The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1918-08-29
The FAIRY WISH
BY HILDA MARKS
l,.st 1gls, by the Mcclure NeWspa-
topsHe per Syndicate.)

ssr so far as anyone Knew hau d
loyer. .orod tho war the ladies
VIZ saIlville Aid society, Ike the
q w ~ other aid societies all over
h1eS rntry, began to knit for the sol
=, NJ, There were strange things uls-
oes ~ their meetings in those days.
c. :. Elsie Boggs it was all like a page
~ mo Of her stories, preferably
-, many years she had had a habit
~ordering what would happen Ii
y .,n conditions were thus and so,
cru Low quite suddenly, she caught
Wv .v wondering what would happen
-. so,dIer for whom she was knit
s,e a particularly fine sweater should
harm that she had Knit II.
' Amt Hattie's voice cut in upon this
81 hear Bud Emery has enlisted"
an, Hattie said, as she came In from
s s,reot "There amt going to be
u man left in this town. l don't
~ what we're coming to"
sRud Emeryw echoed Elsie. swell,
-. NOT so very young. He used to be
y our class in school. He's thirty
anyway"
uovever, It would be difficult to inn
.sne Bud Emery as a figure of ro-
80 He was more freckled than
a. With the sandy hair that bristled
s...slv all over his head: He had a
feed store.
A. Elsie went on with that extra fine
,-s.tsr a daring idea came to her.
N.vpr before In her life had she put
=. hIt Of her sentimental thought into
...,on Now she was possessed with
desIre to label that sweater, so that
Al soldier who got 1t could come to
a. her n he chose. Furthermore, as
=. worked she knitted into 1t what
a. tried to imagine was fairy wish;
. wish that he would want to find
hn.
The sweaters were designed for some
hrOff Red Cross station, so Elsie felt
mite sure that no one she knew would
evrr see the slip Of paper that she
Add into the garment. 1t bore her
pame and address, and it might be
At some time she would hear from
~ man who received 1t.
use saw Bud Emery before he went
AMY to camp, and tried to fancy how
n would look In q khaki uniform. He
vss % big and stumbling, so awkward
and shy! 1t was hard to imagine him
eect and trim, yet she knew that he
would make a fine soldier; Bud Emery
us true blue.
The weeks went by after she had
cent away that sweater, and nothing
happened. Perhaps 1t took time for
he articles to reach their destination,
pefAaps her sweater had been lost on
BE way, or perhaps the man who got
4 had not noticed the slip or cared to
wife to her II he had. And so, event
my, Elsie gave up thinking about 1t.
After all, she was a red-haired old
nd, and would be q sad dlsappOint-
mt to any soldier. She had been a
bd b dream of romance. The army
rlght make the men over. but nothing
0uId make her over. Her part was
~ to stay at home and knit
And then, one day, there came let
" for Elsie. She rarely received let
I'm and this one was addressed In an
ufamIliar hand, very large and black,
imost as Il man had written it.
She opened 1t with a fast-beating
hart, and hastily scanned one page;
lamp Devons," Il was headed. And
snngely enough, 1t began: "Dear
nsIew
Yesterday they gave US out some
United things that the Red Cross had
sent around, and what do you think ]
spti sweater with a little slip of
paper inside 1t. couldn't understand
q nfst how your address had come
mere, until l realized that it must have
zen you, Elsie, who made that sweat
Z. Isn't 1t funny that I should get
~ tell you ! like that sweater, and
mn ! think that you made 1t I like
IAN the more.
oone people say that 1t is easier
Wfite things than 1t is to say them,
Ayoe that Is why I can say now,
ppef' what have wanted to say
- iof years and years. And that
mae that l love you. You might
GUESSED 1t before, should think,
you know how funny I am and
% talk much. But now I have
ou that I shall never be afraid
% you again, that is II you will
have leave next week and
g come home for a few days, and
% come to see you, so we can
over. Let me know, Elsie,
ou feei about this. OF course, I
oppose you care for me, but
ya you could"
ietter was signed Bud Emery"
uopped 1t to the floor and stood
~ uaisht ahead. Her eyes, be-
f spectacles, were wide with
Here was a soldier who al
ouid meet him with no fear of
u1une him. for to him. perhaps,
rn mat night, after Elsie had
aer letter to Camp Devons, she
- At her window looking up at