The Lamar register., 1915-05-05
oh, no." exclaimed Miss Mary in


letter. to preserve the proprieties n
was letter that might have made thu
irreverent laugh. 1t dealt with ali
hn sad talk OF the village for to III
two ma Den ladies Bodmlnton IVES ii
world in miniature IRON that they
passed to earnest inquiries as to tie
corporars health. Then in restrained.
but very fervent language, they eX
pressed the hope that he was not given
to worldly ways, and above all, that no
Stunned the use of intoxiCants. The
letter closed with an earnest prayer
for his worldly and spiritual welfare.
1t was seven weeks before this letter
reached the recipient, then lying in
the base hospital recovering from a
wound. He had been struck by a
fragment of a shell while leading his
company to the attack and he would
never lead 1t again, because a tendon
in his leg had been severed and Corp
Richard Barton" must go limping
through life thenceforward.
True, the limp was not very pro-
nounced one. hardly visible. in fact,
when the soldier walked. but 1t is
one thing to walk across a drawing
room floor and quite another to charge
a line of trenches at full speed across
barbed wire entanglements, laden
with ones accouterments.
A second letter reached the two
ladies' in due course. Miss Mary. who
was romantically inclined, opened 1t
in the presence of her sister with a
thrill of delicious wickedness. Miss
Lizzie, however. was inclined to think
that Miss Mary had been little indis
Greet. She intended to tell her that in
her opinion the correspondence must
be brought to a close.
But as the ladies read 1t they looked
at each other in dismay.
"He has been wounded" exclaimed
Miss Mary. TREMENDOUSLY The poor
man! hope 1t is not a serious
wound"
He says It will prevent his going
back to the ranks again" Miss Mary
announced. as she read further on.
"And-Oh. Lizzie. what do you think?
He says that some day he may come
to America for visit. and that II he
does lie will take the opportunity to
pay a call upon those who were so
kind to hint"
The letter fluttered out of her hands
and she sat down in chair GREATNESS.
Mary" said her sister severely,
this is what comes Of carrying on
-.rtution with strange mani"
sister," gasped Miss Mary How
gnah NFUl fhfnDY
Did you ever know me even to think
OF MANI"
a common soldier-just a cor.
Go-al'" Continued her sister. reprov.
iao'v. you know. my dear" she went
on rplcuting the lower classes in
England are not like they are here.
The man may be anything. Perhaps
he Is a drinker'"
Miss Mary rose to the occasion as
size had never done before.
We'll, sister. II he is a drinking
man." she said. Il SHALL shall send
Willis out to buy bottle OF beer for
HIM There!" and she walked out of
the room Indignantly.
But as the weeks went by and moth
ing more was heard about the cor
poral Miss Lizzie's fears gradually sub
sided And so the weeks slipped into
months. and then
Miss Mary, there is a gentleman in
the parlor waiting to see you" ex
planned the maid He says he hasn't
a card. and he thinks you will remem
Der his name. Mr. Richard Barton"
Miss Lizzie looked at Miss Mary as
the two sat together in the sewing
room.
Sister" she said. perhaps It would
be better for me to see this Corporal
Bartonl"
And that time Miss Mary did not re-
ply, because she was already in her
bedroom brushing her hairl
How desperately she brushed and
how quickly she changed her frock,
hearing a bass voice talking in the
living room below, and dreading every
minute that her sister would succeed
in Diminishing the visitor before she
could get down. And when at last
she did get down and stood before a
tall, neatly dressed, soldierly man Of
about thirty-fve her heart beat and
she felt her face suffused with foolish
bushes.
my dear. let me present Captain
Barton" said Miss Lizzie.