The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1915-05-14

tCopyrigh 1915 by the Mcclure Newspaper syndicate)

Il wonder if this shirt waist will do
for tomorrow"
oh, yes; | wouldn't put on a fresh
one till we're there. My, it's good to
get those shoes off! Patent leather
draws my feet so.'
Tan shoes are easier for travelling.
oh, do you like those lace-front cor.
sets? I've been wanting to try them,
they say they're" The rest was lost
in the trundling of baggage outside.
Huh, just getting interesting"
grinned Warren. "What're those two
females over here alone for, anyway"
Il think one is correspondent for
some paper" whispered Helen. Don't
you remember her, the one who was
always writing on deck?"
"Oh, that! Well, it'll take more'n a
lace front to make her"
Hush, dear, they'll hear you'll"
Nov what else have you to do?" de-
manded Warren.
Just to fix my hair-but / don't
need the light for that"
She switched off the light and raised
the window at the foot of her berth.
The long platform was now cleared
of trunks. The cold. white arc globes
flickered ghostly along the prisonlike
station. The familiar English signs of
soap, tea and junket seemed frivolous
ly out of place against the grim stone
walls.
Then without sound of bell or
whistle, with almost sinister silence,
the train slipped out into the dark
ness.
The outskirts of Liverpool, with
hhe streets stony, treeless, and poor
! ly lit, looked inexpressibly dreary.
There were endless rows of the mo-
notonous, low brick houses, all dark
now except for faint glimmer from
an occasional window.
Vaguely depressed by the scene,
with whispered Good night, dear"
Helen reached out across the narrow
aisle.
Good night" briefly, pushing away
her hand.
Nov let's get what sleep We can
A silence of several moments then
Helen crept out of bed and bent over
him with a wtstful:
Dear, can't go to sleep without
telling you good night right"
AS she stopped to kiss him, her
hand unconsciously slipped under his
pillow and touched something cold
and steely. With frightened cry she
drew back.
"oh, oh! Why, Warren, that
isn't"
We'll, what If it is? What're you
fumbling under my pillow for?"
Tit isn't loaded?" breathlesslv
what use would it be if it WASN'T"
But dear, you don't think"
Think it's just as well to have one.
Lot of sneak thieves at a time like
this. Now you go to sleep and stop
prowling around"
Helen crept back into her berth but
the touch of the revolver hid oh. ed
her. There was something terri "
ing in that cold steel With q rush /
brought back all her brooding though Z,
of the war.
They were beyond the city now.
speeding through the sweet-sr Cling
English country. Raising her pill
low, she gazed out on the pee ceful
farm lands. Here and there were
groups of COWS sleeping or grazing in
the moonlight.
1t was all so quietly peaceful that
it was hard to think of the war zora
as being so near. All those Belgian
battlefelds had few months ago been
as serenely quiet as this. Perhaps
many of the battles had been fought at
night under just such calm, pale
moon.
The thought of the killed-and wound
: ed Helen resolutely put from her. All
her mental anguish over the suffering
in this war would not alleviate single
pang, and she was schooling herself
! not to think. Just before they sailed
she had sent a check to the Red Gross
! That was expressing her sympathy in
the only way that could help.
Determinedly she now turned heI
3 thoughts to London. They would be
4 there in the morning. What condi
t tons would they find? The hotels
restaurants. music halls-all the places
q she had loved on her first trip-hov
t many of those would be closed?
Whatever the hardships or incon
S veniences of the next few weeks, there
? was something thrillingly exciting
about being so near the heart o
:. things.
l. The spirit of adventure was always
o strong within Helen, and now SHE
+ looked forward to their arrival in Lon
don with glow of eager expectancy
The Thirst for Applause.