WORLD'S END

Father and son came back to the hotel, and there were more delayed cables. But Beauty phoned; she wanted very much to talk to Lanny - just a few minutes, she promised - and Robbie said all right, he'd go on with the decoding himself.

Beauty was pale, seeming more distraught than ever; she was walking up and down the room, twisting her hands together. "Marcel has gone to war," she announced.

There was a telegram lying on the table, and Lanny read it. "I have been called to the colors. God bless you. Love." No high-pressure salesmanship here!

"Lanny I've got to make up my mind now!" exclaimed the mother. "I've got to decide our whole future."

"Yes, Beauty," said the boy, quietly.

"I want to think about your happiness, as well as my own." *

"Don't bother about me, Beauty. I'm going to make the best of whatever you decide. If you're Harry's wife, I'll make myself agreeable and never give you any worry."

"It'll mean that you go to live in America. Will you like that?"

"I don't know, because I don't know what I'll find; but I'll get along."

"Tell me what you really prefer."

Lanny hesitated. "Robbie doesn't want me to interfere, Beauty."

"I know; but I'm asking. I have to think about both of us. If you had your choice - if you had nothing to consider but your own wishes - where would you go?"

Lanny thought for a while. His father could hardly object to his answering a straight question like that. Finally he said: "I'd go back to Juan."

"You like it there so well?"

"I've always been happy there. That's my home."

"But now there's going to be war. It mayn't be safe any more."

"Those French warships will stay in the Golfe, I imagine; and it isn't likely anybody's going to lick the British and French fleets."

"But Italy has some sort of a treaty with Germany and Austria. Doesn't she have to help them fight?"

"Italy has just announced that she will take a 'defensive attitude.' Robbie says that means they'll wait, and see which side offers them the most. That's bound to be England, because she has money."

"Our friends all talk about going back to America. It'll be lonely at Juan."

"Maybe for you," said the boy. "But you know how it is - I never did see enough of my mother. We could read, and play music, and swim, and wait for Marcel to come back." Lanny stopped, not being sure if it was fair for him to mention that aspect of the matter.

The mother's voice trembled as she said: "He may never come back, Lanny."

"There's a chance, of course. But Robbie says the war won't last long. And Marcel may never see any fighting - Robbie thinks the Provencal regiments will be kept on the Italian border, at least till they're sure what Italy's going to do. And then again, Marcel might come back wounded, and we'd both want to take care of him. It wouldn't be nice to know that he was hurt, and in need of help, and we couldn't give it."

"I know, Lanny, I know." The tears were starting again in the beautiful blue eyes. "That's what has been tearing my heart in half." She sat with her hands clasped tightly together, and the boy watched her lips trembling. "That's really what you want to do, isn't it, Lanny?"

"You asked me to tell you."

"I know. I couldn't decide it all by myself. If I do what you say, I may be a forlorn and desolate old woman. You won't get tired of me?"

"You can bet I won't."

"And you'll stand by Marcel? You'll help us, whatever hard things may come?"

"Indeed I will."

"You'll be a French boy, Lanny - not an American."

"I'll be a bit of everything, as I am now. That hasn't hurt me." He tried to conceal his joy, but didn't succeed altogether. "You really mean it, Beauty?"

"I mean it. Or, rather, I'll let you mean it for me. I'm a weak and foolish woman, Lanny. I oughtn't to have got into this jam at all. You'll have to take charge of me and make me behave myself."

"Well, I've wanted to sometimes," admitted the youngster. He wasn't sure whether he ought to laugh or cry. "Oh, Beauty, I really think it's the right thing to do!"

"All right, I'll believe you. I'll have to write a note to Harry. I just haven't the courage to see him again."

"That's all right - he ought to stop worrying you. He really hasn't any claim to you."

"He has, Lanny - more than you can guess. But I'll tell him it's all over - and we'll never see Pittsburgh."

"I can get along without so much smoke," declared the boy.

"I think I'd better tell Robbie first," said the mother. "Maybe he can help to break the shock to Harry. He'll tell him I'm not really as good as I look!"

"Harry won't suffer so much," said the young man of the world. "There'll be plenty of girls on the steamer willing to marry him."

"He's a dear, kind fellow, Lanny - you're not in a position to appreciate him. I'll write him, and he can sail tomorrow, and you and I will go to Juan right away. I'll save and pay my debts, and give up trying to shine in society - do you think there'll ever be any more society in Europe, Lanny?"