The Press., 1918-09-05
VOLUNTEER RESERVES
By KATHERINE THAYER HoBGES
written for the Woman'B Liberty Lo
 Committee Of New England

That Dorothy's spirits were not up
 to concert pitch was plainly evident as
 she picked her way in the late after
 noon through the crowded city streets.
 "It Is not a question of To be or not | to be a Liberty Bond-holder, as MT.
 Young said" she declared with a toss
 of her pretty head. There is no ques-
 tiOn about it. 1 cannot buy even . fifty dollar Liberty Bond, and that ends it."
 The innocent but disturbing ele- ment which was responsible for this outburst was a little pasteboard box
 which Dorothy's employer had hand cd to her only a few minutes before, with the result that conscience was | fairly beating a tattoo on her heart \ strings She really wanted to do \ something to, help the boys lover \ there, but how could she? she argued. Yet every time she heard the aggre- Vating hollow thud of the empty box ' as it swung in the silk bag on her arm, \ she thought of an old but dainty white silk stocking tucked away back in her bureau drawer with three crisp ten dollar bills in its toe.
 When two years before Dorothy had secured a position which meant a desk and a swivel chair in large oface, it N seemed dS H sue nAU E0&GhCA IAS PAA nacle of success as a business woman. but she soon found that eighteen dol \ lars a week did not go very far. In deed. for months the height of her ambition had been to save enough money for a new blue suit for fall, | and she thought of it every time her eye caught sight of the bright new | ring on her hnger-blue would look 20 nice beside Rays khaki. She had pinched and squeezed every dime un- til the eagle fairly squawked-and now the goal was so nsar-oh. she just couldn't give 1t up! No, anything but that!
 Extra! Extra! American Army in Great Smash! Extra!" cried the newsboys up and down the street
 Dorothy shuddered as the words were suddenly Visualized and she saw on the battlefields of France our boys, fighting for love of justice and human ity. How could they nobly bear their part in the terrible conflict, were 1t not for the remembrance of the be- loved home land,-their confidence that all loyal Americans are with them in the saving and giving which will win the war
 "I might just as we'll face this thing first as last, for it begins to look as if 1t really were question" the girl de- clared aloud as. reaching her room she threw her hat and gloves onto the table and herself into a chair by the open window.-"Dorothy Bolton, are you a stacker, or are you not?" was her indignant demand.
 Instantly the rockers of the little wicker chair squeaked, You are! You are! You ars!"
 
 thy; but Pm afraid you're speaking the truth" she added ruefully. She reached for her bag, drew out the lit- tie pasteboard box. and turned it over slowly. Red, white and blue," she murmured softly. The colors of our beloved cOuntry,-somehow they mean more than they ever did before" Then the words "Woman's Liberty Loan COmmittSP of New England" caught her eye, Surely women were coming into tbPir own in this work, she thOught-etThOugh they may not 50 into the trenches and fight, they can work and save and give as we'll as the men.
 For a few moments Dorothy sat very still, looking out over the tops of the buildings with their smoking chimneys, past the tall elm trees on Boston Common, until her eyes rested on the gilded dome of the Capitol on Beacon Hill. To her awakening thought 1t was As a tower of strength, refecting the principles of pure de- mOcracy and liberty for which our government stands.
 Suddenly she started from her chair, and a look of dismay crossed the pretty face.
 "Sscrifice!" she exclaimed, What have been thinking about! Of course 1t isn't 8 sacrifice to wear our i old clothes; it's just 8 great and glo- | rious opportunity to do our bit Why, | I'd be ashamed to look Ray in the face | if l could be so selfish when he is of l fering his life. Fifty dollars seems . | good deal, but the thirty have will | be a good start toward 1t, and the rest | will be only 8 trihe at a time" Glanc- | ing once more at the little box, she | begun to hum the lines that met her | eye:
 First a nickel, then a dime,
 Save the pennies every time;-"
 Dorothy stopped suddenly as . new thought came to her. Why, 1t isn't ac- | tually giving the money after all" she | said to herself, tits just letting Uncle ! Sam have the use of what we save, and l in time we'll have it all back with inter est. Like all really good things 1t | works both ways, and after the war is over can have two suits from what I | save. And maybe, yes maybe" she ] added, the furnishing of a home for two. That can be my bit while Ray | is doing his in France-and now for . a look at the old clothes"
 Tap, tap" sounded on Dorothy's door few minutes later, and her |, ehum Marion from the next floor, armed with her knitting and box of fudge. came in and fiounced down in the little wicker chair
 What in the world are you doing with all those clothes, Dot? Not pack ing for home yet, are your"
 Dorothy laughed gaily. No. oh no: just taking stock, as you salaswomen call it- You see I'm getting very bus inesslike."
 Altogether too much so for my linn ited understanding" retorted her friend Come, what's it all about, DorOthy?"
 But that perVerse little lady was in no hurry to Ratisfy her friends curi- osity. For once In my life" she leased, I'm going to be in the height of the. style.-fashionable to an ex- treme- I've joined the Reserve Resi- ment of Volunteer Clothing Savers. Behold the badge of hOnOr!" and Dor othy waved her hands dramatically toward the array of worn but fairly presentabls suits and dresses on her bed, and laughed heartily at Marion's mystinsd look.
 This regiment is perfectly great" she went on, and it's going to be a mighty popular one. for every woman who joins 1t must qualify by the wear inG of hsr last year and the year b. ores clothes; es;-pertOrmins perfect y heroic deed of bravery! The only drawback is that their uniforms of will be undecorated with tripes or medals, and Pershing will leVeF review this branch of his re-