The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-03-16
How He Changed
His Mind
3, EDITH V. POSS

soldiers fighting III France ana I'"'
GUM Miss Denton on ts,kiha over
some books she owned selected sew
eral novels and took them To the
rooms where supplies were being pack
ed. They were sent to France and dis
tributed with other things among the
soldiers ut the front.
Miss Denton had not noticed thai h1
name was in one Of the books. Tile
novel was given to the Foreign legion.
confessed OF all lutionalities. except
| French. and fell into the hands OF Fri
vate Joseph wilkins. an American
youth who happened to be IN l'aris
at the breaking out Of the war and
had enlisted In that corps.
One day when Private wilkins was
som. seven or eight feet underground.
gettin. tired OF listening to shells
scrpeching over his head. he sa " Il book
lying ON the bottom Of the trench and
took it up I.istlesSIy opening It. on
a hyleaf he read written in pencil
lucia Denton.
Ii peace had been declared wilkins
could not have been more astoniShed
A year before in Miss DentOns home
in America he had proposed to her
She had considered his proposition for
three days. then turned him down.
The young soldier was not interested
In the novel further than that II had
come from Miss Denton Indeed. he
did not read II word OF it. He was ex
pectillg at any minute to be- killed
and one in such condition is not apt
to give his attention to reading New
crtheleSs he formed resolution to
write to Miss Denton n letter from an
unknown grateful soldier Might he
not still win her 10y correspondence:
Fortunately for his plan Miss Den
ton had left II card between the leaves
which she had used rs Il bOokmark,
with London address on it. II was
| possible that this address was that OF
Mrs Denton Al any rate. when Wi
| kiuS found the means to write ana
send Il letter he used the address ON
handwriting aud sign an assumed
| name.
One morning Miss Denton received
an epistlr from Il soldier in the trench
es thanking her for the great relief at
fOrded INN by the novel she had sent.
He assured her that it was just the
thin. needed 10 divert his mind from
death. which continually stared him in
the face Would she not write him II
| letter: Whenever the danger was
most appalling he would read 1t. and
| he WAS sure ii would draw his thoughts
| from II constant presence of death.
Now. Miss Denton was romantic
young woman and had refused wilkins
on the ground that she could not love
one so matter OF fact, She was well
pleased TO have given comfort to a sol.
diar who was constantly exposed to
death She wrote Il long letter to the
| poor man. nlanly composed Of such
items aS were to be found In the news.
| papers. addressing II to his corps IN
France. II reached his company, and
he had notified the mail distributor that
the name it bore mad been assumed
by him
Wilkins was delighted He wrote
again. dwelling on the comfort her
letter had given him. Whenever q
shell burst over his head. he said. or
Il cumradp was killed beside him he
felt that he would 20 Insane from the
continuance of such horrors At such
times he read her letter. and 1t always
brought back his nerve. To preserve
II he had placed it in tin cigarette
box and kept 1t in his left pocket. A
fragment of a shell had struck him
over the heart aud had been turned
aside by the netai Her letter had
saved his life
wilkins had no opportunity to re-
ceive or write another letter. for In q
bayonet charge he was wounded and
channel He was finally removed to
London and not long after arriving
there wrote Miss Denton. informing
her Of his condition and asking II she
would NOT further add to his comfort
by coming to see him at the hospital
| "ueIc ue idy.
Luella collected large basket full
Of dplicacies and betook herself to the
hospital. Joe had given his assumed
name to nurse. requesting that II
any one asked for that person he was
the one wanted Then came Luela
with her basket on her arm and her
romantic heart beating wildly az the
prospect Of meeting her unknown sol
dier. When she was taken up to Joe's
bed so pale and thin was he that she
failed to recognize him.
"Luella" he said in a choked voice.
The sound Of her name. spoken in a
familiar voice. caused her to look more
intently in his face. and she recognized
IN the poor S0'dier the man she had re
| fused.
"Oh. joe she exclaimed. and, kneeI.
ing beside his cot. she took his hand
| in hers
Joe told her that when be saw her
name in the book she had sent he did
not feel justified in writing her direct
| after her refusal of him. but. desiring
| the comfort SHE. miuht give "a Srrop,rar