The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-03-15

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door asking for food. She gave him
some and he went away. He may have
taken the sweaters"
Il shall scurry around and see II
l cannot trace down the thieving fel-
low" spoke Alden.
He made some inquiries Of the two
village watchmen and visited some
woods near the town that constituted
the favorite camping place Of itinerant
visitors to the village, but gained no
trace Of thief or sweaters.
The circumstance offered an excuse |
for call at the Gregory home that |
evening. Alden consoled the old lady |
as best he might.
ITO think that some poor fellow In |
the trenches will miss the nice warm
sweater l knitted for him." mOurned
grandma, fairly at the point Of tears,
and Alden was so tender and thought
full in his efforts to make the despoiled
one forget her loss, that Alma felt her
heart warm towards him.
Grandma Gregory went on knitting
sweaters, but she continued to deplOre
the abstraction of her first efforts. One
day Alden was driving In his automo-
bile along a lonely country road about
twenty miles from Hampden, when he
slowed up and fixed his attention upon
two brawny fellows lying on the
ground before a blazing fire Of chips
and logs, smoking complacently.
Nearby a small spring stream had
evidently contributed to recent laun-
dry work, for hung over branch Of
tree to dry were various articles Of
apparel. What particularly held the
attention Of Alden were two sweaters.
In an instant he recognized them as the
stolen ones.
Alden identified them because Of the
result of whimsy on the part Of
their knitter to insert near their top
three narrow rows of red, white and
blue yarn. He got out of his car and
approached the two loiterers.
taking it easy" he remarked, az
he seated himself on q log near the
others.
"Yes, boss" nodded the larger man
Of the two.
y
invited Alden, extending his cigar case
and then as the men proceeded to en-
joy their selections, Alden added: I've
taken fancy to those patriotic sweat
ers Of yours. They look warm and
serviceable. VIII you sell them?"
"Sell them," repeated one of the men,
and his face expressed suspicion and
uneasiness.
"Yes, I'll gladly give you five dollars
apiece for them. You see"
And then Bryce Alden, the polite,
eloquent and impressive orator that
he was, went on to refer to the needs
Of the boys in the war. Further, he
alluded to the efforts and sacrifices
of those at home providing comforts
for those across the ocean. He drew
vivid picture of the charm and ex-
element of army camp life, as well
as Of the real manhood that ought to
impel a real patriot to join in the bat
tie for the right. Suddenly one of the
men arose, gathered up the pendant
sweaters and rendered them to Alden
"Take them for nothing, boss. l I'M
derstnnd you, and l am ashamed OF
myself"
NO" replied Alden, there's deal
old lady at Hampden who will prize
their return" and he told them all
about Grandma Gregory. BE man
and you'll face a genuine welcome.
trust to your honor. boys, and there's
, a little cash to help you along"
1t was the next afternoon when
= grandma was seated on the porch knit
A ting and Alden holding a skein of yarn
$ that Alma was rolling up into ball
S when two men slouched up the gravel
path. One of them lifted his battered
+ remnant of IA hat.
+ IF you're Mrs. Gregory" he sale
S In a subdued and embarrassed sort o
e way. "Tve come to bring back thos'
4 sweaters"
f (which we STOLE" promptly added
his companion. Madam, we're down
+ and-outers, but we both had mother
l. once, and we've been set to thinking
It If you'll give these sweaters to us, o
Y knit us some like them. and If it's tru
5, that we get all the grub we want L
Il the army and perhaps some homes
IS glory, Jim and l will enlist"
d Eyes" asserted the other, land we
pass the word all along the line fo
1T the other good boys to join u.s.
is Good for you" cried Alden, arisin
n and warmly grasping the hands of tn
e two tramps. "You shall have tn
rs sweaters, and true friends here, thinl
ing of you and proud of you, just II
10 same as If you were old friends an
IL relatives"
I'd Alma guessed that Alden had bee
N the motive power behind all this
markable occurrence. Her hand sto
of into his and pressed 1t appreciativel
sh And closer still was their mutual e
It teen when, month later, six stalwa
ed redeemed ex-tramps. proud and man
en- in their brand-new uniforms, we
lie known all about the town as "Grandn
ch Gregory's Squad"
ID Inventor Of Combined Harvester.