed understandingly. "I guess you must be rather crowded."
"Oh, but we oughtn't to mind anything now that we're out of danger," Evelyn broke in.
"Yes; but I'm not so sure we are out of danger," Jack protested. "The captain's caution seems to show that there is still something to fear."
"You mean we might be captured?" Lucile questioned, eagerly. "That would be some adventure. You might almost imagine we were living in the Middle Ages----"
"Lucile," Evelyn was starting to remonstrate, when an excited voice whispered, huskily, "So you're here, are you?" and two figures loomed before them out of the mist. "It's I, Phil," said one of them.
"We were wondering where you and Jessie had gone," Lucile began.
"Did you know we nearly ran down a hostile cruiser? At least, that's what the captain thinks it was," he interrupted, excitedly. "If we had had lights aboard, they'd have caught us sure, take it from me."
"Which reminds me," said Phil, "that Mother sent me after you girls; she says it's too damp on deck."
Reluctantly, they turned from the spacious deck to the close, stuffy atmosphere of the cabin.
Lucile paused at the top step of the companionway to look wistfully up into Jack's sober eyes. "I--I don't want to go down there," she said.
"And I don't want you to," he replied. Then, with an earnestness that left no doubt of his sincerity, "Lucile, I'd give a lot right now to have you safe on shore." _