Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-07
THE SLitkl:It.
CHAPTER II


Wnen the young ncoDle came back
after the house party was over they
hardly recognized Jack. The bright
and happy looi that had. as OF old used
% be on his face always. was gone.
*nd IL It's place was sad. gloomy tnd
butter eApressior lie no lonser w"ik'"
with Il Spruey. elastic step. bat
walked very slowly. and most % the
time with his head down. Gradual.
up his old habits once more. and tried
TO forGet--forgct. 'ph. if only could
forget that awful promise made
mother Oh her death bed" he would
as he would he could not forget.
The 9th OF April. 1917, finally came.
and with it the entrance OF the United
day. She and three OF her friends
wSr jTst eame on, o. Of brea
with the news in laring headlines in
one of the daily newspapers.
''Oh. grand. Now you boys will all
volunteer and fight for America, cried
Peggy, for she was = born patr!oicss;
Had any one been noticing Jack at
that moment they would have seen his
face flush and his liz culver as he
turned away and wendell his way slow
IL homcward
one by one the rest OF Pcsey's boy
friends began 10 enlist, but Jack made
S Shich h he replied wng n" mann nol going to
enlist. Peggy"
What. YOU don't mean that YOU are
going To he a Stacker?
Call me anything YOU wish. rcG-y:
mean exactly what say.
Jack. please stop joking and talk
sense
Il cannot toll an un,ru,h about it.
Peggy"
say; you haven't any good excuse ana
even If YOU had" Here, Peggy broke
down. and began 10 cry:
Don't, Peggy. ! would if could"
Would If YOU could she stormcd.
why can't YOU
Tina, | can, tell YOU. Peggy.
Gracious. this Is awful, and count
cd on YOU SO, too.
II am Very sorry - disarnorn, yo","
Jack answered in chohcd voice as
he opened the door auu left tho house.
The days that followed We're tho
most awful. Jack or fcgsy had ever
spent.
ON. day. Jack had occasion To 90 10
see his lawyer on some business mat
ter and Mr.. Pcrk ms. tho lawyer. asked
Jack casually. how old lie was and
Jack told him that his twcntysrcond
birthday had been two days before.
u hay" som" paOers here that Your
mother asked mo 10 sivc YOU. on Your
twenty-sccond birthday. SO here they
arc. She wrote them tho day she died.
and. as her lawyer I'm 20 give them to
YOU.
lack picked w tho papers and tear
ing the cnvclorc open in Il twinklinS,
read.
My dear son
".\ftcr thinking over the promise
asked YOU 10 make that you never
enter the war. should it come. ac1
know il Will for America can't stay
out OF tho war aud s;iil hold her honor
] have decided 10 release YOU from that
promise.
80" my son. n"d may my blessings
go with YOU. ana may your name be.
sometimes. written with names Of Tn,
great heroes OF America
Your loving mother"
''"i fcrcrishlv nrt the paper hack
in'o tho crvelorc. silently handed ii 10
Mr rc"li!ns. picked up his hat and wen,
10 rcggv
Eat. lack. VIII dia vour mother ask
you 20 or"nl!s" that YOU would never
GO to war Peggy asked him. 80 la
;cld her az his n"""ise - his mother
'lier 'o'her w'"a kil'Ad in The civil
Wnr a"i hc~ "n"'. anl Two cousins in
he S"'"i""-A "'"ri"nr Wa" This nea~-
y broke her heart. and. therefore. she
A. u ''-""' 80 - 90 20 wa"
I'm so glad She wrot" mat lc;tc:
before 81" died" answered. Peggy
-" ~ W"!'. guess Ia better so
TO- G.oh-hv'
The next morning in the harvard
beneath Perrv's> window. tn" cock wos
telling Of dawn. and. as g to -.nrify
his, TIVE S"n began 10 "isc in eli i,s
hl' lcStlc Splcndor. over :ho green hill
Si"eS far away in Tho distance
r'~0rv hr'ri oily Guessed md .ro,, nv,
int" IN" rarden whrr. the dew was
still SPARKLING on III" grass she drop-
ped on one ~ tho rustic h"nchcs and
SIT very still with bowed hood for
'h""' Quarter Of an hon only rails
i"T il when Jack entered the cntc am
ca ~" down the walk To whore she SAT
'f"''" Poo, S"''. I've iuS- w-"'ttcu .
h"ad"u"r'""s. ""d rol"nt""red to fight
70" Nucrica. Flows that
Lime. Tack I'm :" glad"
no vow stu count on INC rs YOU
used to. pcpcy"'
You h"' 70. and more too sho
Ono hv on" the heavenly cons,e,Io-
lions hc"au 10 annear in ,i,c skv. wbi'c
from over tho hillsiGns cainc Tho sill
very notes Of tho Wedding bells
y husi," and a whirl Of excitement
1T Mrs El"kc's. and minute later
n large automobile to tho little church
from whence 'hc music OF tho Wedding
bells came. From miles around the
""onlc c"'n" To witness tho rnarria"c
COR both Jack ani Peggy arc very non
ular with every one they know.
Almost four years hove passed since
we saw them last. Both have been
IN training. one 10 he II soldier. and
the other TO he a Red Cross nurse AZ
ter the ,narri1r" they EXPECT 10 sail for
France. lack is To 10 married in his
Khaki suit. and Peggy in her Red Cross
uniform.
after the marriage. Mr.. and Mrs
Ashmun sailed for France. pcr,,v de-.
-ciaring that Jack was no longer a
Sla ckcr
ALICE PEARSON.