Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1918-08-15

1hey say love laughs AT lOckSmltnS.
1t does. And 1t has been proved. that
1t also laughs at gas bomb and shrap-
mel, bayonet and trench knife; the
depth of the sea and the tops Of the
highest mountains, the icy terrors of
the frozen North and bitter agony
of the desert.
But there Is one thing left. We shall
learn how love conquered that.
Betty Barstow was very pretty
girl, but spoiled. Perhaps that was
why she merely laughed at Jerome
Gilbert, young superintendent in her
fathers mill, when he fell foolishly,
desperately, pitifully in love with her.
Betty" he plead, mo one ever loved
as do. You see it's the only thing I
live for. Other people have been in
love. or thought they were. but It was
nothing to this. Can't you feel it7
Don't you see it. that can't live with
out your You'll find 1t out some day.
why can't you give me little hopper"
Betty laughed. Eventually. why
not now?" she quoted from an adver-
tisement.
Jerome colored. you're cruel. Bet
ty. You don't mean 1t, know. but 1t
hurts awfully. can't stand 1t. any
longer. I'm going to enlist and ]
hope get killed."
But Betty had heard that before.
and 1t worried her not.
He did enlist in the aviation corps.
That was the next thing Betty heard
of him, and he was gone without say
ing good-by.
she had been a little unkind. She
really hadn't intended to go SO far.
She had only meant to tease him a
little and make it up the next time
he came.
HE doesn't deserve any credit for
going" she said to her father one
morning. HE went because
he was cross about something, be-
lieve."
II don't think So" returned her par
ent. HE confided to me couple of
months ago that as soon as we had
certain important work done in the
mill he thought he would CO."
"Oh!" Betty's eyes filled with tears
Of humiliation and she left the break
fast table hurriedly.
For the first time in her life Betty
had rebuff. and with Characteristic
wilfulness. fell in love with the unat-
tainable. And then she discovered that
she had really been in love with Jerry
all along.
Then her mind being serious for the
first time in her life, she began to
think earnestly Of the war and Of what
she could do to help. She went in for
Red Cross work for while, and work.
ed tirelessly in the Woman's Motor
corps.
But there were Others who could do
her work and she wasn't satisfied. She
wanted something distinctive.
Then one day she read how carrier
pigeons were needed in France, and
how difficult 1t was to get people to
train them. And instantly she decided
that that was her work.
She went out to their house In the
country, with only the caretaker and
his wife for company, and started out
with twelve birds.
1t was interesting work and kept her
busy. She would take the birds
short distance away from the farm at
first, in her motor car. and let them fly
back. Then gradually she increased
the distance, letting the birds fly alone.
At last 1t got impossible for her to
take them herself. as the distance grew
greater, and she would ship them to
friends in different cities to release.
They came back unfailingly, always
with their little brass tubes containing
friendly note. White Wing was the
swiftest of them all. Betty was very
proud of him.
One day she sent a message to her.
self, or rather to Jerry. She had been
so lonely all week. and the solitude of
the country gave her plenty Of time to
think.
"Oh, Jerry, Jerry, If you would only
come back" she cried nightly on her
pillow. I'D never let you go away
again."
The next time she went to the city.
her father was shocked Mt her appear
ance. you're working too hard with
those BIRDS" he said. "Pack up and
well both go to the seashore for n
week. They can get along for week
without you"
So Betty went. but she took her
birds to test them in five hundred
mile flight home, the longest they had
ever made.
And that was when she sent the
message to herself, or rather to Jerry,
for on the little slip Of paper she tuck
ed into the tube on White Wings leg
was written: "Oh, Jerry dear, come
home. I do love you. Betty"
Now arctic ice, and burning sands,
gas bombs and trench knives not hav-
ing baffled love. such thing as few
hundred feet in the air was not going
to get the best of the willy little fellow.