The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-03-18
TIE WAR SERVICE

~ MELVIN sTEVENs.

q and Dul tnlhnfy was gazing question:
\ ingly into the clear blue eyes Of Doris
I Baldwin They didn't know each other
very long; only for two weeks, to be
! exact, but both We're graduates of the
. same college, which makes all the dif.
ference IN the world
"it's Just as II we had known each
. other for four years" the man ex-
J planned. $50 / want you to treat me
as one Of your oldest friends"
That lad been two weeks ago, when
Dud had arrived at the Smith farm
house for q brief rest from business
worries. Il was just a coincidence that
Doris happened to be the village school
teacher, bU the Asy arrival consid-
cred ID abeut The lucklest thtng that
over happened to him. For Doris
eyes were like the October sky on q
cloudless day, and her lips matched the
petals Of crimson rose She had only
been out of college a year.
Their two weeks together had flown
/ on enchanted wings, and the time had
/ dnuily come when it was necessary for
Dud TO 80 bark to the city again. So
he looked into the depths Of the girls
eyes and beslme suddenly brave
/ IT love you he said.
| Ife had always thought that when
I he spoke those words, The sirl to whom
I they were directed would open her
orms and smile at him. But Doris did
40 such thing. Instead she dropped
her eyes and Traced an a.mless pattern
OH the fiooI Of the porch, The man
could not sec tla her beart was wi'd
lth lhe JOY of his confessions that
her Whole being Qu vcred for The touch
of him. re only knew that she did not
come to him al once and because his
knowledge or girls was llmlted, he inn
agjued that She did moi care.
So, very quietly he turned away
from her and hurried upstairs to mis-
room
He vent away The next day while
Sic was making q mocl,cry Of her geo
at4y lesson; aad tor q seemingly
audless month a. ate hi aea,r out for
heg and then, when ne could not stand
II m hour longer. 10 wrote Ter q lett
yer, telling again o1 his loye and asking
her If she could ever care for him
But In week the letter came back
with the announcement that Miss
Doris Baldwin had gone from Noun
talnyile a.d had left no address.
And then, having found business
suddenly uninterestlna. he applied for
admission into the first series OF Off
GERS training camps and was admitted
TO Plpttsburg early in the summer.
In The course OF three mouths he
was graduated with captains COM
mission and was assigned to Camp
Di4 A. +. Then it was that ne heard
about the war service bureau Of Glen
wood college. the bureuJ was estab-
lished by a classmate OF his who was
unable TO fight because OF physical
defects ana who had dec lad TO devote
his time to The Glenwo0d men who
had entered the service Of The nation.
Every week he sent letter 10 The
alumni and students of the college IA
the camps telling them Of the campus
meetings the football games, and III
other gossip. lie offered 10 answer ul /
questions about Glenwood men IN scrv-
ice, sent sweaters and socks which the
ladies of the faculty knitted, and did q
hundred and one things TO make easier !
the days Of those who had answered /
the nations call.
Dud enjoyed the letters immensely; /
and one time in the late fail, when
he happened to be in the college town, /,
he dropped into the Office of the war
bureau Jim Handy, The director
greeted him cordially.
Even the co-eds are doing things
he said enthusiastically.
who are they, and what are they
d0ingi' asked Dud
"Oh, lots Of things. There's Doris I
for instance. She has
charge"
There's who"
Dud's eyes were popping out Of his
head and his hand had gripped the
wrist OF his classmate convuisively.
The director of the bureau looked at
him wonderingly.
"And you mean 70 say you know
where she isg'
"Of course do"
Dud rose suddenly from his chair
and clapped the astonished Jim Handy
on the shoulder.
Jim" he announced jubilantly 4
thought your war service bureau was
a pretty good thing before but now
/ know it's the greatest thing ever in-
vented, Where is she?"
II suppose you mean Doris Jim an-
swered. IF you do, she's one Of the
ladies' in charge Of the Hostess house
Ut Camp Dix. Where are you going?'
Jim was already half way to the
door.
There's a train for camp which
leaves this town in just five minutes"
he said, "and I'm going to be On that
rain"
He caught it without the least bit
n trouble, and when he reached the
camp, the first thing he did was to
make a bee-line for the Bostess house.
He found Doris there waiting as IL
'he had been expecting him for long
line, and in Just two minutes he made
light the misunderstanding Of many
months.