Part 71 (1/2)
The mother laughed aloud through her tears and threw her arms around Betty's neck.
The President bent over the paper and wrote across its back:
”Pardoned. This life is too precious to be lost.”
Betty waited until the crowd had pa.s.sed out and he was alone with Colonel Nicolay. She hurried to his desk with her second case which she had kept outside in the corridor until the time to enter.
A young mother walked timidly in, smiling apologetically. She carried a three-months-old baby in her arms. She was evidently not in mourning, though her eyes were red from weeping.
”What's the matter now?” the President laughed, nodding to Betty.
”Tell him,” she whispered.
”If you please, sir,” the woman began timidly, ”we ain't been married but a little over a year. My husband has never seen the baby. He's in the army. I couldn't stand it any longer, so I come down to Was.h.i.+ngton to get a pa.s.s to take the baby to him. But they wouldn't let me have it.
I've been wandering 'round the streets all day crying till I met this sweet young lady and she brought me to you, sir----”
The President turned to his secretary:
”Let's send her down!”
The Colonel smiled and shook his head:
”The strictest orders have been given to allow no more women to go to the front----”
The big gentle hand stroked the s.h.a.ggy beard.
”Well, I'll tell you what we can do,” he cried joyfully, ”give her husband a leave of absence and let him come to see them here!”
The secretary left at once for the Adjutant General's office and the President turned to the laughing young mother, who was trying to thank Betty through her tears:
”And where are you stopping, Madam?”
”Nowhere yet, sir. I went straight from the depot to the War Department and then walked about blind with crying eyes until I came here.”
”All right then, we'll fix that. I'll give Miss Betty an order to take you and your baby to her hospital and care for you until your husband comes and he can stay there a week with you----”
The mother's voice wouldn't work. She tried to speak her thanks and could only laugh.
The big hand pressed Betty's as she left:
”Thank you for bringing her, little girl, things like that rest me.”
The hour was swiftly coming when he was going to need all the strength that rest could bring body and soul. His enemies were sleepless. The press inspired by Senator Winter had begun to strike below the belt.
CHAPTER XXVII
DEEPENING SHADOWS