East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-05-18

I"1HE American corporal walls.
down tho sleeping shack lookinI
a at each bunk as ne passed. Th'
hour was haIf.past eight ia thl
evening; Lights out' was sounded ant
all the men should be under blankets
now. Suddenly The corsoral came to !
halt opposite bank in which iarg'
bulk under the blankets, deaoteda sleepei
who had covered himself from head.to toe
Neither face. ihands nor feet wis show
ing, but the outline of the slccF;ns mar
could be traced under the blunkesx., Ehi
corporal went down and touched the sleep
cr's shoulders with his hand and cndeT
the hnnd the shoulders gave. why like 1
pillow Of down.
The corporal pulled away the blankets
and saw lying beneath trench helmet
n pack and an ovefeoat Asthese articles
were laid out they rcscmhied sleepina
mar with the bedelofhes pulled up ovsi
his head "Gee that's some canoHIInEe =
rputtered the corporaI, appreciation in nl'
voice. Then he looked at the sleeper IL
the adjoining bunk.
-lley, SuIlivani'' inquired the cerporal
where's your friend Ronar?"
Sullivan snorcd heavily and made nt
tnr..ly. 81
DO You know where Honar is. Stan
ton y
The corporal addressed this remark tC
man who lay In the bunk next Sullivan
Ind Stanton fixed an innocent look OF
the corporal.
"IIe ain't in yet is hes" be inquired.
doesn't look like IT, daps il ?'''said thl
corporal. pointing his finger q, the empty
bunk. "Do you know where be has son'
tor"
Nope" 4C
As the door hans,d and the corporn
disappeared Sullivan ceased snoring ant
sat up in he'd.
"And- where in the whole wide worlt
win that divil iv Ronar be at all. Stan
ton?'' lie inquired. "It's the diviI foi
rakin' he is intirely."
Dunno" said Stanton. 81 saw hin
after supper and he. said that he wal
goin' for a walk. He had book Of poetrJ
Ni-NN At1 aAAhe
well. Tn wishin that he was back.
said Sullivan. lying down again.
II don't want to see the poor boy, ever
/ iflhs- is poet. put ip the Jug
We'll. he'll be back here in the morn
ins. anyway :" said Stanton. THE den
guy. Efes always w to some sort ol
nisehits IjUt where can he have hikee
so9~
AZ that iGvlaent Tonar was gooi
houSs waik away from the shsek in which
bis two mates were uuArrescd. lie was
sitting on chair by the bedside Of a
sick child. watching over the inI@nt witt
the tenderness Of q woman. The bed wai
IN the corner Of little room ilr a sottay'
ont on the fields and two miles away
from The nearest dwelling. Ronar stiim
bIed across the house osi he was. out Q,
bis walk. II was about time TO thru
back and. feeling thirsty. the young Amer
lean went up to tho door and Knocked
lie wanted TO get drink before start
ing on his return journey. A pnle. tirct
woman whose eyes were red a. II sls
had been weeping opened the door. A
the same nouent. ROnar heard a weak iH
fantile cough from the interior Of thu
tnusr as il. a child were struggling fol
III. The woman heard 1t. TOO. and
lal.h an agonized sob she rushed hack
again. Rouar followed her. and in the
darkness he saw her kneel down at bed
in the cerBersof tho aFOom. On tbe. bed q
little child was lying, cohgbing eonvulsiye'
" as n Il was choking.
what Is wrongs" asked the American
'It's the little dear. Maurice, that 4
iIl. - said the woman. 'sThe ehiIdshas not
eaten anything AZ day and his thrOuf Il
sore.'' * H3
"why moi. get doetorT' asked Ronar.
"But II is 80 far to the village said
the woman. "aud cannot leave hirn
alone. Nobody ever comes near here
. Ny husband Is dead sud an al
alone."
Eonar tbohaht for nouent. then hr
spoke.
You 20 to TIE next village" be said.
Get 4 doctor 70 cone ana ! will watch
over The child nniii yon come back
- "a -. .--.ff tf f..,.,v ,..Err. fho 49,.