Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-08-09

upon MIN for support He had no good
position to lose, and there was no
sweetheart to tell him with her Inns
10 90 while her eyes pleaded for him
to stay.
Every time he saw recruiting ser.
geaht he'd Sink around the corner out
OF sight, with terrible fear gnawing
az mis- heart, When passing the biz re-
erultlng posters, and on his way TO
business and back he passed many, he
would pull down his cap and look the
other way from that awful finger
pointing at him. under the caption.
Your King and Country Need You !"
or the boring eyes OF Kitchener, which
burned into his very soul, causing him
to shudder.
Then the Zeppelin ralds-,luring
them, he used to crouch In a corner Of
MIS- clearinghouse cellar, whlmperinc
IKE whipped puppy and calling upon
The Lord to protect him
Even his landlady desplsed him, al.
though she had TO admit that he wes
good pay"
he very seldom read the papers. but
one momentous morning the landlady
put the morning paper at his place be-
fore he came down to breakfast Tnk.
ing MS seat he read the flarlng head.
line, "conscription Bin Passed. and
nearly tainted Exeuslng himself he
stumbled upstairs to his bedroom
with the horror OF II gnawlng into his
vitals.
Having saved up few pounds, he
decided not TO leave the house and 10
shan sickness, so he stayed In his room
and had the landlady serve his meals
there.
Every time there was a knock nj the
door he trembled all over, Imagining II
was policeman who had come 10 take
him away TO the army.
one morning his fears were realIzed.
Sure enough. there stood policeman
WITH the fatal paper. Taking il In his
trembling hand he read that he, Albert
Lloyd, was ordered to repor, himself
70 The nearest recruiting station for
physical examination, He reported i'm.
because he was afraid TO
ilsobey.
The doctor looked with approval
upon Lioyd's six feet OF physical per.
lection, and thought what a fine
he would make, but exam.
ned his heart twice before he passed
aim rs physically fit it was beating
50 fast.
From the recruiting depot Lloyd was
AIKEN, with many others, In charge OF
sergeant, to the training depot at Al.
iershot, where he was given an outfit
# khaki, and drew his. other equIp.
nent. lie made fne.looking soldier
Except for the slight shrinking In his
houlders and the hunted look 10 his
yes.
AT the training depot II does not
axe long to find out a mans character.
nd Lloyd was promptly dubbed
windJ.' In the English army windy
leans cowardy.
The smallest recruit In the barracks c
BOXED on him with contempt, and was $
OF SLOW to show II In many ways. |
Lloyd was good soldier, learned r
uiekly, 0beyed every order promptly. II
ever groused at the hardest fatigues, II
lie was afraid to. He lived In deadly II
EAR of the officers and "noncoms" over II
I'm. They also despised him. II
One morning about three months II
tier his enlistment Lloyd's company :
as paraded, and the names picked out
r the next draft to France were read.
hen his name was called, he did not
ep out smartly, two PAGES to the IA
ont, and answer cheerfully, Here. 10
r as the others did. He just faint. II
In the ranks and was carried to bar. mr.
cks amid the sneers of the rest. mr.
That night was an agony OF misery NO
him. He could not sleep Just cried re
d whimpered In his bunk, because in
the morrow the draft was to sail tn
France, where he would see death
all sides, and perhaps be killed him
I. On the steamer, crossing the
annel, he would have jumped over. nj
ard to escape, but was afraid of lp
owning. nj
Arriving In France. be and the rest INF