The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-30
By OSCAR cox

The speaker was about to move OIL
when the war SCARED veteran said:
There is a girl in this town by the
name of Mabel Shaw, / believer"
There was girl by that name"
"Mon Dieu She is not deadf"
mo; she's very much alive"
Il bring a message to her from her
lovaire''
"Oh, you dof"
HE and I fought togezzer in re
trenches"
us the main part of him coming
home tooT"
"All of him is buried on re battle
field In Picardie."
That's too bad" This was said
with evident disappointment "was
his name Wilkins?"
"Yes. You knew himT
mo. l never saw him. After he
went away l took something that be-
longed to him. I'd like to return 1t to
him."
HE 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?"
I'VE had repealed seven attacks in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 a mans
body
1T Is certain death. But wilkins
lived long enough to say to me: An.
tome, In re little town in Canada where
lived there is 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 were of her, Eat l died
wiz her dear name on my lips? r.
would like to live for her, but 1 rejoice
to die for my country"
That's very beautiful
1T is magnifique. What could there
be more glorious for a 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 abroad"
"Oh, but that was not so wiz him.
He would have come to re embrace of [
re girl he loved. Eat made his sacrifice
so magnifque."
There was an impressive silence be- /
tween the men, which was broken by
the returned soldier.
Can you direct me to re house of
Mabel Shaw"
Certainly. Do you see the little red
house over there?" pointing.
YES"
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 a 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 brothers"
Il wish was. No; I'm her husband"
Mon Dieu!'
There's lot of romance i'm this
world. but | 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 kin
each other for woman. 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 brilliant strategic move on the
girl he left behind him and captured
her. Did you ever hear of the soldiers
who captured a powder mill? NOT
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 havei Ny mother was the
best woman that ever lived"
The soldier stood I'm esolute for a few
minutes, then. turning away, said:
Since you are married to the woman
to whom bear the message you would
very much oblige me If you would give
1t to her yourself"
Il viii be happy to do SO. 1t will
make her very benevolent for
awhile"
The soldier went one way, the man
with whom he had left the message