The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1918-10-01

"ILnleS. her clothing wa!
ALMOST Il rags, and she must have hoe,
orenched by the rains of the nrecoa;ne
night. 1t had certainly been dos
perate and difficult adventure for +bt
dead man. ''-@
Inc light began to fade. Wallace
half delirious now from main 49,
'nirst' struggled to preserve his con
sclousness for the sake of the little
sirl' Sometimes he would EMERGE
from semi-stupor and look ronnd fo,
Aer anAiously; but he ALWAYS found
ner' no great distance away. building
oaiiu castles out of the soft soil and
cnatterlng to herself as happily as if
she mad already forgotten her SORROW,
When he aroused himself finally. if
was TO see the flash of a torch in his
eyes. Faces which he recognized were
looking into his own. There was
crawford, the senior lieutenant who
ead graduated from West Point the
5ear before, and Captain Kellerman
lnere was his own negro servant Tobn,
son. with look Of alarm on his ebony
ace; and near by were two men from
sae ambulance, carrying an emptv
stretcher.
wallace moaned for water and the
sense OF the liquid in his throat. warm
-houSn 1t was, brought back conscious
cess with a rush
We'll, we've got you" said Craw-
l'io eheerfully. "How are you feel
-ag, old MANI"
Inc. Have we got Santiago?"
Weil' not exactly, but nearly. We've
sirrled all the trenches, and WE'RE
eating to get our big guns M. Arm
.urting you?'
NO. said Wallace, sitting a groan.
say, Crawford, 1 suppose I was de-
'rlous, but l thought there was q ki1
acre."
AS ne spoke he caught sight of Major
howard emerging from the shack. with
ne lttle girl in his arms, fast asleep.
Inc major came up to him.
HOW are you feeling, Wallace?" he
esked. Good! I didn't know YOU
we're a family man, though, till I saw
shls kid sleeping in your arms
you've been inside?" incurred the
lieutenant, looking toward the shack.
Inc majors face grew very serious.
de nodded.
Her father" said Wallace.
come, get in with you!" answered
MAYOR Howard, CURLY, Indicating the
ambulance. Mark, supported by the
ofderlles, who had placed the stretcher
lDnn the ground, crawled in and Low
ioWn. He stretched out his arm to-
ARA the child. It was an unconscious
action, but Major Howard noted if
mo, detaching' the small arms from
'Dout his neck, he placed the little
Sif' IN the stretcher. The little head
tIooped upon the lieutenant's arm. AS
-2e ambulance men picked up their
BURDEN two soldiers came out of the
ius, carrying something in blanket.
ney carried it to the center of the
tearing and set it down beside a hole
"Eich had already been dug.
de carried a pass signed by Lii
iares, said Wallace to the major.
IAaJOr Towards eyes contracted into
.arrow Sits. He nodded. II have it,
u answered.
I wonder who he wasp said Wal
ace
We'll decide what to do with the
III after we get her back to camp"
>llu the major CURLY. It seemed to
Wallace that he was unwilling to
>peculate upon the identity of the dead
ian. Lie still, and don't muddle
our brains with thinking, my boy" he
ldded. "We'll have you at the base
hospital in next to no time.''
How many men have we lost?"
Cant tell you. Quite a few. I'm
fraid. Soames is gone. Crawford
no Murray and I found ourselves
punched together at the top of the hill.
'adlng mixed company of Texas
hangers and Pennsylvania Dutch.
Veil get them sorted out and sent
ione With labels as soon as we can.
s'ove on, boys!''
Inc Joiting stretcher preceded out
Il the scrub and down the hill. Here.
Il the open, everything was almost as
Hlent as in the bush, after the days
'attle. Under the light of the rising
aeon could be seen parties of men
moving over the hillside, stragglers
seeking their regiments, or fatigue par
les detailed upon the necessary night
work. that follows day of death. The
noon shone down ON huddled forms
scattered for the most part in little
busters, where shells or machine-gun-
ire had caught them.
1t seemed an infinitely long journey,
mo every movement of the stretcher
vas almost unbearable. Wallace shut
us lips tight. He looked at the child
'eside him. She moved in her sleep,
ceiling for his neck with the little
'rimy hands. Her cheek snuggled into
ne hollow of his arm. The lieutenant
vas curiously touched by this uncon-
clCus confidence.
lie issued from his ordeal of main at