The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-19
EVENING STORY
A Soldiers Mother.
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.

ever since ne ndd selfIeQ nlfnSe1 IN
his comfortable Pullman seat in the
great station. He was certain that
she was somebody's mother, for it was
the striking resemblance to his own
mother that had at first attracted his
attention to her.
Now the train was side-tracked
Somewhere in the middle west" in
order to give right of way to loads of
coal and trainload after trainioad of
food stuffs being speeded on their
way to the soldier boys across the sea.
AS one hour followed another. the
pretty woman, whom Robert seldom
permitted his eyes to leave, began to
look anxiously at her little watch, then
out of the window, then at a letter
which she had read and re-read fire.
quently during the trip.
At last the young man summoned
the temerity to go over and speak.
you?" he asked, leaning over the
sweet face and looking into the lovely
blue eyes SO like his own dear moth
er's in expression.
Mrs. Pemberton moved toward the
window and smiled a wonderful smile
at this moment that would please me
more" she said. "It is for a boy Just
a little younger than you that I am
anxiously travelling to get sight Of"
she said.
"oh-then I was right. I knew you
were somebody's mother. My own
mother was much like you. Is your
boy in-in the service. perhaps?"
Indeed he is" the woman an
swered proudly. and he is on his
the trucks of the commissary depart
ment. There was q good chance of
my seeing him in Detroit If our train
had gone thru and" her voice trem-
bled- little at first, but she
steadied it bravely and resumed
that one chance of seeing him before
he sails for the other side. They gave
him no furlo. He wrote me that the
government felt that these last min
ute furlos were the undoing of many
of the men and so-here 1 am What
won't a. mother do for a glimpse of
her son?"
= Robert Bowling asked a number of
rapidly formed questions, where the
commissary corps was coming from,
what she believed its destination to
be, when 1t left. the name of her son
and all the other points he considered
essential in the carrying out of the
plan he hadl just made.
Then, excusing himself for a short
time and promising to return, he left.
tanned the distance from the station
he knew to be not very far away, and
then he started out, in bad weather
and snowbound roads, to find it. He
was n strong walker and accustomed
to cold, so ne soon found the depot,
and after long time and much delay,
he managed to learn that the big COM
missary trucks had not reached the
points they were scheduled to reach.
owing to the sape snowstorm that
made the roads In the vicinity of the
sidetracked train almost impossible.
Bowling left word at one or two
points that he found out the commits
sary corps had to touch and then he
sought out country hackman, who
took him back to the siding in a one
horse sleigh.
Mrs. Pemberton was watching for
him.. for she had already guessed the
purpose of the young mans absence.
You are too good, my boy she
said, when Robert hid told her nf the
messages he had left for her son. Il
only hope I may be able to see my son
and have him thank you himself. He
and I are alone in the world now and
he instantly feels indebted to anyone
who is kind to his mother"
Robert laughed. I'm sure of that"
he said.
Mrs. Pemberton and Robert talked
until well into the evening. and when
at last the engine began to spit and
toot. and the bell began to ring, they
both found that the time had not been
long nor weary.
Once in Detroit, Robert took Mrs.
Pemberton to her hotel and hurried
on to make his own business calls 1
shall came back tonight and I hope 10
have word of the wandering soldier
boys by that time" he said, as he left
her.
s1'lI be looking for. you, and I shall
1,ff tell hot
and companionship have meant to
me-"
Mrs. Pemberton watched him hurry
away. and could not help wondering
why he, too. was not IN the service of
his country She could not tell to
look at him that he had valvulars heart
trouble which, much to his sorrow,
kept him from passing physical ex-
aminations.
Late that afternoon, the mothers
her son, when she saw Robert Dow
ling hurrying into the hotel foyer. ap-
parently for someone.
"Oh." he breathed, nervously, here
you are" He said it half in relief
half in distress.
preston. what is 1t, boy?"
Lets sit down." he began. -alsipg
her arm kindly and leading her to a
comfortable seat on which there was
room for him also.
"First-your son is all right. I'm
going to take you to him in a moment.
IL was afraid, when I first saw you
that-that you had heard"
Heard WHAT"
1.-THE big trucks. two of them. went
over an embankment Just outside of
the city and one or two men were
badly hurt. Your son was on one of
the overturned trucks and is a bit
shaken up and looking for you in his
room at the hospital. Shall / take
you right to him." Robert laid
hand tenderls on her arm. She was
so brave. She only bit her lip and
forced back the tears.
"Of course-In be ready in a mo-
ment. Oh, you are so kind to me-"
In less than ten minutes they were
in a taxicab en- their way to the hos