Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-03-01
'Too bad" declared Alden. "she

door asking for food. She gave him
some and he went away. He may have
taken the sweaters"
81 shall scurry around and see II
/ 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 a 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 1 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 a branch of a
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 a whimsy or 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 1t easy" he remarked, as
he seated himself OF a log lear the
others.
"Yes, boss" nodded the larger man
of the two.
"Have a smoke with me, won't your"
invited Alden, extending his cigar case,
and then as the men proceeded to en-
Joy their selections, Alden added: "Tve
taken a fancy to those patriotic sweat
ers of yours. They look warm and
/ serviceable. Will 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
a 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.
stake them for nothing, boss. I I'M
derstand you, and l am ashamed of
myself"
"No," replied Alien, there's a dear
old lady 1T Hampden who will prize
their return" and he told them all
about Grandma Gregory. BE a man,
and you'll face a genuine welcome. l
trust to your honor, boys, and there's
a little cash to help you along"
1t was the next afternoon when
rr,.o - Jp,n x-oe coo4o.1 ~ 41o ,0.al l~,;4
ting and Alden holding a skein of yarn
that Alma was rolling up into a ball,
when two men slouched up the gravel
path. One of them lifted his battered
remnant of a hat.
eff you're Mrs. Gregory" he said
in a subdued and embarrassed sort of
way, I've come to bring back those
sweaters"
(Which we STOLE" promptly added
his companion. Madam, we're down.
~and-outers, but we both had mothers
once, and we've been set to thinking.
If you'll give these sweaters to us, or
knit us some like them, and if it's true
that we get all the grub We want in
the army and perhaps some honest
6loly, Oilu III Will CAllSts
eyes," asserted the other, land Wen
pass the word all along the line for
the other good boys to join u.s."
"Good for you," cried Alden, arising
and warmly grasping the hands of the
two tramps.s "You shall have the
sweaters, and true friends here, think,
ing of you and proud of you, just the
same as if you were old friends and
relatives"
Alma guessed that Alden had been
the motive power behind all this re-
markable occurrence. Her hand stole
into his and pressed it appreciatively.
And closer still was their mutual es-
TEEN when, a month later, six stalwart
redeemed ex-tramps, proud and manly
1 I'm thoir hrand-nnm unifornnc moro