The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-11-01
WANTED TO Be A SOLDIER
Sensitive Child Stung by Taunts Of
His Comrades Ran Away to Prove
His Courage-M Mother Is Frustrated
Father "still Loves Him

His feet dragged YEARLY as he en-
tered the Office and his eyes peered sad
" from circles that told of nights and
nights of wakefulness. When he spoke
hi5 voice was tremulous with hope or
softened by nameless dread that al
most overwhelmed him. His words, too,
tumbled over each other in his earnest
ness or at intervals dwindled away in
silence as he turned his head and stared
mistily before him.
Excuse me" he said, as he sank
slowly into chair by the desk. ~
dor u want to bother you but IS this
way: I'm John Wilcox of over by
Antioch and I'm huntin my boy who s
run away. / thought mebbe he'd read
your paper if he's here somewhere and
] just wanted him to know that %
that / still love him end want him to
come back home.''
"Just Little Feller.''
Giles just little feller,' he con-
tinued as he looked back again, $50
slight you'd want to help i'm if you
seen i'm luggin fifty pounds. But he
wanted to be soldier. / reckon that s
why he run away He thought they d
take i'm at Great Lakes and then,
when he got his uniform, the boys
wouldn It laugh at him because--well
because he was so little and got ex-
cited when they leased him. y
He Is been gone week today" he
said as if Eternity mad suddenly turned
short, 'and lis mother can't stand it
much longer. She cries most of the
time and tells stories about him and
the clothes he used to wear. try to
tell her he Is alright and IL come back
home the same's ever, but all the time
I'm talking to Ter I'm afraid he
learn bad habits out there and never
be my boy again--I mean the fine
straightforward little man he's always
been at home"
"You'd like i'm if you'd meet him, y
he went on proudly. Giles a talkative
little chap and as bright as whip.
Why, I've been follerin' him for a
week now, but he's too slick for me.
He slips right by me every time-me
that's gray haired and sixty-fve years
old. And he's just fifteen too That Is
what makes it hard. He's such a little
Teller and o--so-er-kid-like, you
know. If he wuz older, it might be
easier but it Is not pleasant to think of
him--so young as e is-a fghtin the
world by himself. I"
The Darkest Hour.
He looked toward the door a moment
and then resumed his story. "You see,
he was always sensitive youngster
and when the city boys guyed him
cause he wasn't goin to war he took
it to heart and got all excited over it.
He wanted to join the navy right off
and when bunch of 'em from Antioch
was goin to the station he bolted
school and follered 'em. That is we
th;nk he did. That was Monday week
ago and the first we knew about it was
wien he didn t come home from school.
/ went to town to see about it and /
found his pony in the barn. I knew
then he'd gone somewhere, because he
was always so careful with his pony,
and set out to find him. -
THAT was the worst part Of 1.-THE
first night. Mebbe you remember it,
The snow storm came that night. But
/ WASH t carin for snow storms. Some
little girls told me they saw i'm maxim
for the railroad track and / figgered out
that he'd reached it just as the flyer
went through. / thought he was dead
then and / spent all that night walking
up and down the railroad track. I
searched the bitches on either side,
cause the train might have thrown
him, and someway, couldn It think of
leavin him alone in that Storm
"When I didn t find him there be-
gun to feel more cheerful. I decided
he'd run away and / went out TO find
i'm. l went to the Training Station
first but they said he hadn't been there.
I'm not 50 sure though. When I saw
the examinin rooms I could Just i'm.
agine how straight he'd stand and
how'd he say Do / take my shoes of
now and stretch himself SOS he d
seem a little taller. But they said he
hadn't been there. So I started out
along the roads to find him. -
The Long Long Trail
Over by Russell / got trace of i'm
He'd applied for work at a farmer s
and got it too He stayed there on
Monday night but they said he was
quiet-like and didn't eat enough to
keep canary bird alive. They thought
they had prize, though-he was a
good worker He looked awful small