The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-12-16
SOLDIER THE 9TH
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.
Copyright, 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.)


with already had their warm khaki
sweaters somewhere in France" and
this seventh one she would send to
John Watson.
When it was finished, Lucinda put
suggestion Of sachet in the woolly
folds. 1t would remind John of fem.
ininity. She felt sure he would like
that familiar scent. Also she tucked
in some chocolate and many packages
Of his favorite cigarettes.
Her letter was long and gOssipy.
Lucinda tried, in all her letters to the
soldier boys, to give them touch OF
home; feeling that they were still
near and dear to her and part Of the
daily life at home.
1t seemed an unusually long time
before she heard from France. She
supposed Johns regiment had gone
into action. Perhaps that was the de-
lay.
But when word came from the
sweater it was in another handwriting
than that of John Watson.
Lucinda's fair head dropped for.
ward and she shook with terrific sobs.
John was the first of her seven brave
fighting friends to fall in battle.
When her tears permitted her to
continue the letter she found the con-
tents peculiarly touching.
He, the soldier who had written it,
was Johns closest pal. They had stood
side by side in the trenches.
"-and I wish the shell had taken
me rather than john" the letter ran.
Gle had much to live for, while I'm
one of the lonely soldiers you read
about. John has spoken of you to
me and l know you're the kind of girl
that would want me to take the sweat
er you made for John. I need 1t
badly and know he would want me to
have it. The package came just after
John fell. l read the letter and
shared the cigarettes and chocolate
with the rest of the boys. If you
have a moment for a lonely soldier
please write me as you would have
john"
She wrote back a long letter and
sent more cigarettes and chocolate as
well as wristlets and a helmet. She
made minute inquiry as to any spe-
cial requirements he had and thanked
him for the plots he bad sent.
While letters and messages were
crossing the wide ocean Lucinda wrote
a story that brought her In the biggest
check she had received from any
magazine. The vivid bits of life that
David Mcleod, the seventh soldier,
had sent her had added a strong touch
of reality to her work.
She wrote him of the success of the
story and told him that she was put
ting half the check in a little bank.
when you come over to America
after the war;" she wrote, "we will
spend all your half of the check max
ing you forget the tragedy of war. l
am spending mine all on soldiers-do-
ing just the little things that I can"
Lucinda and David continued their
strange correspondence and found
much pleasure in it. Her stories i'm
proved wonderfully and the small
bank for the returning soldier became
bulgy with checks.
But the day came when Lucinda
waited in vain for an answer to her
letters.
After long days Of depression, when
she had quite given up hope that
David was one Of the living heroes, she
had letter from hospital in France
'They almost got me-" he wrote,
"but Pm pulling through like a team
of American mules. Guess it takes
more than a bunch Of BOches to kill
this globe trotter. I'm coming over
to your country when my wounds are
sufficiently healed to let me travel"
Lucinda put down her head again
and cried. The tears were happy and
might have sent tiny flowers spring
ing up had they fallen on earthly gar
dens.
Her stories were decidedly happier
now-the endings more complete. In
the little bank a considerable sum
awaited David. Lucinda realized that
1t would take lot of going TO spend
all that on making David forget.
He had told her to look for one
legged man when it came near time
for his arrival, and when he stood out
side her studio door Lucinda gasped
with joy at his nearness. David had
told her the exact date. His crutches
for the second tore at her heart, for it
meant that he had suffered and suf-
fered dreadfully.
Here, here" he said brusquely,
wanting to hide his emotions. "I'm
soldier with a grand medal-not
baby doll" This was when Lucinda
futtered about doing the thousand and
one things an ultra-feminine woman
must do for a soldier who has fought. |
She blushed holly but continued, for
in Davids eyes she read the hunger
for mothering and home. She felt in
stinctively that her seventh soldier
needed her more than any Of the 9TH
ers. In fact, Lucinda felt many things
among them that her own need of |
David was going to be great. She had
written Of so many fine men, but David
embodied the finest of them ALL She !
hoped desperately that he would fall |
in love with her.
Wen write plays together and nov
els and do all sorts Of big things" he
said, voicing her very thoughts. "And |
some day, when you've used up all |
the plots we will globe-trOt-fOr more.