The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-01
EVENING STORY
Re-Enter TreadgOld.
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.

BY DOROTHY DoUGLAs.
1t was the trailing melancholy of
her voice that first stirred Treadgold's
lethargic pulse into action. Later he
had a too fleeing glimpse of a pale
oval face framed in tawny gold as
Ida, gazed wistfully from the rose
hung gate that opened into her cot
tage garden.
Treadgold was annoyed with him.
self that the qualitysof the girls voice
had twined itself among his senses
and indignant at womenkind in gen
eral merely because Lida's eyes had
stabbed his heart with a silent APP
peal.
Ever since the day he had donned
the khaki uniform and became a SOL
der to fight for his country Treadgold
had eschewed anything even border
that thrifty, fascinating, heady world
of the gentle sex as if it had the
plague running wild within its bor-
ders. War was thing apart busf-
ness that must be sternly followed.
There must be no counter magnet
Turing the senses from the austere
purpose of the fighting man.
During his six months at training
camp his brain had been far too
busy for the most part in trying to
master the contents of some twenty
or. more textbooks, as well as drills,
field practice and a few more odd
ments of learning, to find much time
for missing the feminine part 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 Treadgolds 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, re-
membrance of dainty, smiling lips, a
swift caress or the fragrance of
runapled tFesses came to disturb Tread
COLDS warfilled brain. These hat
been fleeing, easily banished dreams.
ancient past!'' the fighting mar
would mutter grim1y.
wistfull face Treadsold found himself
up against power stronger than him
self. Unless he took 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
This feeling. too, irritated him.
He decided, however-and with the
decision his jaw clinked-that he
| would fight this unknown girls influ-
ence, 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
Treadgold. there will be less regret,
and if I come out whole. then a
straight path to something nifty, and
not masculine, for me-"
"In fact" he decided. something
| just about the type of Little Sad Eyes
there will be my finish"
So he fought the magnet and con-
quered. Had Treadgold been another
type of man he could have managed
to meet the girl who had stirred his
| pulses, could have loved and sailed
away. But he was not that kind OF
| man. Love to NTreadgold was a won
derfu1 thing. He could the less hap
| PLY 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, Treadgold 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
| emotions.
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-
| joicing that he was not bringing the
tragedy of separation into some ones
/ life.
When the battle ragged for him he
was still more glad for a~nasty bit of
shell caught him pretty squarely in
the temple.
Treadgold re-entered the world OF
| femininity on a stretcher In other
| words, he was carried tenderiy if I'M
consciously into the hospital, where
! the gentle, Stunned sex took him into
| its wonderful care.
1t was many weeks before Tread
gold knew that he had re-entered the
world where femininity played vital
part for consciousness was long in re-
| turning to him. His first waking
glimpse was however a most delightful
one. Sitting by his bedside was q
charming nurse who started imme
diately to do the hundred and one
! comforting. soothing, wonderful things
about a bedside that only a woman
can do. Treadgold fancied he smiled