Page:War's dark frame (IA warsdarkframe00camp).pdf/22

4 "They say this boat's loaded so heavily—"

“I bid a heart. We all know she's got a big freight manifest, Mr. —"

"Think she has! Go down like a shot! I've been talking to one of the officers. Says there's no way to avoid floating mines. No respecters of neutrals. You've heard of the —"

He listed half a dozen boats recently injured or sunk by mines. The player who had spoken before grew impatient.

"Your lead to a heart."

The elderly Southerner turned away, muttering with a prideful air.

"Just the same, since I got on this boat I've never ceased thanking God I'm a powerful swimmer—a right powerful swimmer, sir."

The incident was funny, because nobody laughed. We glanced at each other and took up the game.

But, perhaps, the one who brought war closest was a pretty American girl, bound for Eng- land with her mother. We understood she was married to a Scotch officer, We wondered why she had been in America, and where her husband was, for she didn't wear mourning.

"The girl has a story, one woman after another commented.

To realise it you had only to look at her eyes