Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1917-03-30
He Had Neither
Patriotism Nor
Romance
By OSCAR cox


81 come from re wars in la belle
France"
ooh, you do? Did you go out with
one of our Canadian regiments or did
you so over and enlist in the French
army?
81 enlist in re TIL Canadian in
fantry I am a Canadian, though 1
love France"
There's more of you come back
than might have been expected. Seems
to me I'd about as leave be a steer
turned into Chicago packing house as
go over there to be made pulp Of"
1--WE fight for civilization, for re ben
eft of posteritie."
''Well, you're welcome to do so if
you like. I'm not interested in posteri-
ty myself, and l don't consider that
I'm under any obligation to my great
great grandchildren whatever"
The speaker was about to move on
when the war scared veteran said:
"'There is a girl in this town by the
name of Mabel Shaw, l believer
"There was a girl by that name"
"NIon Dieu! She is not dead?"
mo; she's very much alive"
81 bring a message to her from her
lovaire"
ooh, you do?"
"ITe and | fought togezzer in re
trenches"
as the main part of him coming
homo too?'
"Au of him is buried on re battle
field in Picardie"
"That's too bad" This was said
with evident disappointment. "Was
his name Wilkins?'
Eyes. You knew him?'
"No. l never saw him. After he
went away l took something that be-
longed to him. I'd like to return it to
him"
''TIe was a brave man, a YER brave
man."
I'm sure o. that, considering what
he stood up against before he left. But
l reckon he didn't realize the critical
position he was in. What was this
message you brought from Wilkins to
his girl?"
1--WE had repealed seven attacks in
one day by the Germans. At the last
attack my friend was shot through the
heart"
That's the weakest place in mans
body"
ct is certain death. But Wilkins
lived long enough to say to me: AN
tome, in re little town in Canada where
l lived there is a lovely girl who has
promised to wait for me till l come
back after re war. If you go there
will you seek her and tell her Eat my
last thoughts We're of her, zat I died
wiz her dear name on my lips? /
would like to live FOR her, but rejoice
to die for my country"
THAT'S very beautiful"
at is magnifique. What could there
be more glorious for man than to die
for his country wiz re name Of re girl
he loves on his lips?'
Nothing, positively nothing" replied
the other. Il envy Wilkins from the
bottom of my heart. Fate has many
trials in store for us. If he had come
back he might have been sorry that he
hadn't closed the ACCOUNT broad"
ooh, but that was Q wiz him.
He would have como embrace Of
re girl he loved. Eat, Anne tlcsacrifce
50 magnihque," 6 american
tw rngr9 th was n,o an llequest and al P by
the returned S Of all cities ana
Can YOU - nards of truste of
Mabel Shawl"
Certainly. Do you see the little red
house over there?" pointing.
Eyes"
"Well, around the corner is a white
house with green shutters. That's the
location you're after. You can tell
Mabel that you met man on the road
who directed you to her and asked you
to say to her that he won't trespass on
her sacred feeling for the rest of the
day and she needn't expect him to din
ner. She'll doubtless be very much
overcome"
"YOu are her brOtherT'
81 wish l was. No; I'm her husband"
"Mon Dieu!'
"There's lot of romance in this
world, but l wasn't made that way
myself. There are men who tumble
over each other to get themselves killed
in battle and men that are ready to kill
each other for a woman. l haven't any
experience in war, but I'm a major
general in love. After Jim wilkins
went Of to fight the Teutons execut-
ed a brilliant strategic move on the
girl he left behind him ana captured
her. Did you ever hear of the soldiers
who captured a powder mill? MOI
Well, they were much pleased with
their exploit till the whole thing blew
up and sent 'em sky high"
You have no reverence for woman"
You bet have! My mother was the
best woman that ever lived"
The soldier stood in esolute for few
b.inutes, then, turning away, said:
''Since you are married to the woman
to whom bear the message you would
vepy much oblige me if you would give
it to her yourself"
81 will be happy to do so. 1t will
e