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eldest son of Lord Cinaris； Mr。 Patrick Headford Birrell
both of Balliol College； Oxford； and Mr。 Lester Ford； the
correspondent of the New York Republic。 These gentlemen
escaped from the landing party that tried to make them
prisoners； and at great risk proceeded in their motor…car
over roads infested by the Germans to all the coast towns of
Norfolk； warning the authorities。 Should the war office fail
to recognize their services； the people of Great Britain will
prove that they are not ungrateful。〃
A week later three young men sat at dinner on the terrace of
the Savoy。
〃Shall we； or shall we not；〃 asked Herbert； 〃tell my uncle
that we three； and we three alone； were the invaders？〃
〃That's hardly correct；〃 said Ford； 〃as we now know there
were two hundred thousand invaders。 We were the only three
who got ashore。〃
〃I vote we don't tell him；〃 said Birrell。 〃Let him think with
everybody else that the Germans blundered； that an advance
party landed too soon and gave the show away。 If we talk；〃 he
argued； 〃We'll get credit for a successful hoax。 If we keep
quiet； everybody will continue to think we saved England。 I'm
content to let it go at that。〃
Chapter 4。 BLOOD WILL TELL
David Greene was an employee of the Burdett Automatic Punch
Company。 The manufacturing plant of the company was at
Bridgeport； but in the New York offices there were working
samples of all the punches； from the little nickel…plated hand
punch with which conductors squeezed holes in railroad tickets；
to the big punch that could bite into an iron plate as easily as
into a piece of pie。 David's duty was to explain these different
punches； and accordingly when Burdett Senior or one of the sons
turned a customer over to David he spoke of him as a salesman。
But David called himself a 〃demonstrator。〃 For a short time he
even succeeded in persuading the other salesmen to speak of
themselves as demonstrators； but the shipping clerks and
bookkeepers laughed them out of it。 They could not laugh David
out of it。 This was so； partly because he had no sense of humor；
and partly because he had a great…great…grandfather。 Among the
salesmen on lower Broadway； to possess a great…great…grandfather
is unusual； even a great…grandfather is a rarity； and either is
considered superfluous。 But to David the possession of a
great…great…grandfather was a precious and open delight。 He had
possessed him only for a short time。 Undoubtedly he always had
existed； but it was not until David's sister Anne married a
doctor in Bordentown； New Jersey； and became socially ambitious；
that David emerged as a Son of Washington。
It was sister Anne； anxious to 〃get in〃 as a 〃Daughter〃 and wear
a distaff pin in her shirtwaist； who discovered the revolutionary
ancestor。 She unearthed him； or rather ran him to earth； in the
graveyard of the Presbyterian church at Bordentown。 He was no
less a person than General Hiram Greene； and he had fought with
Washington at Trenton and at Princeton。 Of this there was no
doubt。 That； later； on moving to New York； his descendants became
peace…loving salesmen did not affect his record。 To enter a
society founded on heredity； the important thing is first to
catch your ancestor； and having made sure of him； David entered
the Society of the Sons of Washington with flying colors。 He was
not unlike the man who had been speaking prose for forty years
without knowing it。 He was not unlike the other man who woke to
find himself famous。 He had gone to bed a timid； near…sighted；
underpaid salesman without a relative in the world； except a
married sister in Bordentown； and he awoke to find he was a
direct descendant of 〃Neck or Nothing〃 Greene； a revolutionary
hero； a friend of Washington； a man whose portrait hung in the
State House at Trenton。 David's life had lacked color。 The day he
carried his certificate of membership to the big jewelry store
uptown and purchased two rosettes； one for each of his two coats；
was the proudest of his life。
The other men in the Broadway office took a different view。 As
Wyckoff； one of Burdett's flying squadron of travelling salesmen；
said； 〃All grandfathers look alike to me； whether they're great；
or great…great…great。 Each one is as dead as the other。 I'd
rather have a live cousin who could loan me a five； or slip me a
drink。 What did your great…great dad ever do for you？〃
〃Well； for one thing；〃 said David stiffly； 〃he fought in the War
of the Revolution。 He saved us from the shackles of monarchical
England； he made it possible for me and you to enjoy the
liberties of a free republic。〃
〃Don't try to tell me your grandfather did all that；〃 protested
Wyckoff； 〃because I know better。 There were a lot of others
helped。 I read about it in a book。〃
〃I am not grudging glory to others；〃 returned David； 〃I am only
saying I am proud that I am a descendant of a revolutionist。〃
Wyckoff dived into his inner pocket and produced a leather
photograph frame that folded like a concertina。
〃I don't want to be a descendant；〃 he said； 〃I'd rather be an
ancestor。 Look at those。〃 Proudly he exhibited photographs of
Mrs。 Wyckoff with the baby and of three other little Wyckoffs。
David looked with envy at the children。
〃When I'm married；〃 he stammered； and at the words he blushed； 〃I
hope to be an ancestor。〃
〃If you're thinking of getting married；〃 said Wyckoff； 〃you'd
better hope for a raise in salary。〃
The other clerks were as unsympathetic as Wyckoff。 At first when
David showed them his parchment certificate； and his silver gilt
insignia with on one side a portrait of Washington； and on the
other a Continental soldier； they admitted it was dead swell。
They even envied him； not the grandfather； but the fact that
owing to that distinguished relative David was constantly
receiving beautifully engraved invitations to attend the monthly
meetings of the society； to subscribe to a fund to erect
monuments on battle…fields to mark neglected graves； to join in
joyous excursions to the tomb of Washington or of John Paul
Jones； to inspect West Point； Annapolis； and Bunker Hill； to be
among those present at the annual 〃banquet〃 at Delmonico's。 In
order that when he opened these letters he might have an
audience； he had given the society his office address。
In these communications he was always addressed as 〃Dear
Compatriot；〃 and never did the words fail to give him a thrill。
They seemed to lift him out of Burdett's salesrooms and Broadway；
and place him next to things uncommercial； untainted； high； and
noble。 He did not quite know what an aristocrat was； but be
believed being a compatriot made him an aristocrat。 When
customers were rude； when Mr。 John or Mr。 Robert was overbearing；
this idea enabled David to rise above their ill…temper； and he
would smile and say to himself： 〃If they knew the meaning of the
blue rosette in my button…hole； how differently they would treat
me！ How easily with a word could I crush them！〃
But few of the customers recognized the significance of the
button。 They thought it meant that David belonged to the Y。 M。 C。
A。 or was a teetotaler。 David； with his gentle manners and pale；
ascetic face； was liable to give that impression。
When Wyckoff mentioned marriage； the reason David blushed was
because； although no one in the office suspected it； he wished to
marry the person in whom the office took the greatest pride。 This
was Miss Emily Anthony； one of Burdett and Sons' youngest； most
efficient； and prettiest stenographers； and although David did
not cut as dashing a figure as did some of the firm's travelling
men； Miss Anthony had found something in him so greatly to admire
that she had； out of office hours； accepted his devotion； his
theatre tickets； and an engagement ring。 Indeed； so far had
matters progressed； that it had been almost decided when in a few
months they would go upon their vacations they also would go upon
their honeymoon。 And then a cloud had come between them； and from
a quarter from which David had expected only sunshine。
The trouble befell when David discovered he had a great…
great…grandfather。 With that fact itself Miss Anthony was almost
as pleased as was David himse