Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-12-09
Evening Star S
Daily Story
BOTH LOVE AND WAR
by JUNE GAHAN.
Copyright, 1914, by the Mcclure Ne

rah! Hurrah!' sang Gretchen Ar
mour, as sine danced into the family
living room.
Coming? When?" gasped her
mother, laying down her book and
losing her place thereby
'Tomorrow-they've been billeted
upon us! We're to have twenty of
them over night. In the name Of
the government Knocked Gretchen,
trying to initiate the deep bass OF
the mans voice who had been at the
door with the news.
Let me see," said Mrs. Armour,
taking the slip of paper her daughter
waved as she still sang her impro-
Fised song to the good old Scotch
tune of the "Campbells Are Coming"
Do be quiet for a moment and let
me think, Gretchen"
The old Armour homestead stood
far back from the main road, and it
eWas to be expected that sooner or
later. the family would have to shell
ter some OF the many troops that
We're starting out on their long march
in support of their colors The war
was several months old and there
seemed to be no end to the fighting.
1t was the least the citizens could do
TO extend their best hospitality to
the boys who were fighting for them.
10 Gretchen the prospect was to
be rejoiced in. To the mother 1t was
,'only bringing the terribleness of the
war nearer to her rooftree. She had
no men folks to offer, and she did not
begrudge this little help she could
give. But Mrs. Armour took every
thing seriously; everything worried
her in prospect. Gretchen was the
happy-go-lucky replica of her late
rather, and not even her mothers
joyless attitude toward life could
dampen her enthusiasm.
shall have doughtnuts and drop
cakes and chocolate layer cake and
apple pie and"
And they'll all have to go into hos
pital quarters before they're well on
the march," interrupted her mother
oh, thank you, mother. OF
course Hannah will make soup and
cook chops and steaks and all the
substantial, unromantic things, but
l shall begin at once on doughnuts,"
she declared
Mrs. Armour was about to add that
doughnuts had never been connected
with romance in her mind, but--well,
that minds had changed since she
was a girl. Her daughter was gone
before she could utter the remark.
AACt OuOuSulS tHe
more practical side of their prospec-
tive hospitality. Soldiers, she knew,
could sleep out of doors, on the
porches, anywhere. But Mrs. Armour
was going to give the boys the best
she could, and she began Immediately
to plan for their welfare.
Unusual guest rooms were turned
Unto ready to live in chambers,
couches and cots were brought from
~ nd ha ~
looked like veritable dormitory.
In the kitchen Gretchen drove the
cook almost frantic with her efforts
at cooking. She had apple Feelings
everywhere, doughnuts in every
available platter dripping their
grease, chocolate filing on the Are
for the cake that was not even start
ed, and which Gretchen said she could
make later
Even when the soldiers began to
approach the house on the following
afternoon Gretchen was still in her
enfolding kitchen apron, her natu-
rally pink cheeks as rosy as a Ger
man maiden's at her lovers first
kiss. Curls had strayed from be-
meath the frilly lace cap Gretchen
said she must wear to be tidy in.
the kitchen, and a dust of powdered
sugar near her lips made them most
attractive.
I'VE shall not be much trouble"
one of the officers in uniform told
her, after she had mingled with
them as they sat about and rested
after the long days march. tits
TOO good of you-too good"
"Good?' cried Gretchen, her dim
pies dancing back and forth as she
talked. why, it's too good to be
true to have you here. It's the one
4 Aaf Of inxr in fitn t,I0
for mel
The soldier laughed and whirled
his hat round and round in his
hands. He lived in the great city
near by, but he had never seen a
girl like Gretchen in all that vast
population.
There's little joy in everything"
he said. 'if you just try to find it.
The greatest joy I've found-up to
now" he said, pointedly, is the
band music. You just can't help
being thrilled and enthused when
the band begins to play that stir
ring martial music. 1t is "A long
way to Tipperary,' but there is much
{ by the wayside that is good to See
Sometimes / think it's easier to be
In the fight than to be back home
with-with everybody gone and you
don't know where they've gone to-
catch in her tone that made the sol-
dier boy look straight ahead instead
OF at her. He must not look at her
too much.
Perhaps you're right" he said.
I'll left a mother and two sisters
and they took it pretty hard" he
said
And then, until it was time to have
supper, the two talked and Gretchen
learned much of the young mans
home. He told her he had wanted to
go to the front all the time and that
he hoped to come back-he believed
he would return. And then
1t was the supper's arrival that had
interrupted his story, and Gretchen
had to help serve the many soldier
boys, and the young lieutenant with
whom she had been talking watched
her go from one to the other offering
them this and that and chatting and
laughing with them In his youth
fulness he wanted to shoot some of
his fellow officers then and there in
stead of waiting for the enemy to do
lit.
But Gretchen managed to see him
before they all turned in" She ex-
tended her hand to say goodnight.
',G;ood-night." she said, II do hope
you'll be comfortable"
Comfortable" the soldier said.
ar! ~ comfortable bodily, but you've
upset my comfort of mind. Good
night
Gretchen ran away, her heart
beating wildly. She had reveled in
ron1ances of wars gone by, she had
cried with the heroines and adored
the heroes who had marched off TO
fight for them. And now--now, she