The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-09
TOM cRoWpER's STORY.

| world no village was so fair 70 look upon
as Sugar Greek, IL. the home town where
| 'CrOwder & Sons kept store, and whers
! the event OF each droning day was
train time When two years had al
most passed he began 70 dream of swing
/ ing under the elns in the old front yard
at home, and wondered as he nibbied at
the everlasting bareback how many pit
ted cherry pies he could eat at one sit
i ting in the dining-room at home.
| When young soldiers mind begins 10
dwell on the pies that mother used 10
make he cannot flourish on sow-belly.
| But when he begins 10 decorate his tent
wall with the photographs Of Title and
Sue and the folks" he's fit for nothing
but furloughs and sick leave. and if
there's anything Of the gutter about
/ him he's in imminent danger OF forget
ting to answer roll call some dark even
ing when the music of the sea beyond
the jungle lures him with false songs OF
home. Tom heard the siren voice all
right, bat he didn't lure a little bit. His
term of enlistment was almost at hand
and he satisfied himself with blotting
each dull day of the calendar. writing
doggerel verse about Title and making
himself nuisance generally 10 his
bunkie.
He used TO swear roundly that he
meant TO hike back to Sugar Creek as
fast as ship and train could carry him
and hoped by all that was holy that once
he was mustered out he'd never see a
soldier again. He got TO be the worst
'knocker' in the company and he wrote
so many letters that his comrades began
to ask him why he didn't write few to
himself.
If you got such a good home and swell
people. why don't some of EN- write TO
your sneered his terminate one night.
You cant be very strong with Title or
shed write you at least once a year
Now the letter question was sore one
with Tom because nobody wrote to him
except his mother, and her letters seldom
reached him during the final months Of
his campaigning in the interior He had
quarreled with his brother so many times
that no love was lost between them, and
his father didn't write for the good rea-
son that he didn't know how As for
I1liie, the young soldier had no reason to
expect letters from her. When he left
home she was only 1s. and his affair
with her was Of the long-distance. noon
ing, mental sort peculiar to Doys and
girls Just out of the high school, If
Tom had been perfectly fair in his intro
spection he must have admitted that
there was nothing very tangible in his
hopes with regard TO Title. He told him
self thousand times that she was the
one girl, and oOddled himself with the
belief that his fealty to her was little
short Of heroic and that, by some mystic
'rious telepathic sympathy, she must. BY
this time, be pining away for his return
lie wasn't 'in love when he enlisted,
but he had her picture and his mothers.
and by a natural process of longing for
home he developed quite a fierce and
yearning passion for Title a hundred
hn 80
never had the nerve to send it. He cut
her Initials on trees, fences and tent
poles and wrote her name a dozen times
on every scrap of paper that he could
find. He sang it, spelled it and whistled
it till his soul was in a fine frenzy and
he knew by heart the long speech OF pro-
pOsal that he meant to whisper into her
little pink ear the first time he could get
her alone in the swing or on the narrow
seat Of dads spring wagon.
So when Tom got back to Manila and
regular balls he was stirred by an I'M
reasonable hope that there would be at
least one letter from Title. He was disap-
pointed, but not disheartened to find moth
ing but three old missives from his moth
er III which there was not a word of his
hearts delight and a volume of motherly
advice about the care he should take of
himself, the things he should eat and
drink, the comrades he should avoid and
the prayers he should say. Her latest
letter was fun OF the time they would
give hin" when he got home, and It con-
cluded with the hint of a great sur
prise that was in store for him. OF
course. that put new zest into his
longing for home and his hatred for the
army rose in proportion.
The whole town was at the station
when Tom swung off the train steps at
Sugar Creek. The Silver Cornet band.
with old Bill Tomlinson, shake and all
at its head, was standing on the platform
playing, See, the Conquering Hero
Comes Great flags waved above the
depot and yards of bunting stretched
clear across the street from Crowder.s
grocery store to the town hall. Tom al
most fell into the arms OF his mother
Even his brother Jim seemed TO have for
gotten all differences and Rugged him
But best Of all there was Title, quite a
woman now, pTettier than ever. blushing
and holding his hand as she had
never held it before and holding up her
radiant face 20 be kissed as often al he
liked. The small boys yelled 'Hooray
for Tom Crowderw Old man Crowder
shed tears OF joy, prominent citizens,
wearing badges marked Reception"
ushered the hero into q carriage, and IS
Tom was whisked away TO the mayors |
residence for a brief carnival Of speech /
making and Misunderstanding the band play
ed. "Thereu Be a Hot Time in the Old |
Town Tonight"
But IL all seemed too long 70 the re- /
turned hero. He felt very proud and 1
happy, Of course. He bowed TO the judge |
and shook hands with everybody and /
tried 70 make a speech. but all the time
his eyes were seeking Title and his 1
heart was aching for another chance 10 /
greet her. At last the guests withdrew /
and Tom and jim and Mr.. and Mrs. !
Crowder and-wondrous iuck-Tillie al 4
piled into the big carriage and were /
driven up TO the Crowder home.
cub .clahpostch eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee- tao /
And now. my SON. said the proud old /
father. now comes the greatest surprise I
Of all Title, bring him out
And Title. all bushes, ran into the bed /
room only to re-appear in q moment with /
q bundle OF muslin and lace that looked (
ike a small bolster.
ALLOW me. Tom. 70 Introduce you to /
your nephew. Tom Crowder, the second
Then they all laughed and clspped their
hands except poor Tom, and The baby.
Whose kid is it," asked Tom. family.
IS his white face turned from the child
10 Titles.
why. it's Titles" laughed the moth
sr: 'Tuiie's and Jim's. They we're mar
ned q year ago. but We thought wee
keep the secret while.
I'VE thought it'd make yea homesick,
uebbe' said Jim
DO you want TO hold him. TOM"
whispered Title. holding cut the baby,
you're his godfather. you know.
Tom held his iittie namesake fo- 2
while. but he didn't seem 70 know 5rst
shat 70 say. They laughed 20 hiu +
-..--.a IL III ~. 50 LIN 81 IL.