South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-10-26


unknowingly give the key TO our
character and disposition. as wit
ness the woman whose sigh can
be heard in any corner Of the house
any hour Of the day-nOw wouldn't
We know her aches and pains and
troubles are manifold-in her own
mind So our story shall begin
with sigh and end with sigh
and iu between-weu perhaps we
Will leave those signs 10 the read
err
The shriu whistle OF the Went
worth WOOdenWare co. shrieked its
announcement of closing time. and
Tony Arnold gathered her sheathe
OF loose leaves into their binder.
and laid her books into the vault
with a sigh. That same little breath
had escaped her lips every night
for four-or was il five-months. II
was "a strange little sigh wistful
YET timid. and with a note of re-
gret and a tinge of hopelessness
Before those last four or five months
for some weeks it had held a quail
ity that was lacking since. a kind
OF defiance as though il would say
I'm sorry things are as they are.
but ! think I'm right just the
same"
But this night. Just as the little
sigh was leaving her lips, Tony
caught her breath end cut of that
last little lingering atom Of hope
Iessneas. For tonight was just a
little bit different And as she
went into the clOak-TOOm and ad-
iusted her last winters hat 50 that
1t all but hid the dark ringlets that
would curl about the brim i'm strict
Iy unbusiuesslike fashion. she pull
ed out something that had been
concealed within her blouse. and
her eyes lighted mp at the sight of
the engraving and coupons that
stood for her first real sacrifice TO
patriotism.
Someway she had a feeling that
something nice was going 10 hap
pen after these long months since
that night but as her thoughts
went back To- that night. "a cloud
blOtted out the CLEAN in the brown
eyes and the hopeless feeling threat
ened again 10 find expression in
that little out-drawn breath that
told SO much But she looked down
at the Liberty bond and lifted the
corners of her mouth bravely, until
that intuition of sometime nice"
once more raised her spirits and
even drew her around 10y q fruit
store where she bought some cheer
fuI looking red-cheeked apples ~
Gust 20 have i'm her room"
THAT night" dated six months
back. She had had a date" with
Jim wallace and as she carefully
pressed the ruffles of her white
organdy. she had hummed a little
tune. She had been going with Jim
two years, and she knew-as every
girl knOws-that someday - well,
just that someday "something"
would happen. And that very after
noon when he called 10 ask if he
might come around ne had said ne
had something very special 10 tell
her. "Perhaps'-and She had bur
led her face in the ruffles to hide
the crimson az the thought of that
perhaps"
Then ne had come. looking very
dne and big and handsome. and
with q new light i'm his face she
had never seen there before And
man-Iike he had blurted it out. No.
not the perhaps she expected,
but the news ne had come 20 tell.
Tony" he had said. rive enlist
ed. I'm going to training camp
tomorrow But when L come back
-." and he had looked up for the
response he needed and expected.
But there had been no response
in Tony's face To her the war
those past few months had been q
very vague far-of thing. She had
been too happy and contended 10
more than glance at the headlines,
and she had never dreamed that il
could ever be real 10 her. An in
uer flood Of emotion overcame her.
She had Clenched her fists and grit
ted her teeth, for she must not let
him see how much she cared. Goad-
ed on by her disappointment she
formed wild determination 10
hurt him, 10 show ne indifference
since apparently he did not think
enough of her To consult her about
such a mOmentOus decision.
So the astonished Jim had look
ed up 20 meet a sarcastic smile. and
Ina cool. even tones she had inform
ed him that the news was OF no
interest TO her. If the country was
SO hungry for gain and power and
new fields 10 conquer as TO plunge
its people into war. she really didn't
know how 10 restrain il from so
doing. And If he was such a fool
as Co led countenance 10 such