Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-05
When His Fighting Blood Was Up

He was musing ever these things one day
as he unrolled his pack on the barrack floor
leside his cot when he noticed that his shoes
were speclied with dust He left the pack
for a moment to clean the shoes when the
rookie who occupied the adjoining cot en-
tered He topped the little fellow by exactly
eight inches and was pugiistic in his man.
ucr
Get this stuff off the floor" he demanded
81 want to open my pack
The little fellow shot back, I'm 4 minute,
I'm busy" and continued shining his shoes
Then the big fellow walked 10 the open pack
and kicked an article across the room.
Jones dropped his shoes and stepped for.
word fists doubled. You big piker Kick
something else in my pack and you go back
home without "A commission
Going to use political influence against
me. ELI !" shouted the big fellow in rage
because coming from the same state he
knew that the ''little fellows" father was
prominent in politics, You better not try
it."
NO one said anything about politics." de
clarcd Jones, "but if you kick that pack again
I'll smash your face and We'll both go home
for fighting The end'll he the field hospital
for one of US"
The big fellow grumbled and the little fell
low remaired defiant and finally won out
But another rookie, who was bent upon a
commission by fair means or foul, heard the
argument and left the room.
That afternoon Jones's Nride was cut and
murdered before the company on the slight
est provoCation and ended with his being
ordered to renor' to the can'air after drill
lie was not gutter; he had swallowed hard
all day; but he felt that the srd had come
with the goal three weeks distant.
"Jonos," said the cantain i've about de.
cided to send you home You're too in
different and sloveny What have you to
saw" Jones told him Of those sx-footers
and of his work at nights, of his hard ap-
plicaton to everything military.
II understand however" said the captain
breaking in on the recital that YOU are
going to use political influence to have a man
rejected and to further your own ambitions"
At last the truth was out,
Won on His Own Hook
That's lie, rotten dirty lie, and | can
,roye itr' Jones fairly shouted The can
tain didn't know that the little fellow was
there on his own hook" and that his
prominent father had refused to visit him
lest politics be attached to the visit He
dtdn't know tTat tho "anare the rod snni,
the child" policy had been applied from child
hood and that the little fellow had gone into
the business world and succeeded on the
words of a father who might have helped
f-arcalI,- hut who ea'd instead 81 made
good on nothing, now you do the same" But
the CAPTAIN soon learned these things and
10 Language hunt N'- altogatho- coryi,cIrs
After that the little fellow pushed on un-
hampered and succeeded. But when the
commissions arrived some of those whose
averages We're far below his obtained a ar.r
while he was a second lieutenant
Then it was the little fellows" turn tn
smile. One after another the frsts came
10 him and said: I'm little nervous about
this, I got more than expected I'm afraid
' can't handle my Job. It's a little bis,
Whatd you get?"
This was his answer: 81 got second and
can hold my job I'm not worried or ner-
yous. You big pikers have been kidding me
n huth hao
ranks you go II YOU don't make good I'm
n commissioned officer and I'm going 10 sta,,
one. It does me good to see you shake IN
YOUR boots II evens up the score" "
And the little fellow fellow; after telling his story
down the street to meet the only girl - sa
cure in the faith that he'll be "f1rst. a, Sc
few months for when his furIough ana.
will join company slated for France IN ths he
very near future. C'F '''