Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-10

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AS HE LISTENED CARL WAS FAIR
LY PARALYZED WITH FRIGHT.
had been one of these boys. He
couldn't remember when he started
but his earliest recollections were Oh
shipping bottomless piles of beans
and asserting an endless sea of peas
shutdown. He was at work wher
other boys were struggling with LONG
division. but when the others had
proudly mastered fractions Carl had
grown into a dull boy whose fingers
got in the way of the machines and
whose feet dragged hopelessly. Sc
they gave him broom and few cents
day to keep certain parts of the big
room free from dirt and his own body
and soul together.
Carl was past twenty now: his feet
still shuffied and he was still dull
but he stuck faithfully to his job
No one had ever seen him smile, and
because he always kept them cast
down no one knew the color of his
eyes. and no one cared, anyway. The
news Of daring raid in Texas, In
which the Mexican desperadoes mao
recklessly crossed our border, did not
interest Carl: he paid no attention
to the big headlines that announced
our soldiers advance after the guer-
rilla band but when huge posters be-
gan to appear all over the town say
defend their country's rights Carl
looked up. He even Strengthened up
a little. The next day he presented
himself at the recruiting office.
questioningly, but something, pathetic
in the queer bent figure kept the
young man from smiling outright
when Carl declared his desire to enlist.
I'm afraid you've passed the age
limit" the officer said. kindly, think
ing he saw a loophole. How old are
you?"
the officer frowned incredulously, but
when Carl explained that he had
worked in the canneries "all his life
I'm sorry" he said. "but you see
you're not strong enough-er-youv We
worked indoors always and are not
pretty husky fellows to march all day
and carry a gun" Then. as he
noted the disappointment on the ap--
plicant's face. wave Of pity swept
need some patriotic chaps to look out
for things at home he said. And
Carl shuffied away despondently.
II Uncle Sam needed men he mus.
have them, and il being indoors
weakened one surely being outdoors
would remedy the evil. Carl argued,
go he "swapped" jobs with the yard
boy and after a few days went pack
to the recruiting station.
I've been working outdoors all week
en- I'm a hull lot stronger, he de-
clared, proudly. But again the ofhcer
told him that the country needed men
could move quickly. AS Carl disap-
peared through the door young feilow
laughed, but the officer stopped him
saying: We might have been proud to
have him in our ranks If everything
except his bare life hadn't been crushed
out of him long ago"
The town dressed in gala attire when
her boys were ready to leave Tor the
border. The big firms had let 1t be
known that their employees who went
to the front should lose neither pay
nor position, but 1t was a curious fact
that no men went from the canneries.
Carl slipped off to watch the soldiers
march away. How fine they looked as
they filed out of the armory. Carts
heart swelled within him. AS the
young officers division drew near Carl
was in the street, and half unconscious
1y he fell into step with his friend.
Goodbye" he said, wistfully. And
the officer answered. Goodbye. You
look after things here at home"
Carl went along sturdily. with head
erect: then suddenly he realized that
the troops had passed: that even the
mob of small boys who had brought up
the rear were far beyond him. and a
wave OF bitterness at his own lneffi-
cheney swept over him.
1t was noon when he reached the
cannery. and flood of heavy eyed chill
dren burst through the doors. Carl
looked at them with new interest.
Could any Of those stooped shoulders
ever straighten under the weight of a
gun, he wondered; and while the men
who had grown up as he came forth
into the sunshine Carl WINGED at the
righteousness OF their being left to
al hnT Eaf
the longing to do something for his
country still filled every fiber of his
twisted body when he went back to his
broom.
There was a new man in charge of
the recruiting station, and Carl spent
every moment he dared watching the
men come and go. He chung to the
nope that some emergency would arise
and he would be pressed into service
He pictured himself in the khaki uni
form. with its bullying pockets; he saw
himself stand at attention as his cap
tain gave him some important order.
and his heart hammered in response 10
his dream as he underwent ina gjnary
dangers.
Then came the trial of Carts mowers
1t was nearly midnight. ard he was
sitting under the protecting arch OF the
big bridge. when he heard mems voices
only few feet away. AS he listened
Carl was fairly paralyzed with fright.
it was a wholesale plot to destroy the
gun factories. Not content with this.
the plotters determined TO smash the
great dam above the town and sweep
the ID town into the river" There
were so many conspirators that the
whole business was to be done on the
instant, and o'clock was the hour set
for the work of destruction.
Carl managed to crawl away unob-
served. and he hurried to the recruit
Ing station. But hurrying even a few
blocks SO completely winded him that
he could hardly tell his story, and al
though he had overheard the most care
full directions, Carl was unable to re-
peat them coherently. At length the
officer became impatient
Come and show me what you
mean." he said. And catching up two
of the guns he put one into Carrs trem-
bling hands.
On the way they met a policeman pa
trolling his beat, and the officer stop
ped to explain the situation. II can't
be sure from what this fellow says