The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1918-03-14
At The PlayhOuSeS Sc

hour before she missed them Il tramp
ish-looking man came to the kitchen
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
I cannot trace down the thieving fell
low" spoke Alden.
He made some inquiries of the two
village watchmen and visited some
woods near the town that constituted
the fayOrite 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
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 lciterers.
taking it easy" he remarked, as
he seated himself on a log near the
others.
Eyes, boss" nodded the larger man
of the two.
"Have smoke with me, won't you?
invited Alden, extending his cigar case,
and then as the men proceeded to en-
Joy their selections, Alden added: "Tve
taken 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 ane
uneasiness.
"Yes, I'll gladly give you five dollars
apiece for them. You see"
And then Bryce Alden, the polite
eloquent and impressive orator thai
he was, went on to refer to the needs
of the boys in the war. Further, h
alluded to the efforts and sacrifice:
of those at home providing comfort:
for those across the ocean. He drew
vivid picture of the charm and ex
element of army camp life, as vel
as of the real manhood that ought t
impel a real patriot to join in the bat
tie for the right. Suddenly one of thu
men arose, gathered up the pendant
sweaters and rendered them to Alden
"Take them for nothing, boss. I'm
derstand you, and 1 am ashamed o
myself"
NO." replied Alden, there's a dea
old lady at Hampden who will priz
their return" and he told them al
about Grandma Gregory. 'Be a man
and you'll face a genuine welcome.
|. trust to your honor, boys, and there
o a little cash to help you along"
1t was the next afternoon whel
= grandma was seated on the porch knit
a ting and Alden holding skein of yarl
8 that Alma was rolling up into a bal
8 when two men slouched up the grave
path. One Of them lifted his battere
|. remnant of hat.
). eff you're Mrs. Gregory" he sal
g in subdued and embarrassed sort O
@ way, 'Tve come to bring back thos
p sweaters"
# (which we STOLE" promptly adde
his companion. Madam, we're dowr
Z. and-outers, but we both had mother
/. once, and we've been set to thinkin,
# If you'll give these sweaters to us, Q
" knit us some like them, and If It's tru
8, that we get all the grub we want
Ell the army and perhaps some homes
"a glory, Jim and l will enlist"
d "Yes," asserted the other, "and We
pass the word all along the line fC
1t the other good boys to join us"
~ Good for you," cried Alden, arisin
n and warmly grasping the hands Of ii
O. two tramps. "You shall have til
rs sweaters, and true friends here, thinl
ing Of you and proud of you, just til
10 same as II you were old friends an
IL relatives"
I'd Alma guessed that Alden had bee
N the motive power behind all this r
markable occurrence. Her hand sto
Of into his and pressed it appreciativel
III And closer still was their mutual e
T. teen when, a month later, six stalwa
ed redeemed ex-tramps, proud and man
IN In their brand-new uniforms, wei
ic known all about the town as "Grandn
rh Gregory's Squad"
d. Inventor Of Combined Harvester.
ID Samuel Davis Of McWinnville, Ore
u