Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-03-13

number of songs preparatory TO Journey
ing across the ocean. She was goihs
over to do her mite in the great war
crisis by singing at numerous benet's
and concerts and in the hospitals lor
wounded soldiers and sailors.
The sorting process was difficult. AS
the well-worn songs turned up IL
seemed in each case to be the one song
that Enid could not leave behind Al
ready the ones selected would fill the
tray of her steamer trunk ana li'e
music cabinet was only half empty.
II want to be in a position to sing
ANYTHING that may be called for, ana
goodness knows what songs the poor
wounded boys will not ask for!
1t was not until she had reached the
lowest shelf OF her music CABINET thal
Enid found the old, old song that capt
Cyril Baker had given her. The IT.
responsible, fascinating young scapc-
grace of the British army had been IN
New York Just long enough to capture
few foolishly feminine hearts, to Dor
row money from every one who was UNI
wise enough to give 1t to him, ana TO
disappear into future no less vague
than the past from which he had come.
Enid sighed a trifle wistfully and /;
reminiscently The image Of Capt.
Blaker came clearly before her His
ewes were as blue as the sea, and UNI
fortunately as restless; his hair gold as
the sun itself
"Why, oh Why are all the scape-
xraces so blessed with charm:' Enid
Wondered as she sat among her scatter
ed music. She remembered so well the
gentle flattery with which the young
officer had presented this old song to-
gether with two others Of less import
ance.
INV mother Used to sing this to me,
he had said softly. will you too sing
it to me? I want to hear you-now.'
The effect Of the dainty homage to
Enid came wildly back to her as she
sat three years later looking over the
song. A flush crept into her cheeks even
as 1t had on that other day, and Enid
wondered if she would ever see the
flattering young ne'er- do well again.
II, as he had said, he was in reality
a captain in the British army and had
gone through the Boer war, the
chances were more .han likely that he
would be seeing service a second time. |
There was a chance. # he chose to take
It for him TO redeem himself on the |
field Of battle.
Enid put the beautiful little song
called ruby" into her overburdened
folio with hope that its donor would
And that salvation held out to so many |
men in times Of war.
She realized that when she reached |
London. Paris or any Of the cities in
which she would be singing, her eyes
would be constantly On the alert. Per-
haps among the thousands of khaki
clad figures she would see Capt. Blak-
err She was curiously. and without /
much reason, interested in the career
of the handsome, irresponsible officer.
Enid had never contemplated the |
frightful ordeal it would be to sing for |
the entertainment Of those wounded
soldiers who had returned from the
battlefield manned and suffering from |
the horrors Of war. The fact that they |
smiled so bravely while trying to con-
tinue the fight brought a sickening |
wave of emotion oven Enid. She had
not reckoned on the vast control she
would be compelled to exercise II she |
were to sing happily before those pain
racked men and fling sunbeam into |
their midst 1t was her duty to cheer |
them and not to exhibit any sense OF
her own suffering at sight of them.
& Enid swallowed hard to put, down |
the lump in her throat and burst into
song. Perhaps she had never sung so |
we'll in her life. The emotion and warm
timbre in her voice were assuredly |
trebled by the throbbing sympathy !
within her own breast. and she gave
unto those wounded men all that her
soul possessed to give. She had the joy
OF seeing smile Of contentment or
Of her listeners.
The men had been brought into the
big sun parlor of the hospital, some
carried in on stretchers, others in
chairs and some Of them could limp in
on the arms Of their nurses. Enid had
never expected, in the whole Of her
musical career, to sing before so COM
pletely wrecked an assembly Of living
men. War, in all its CHASTITY tragedy,
was flung before her vision, and she
prayed that her strength might last
out long enough to still more Of that
human suffering.
She was standing quietly after a !
storm of applause when one Of the
nurses approached the platform.
called Ruby?" the nurse asked Enid.
Zone Of my patients is longing for it"
Enid smiled and glanced swiftly over
the mass Of upturned faces.
ut 10 not a very cheerful song" she
said. "But will be glad to sing It,"
Her hurried glance had failed to find a
familiar golden head that somehow she
had expected with the request for the
song. Her accompanist left the plat
form and Enid sat down at the piano
and played the dainty, ripping melody.
In SO far as she could watch her
audience Enid watched for one soldier
among them who was more than in
terested In the song. She was curious
to sec who it was that was familiar
with the old time favorite.
When she had finished the melan
choly but exQuisitely lovely song there
was silence in the room. In the far cor
ner man, so wound with bandages as
to be unacceptable, was leaning for
ward. Enid felt instinctively that he
was the soldier who had asked for the
song and she determined to seek him
out after she had sung a cheering,
rousing and stimulating air that
brought an Immediately burst Of ap-
plause.
But when she had finished, the Of
ficer who had been leaning forward
had been wheeled away. Enid searched
for the nurse who had spoken with her,
but she, too, had disappeared.
Out in the corridor Enid was stopped
by one of the surgeons.
Il am going to hold you responsible
for the sudden desire on the part of one
Of my patients to live
a 81" Enid laughed back at the sur
geon. What have l done?"