South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-10-13
w. S. S. For Bill
By A. Marie Crawford

I hle some papers. I'm soing home
with you and We'll have a big time
together on this leave"
Good" cried Bill delightedly
That's bully OF you. Dad! But
don't let me interfere with your
business, you know"
Business. money, How utterly
unimpOrtant they seemed in COM
parison with the fact that Bill flesh
of his flesh and bone OF his bone
] was going over there, 20 that far
flung battle line where ne was 10
take his place i'm moral combat with
+ the most damnable race of men the
sun ever shouc upon. If he could
only go In Bills placei
The trim young ngure i'm khaki
+ had gone whistling TO window
I Some papers that a little time be-
fore had been vastly important. fell
/ unnoticed from Tom Johnston's
nerveless grasp. He felt suddenly
old and broken. Gone i'm flash
was his dream of a new money
making scheme. Nothing mattered
| but the life and safety Of the boy
/ whistling "a lifting tune as he sat
astride the arm Of a chair looking
out on the crowded street below.
/ If he should never hear that gay
young voice again. never feel the
warmth OF that young hand that
/ seemed 20 send the life blood cours-
/ ing anew through his old veins.
4 NOT HING a1ga would count
He was folding the last paper
when Bill turned around 20 face
\ him Guess what. Dad ] had a
letter the other day up At camp
from old Dawson. He's just like
member Of our family you ana mother
nave had him so long Why. ne
taught me 70 ride 20 shoot 10 swim.
TO do all the things a boy loves.
/ Well, he wrote me about the dogs.
how fine they looked. what frisky
pups Rachie had; about the road
ster painted and waiting in. the
I garage for me 10 drive when / came
. home-all the dozen and one things
that he knew would interest me.
And then he wrote something that
just brought the tears 10 my eyes.
one hundred dollars worth of War
Saving stamps to back me up, 20
help buy what / needed, food.
clothes. ammunition. He seemed TO
believe that his hundred dollars
would be used for Bill Johnston.
I Why. Dad. II everybody in this
country thought like old Dawson
and sacrificed and helped alk. they
could seeing their own loved ones
profit or fail through their individ-
ual service or lack of it, the boys
would roll into Berlin like a cy-
! clone. Dawson said that he had pro-
missed 10 buy more stamps and that
I every time he licked one TO paste
/ i'm his little book, he thought-I'm
/ helping Mr.. Bill TO lick the Kaiser.
4 Wasn't that great OF the old boy 10
write me like that. Things of that
sort put lighting blood into a soldier.
! They just get behind and push
/ fellow over the top. Maybe I'm not
proud to represent a man like Daw-
son at the front, He's worth dying
/ for"
He's worth dying for, How much
| those words meant Tom Johnston
/ sat there staring at his son who had
turned back to face the street with
/ its steadily moving stream Of hu-
manity. How many OF them were
worth dying for? Was he worth
/ dying for? He had heard stories
of women going out 10 work to
| support themselves while husbands
! and brothers went overseas 10 make
/ 81 g.,
I he sacrificing? He was not even
giving up Bill for Bill had offered
himself He had not felt the war.
/ He still had not only the comforts
OF life but all the Injuries
a card on which was printed in
clear -Pledge-Second w. S s.
/ Drive stared up at him accusingly
/ from the dull surface OF his costly
mahogany des< Old Dawson. the
\ family servant. was the only one at
/ home hacking up his boy. helping
/ Bill lick the-Kaiser. Suddenly buy
I ing stamps. stamps that meant food.
/ clothes. ammunition for his own boy
seemed "a great privilege. a marve-
I lOus means OF getting behind the
I khaki clad-his very Cwn-and
]
able dollar Some men had sons
going over. sons whom they loved
as he loved Bill and they had the
added sorrow of not being able 10
/ back them up with money
Tom Johnston pulled the card to-
ward him He hued il in with the
maximum amount per capita. coo
\ dollars worth of stamps That very
/ card i'm his hand might represent
the food for Bill. the clothes to keep
him from cold the ammunition 20
use TO protect his own life from thu
Hun That bit of cardboard seemed
10 take on personal expression of
love. OF protection for his son. If not
his own. then some other mans
hoy. In a meteoHc flash, born of
Bills summons overseas to become
part of that supreme struggle on
which civilization itself hangs in the
balance. Tom Johnston caught
glimpse through the clouds OF sor-
row OF broadening vision OF per
sonal service.
Z