Evening star., 1917-09-16

hausted the subject or got the tongue
cramp. But 1 expect we each had lot
Of thoughts that didn't get registered
l know l did. And next mornin' the
break-away came sort of hard.
Il know just how you feel about
it," says Wee.
TIM glad somebody does. then.
says l.
Putin the proposition up to Old
Hickory was different. He shoots a
quick glance at me from under them
shaggy eyebrows. bites into his cigar
savage. and grunts dscontented.
You are exempt. you know says
Il know" saysI "If tags came with
marriage licenses I might wear one on
my watch fob to show. l expect
Huh" says he. ut seems to me
that rapid-fre brain of yours might be
better utilized than by hiding 1t under
a trench helmet
Speedy thinkers seem to be drug
on the market just now" says ]. Any
way, | feel like IL was UP TO me to de-
liver something-I can't say just what.
But campin' behind a roll-top here on
the nineteenth floor amt going to help
much. is it,"
oh. wei, if you have the fever
says he.
And half an hour later I've pushed in
past the flag and am answerin ques-
tions while the sergeant fills out the
blank.
Maybe you can guess l amt in any
frivolous mood don't believe
thought l was about to push back the
invader, or turn the tide for civiliza =
ton. Neither was l lookin' on this as
sportin' fier or larky excursion
that l was goin' to indulge in at pub
lie expense My idea was that there'd
been general call for such IS me, and
that l was comm across. | was more
or less sober about il.
They didn't seem much impressed at
the recruitin' station. Course, you
couldn't expect the sergeant to get thrilled
over every party that drifted in. He'd
been there for weeks, suppose. answer
in the same fool qpestions over and over.
KNOWN all the time that half of them
that came in was bluffin' and that big
per cent of the others wouldn't do.
But this other party with the zippy
waist line the swelln' chest and the nifty
shoulder straps--why should he glare at
me in that cold. suspicious way? T wasn't
tryin' to break into the Army with felo-
nious intent. How could he be sure. just
from a casual glance. that l was such
vicious scum?
Oh. yes: I've figured out since that he
didn't mean moren't half of It. or couldn't
help lookin' at civilians that way after
four years at West Point. or thought he
had to- But that's what l get handed to
me when I've dropped all the little things
that seemed important to me and walks in
to chuck what had to offer Uncle Sam
on the recrUitin table
Some kind of inspectin' officer. I've
found out he was. maxim the rounds to
see that the sergeants didn't loaf on
the Job. And. just to show that no
Young patriot in last years panama and
a sport cut suit could slip anything over
on him. he shoots in few crisp ques-
tons on his own account.
Married. you say" says he. Since
when
.'Oh. this century" says l. Last Feb
ruary. to get it nearer
He shifts, diSagreeabie. without sayin'
why Also he takes a hand when II comes
10 testin' me to see whether I'm club
footed or spawned. Course. I'm no per-
feet male. like you see in the knit under
wear ads. but I've got the usual number
OF toes and teeth. and my wind is fairly
good and don't expect my arteries have
begun to harden vet. He listens to my
heart action and measures my chest ex-
pansion Then I had to name different
colors and squint through tube at some
black dots on a card.
And the further we went the more he
scowled Finally, he shakes his head at
the sergeant
Rejected says he.
..Eh?" says / ''You-you don't mean
rm-turned down."
He mods "Underweight. and your eyes
don't focus" says he snappy. Here's your
card. That's all"
Yes. it was a tolt. l expect I stood
there blinkin stupid at him for min