The daily Alaskan., 1915-05-19
Tom axon' s transformation
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

w uGA SOAOAGl gtlhh4ANeAN VI NhS %~-AN tsh srmy went to fight with the allies in Belgium his daughter, Gladys, in- sisted on going also to the front as 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. His 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 be was twelve years of age he was in care of a 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- tabIy affected by 1t Indeed, so maiden. ly did he appear that no one would suspect there was spark of manliness in him. However. Tommy became the possessor of his estate just before the war broke out abroad, sniflng 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 manlness 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 be wanted 10 enlist The man looked at the immediately dressed Tommy. with difficulty repreSsing a smile at his spats and kid gloves, and pointed to the quar- terS of Colonel Bunkhead. Tommy pro- ceeded there and found the colonel with his daughter, who was in Red Cross uniform.
 ''I want to be a soldier" said Tom.
 The colonel looked at him in surprise, asked him if be 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 be de- cllned the advice. Then spoke up Mss Bnnkhead:
 "I think the gentleman would be Of more use as a Red Cross nurse
 Now, Miss Bankhead was a very comedy 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 a 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 1t was re marked that be should don the unl- form of the women nurses. It was Imaginable to see him perform his du- ties. but in time he grew accustomed to them, taking hls 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 minlstering to a 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 hls arms and started with him for cover
 Now, the soldier weighed pretty nearly as much as Tom, and Tom stag gered under the load. The boy begged hts 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 a bullet in the fleshy 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 dercely toward the enemy. Near by be saw a regiment sallying forth on a bayonet charge.
 "I want a gun! cried Tom. the hot blood boiling in his veins. Where can get a gum"
 Take mine." said a wounded sol dier.
 Tom seized the piece and ran like a deer to the advancing regiment and fell into it's ranks. When be 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, tbs colnnel Tom soon stood upon hls