rs. Brent and Miss Porter, Sandy and the most devoted of army
doctors to bear her company and keep the fans going, Maidie's progress
had been rather in the nature of a triumph.

So at least it had seemed to the austere vice-president of the Patriotic
Daughters of America, who, as it happened, looked on in severe
disapproval. She had asked for that very ambulance that very day to
enable her to make the rounds of regimental hospitals in the outlying
suburbs, and had been politely but positively refused.

By that time, it seems, this most energetic woman had succeeded in
alienating all others in authority at corps head-quarters, to the end
that the commanding general declined to grant her further audience, the
surgeon-general had given orders that she be not admitted to his inner
office, the deputy surgeon-general had asked for a sentry to keep her
off his premises, the sentries at the First and Second Reserve Hospital
had instructions to tell her, also politely but positively, that she
could not be admitted except in visiting hours, when the surgeon, a
steward, or--and here was "the most unkindest cut of all"--some of the
triumphant Red Cross could receive and attend to her, for at last the
symbol of Geneva had gained full recognition. At last Dr. Wells and the
sisterhood were on duty, comfortably housed, cordially welcomed, and
presumably happy.

But Miss Perkins was not. She had come to Manila full of high purpose as
the self-styled, accredited representative of any quantity of good
Americans, actuated by motives, no doubt, of purest patriotism. The
nation was full of it,--of men who wanted to be officers, of women who
wanted to be officials, many of whom succeeded only in becoming
officious. There were not staff or line positions enough to provide for
a hundredth part of the men, or societies and "orders" sufficient to
cater to the ambitions of a tenth part of the women. The great Red Cross
gave abundant employment for thousands of gentle and willing hands, but
limited the number of directing heads, and Miss Perkins and others of
the Jellaby stamp were born, as they thought, not to follow but to lead.
Balked in their ambitious designs to become prominent in that noble
national association, women possessed of the unlimited assurance of Miss
Perkins started what might be termed an anti-crusade, with the result
that in scores of quiet country towns, as well as in the cities of the
East and Middle West, many subscription