Catoctin clarion., 1918-05-02

80 tell III" StGry of Il life cut down in
the bloom of youth?"
"lou can fix il as yen please" said
the young man sol"mnIy Il suppose
you newspaper fellows have to put
things in to fiji up and us | am going
to die 1t won't max" much difference
how it happens. But I'll be satisfied
with just II Iine-just say I'm dead
That's all ask"
81 suppose" he said, that you have
never taken time to consider why my
paper keeps me out here or why stay.
1t isn't for the fun of the thing. | as
sure you. They are not paying me Il
salary and expenses merely To Sp, nd
their surplus or To enable ne To tple-
graph bcguS news If You had had
four years of the work only to get
complaints from alleged editors, who
sit in easy chairs and think they rule
in the country with ii headline or a
double-lcaded scrccd and who know
mere than all the generals and corre-
spon'lcnts in both armies you would
understand things better. It's hard
enough to persuade thcS" Omnrotcnts
to recognize real news when they see
it, much less to send them statements
VIII oh are not true"
llarner'S sarcasm Went for nar:ht.
The soldier did not comprehend it AND
apparently did not care to. His only
reply was vaguely put. II suppose |
would" he said, but you'll do tAis Iu.
me, won't you!
"Of course not"
"Why won't you?"
simply because | WON'T" said Far
ncr with emphasis.
The soldier stood as if umirtcrIm.nrd
Wh.i to do. Then H. luo.,h II aul
said: "Well never mind, for y"u'Il
have to do ii anyhow"
Il hope not" replied lI.rnrr, and
more seriously, "you'rr too y"uu- 10
die. Your country needs you even if
sour sweetheart doesn't"
Flushing deeply ami staInm ring
1omcthInS which Iarn"r did not tn
drrStHnd he soldier turned and Wa:n-
cd rapidly away.
The hHttIe was fought. ThruugApnt
the conflict llarnrr was here, jli~re
and everywhere getting faces ana
namcS and details. There WAS no time
in that awful slaughter to notice
tri!leS. Human lives were as cheap rs
grass and We're moved down as iA"r-
cilcSSly. So it happened that ii VAS
Lot until several days later when the
papers containing the reports r,a"h-
ed the moving army that llarner OBJ
served his own report:
"Monson, William H.-I'rivate Com
pany c. Enlisted from Spring Falls.
Shot through the shoulder while say
ing company's colors."
In the next issue was Il ,DHtch
from Spring Falls saying lhHt Mon
son was one of the best yoUnG men of
Spring Falls and that his death was
universally deplored.
"Wcll that beats me- said Harner
II wonder if my memory served me Il
trick. I'll see." The command had
moved many miles but the company
was still with il and he Immediately
soUght out the captain and asked
him about Private Monson.
"Poor felow!" was the reply. "He
was the bruvest fool | ever saw.
suppose they buried him with the
rest"
After the war Harncr did not return
To lis paper. The editors who hHl
mu,ilated his copy and against Wh"l
he had an accumulated antiquity
equal to that which the war corre-
spundents, whose uSefulnc HarA"r
could prove was first pointed out by
General George Washington, were
still in charge and he did rot feel Ike
coming directly under their orders. SO
he tried other things, but as the years
went by and the other things did not
make him rich, he Succumbed to the
inevitable and entered Journalism
again. TO him was given a rowing
commission to visit and write up The
places where the conqucSts of industry
were making the wealth that was to
pay the debts of the war.
In the course of time his duties took
him to Spring Falls, village which
had become city, with its splendid
water power utilized, with great mmnu-
factories on every side. He saw 1t
all and finally he saw upon the side or
"A large mill, "William II. MonSon." The
name seemed strangely familiar, and
yet he could not place it. 1t was gone
amid all the thousands of forgotten