ou are surprised at a Jew joining
a military organisation," said Kellerman with a quiet dignity quite
new to him. Formerly his normal condition was one of half defiant, half
cringing nervousness in the presence of ladies. To-night he carried
himself with an easy self-possession, and it was due to more than the
uniform.

"I am afraid you are right. It is horrid of me and I am awfully sorry,"
said Ethel, impulsively offering him her hand.

"Why did you join, Mr. Kellerman?" said Jane in her quiet voice.

"Why, I hardly know if I can tell you. I will, though," he added with a
sudden impulse, "if you care to hear."

"Oh, do tell us," said Ethel. But Kellerman looked at Jane.

"If you care to tell, Mr. Kellerman," she said.

The little Jew stood silent a few minutes, leaning upon his rifle and
looking down upon the ground. Then in a low, soft voice he began: "I was
born in Poland--German Poland. The first thing I remember is seeing my
mother kneeling, weeping and wringing her hands beside my father's
dead body outside the door of our little house in our village. He was a
student, a scholar, and a patriot." Kellerman's voice took on a deeper
and firmer tone. "He stood for the Polish language in the schools. There
was a riot in our village. A German officer struck my father down
and killed him on the ground. My mother wiped the blood off his white
face--I can see that white face now--with her apron. She kept that
apron; she has it yet. We got somehow to London soon after that. The
English people were good to us. The German people are tyrants. They have
no use for free peoples." The little Jew's words snapped through his
teeth. "When war came a week ago I could not sleep for two nights. On
Friday I joined the Ninetieth. That night I slept ten hours." As he
finished his story the lad stood staring straight before him into the
moving crowd. He had forgotten the girls who with horror-stricken faces
had been listening to him. He was still seeing that white face smeared
with blood.

"And your mother?" said Jane gently as she laid her hand upon his arm.

The boy started. "My mother? Oh, my mother, she went with me to the
recruiting office and saw me take the oath. She is satisfied now."

For some moments the girls stood silent, unable to find their voices.
Then Jane said, her eyes glowing with a deep inner light, "Mr.
Kellerman, I am proud of you."

"Thank you, Miss Brown; it does me good to hear you say that. But you
hav