Arrived there he
took his cake in hand and asked to see the General. An officer with his
eye on the cake said the General was busy just now but he would carry the
cake to him. But the Adjutant declined this offer firmly, saying: "The
ladies of Montiers-sur-Saulx sent this cake to the General, and I must put
it into his hands"
He was finally led to the General's room and, uncovering the great cake,
he said:
"The Salvation Army ladies of Montiers-sur-Saulx have sent this cake to
you as a sample of what they will do for the soldiers if we can get flour
and sugar and lard."
The General, greatly pleased, took the cake and sent for a knife, while
his officers stood about looking on with much interest. It appeared as if
every one were to have a taste of the cake. But when the General had cut a
generous slice, held it up, observing its cunning workmanship, its
translucent, delectable interior, he turned with a gleam in his eye,
looked about the room and said: "Gentlemen, this cake will not be served
till the evening's mess, and I pity the gentlemen who do not eat with the
officer's mess, but they will have to go elsewhere for their cake."
The Adjutant went out with his pies and doughnuts and distributed them
here and there where they would do the most good, getting on the right
side of the Top Sergeant, for he had discovered some time ago that even
with the General as an ally one must be on the right side of the "old
Sarge" if one wanted anything.
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