El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-11
The Angel Of The
Soldiers Dilemma
By BEATRICE FAIRFAN.

A GROUP OF soldiers had come to-
Z n gether in their fraternity house.
] Three were on the point Of sailing
/ for over there" four were in train
/ ing at nearby camps, and one-an Of
ficer with an empty sleeve-had Just
been invaded home
The young officer was curiously
tpreoccupied. the laughter and talk OF
the others seemed not TO have reached
him. Then one OF them. a boy with
a splendid baritone. went 70 the piano
and sang. Ny Angel OF the Flaming
Cross"
The man with the empty sleeve
and the saber cut across the forehead
was again over there" and the fig
ure that stretched out a hand 10 him
from the world OF pain and death
wore flaming cross on her white
head dress.
At first that was all he had real
lied. and he did not want 10 take that
small capable hand and come back 20
the world Of pain. IL would have
been SO much more easy to have gone
out
For hours-he had lost all count
OF time, hours seemed days, weeks.
ases-out there in the he'll. OF No
Mans Land" with the shells whist
ling
The Soldiers Story.
Then evening nad come. the long
twilight OF the old world. and the
stretcher bearers had picked him up
and put him in an ambulance. and
they had whiZzed at breakneck speed
10 the base hospital There he had
confused memory or soldiers and
many people in white, and a flashed
impression Of the operating room.
nInmm hHFGfma=E lilo in raF
the crowd OF pain racked creatures,
like himself awaiting their turn.
With incredible swiftness surgeons
and nurses w0rked-they seemed
more like skilled automata than flesh
and blood creatures like himself Then
his turn came, and they had put him
on a table, and he drew in great drafts
OF the blessed ether that stopped the
tearing pain. pain against which he
had 10 grit his teeth TO keep from
crying out.
And then he remembered nothing
more; IL was dark and still and de-
liciously quiet, and he felt himself I
falling. falling through space like a
leaf Close by him two people were |
talking about a soldier who was go
ing OUT under the ether He felt I
sorry for the poor devil, life was so I
iehciously tranquil here in dark. cool 4
silence, with that delicious sensation I
1f falling.
Then. suddenly. a flash Of conscious /
ness told him the soldier thew were |
talking about was he. And with it /
The tearing pain returned, and the /
1eadly sickness.
Yes. he was going out" and his
-ather would never say to him.
Proud OF YOU, old man" and his I
mother would never hold his hand D
n that sweet. clinginE way she had. /
Is n she were the child. Yes. he was 4
going OUT all alone, somewhere in
Then. clearly. distinctly. he heard 1
some one say. Take this. please" but I
ne was too tired, he was falling /
through space too quickly 20 take 4
what was offered him. And again the j
voice said. "Please-please oh. do I
-ry-I want YOU 10 get we'll" Some
me had lifted his head very gently /
ma turned IL to one side and was .
giving him something to drink
Back to Life.
He opened his eyes and found a I
'air OF heavenly blue ones. full OF 4
ears. looking straight into his. a
traud OF gold hair had escaped from I
'eneath the white head dress. on 7
which was a flaming cross. Again he f
vas falling-falHng through space u +
7as delightful, this letting everything J.
%, ambition, the world"
on must fiSht 70 live" the Girl I.
7lth the flaming cross on her head /"
lress was saying. Fight 10 live. as T
'ou fought out there in No Mans Z
.andr II
Then he set all his strength and all \;
Is Will against this resistless falling. I:
lie was going 10 live. because that +
nSel was reckoning him out OF the
'orld Of shadows into the world OF
The will to liver Where had he
card that phrase2 But il didn't mat
er where he had heard Il. the girl !
ad called him back. saved him. given
i'm the will to live
The soldier at the piano stopped Z
nslng. The room was silent Then E
he officer with the empty sleeve z
TODD up. and something about him E
lggested a sword-a sword IN E
nsheathed for battle. This time the z
ltue was TO live. TO carve out s
7cond destiny without his good i=
ght arm But the girl had wanted | E
m 10 i've, and some day-perhaps. 3
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