The Adair County news., 1918-10-30

say when she would be back. l took
her to an early train. Everybody on
the station platform was wearing some
sort of Liberty Bond decoration. l
took my button off after left the sta
ton There was nothing to do but
stay in the office all day. Not a nu-
man being came near it. The man |
who has been cleaning the windows |
telephoned that he wouldn't be around. |
He added: 1--WE bought 800 Lib |
erty Bond" The restaurant man |
stopped me today as l started in at |
the door and told me that he had much |
rather went somewhere else for ny |
luncheon. The man at the cigar
counter muttered something about
''slackers" when bought a stogie.
Spurned by Fellows.
Oct. q. Until noon today not sim
gle human being spoke to me where
speaking could be avoided. might as
well have been in the wilderness. Peo-
pie were all about me as went 20 the
postoffice, as I went along the street,
as l stood on the corner. had known
many of them since they were little
children. Some of them had been my
friends for years. had known nearly
every man, woman and child for long
| time. They passed me as though l
were not on earth. They lowered their
voices or were silent as they passed
| me. l might as well have been leper
at the "Lepers Gate" | didn't know.
1 never understood that people were
so desperately in earnest about this
war. 1 began to notice, too, the seTv.
ice flags in the windows and the serv-
ice pins on coats and gowns. 1t seemed
that everywhere l looked there was
something to remind me of the war.
There were Liberty Loan posters
every way looked. There were Food
Administration cards and signs every.
where, and was surprised to see the
number of flags that were flying up
town.
knew the boys and young men had
been going away to the war, but today
seemed to miss them all for the first
time. There seemed to be more mid
dle-aged and old men than l remem
bered before. And / SAW, too, that
most of the women were carrying
knitting bags, and l recalled a lot OF
things about the work they had been
doing. And several boys that hardly
knew were out of the grammar school
passed me in uniform. But they all
passed me in silence. had never felt
so lonely, so absolutely alone, in all
my life, and yet was on the streets OF
: the town that / call my home and
!, where know about everybody there is
, Sees the Light at Last.
: I went to the office and sat there
1t was quiet as a grave. There mas
been no one in to see me for a couple
/ of days. l thought about it long
time. The people l had known had
} turned against me. l was in public
/ disgrace. The town drunkard was
/ more respected than l was at that mo
ment The crap-shooters hauled VI
, before the justice of the peace were
t regarded as respectable citizens wher
compared with me.
: Afr all, there was but one thing Il
5 be done. l wish l had done it in the
beginning. | went over to the banl
! and demanded a Liberty Loan sub
scription blank. / filled it out for thu
: amount had been told was demanded
< Of me. Then l tore it up and asked
a for another blank and l raised the
t amount that time. l guess it is jus
t as well. For if the Kaiser and hi
o gang get over here my money that il
d loaned won't be worth much to me
u And l am not forgetting that the Unit
r ed States government bond is jus
o about the best investment on thi
d earth and it is pretty good countr,
e after ALL
o | didn't ask for a button. | remem
t Der that | did when l took that S5
t pledge from the little Boy Scout
Y When 1 came out of the bank l dom
u remember noticing the people.
It didn't matter much whether they say
t NE or not. ! had deserved all l go
s from them, l guess, and it has been
o bitter lesson. Next time, the next loar
:, l WILDE on hand with the pledge o.
d the first day. l am going to try to b
a regular American.