The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-06-27
r and asked if she wished to speak

her and asked if she wished to speak
Eyes, I dol" exclaimed Mary, We
hemently. How could you sit there
that way? Why didn't you get up
and say, you'd go anyway"
''Why Miss Marvin, I thought a
trial was q trial 1t would be queer
for a man to say: ooh stop 1t, I'll
confess Pm guilty" just to stop the
fuss, wouldn't it?"
"Well, yes" Mary admitted, 'but
you needn't let it come to that Why
do you suppose the Lord gave you all
country?"
ooh, why" stammered Bert, ''Tl
go if you want me to-" But Mary had
walked away her head in the air.
Bert was puzzled. He had heard lit
tie discussion of the war. To him it
was a matter of age He'd 90 when
called. What was the matter with the
girl? He'd go ask her
Mary hesitated, then held out her
hand. ''I-mOther says was rude to
you today. Forgive me and III tell
you how l feel about it.
So Bert received his first lesson In
patriotism from the lips of a pretty
girl, too much in earnest to remem-
Der that she was pretty; that Bert was
handsome-or anything else except
that she wanted him to be a soldier
Presently Mrs Marvin came in
/ and Bert spent the happiest evening
of his life When he arose to go he
asked and obtained permission TO
come again.
Returning to the Windsor, he saw
a light in the Free Press office and
went up to thank the editor for his
| l.. =.
/ saying that he was a friend of his
family; intimating that Bert was glad
not to go to war.
''Why, no, Mr.. FRESHMAN, l don't
care much ether way. Thought I'd
| go when called; but I've made up my
mind to enlist. Pm not a coward"
But the editor dismissed him with a
curt nod, to Bert's chagrin.
His lessons in patriotism progressed
till the town wondered If Bert would
stay in Hays or Mary go to the noun
ain. Life without aMry was not worth
wing. But Mary tearfully but firmly
refused him, dearly as she knew she
loved him; she could not marry z
man younger than herself-she wa:
past twenty. Bert did not tell her hs
had enlisted, but said goodbye and
took the first train back to camp.
dreary journey, but more than one
different chap, who talked to Bert
had his views changed about his duty
to his country.
His camp fellows met his eagerly
glad that he was back; that they hat
missed him and there was some mai
for him too.
1t was a belated letter from his mo
her, telling of sickness, discourage
'lents and inability to get mail, Blu
the paragraph that held his attention
read: you are now of draft age, m
dearest son, becuse after you wer.
| hurt and missed school, 1 gave vol
he birthday of the baby that died. s,
-ou'd not seem so behind IN schoo
: work. No one knows this, dearest, bu
mother and you Do as your hear
: bids you"
, Hearts all right, mother dear,
he whispered, kissing the letter The1
; to he camp:
l tWell. fellows, came back to tel
gOu the news, Pm engaged to tn
: prettiest girl in Ellis County, an,
, have enlised in Uncle Sans army
} IN Colorado-didn't want to stand i
the way of any Hays patriots bet
, ter be good to BERTHE while you'v
t got chance"
{ Of course the announcement of hi
t engagement was q bit hasty, but Mar
corroborated it when told the particu
i. lars.