South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-08-10
Rr Olive Roherts Barton

of letters on the plain little oak desk
Z and departed.
How many Of US realize that by
/ the hands OF the gray blue ranks of
/ Uncle Sans carriers are our for
tunes woven. warp and voof by the
! interminable exchange Of letters.
/ Evidently Miss Dale had realized this
A. an early age. Ar least she had
! grasped the fact that a letter MAY
/ 20 where a person may NOT. and find
/ ing herself dependent upon = busy
+ orld wfor support. she turned this
/ fact 20 account
/ So she mad inserted card in an
1 the leading advertising magazine
particularly those which specialized
/ on fashion. had a sign printed on her
! door. and waited
! She had not long 10 wait. for Miss
/ O'Donnel. who lived in Battle Creek.
/ Mich. had taken a fancy 10 a pink
/ panne velvet negligee advertised in
a fashion magazine. Mrs Randall
\ Of Broad Point decided 10 possess a
wren house advertised i'm a maya
zine. Miss Smith wanted face mask.
, Mrs. Crawford sport hat. and a
1 Miss Jennie Tyson Immediately en-
trusted TO her the entire purchasing
I or her rousseau.
So well had Miss Dale acquitted
herself of the various trusts imposed
upon her that she soon acquired a
reputation for efficiency and taste.
l And by the morning We speak Of the
pile OF letters on the brown oak
! desk was voluminous indeed
Miss Dale, Virginia Dale otherwise.
( dexterously opened each one run
/ ming her eve over the contents. sort
ing and fling them in turn Mrs.
/ Emery wants a plum CoIored jersey,
I Mrs Humphrey likes the linen table
set-all right, Mrs. Humphrey come
again. Mrs. Marshall received the
urn and encloses check. Thank
heaven. that was it, She writes like
a Chinaman and couldn't tell
whether she wanted an urn or a
machine gun. I've developed into a
regular handwriting expert. I think
! I'll add that onto my sign Hello
here, a man" She knew before
| she opened the letter that the writ
ing and paper were masculine.
j She was right. 1t was decidedly
masculine. short and 20 the point.
with two enclosures. One was a
check for S50G-the other, two type
written letters.
The note ran as follows: Tear
Madam. VIII YOU kindly purchase
for me the articles on enclosed lists
I.s 4 =
have them expressed TO me at Camp
sherman Please use check for
same deductine your commission
Very respectfully yours Richard
L. Gardner. Lieutenant of Infantry
Virginia's eyes widened excitedly.
She had never bought anything for
a man before. much less a soldier.
{ But she thrilled at the prospect.
| Running her eve over the lists she
exclaimed in astonishment Mercy.
/ I never knew there were so many
things in the world, and 10 think of
an officer having 10 have them all
She counted them-240 separate
items However. there were stars
before some and a footnote remark
ing that such things were already in
his possession.
We'll" said Virginia. going for
her hat with such a busy day ahead
I'd better get started But imagine
me buying uniforms and trench
boots. I'd like 10 have a little ad-
vice on this. ] wish I had a brother
or someone who knew"
AS luck would have II, just outside
her door in the corridor she bumped
into soldier. tall. splendid look
ing fellow with single bars on his
shoulder straps Virginia ia ssed
him, then turned back 10 find that
he. too. had turned and was looking
after her
She flushed consciously, but de
Gliding suddenly that it was foolish
10 stand on ceremony under the cir
cumstances. spoke 10 him
Il beg your pardon she said
but I've a perpleXing problem 70
solve and I'm going 20 ask your ad-
vice viii YOU please classify all
these different boots on this list for
me and give me an idea Of what I
ought TO pay.
He took the typewriter pages. "I
can't tell YOU exactly. but could
show YOU. I'd he delighted 10 he OF
service Perhaps could go with
YOU. II YOU don't mind"
oh. can you? viii YOU ." ex-
claimed Virginia with relief II was
Just wondering where could borrow
a soldier You see have all these
things 70 buy and ] know as much
about them as I do about flying ma
chimes
He laughed appreciatively. "Tu
do my best" he promised "I hap
pen 20 have today 20 nvseIr so TN
ne glad 20 be of use TO you-and
your friend"
The morning Jew on golden wings
II was a wonderful spring day. and
in spite 81 war bulletins and soldier
filled streets The al. had a certain
Intoxicating quality that whipped
young blood into Joyous action Viz
ginia and her companion went on a
verita BILE orgy Of huyinE. To was
tremendous fun deciding whether
the man for whom they were proxies
would prefer 2 uniform or ga bardine
or whlBCord or Just plain serge and
whether his service boots should be
or this leather or that although
/ Virginia had 70 confess all the prices