The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-12
EVENING STORY
Before the War

splendid position to join the army He
had given no reason for his desire to A
become soldier save that he had a
''hunch.'' At least that had been
David's way of putting it.
But the "hunch," as David slang
lily expressed it, had been a force
SO strong that he had been quite I'M
able to resist its urge. Something, +
some thread of destiny, had drawn
tive position and tied him firmly into
the army. That urge had been so I
strong that he had let Airline sever |
the ties that bound him to her with /
Friends and relatives took Arline's !
side. of the question. A soldier, in the
days before the war, had cast off the
shackles of home and ambition and
was quite content to drift about the
forts Jotted around the country.
However. had David offered more
opposition to the breaking of the en-
gagement Airline no doubt would have
waited until he had tired of soldier
ing. But his apparent indifference in
censed her and she expressed her
opinions of loafers, army life and
MASTERS in SO exaggerated a manner
that David refrained from argument.
So David went his way in khaki and
Airline continued her life, missing Da-
vid far more than she had reckoned
on. She was a practical little crea-
/ luI0, anu IOT lack OIL understanding
I had no patience with lunches, in
I ward promptings and sub-conscious
4 minds. Had she been posted even in
the slightest degree on instructive
knowledge she would have listened
with a less material ear to David's
bunch.
A year or two dragged past. Airline
found one or two men whom she ac-
counted friends, but from time to time
she compared them with David and
| fOund
aware that she was comparing them
with David and would have scorned
| herself for it. David had deliberately
left her to join the army, and she did
| not even know thai her erstwhile
sweetheart was now Lieut.. David
| Cornwall.
War began blasting its horrible way
in Europe before Airline realized that
soldering was a noble calling. She
knew. to-, that should America join
the conflict she would want more than
anything in the world to be in a posi-
ton to help her country and its brave
men.
Not knowing that she, too, was the
victim of a bunch she went to one of
the great New York hospitals and
found herself making definite arrange
ments to enter as probationary nurse.
1t was fortunate that there was a
vacancy.
Airline wanted to be a full-fledged
nurse or none at all. She did not
want to be a nurses aid nor did she
want her bit to consist of knitting or
serving sandwiches and tea to soldiers.
She wanted to be a real help and to
have her name one of the first on the
muster roll.
Airline figured that entering the
hospital in 1914, she could be trained
nurse in 1917 and should the war con-
tinue so long she could go and help
in a foreign hospital. All this, how
ever, she knew but subconsciously. She
was not conscious of having figured it
all out, but the urge was there and
some power goaded her on to effort
that she would have thought quite be-
yond her own strength.
She did not like hospital work. 1t
was the last profession she would have
asked of herself, but she struggled
desperately with duty's grip about her
She passed her probationary period
! which opened the way for the full
course. Airline envied the whitehead
. nurses, not because they had won the
! right to wear their uniforms, but be-
cause they could even then go out and
care for the brave wounded soldiers.
And still Airline was unconscious that
; she, too, was following that mysterious
: thing called a bunch, even as David
. had been at loss to say why he had
Joined the army.
her bark to the head of The stream
where she and David had parted.
But her craft was strong now and
2 able to brave the deeper current. That
' strange sense somewhere within her
was telling her that ahead was tre-
mendous wave Of life and that she
. was to be a great part of it.
D She was in her third year of train
Ing when America entered the world
conflict. Khaki-clad men were every
| where and sons of the navy in blue
and white. Airline rejoiced that she
was nearing the goal when she could
sign her name to the muster roll and
volunteer for foreign service.
The first time she saw a battalion
CT soldiers, new to khaki, mixing along
the city street her heart squeezed UP
into her throat. The men were swing
d ing their arms and keeping steady
Q rhythm along the hard road. The
g little shuttle that accompanied the
q tread sent hot, strange emotion over
. Airline.
. When she returned to me club fol
y probationary nurses near the hospital
a and went into her narrow room an6
flung herself on her narrow white
!. bed, she still heard that steady shut.
. file of marching feet
= AS she lay on that slim little bed in
. the slim little room. it suddenly oc
: Cured to Airline that some power 0,
which she had not been conscious had
: prodded her along this nurses path
> A bright candle seemed burning with
- in her and her soul was able to reaC
= by that light which her material eyes
could not see.
y She knew, too, that David had beer
( guided along his soldering way il
! that mysterious manner. He nov
( would be one of the first TO go over
Z seas at his country's call. She wal
thankful, then, that David had per
mitted the breaking of their engage
l. ment. Had she been bound by mat
If rimonial knots, no matter how hap
PLY, she could not have become
= nurse and her part in life would hav'
been void of all the greatness that sh'
felt bearing down upon her. Sh'
N opened wide her arms to welcome tn
call to toll among the wounded. ans
lie in her heart she consciously. for tn
first time, thanked David for releas
l. ing her.