id="u7e1ca162-ad8f-5a8b-949a-3c39082246a0">
CHAPTER III
Mrs. Felton and Mrs. Bruce had arrived early at the Red Cross room, had hung their wraps in a convenient place and settled down in the pleasantest situation they could find.
They arranged their working paraphernalia comfortably and looked around with satisfaction.
"I wonder where Blythe Bonniwell is," said Mrs. Felton as she took out her thimble and scissors and settled her glasses over her handsome nose. "She's always so early, and she seems so interested in the work. It's unusual, don't you think, for one so young and pretty to seem so really in earnest."
"Well, of course, that's the fashion now, to be interested in anything that has to do with war work. They tell me she's always at the canteens evenings. She's very popular with the young soldiers," said Mrs. Bruce, with pursed lips. "She won't last, you'll see. I'm not surprised she isn't here."
"Well, somehow, I can't help feeling that Blythe is somewhat different from the common run of young girls. I don't believe she'll lose interest," said Mrs. Felton, giving a troubled glance out the window that opened on the street.
"Well, she isn't here, is she? You mark my words, she'll begin to drop out pretty soon. They all do, unless they have really joined up with the army or navy and have to keep at it. This is probably the beginning already for Blythe."
"I hope not," signed Mrs. Felton. "I'm sure I don't know what we'll do if she doesn't come to-day."
"Why is she so important?" demanded Anne Houghton, who had just come in and was taking off her hat and powdering her nose. "I'm sure she doesn't do so much more work than the rest of us." There was haughtiness and almost a shade of contempt in Anne's tone.
Mrs. Felton gave her a quick inspecting glance.
"Why, she put away the materials last night, and I don't see what she has done with the new needles. I can't find them anywhere, and we can't sew without needles. The one I have has a blunt point."
"Oh, I see!" said Anne. "Well, I should think she was rather presumptuous, taking charge of all the needles. She sat down in the third best chair in the room. "Who does she think she is, anyway? Just because she's Judge Bonniwell's daughter and has plenty of money and has Dan Seavers dancing attendance on her at all hours. I can't think what he sees in her, anyway, little colorless thing, so stuck on her looks that she won't even use the decent cosmetics that everybody else uses. She'd be a great deal more attractive if she would at least use a little lipstick."
Mrs. Felton gave Anne another withering glance and went to the sewing machine to oil it and put it in running order for the day, not even attempting an answer.
"Well, what do you suppose she can have done with those needles?" asked Mrs. Bruce, rising to the occasion. "My needle has a blunt point, too. I don't see how so many of them got that way. They can't be very good needles."
"Well, if you ask me," said Mrs. Noyes, who had just come in, "I think it was that child Mrs. Harper brought with her yesterday. He picked up every needle and pin he could find in the place and drove them into the cake of soap they gave him to play with—the idea! Soap! For a baby! And scarce as soap is now in wartimes!"
"Well, but soap ought not to make needles blunt," said Mrs. Felton.
"Oh, he didn't stop at the soap," said Mrs. Noyes, with a sniff. "He had a toy hammer with him, and when he got his cake of soap all full he started in on the table and the floor and tried a few on the wheel of the sewing machine. I declare, I got so nervous I thought I should fly. I was so glad when she decided she had to take her child home for his lunch. I don't know why he needed any lunch, though. He had bread and butter and sticky cake and chocolate candy and a banana along, and he just ate continually, and kept coming around and leaning over my sewing and smearing it with grease and chocolate. I had to take that little nightgown I was working on home and wash it out before I could hand it in. I don't think we ought to allow women to bring their children along. They're an awful hindrance."
"But some women couldn't come without them. They have no one to leave them with at home," said another good woman.
"Let them take their children to the nursery then," said Mrs. Noyes, with a pin in her mouth. "Mrs. Harper thinks her child is too good to go to a nursery with the other children!"
"What I want to know is, what are we going to do about those needles?" said Anne Houghton. "Here I am ready to sew, and no needles!"
"I think I'll call up Blythe Bonniwell and ask what she did with them," said Mrs. Felton. "I've looked simply everywhere, and I can't find them. She must have taken them home with her."
And without further ado Mrs. Felton went to the telephone, while all the room full of ladies sat silent, listening to see what would happen.
"What did you do with the new needles last night, Blythe?" asked Mrs. Felton severely, getting so close to the phone that her voice was sharp and rasping. "I've looked simply everywhere for them. And you know we can't work without needles. You must have taken them home with you."
"The needles? Why, no, Mrs. Felton, I didn't take them home. They are right there on the shelf where you had them before," said Blythe pleasantly.
"The shelf?" said Mrs. Felton more sharply. "What shelf?"
"Why, the shelf right over where you were sitting yesterday, Mrs. Felton."
"Well, you're mistaken, Miss Bonniwell. There isn't a needle in sight, and I'm looking right at the shelf."
"Oh, Mrs. Felton. But I'm sure I put them right there in plain sight. Someone must have moved them."
"No," said Mrs. Felton coldly. "No one could have moved them, for there hasn't been anyone here to move them, and we have looked just everywhere. I wish you would come right over and find them. You know we have simply got to have those needles, for there is not another one to be had in this town, and we haven't any of us time to go into the city after them. You know needles are scarce these days. I wish you'd look in your handbag and see if you didn't take them home with you."
"No, I didn't bring them home," said Blythe decidedly. "I know I didn't."
"Very well then, come over here at once and find those needles! I shall hold you personally responsible for them."
"All right," said Blythe indignantly. "I'll be right over!"
So Blythe caught up her hat and coat, snatched her handbag from the bureau where she had put it last night when she came in, and hurried away, calling to Susan that she was going to her Red Cross work.
When she walked into the Red Cross room, the ladies were all sitting there in various stages of obvious impatience. They had purposely so arranged themselves for a rebuke as soon as Anne Houghton announced, "There she comes at last! My word! It is high time!"
But Blythe was anything but rebuked as she entered with that delightful radiance on her happy face, for she had been thinking about her new joy all the way down, and her thoughts had lent wings to her feet.
So, as she entered, the ladies sat in a row and blinked, for perhaps the brightness of her face dazzled them for an instant.
"Well,
