The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1917-12-20
WHICH?
By A. C. SHERWIN
tcopyriTh. 1917. Western Newspaper Union,
By A. C. SHERWIN


IF you will use your eyes and SCI
what everybody else has noticed, vol
will be answered fast enough de
clared Elsa Rhoades vehemently
(which? Why, Sammie or Jackie, O
course. The whole cantonment has Sc
lected you as their goddess, but Win
ston Clancy, of the land army, ant
Nate Percy of the marines, are simply
fixedly, irretrievably, madly in love
with you. They predict duel If you
don't soon lift one Of the devoted due
Into paradise and doom the other tc
despair"
Nonsense I" flushed up Irma. 81
have given encouragement to neither
and do not intend to. can't help treat
Ing them kindly, for I love every sin
gle soldier boy and sailor boy In the
camp. Poor fellows they miss their
mothers, so 1 try to be a devoted sis
ter to them"
A young man, wearing neither the
khaki Of the infantry nor the blue
blouse Of the marines passed the two
girls as they stood by the roadside. He
wore puzzling costume-a close skull
cap bearing some military insignia,
bicyclist sweater and closely-knit
stockings from the knee down. He lift
ed his cap gravely.
'eWho is he?" she whispered to her
companion.
"Ohl haven't you seen the airship
they brought to the camp last eve
ming" questioned Elsa animatedly. HE
is an aviator, army airship service and
all that. Br-rrl Isn't he chilly and
forbidding? Perhaps 1t is going up
where the air is so cold that has frozen
away his SMILE"
'He is simply dignified," qualified
Irma.
There was rivalry between Winston
Clancy of the infantry and Nate Percy
of the marines, for both were deeply
captivated by Irma. In rapid success
sion two events transpired that brought
Irma's ardent suitors closer to her.
"Oh, how splendid !" cried Elsa. as
Irma came home wet and dripping.
young Percy proudly escorting her, and
Irma explained after she had thanked
her "preserver." 1t seemed that Irma
had gone out In her skiff alone and had
struck a mock mine buoy-the boat
stove in, had capsized and she had
chung to 1t until Percy had valiantly
struck out from the shore to save her. |
A week later Clancy's turn came. He |
and Irma were strolling along near the /
lake bluffs when a defamation from the |
lake appraised them that target practice !
nd n, Thprn /
was no shelter in sight-the air was
misty, the big target was set on
sand mound fifty feet away.
"Crouch behind that hummock ~ or
dered Clancy excitedly. Then he ran
to the target and scaled 1t.
Boom
A projectile landed twenty feet
away, scattering the sand in every d.
rection. Irma shuddered. On top Of
the target, Clancy had stripped off his
jacket and was waving it lakewards.
The signal was seen, the firing ceased
and he soon got Irma out of range OF
the deadly guns. OF course Percy and
Clancy became heroes with the girls.
One morning when quite party of
young people were gathered on the
lawn, Irma came from the house with a
futtering yellow sheet in her hand,
pale and distracted. "Oh, Elsa"
gasped Irma. "read-read"
She extended a telegram, just re-
ceived. 1t was from her aunt, fifty
miles away, where her mother had
gone on visit three days previous.
"Come at once" it read. "Your
mother has met with serious acct
dent" 1
Instantly the lawn party broke up as
the situation was disclosed. Irma was ]
frantic over the direful intelligence. ]
There was no train for six hours. To |
20 by vehicle involved roundabout =,
course covering fully one hundred '
niles, on account of the roadless noun /
ain range to the west. Irma broke 9
Town and was weeping In the arms of
elsa. Finally young Ridley approached t
Ter. Q
miss Willis" he said, In his quiet v
,ut decisive way, may offer my serv- 0
ces? The weather Is not propltious d
nd there is a strong headwind, but we g
an reach the town across the hills in q
ide Of two hours. Could you stand v
he strafnT a
ITO be with my mother quickly-oh, q
es yes |" cried Irma eagerly. N
Twenty minutes later Irma Willis
,as seated behind the aviator. strapped ,
, securely. She did not shrink or
hudder as the wheels Of the splendid
!, constructed airship left the ground. C
II she thought of was her mother. and c
er anxiety overcame fear and the W
lrilllng sensation of first fight. A di
ash Of rain chilled her as they cleared h
lie close-to-earth strata. hi
Then-a sudden binding dazzle Of OF
alliance. They had traversed the cloud til
-ea and had emerged into brilliant VI
lrst of sunlight. Now 1t was straight. as
lsy progress. An hour later, grace vi
i as a bird sinking to earth, the ma al
line landed in an open space at desti- sa
ltion. tn
"Sammie or Jackie, Or" mischiev- Ps
Isly insinuated Elsa, week after re
at, and Irma blushed dlvinely as she