The daily Alaskan., 1915-08-09
Tom F axon' s transformation
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

in Belgium his daughter, Gladys, in- sisted on going also to the front as a nurse. The colonel endeavored to per suade her, but she was a girl of strong will and strong character, and his ob. jections proved futile.
 About the time the war broke oul Thomas FaXon, an American, came of age. Ills mother, widow, had previ Ously had the whiphand of him, for his fortune had been left to her in trust for him until he should attain his ma Jority. Meanwhile Mrs. FaxOn con- tinued to regard her son as a child, and when he was twelve years of age he was In care of nurse who the moment he started in for some boyish sport that would soil his clothes or by which he might possibly get hurt would clap her hands on him and drag him away.
 Tommy, as he was called, while he occasionally rebelled against such treatment, could not help being lamen. tably affected by 1t. Indeed, so maiden. ly did he appear that no one would suspect there was a spark of manlineSs in him. However, Tommy became the posseSsor of his estate just before the war broke out abroad, sniffing the air of liberty and of battle at the same time. He resolved to go abroad and see what was going on. So accustomed was he to obeying his mother that 1t was with great difficulty that he broke away from her, but once the breach had been effected he struck out with what manllness there was naturally in him, mingled with the feminine effects of his training.
 One day Tom turned up on the north ern coast of France occupied by the English army. He told soldier that he wanted to enlist The man looked at the immediately dressed Tommy, with difficulty repressing a smile at hls spats and kid gloves, and pointed to the quar- terS of Colonel Bankhead. Tommy pro. ceeded there and found the colonel with his daughter, who was in Red Cross uniform.
 q want to be a soldier" said Tom.
 The colonel looked at him in surprise, asked him if he knew anything about soldering and when answered in the negative told him he had better go to England and enlist there to be trained. This didn't please Tommy, and he de- clined the advice. Then spoke up Miss Bankhead:
 T think the gentleman would be ot more use as a Red Cross nurse"
 Now, Miss Bankhead was a very comely young woman, and Tommy, who was like a bird that had just left the paternal nest, was ready to wing in any direction that pleased his fancy.
 "Thank you very much," he said, with q low bow. Gan you tell me where to go to work"
 Come with me"
 When Tommy was put to work nurs- ing the sick and wounded it was re- marked that he should don the uni- form of the women nurses. It was Imaginable to see him perform his du- ties, but in time he grew accustomed to them, taking his instructions from Miss Gladys, with whom he at once be- came violently enamored. She laughed at him, but at the same time soothed him.
 With the first fight that came on aft CT Tom joined the Red Cross he was sent forward with others of the corps to pick up the wounded. While doing so a hailstorm of bullets swept the field, and every man of the corps sought cover. Tom was at the time mipistering to q youngster of eighteen who was badly hit Since he was look ing in the direction from which the bullets came Tom did not see that he was the only nurse left on the field. Then, turning and seeing what had happened, he took the wounded boy In his arms and started with him for cover.
 1 Now, the soldier weighed pretty nearly as much as Tom, and Tom stag gered under the load. The boy begged his rescuer to drop him and save him. self, but Tom staggered on amid the ] storm of bullets and finally entered the British lines in no worse condition than q bullet In the feshy part of his leg, from which streamed the red blood.
 Tom put down his burden and, not needing a cheer that greeted his feat, turned iercely toward the enemy. Near by he saw a regiment sallying forth on a bayonet charge.
 q want a gum" cried Tom, the hot blood boiling in his veins. 'Where can I get gun"
 "Take mIne," said a wounded sol- dier.
 Tom seized the piece and ran like a deer to the advancing regiment and fell into its ranks. When he came In from a bayonet charge he was carried part way, being faint from loss of blood flowing from a wound of which he was ignorant.
 Such deeds usually become quickly known. Miss Bankhead heard of Toms exploit and reported 1t to her father, the colonel Tom soon stood upon his | Iocrs q Coin md WAS ordered to report at