The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-05
The Euening Story


Ste LOGJlUI8 eCtOBU u
Bnleting and Barbara.
! (By Harmony Weller.)
Even after war had been declared
and the troops were actually on the
march. Barbara Heathcote failed to
realize the gravity Of the situation.
Comfortably ensconced in her great
country bungalow, surrounded by ser
wants and every luxury, she did not
see the necessity Of worrying about
a war which would not upset her own
well ordered existence.
| Barbara had not stopped to realize
that the little village of BedfOrdshfre
did she know that. being q house
holder. she would be ordered to pro-
vide temporary shelter for officers
and men of the troops when they
should pass on the way to battle
| grounds.
1t was with great surprise that she
found herself watching an officer re-
treating from her door having billeted
a score of soldiers on her. She had
been asked, lin the name of the king"
to provide shelter for a day or two for
the men on the march. and Barbara
ferent- Her servants. she decided.
could make provision for the soldiers.
But Barbara's equilibrium was upset
War had been forced into her con-
sciousness and she wished the troops
had taken another route to the battle
grounds. She disliked annoyance of
any kind, for she was selfish and self
centered.
| Where will these troops sleep?" she
asked of her old servant.
| "On the veranda, Miss Barbara, and
in the garden" replied Jenkins, more
excited than the soldiers themselves.
| I'VE will feed them in the servants
hail.
When Jenkins had gone Barbara's
brow puckered. She well knew that
Hardship. but the thought of them
sleeping on wooden floors or perhaps
in the dew dampened garden was not
pleasant. Certainly it would disturb
her own nights rest to have them
there. During the day, however, she
tried to harden herself by the thought
that there was much worse ahead of
them than sleeping In sheltered gar
dens.
In the, evening when score or
| more of tired but laughing soldiers
in khaki came trooping through the
great hedge gate Barbara watched
them with quickly beating heart.
Somehow and without warning a
| sharp emotion gripped her. She tried
to stif1e a desire to cry. and wondered
sudden. The men were big and
brave and were going on happily to
fight for their country and their
womenfolk. She. Barbara, who was
nourished and cared for az If she
were a dollhouse bud. was miserable,
and the realization Of her own small
ness dawned on her.
She looked again at the men. now
going toward the back OF the house,
and their war kits brought fresh emo
ton to Barbara's heart. They were
going to battle for perhaps months
and maybe years with that small pro-
vision for comfort. Never before had
Barbara seen the troops in full war
kit, and the meagerness OF their
equipment appalled, her. She who
had slept beneath rose-colored elder
downs all her life could conceive Of
nothing so terrible as that pitiful sup
ply Of human comforts. She turned
from the window and to the tele-
phone.
Jenkins" she called down to her
old servant, "see that cook provides
the hest OF everything for these men.
Spare no expense or trouble to make
them comfortable"
When she had hung up the receiver
Barbara felt a tri1e more like her.
self. After all. most OF the men
would return from the war. She was
upsetting herself for vague fears. She
tried to throw on the CHASTITY pictures
that the sight Of the troops had put
before her. but 1t was useless now
that her very doorstep was thronged
full for their fate. Again she wished
that the burden of worry had not
been flung upon her. The thought
| sent q wave Of shame over her. Per-
haps for the first time in her entire
life Barbara knew how despicably
2-A - =
| the entrance into her life Of that
score of brave men. and the women
who had lost them were no doubt
weeping In anguish Barbara felt the
sting OF her own weakness and the
utter uselessness OF her life.
Even my servants are doing some
thing for those men," she told herself
| when she heard a burst OF laughter
from the direction Of the lower din
| ing hall. They don't know I am in
the house." she added thoughtfully.
81 am an atom in this world and each
of those men is a king" Barbara
pondered then AZ she had never pom
dered before. Her own fnsignincance.
the desperate reality OF war and its
suffering, together with the misery
that must come in the wake Of battle.
all these thoughts held Barbara Heath
cote in = grip of introspectfon. So
long did she nit In the darkness that
before she knew 1t the troops billctod
| ON her had ceased their laughter and
flung themselves down ON veranda
and garden lawn to WOO sleep ~ best
they might.
Barbara jumped up and peered
down at them and the tears blurred
her sight. A pale moon threw her
radiance on the upturned faces Of the
men and on their rifles ana caps An
occasional murmur told Barbara that
sleep had mot n yet claimed them
with sudden inspiration Barbara