Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-04-24

eeuu lut oriBludl Dullel ludI WOuuucu
him to five different girls? In the n
case he was liable TO lose his life. in
the other to bring down upon himself
the contempt. to say nothing of the
wrath. of these young ladies.
But this is not an essay on moral
versus physical bravery. 1t is a simple
story Of a man who. having achieved
honors in war. came home a hero a
short time after his acts of heroism at
the front to incur the scorn of those
who had most honored him. There
was something sacred in each of
these missiles he had sent to his best
girl that led her to treasure it in secret.
1t was not till the hero was at the
height of his g%lory-that is, when he
was walking about at home on crutch-
es, pale and thin-that the secret of
the many mementos of his sufferings
and tokens of his love got out. Their
one morning the postman left for him
a little ~pasteboard box that had once
contained a gem and on opening it he
took out one of the many missiles that
had wounded him. No word came with
it as to why it was returned to him.
but for the first time in his life he felt
a sinking about the heart. He recog-
nized the writing In which the box
was addressed as that of the young
lady he especially admired.
When the next delivery of mail was
made Captain Franklin was handed
another box. this time a wooden one.
such as opticians use for mailing
glasses. Opening 1t, he took out a
piece of iron that had been sent from
q bursting shell. The fragment was
large enough and heavy enough had it
hit the captain to have torn a hole In
him big enough to admit a cheese box.
This one of the many mementos he
had sent out was also returned with
out explanation.
Franklin on receiving the first mis-
sile had laid it on the mantel. He now
placed the second beside it. When the
postman came again he brought two
boxes, each containing a piece of lead
which had been sent from the barrel
of some kind of gun. Neither these
returns was commented on by the
sender. Franklin. who had faced them
bravely In battle. now received them
with every indication Of fear. He re-
membered the storm in which they
had come to him and wished that he
were back in it rather than in his pres
emit position. He laid them beside the
others on the mantel with a trembling
hand.
Every memento he had sent out was
now returned to him except he. A
bullet had struck the metallic clasp of
his sword belt and been flattened by
the impact. He had shaped it with his
pocketknife into the form of a heart
and sent it to the fifth girl he loved
best. Miss Alice Farnsworth, writing
her how his clasp had saved his life.
Alice pierced a hole in it and wore 1t
on a gold chain about her neck.
Bert did not know of the reception
of his gifl, but he wondered If it, too.
would come back to him. He fully ex-
pected to receive it by the next deliv-
cry. He moved the foul missiles on
the mantel, stretching them along
from end to end. leaving a place in the
center for the leaden heart when 1t
should come.
The next time Captain Franklin went
out on the street. hobbling on his
crutches, he met one of the girls he
had loved best and to whom he had
sent a bullet. She cut him dead. The
same day he met another of these
young ladies' and received the same
treatment. Within a week every one
of the foul who had returned his me-
mentos had had an opportunity to
show her d~ispleasure, passing him with
her head In the air.
"Where." moaned the transgressor,
..are the encomiums these girls be-
slowed on me? My hero,' Noble de-
fender of your country Poor Fellow
Sufferer for the cause"
These expressions, denoting the sym
PATTY, the admiration of these young
ladies'. came up to mock him. We are
seldom conscious of our strong points,
and the captain. never having appreci-
ated his deeds of daring, would now
have exchanged them all for a nod
from one of these girls who were dis
playing their contempt for him.
One day when he was wishing that
some one of the various implements OF
war he had sent north had killed him
he met Alice Farnsworth face to face.
She smiled at him.
That smile was a healing balm to his
distressed spirit.
"How happens it that you deign to
notice so unworthy a person as IL ne
asked
Come with me and ! will tell you"
She took him to her home and when
they were alone together, Selling a
gold chain about her neck. drew forth
the heart shaped bullet
1.-THE secret that you had sent these
mementos to all Of the girls became
known by comparing notes soon after
i IN zaaa Gaala1an-nXaan