The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-03-19
How He Changed
His Mind
By EDITH v. ROSS

: 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 at the front.
Miss Denton had not noticed that her
name was in one of the books. The
novel was given to the Foreign legion,
composed of all nationalities, except
French, and fell into the hands Of Pri-
vate Joseph wilkins, an American
youth who. happened to be in Paris
at the breaking out of the war and
had enlisted in that corps.
One day when Private Wilkins was
some seven or eight feet underground.
getting tired of listening to shells
screeching owe his head, he saw a book
lying on the bottom Of the trench and
took it up. Listlessly opening it, on
a flyleaf he read written in pencil
"Luella Denton"
If. peace had been declared Wilkins
could not have been more astonished.
A year before in Miss Denton's 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 it had
come from Miss Denton. Indeed, he
did not read a word Of it. He was ex-
pecting at any minute to be killed.
and one in such condition is not apt
to give his attention to reading. New
ertheless he formed q resolution to
write to Miss Denton a letter from an
unknown grateful soldier. Might he
not still win her by correspondence?
Fortunately for his plan Miss Den
ton had left a card between the leaves
which she had used as a bookmark,
with a London address on it. 1t was
possible that this address was that Of
Mrs. Denton. At any rate. when VIII.
kins found the means to write and
send Il letter he used the address on
the card. He took care to disguise his
handwriting and sign an assumed
name.
One morning Miss Denton received
an epistle from Il soldier III the trench
es thanking her for the great relief af-
forded him by the novel she had sent.
He assured her that it was just the
thing needed to divert his mind from
death. which continually stared him in
the face. Would she not write him q:
letter? Whenever the danger vas
most appalling he would read it, and
he was sure it would draw his thoughts
from Il constant presence Of death.
Now, Miss Denton vas a 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
der who was constantly exposed to
death. She wrote a long letter to the
poor man. mainly composed of such
items as were to be found in the news
papers. addressing it to his corps in
France. 1t reached his company, and
he had notified the mail distributor that
the name it bore had been assumed
by him.
wilkins was delighted. He wrote
again. dwelling on the comfort her
letter had given him. Whenever a
shell burst over his head. he said, or
a comrade was killed beside him he
felt that he would go insane from the
continuance of such horrors. At such
times he read her letter, and it always
brought back his nerve. To preserve
1t he had placed it in u tin cigarette
box and kept it in his left pocket. A
fragment Of a shell had struck him
over the heart and had been turned
aside by the metal. Her letter had
saved his life.
Wilkins had no opportunity to re-.
ceive or write, another letter. for in a
bayonet charge he was wounded and
as 500 as possible sent across the
channel. He was finally removed to
London and not long after arriving
there wrote Miss Denton, informing
her of his condition and asking If she
would not further add to his comfort
by coming to see him at the hospital
where he lay.
Luella collected a large basket full
of delicacies and betook herself to the
hospital. Joe had given his assumed
name to a nurse. requesting that If
any one asked for that person he was
the one wanted Then came LIuella
with her basket OH her arm and her
romantic heart beating wildly at 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.
"Luellaw 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 soldier the man she had re-
fused.
"Oh. joel" she exclaimed. and, kneel-
ing beside his cot. she took his hand
in hers.
Joe told her that when he 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 might give a stranger,
had written her incognito. Naturally
she took pity on him. for he had been