The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-10-25
Re-enter
Treadgold
@1
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS

SsSSssSSSSecSSS>S SSSsSSeSSSsSSSSSJt
! Copyright. 1918. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicatel
II was the trailing melancholy Of her
voice that first stirred Treadgold's le-
thargic pulse into action, Later he had
Il too tlcetlng glimpse of palc oval
face framed in tawny gold as Ida
ga2ed wistfully from the rose-hung
gate that opened into her cottage gar
den.
Treadgold was annoyed with himself
that the quality of the girls voice had
twined itself among his senses and In
dignant nj wOmenliind in general mere
ly because Lida's eyes had stabbed
his heart with silent appeal.
Ever since the day he had donned
the khaki uniform and become sol
der to fight for his country Tread
gold had eschewed anything even bOr-
dering on the feminine. He had
stunned that thrifty, fascinating,
heady world of the gentle sex as If it
had the plague running wild within its
borders. War was Il thing apart-a
business that must be stcrnly followed.
There must be no countcr-mngnet lur-
ing the senses from The austcre pur-
poses Of the fighting nan.
During his six months at training
camp his brain had oeen far too busy
for the most part in trying master the
contents of some twenty or more text
books, as we'll as drills, field practice
and few more cd lments of learning,
to find much time for missing the fem
inine pert OF life.
A few more months at camp, where
he and many of the field artillery men
had been sent to officer the troops,
quite rounded off Treadgold's ability
to live happily and usefully without
the love of woman.
In weaker moments, perhaps under
the influence Of glorious moon or the
trickle of woodland stream, remem-
brunce of dainty, smiling lips, Il swift
caresS or the fragrance of rumpled
tresseS came to disturb Treadgolds
war-hlled brain. These had been fleet
ing, easily banished dreams,
HAncient past" the fighting man
would mutter grimly.
But in the case OF Lida's blue-eyed.
wistful face Treadgold found himself
up against power stronger than him
self. Unless he took IL frightfully cir
cuitOus route, his billet led him
straight past the cOttage, with Ida
either in it singing with melancholy
sweetness. or gazing appealingly from
the garden gate straight into the eyes
of the paSser-by.
Treadgold was annoyed when he
saw her and upset for the day when
he didn't see her. He felt that the
girl was aware of his presence on the
path, whether he passed or didn't
pass. This feeling, too, irritated him.
He decided, however-and with the
decision his jaw clinked-that he
would fight this unknown girls in
fuencC, and as successfully as he had
fought the lure of all his feminine
world when he had first entered the
army. Soon France would see him an
actual fighter on the battlefield.
"And if / remain on that battlefield
when the fight is DONE" philosophical
Treadgod, there will be less regret
and If / come out whole, then a
path TO something nifty, and
not masculine, for me-"
"In fact" he decided, something
just about the type of Little Sad Eyes
there will he my finish"
So he fought the magnet and con-
quered. Had Treadgold been another
type of man he could have managed
pulses. could have loved and sailed |
away. But he was not that kind of |
man. Love TO Treadgold was Il Won
derful thing. He could the less hap |
pily kill the BOche and destroy man |
kind greedily were he to be reminded |
constantly that he had left a wife be- |
hind. He knew that ever behind the |
sword thrust of battle he would sense |
the humanity side of the question, |
would realize before killing the man |
that he was also killing the woman |
whom that man had left behind-kill-
ing her happiness at least.
Besides, Trcadgold knew that should
he marry girl like Little Sad Eyes he
would be consumed with longing for |
her every moment that held him from
her side He had not the strength to
fight both the enemy and his own emo
tons.
So when the great ship stole out un-
der cover of darkness from the New
York wharf and sailed out toward
France TreadgOld found himself re-
ioicing that ne was not bringing the
tragedy of separation into some ones
ife.
When the battle ragged for him he
vas still more glad for nasty bit of
'hcll caught him pretty squarely in
he temple.
Treadgold re-entered the world of
eminity on n stretcher. In other
words. he was carried tenderly if un-
into the hospital, where
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