South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-21
THE RIFLE
by ". Harold Thompson.
A SHORT STORY

fathers croft 10 the cottage where
Mary Cameron lived.
She saw him while he was still some
distance of and was waiting at the
little gate TO meet him
Sweethearts they had been for
years, since boy and girl they had
gone TO school together, and they had
thought soon to settle down now in
wee home Of their own. cottage
would soon be vacant on the other
side of the hill. But war had come
and with the call for men young
Archie had volunteered as became q
soldiers son. He had told his Mary
what he meant to do before he had
gone 10 the recruiting office, and
though there had been tears very near
her eyes her lips had smiled and she
had just said he must do as he
though best, which is woman's way
But perhaps she had never realized
all that soldering might mean until
now, when she saw him coming in his
brand new uniform. when it sudden
~ rushed over her and she felt
afraid. terribly afraid.
so you are going after all she
started, in her eyes "A mingling Of
anxiety and pride. You're for away.
ARCHER"
I'm for away" he returned, touch
ing one OF her hands, which was rest
ing on the topmOst bar OF the
gate. Don't you get worrying about
me. Mary lass. They say it will jist
be a sort o picnic for US boys. Any
way we have TO go, and the Black
Watch won't be the first TO fall ahint
That's a cert"
But there might be danger" She
voiced the suggestion wistfully-
gently.
Archie's chin went UP a trine. for
moment he pressed his lips together
tightly.
NO fear o. that the moo" ne said
An If there was-who cares?"
I'D care" she answered An
there's your father. too!-he'd care"
Archie nodded "Ay," he said
slowly. There's that. / was think
in O. US yins. When we joined the
Territorials we kent that we was
goin' TO train in case there might be
Wen get the chance"
Il pray you won't, Archie"
lie cleared his throat gruffy, and
did his best to laugh.
Wen no get over serious, you an
| me-" he said. I'm no going TO say
goodbye to you, Mary, just a sort of
| ta-ta."
Mary's head went forward slightly,
and she did not raise it for a moment
or two. She knew that her eyes had
suddenly become dim, and she did not
wish that Archie should see this dim
ness.
| Then she thought of that other who
| loved the lad, the other who would
grieve if harm happened TO him. She
| had TO wait till she had her voice IL
control which was not just at once;
then she spoke slowly.
How about your father" she ask
ed, looking up at last He's terrible
against you going, isn't he"
Him He's daft ABBOTT it. It's
queer that-him having been in the
auld volunteers himself. He's wear
! in on, OF course. Maybe that's it.
/ He was against me jOinin the Terriers
] frae the first A lot O. nonsense, ne
says learnin' TO shoot at yer fellow
men these day We're no savages, he
says. An of course since this was
started, he's been worse"
What's he been sayin ?"
"Sayin'? What has he no been say
ingi I'm a lunatic. he says. Ia be
better workin' the croft than blat-
term away at a lot o. fat Germans,
even if it comes TO that. He says that
the cOuntry's gone mad, an that I'm
| yin O the madmen. i learned TO
shoot a rifle vince he says, but that
was long ago. and I've more sense
than to go to fightin's now. It's nOthin'
! to be proud O'-yOur gOin' off with the
soljers. he says. The whole thing is
daft. an you're jist yin o daft
J brood he says"
a flush had risen in Mary's cheek
as she listened. He'd no right to
! speak that way" she said Your
J father he may be. but he should
mind he's a highlander, too. He's
| over auld 20 go off to fight himself
| but he should give you a 'God-speed.
81 - -
/ him TO set against your gOin.'
For some seconds Archie looked
/ away 1T hurts-terrible." he said at
| length. IF only he'd given a sign
! that he didn't mean all he said. cure
\ different. You help a buddy-sOrt
off.
In those words lay her reward for
/ all the pain in her heart She was
! helping her lad in his time Of need,
and il came upon her in vague way
/ that perhaps her courage was not less
/ than his, her battle not less hard 20
l fight 1t was bad for him to have TO
| go away. feeling his father was hot
| with anger against him. Mary knew
I the deep affection that had existed
/ for years between father and son, and
/ guessed poor Archie was cut to the
| quick by this unexpected development.
7 That trouble meant he needed her
l love and sympathy and courage all
/ the more, and she gave him them in
/ full measure as they walked up and
4 down, not saying much partly be-
cause they were never talkative folk
/ and also because now their hearts
/ were too full TO make speech easy.
Yet each understood the other, and
/ Mary managed to smile, and they
/ spoke hopefully of the future, pic
/ turing the triumph of the time when
/ Archie-a sergeant's stripes on his
armS-entered Berlin, and the joy of
\ the time which would come a little
/ later. when she would welcome him
\ home again. and they would live hap
! PLY ever after. They were not prac-
/ teal thoughts. and sensible folk might
/ have laughed at them. but they play
\ ed a useful part in rendering two
young people happy, just as dreams
so often do.
\ Five minutes later he had parted
| from her He looked back at her
| only once. and after that went strid-
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