harge of
a fund of five thousand dollars, which has been given by the
passengers of this boat, to be sent immediately to a field hospital of
France, preferably the nearest in need to the battlefield of the
Marne." And with no more of a speech than that he seated himself and
did not so much as make a glance in my direction when he mentioned the
battlefield on which my father had died. I think that Mr. Peter
Scudder is a very great gentleman and I sat very still and white, with
my head held high and tears rising from the depths of France in my
heart.

"My honored friends," answered my Capitaine, the Count de Lasselles,
as he rose from his place at the foot of the table and stood tall and
slim in the manner of a great soldier, "it is impossible that I say to
you my gratitude for this expression of your friendship for my
country. So many dollars will bring life and an end of suffering to
many hundreds of my brave boys, but the good will and sympathy it
represents from America to France will do still more. The fund shall
go to the place you request and I now beg to offer to you a toast that
will be of an understanding to you." And at that moment he raised his
glass of champagne and said:

"To the destiny of those born of American and French blood
commingled!"

All those present arose to their feet and drank that toast with loving
looking at me, and I did not know what I should do until that good old
gray boat capitaine patted me upon the shoulder and said across his
empty glass:

"God bless and keep you, child!"

"I thank everybody," I answered as I went into the embrace of my very
large lady friend from the State of Cincinnati, and then into the
embrace of the other ladies.

"I've been knitting all day for two months but I'm going to begin to
sit up at night," sobbed the lady from a queer Keokuk name as I took
her into my embrace on account of her extreme smallness.

It was at a very late hour, just before retiring, that I ascended to
the deck with my Capitaine to view the effect of a very young moon on
the waves of the ocean.

"Is it that you think now your soldier of France has done your command
well, _mon Capitaine_?" I asked of him.

"Most extremely well, and entirely in the mode of a woman. Those two
young men have made of themselves very noble competitors for your
favor, but remember that it is of a truth that only a 'daredevil'
would bring together such high explosives. I salute you!" he made
answer to