Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-12-13
WHICH?
tcopyright, 1917. western Newspaper Union.s
By A. c. sHERwlN

"Which-what, dear?" innocently in
quired Irma Willis, favorite beauty of
Chesterton.
''1f you will use your eyes and see
what everybody else has noticed you
will be answered fast enough" de-
clared Elsa Rhoades vehemently.
(Which? Why, Sammie or Jackie, of
course. The whole cantonment has Sc
lected you as their goddess, but Win
ston Clancy, of the land army. and
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 duo
despair"
.Nonsense!" flushed up Irma. 81
have given encouragement to neither
and do not intend to. I can't help treat
ing them kindly, for / love every sin
gle soldier boy and sailor boy in the
camp. Poor fellows! they miss their
mothers, so try to be 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-lSnit
stockings from the knee down. He lift
ed his cap gravely.
"Who is hc?" she whispered to her
companion.
ooh! 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-rr! Isn't he chilly and
/, forbidding? Perhaps it is going up
where the air is so cold that has frozen
away bis SMILE"
"He is simply dignifed," qualified
Irma.
There was rivalry between Winston
Clancy Of the infantry and Nate Percy
of the marines, for both were deeply
captivatud by Irma In rapid success
sion two events transpired that brought
Irma's ardent suito..s closer to her.
ooh, how spelnds1" cried Elsa, as
Irma came home wet and dripping,
young Percy proud. escorting her, and
Irma explained aft.r she had thanked
her "preserver." Ii seemed that, Irma
had gore out in hel skiff alone and had
struck mock mae buoy-the boat
stove H.. had cap.ized and she had
chung TO it until leroy had valiantly
struck out from tie shore to save her.
A week later Clsncy's turn came He
| and Irna were strsIlling along near the
lake bluffs when detonation from the
lake aI.prised then. that target practice
was Or and they were in range. There
was ID shelter 1T sight-the air was
misty, the big t1rget was set on a
sand mound fifty seet away.
"Crouch behind that hummock!" or
dered Clancy excitedly. Then he ran
to the target and scaled it.
Boom!
A projectile landed twenty feet
away, scattering The sand ia every d.
~rection. Irma sluddered. On top Of
the target, Glance had stripped off his
| jacket and was waving it lakewards.
The signal was saen, the firing ceased
and he soon got !rma out of range Of
the deadly guns. OF course Percy and
Clancy became heroes with the girls.
One morning ,,hen quite a party OF
young people were gathered on the
lawn, Irma came from the house with q
fluttering yellow sheet in her hand
pale and distsacted ooh, Elsa r
gasped Irma, "rlaad-read!
She extended a telegram, just re
ceived. 1t was from her aunt, fifty
miles away, where her mother haG
gone on visit .hree days previous.
"Come at erce," it read. "Youl
mother has met with a serious acct
dent
| Instantly the lawn party broke up az
the situation Vas disclosed. Irma was
frantic over the direful intelligence
There was no train tor six hours. Tt
go by vehicle involved roundabout
course covering fully one hundred
miles, on accorht of the roadless noun
tain range to the west. Irma broke
down and was weeping in the arms O
Elsa. Finally young Ridley approached
her.
ssMiss Willis" he said, in his quie
but decisive w;y, "may offer my serv
ices? The w.slther is not propitiou.
and there is a strong headwind, but WI
can reach the town across the hills in
side of two h.urs. Could you stant
the strain?"
"To be with my mother quickly-oh
yes! yes!" cri..d Irma eagerly.
Twenty inmates later Irma Will.
was seated behind the aviator, strapped
in securely. She did not shrink OF
shudder as the wheels of the splendid
ly constructed airship left the ground
All she though; of was her mother, ant
her anxiety .iNercame fear and thu
thrilling sensation of first flight.
dash of rain chilled her as they cleared
the cloSe-to-eatth strata.
Then-a sudden binding dazzle o.
radiance. They had traversed the clout
area and had emerged into a brillian