The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-07
EVENING STORY
The Goose Girl.
(By Louise Oliver. }


khaki felt very queer and lonely as
the special pulled out of the sta
ton Like the little old woman in the
rhyme. he felt like saying, LAX a
mercy on me, it be not L.
First, soldering was new business
to him. The red. white and blue silk
cord on his hat testified to that. for
that is the insignia of the officer stu
dent who has yet to work for and
earn his commission. The uniform
and all that went with it were just two
hours old, and Dick still found him
self reaching for the hip pocket that
was not there.
Second. every man on the train had
anywhere from one to twenty people
see him off, except Dick. But it had
all come SO suddenly! And with the
family out in the Canadian Rockies,
not a person had been there to wish
him God-speed Man like, he hated
demonstrations, and had repeatedly
told himself that he thanked his lucky
stars that it was so, but just the same
when he looked out at the sea of way
not one was for him, he felt queer
as tho the bottom had fallen out OF
things. leaving him cropping wildly for
something to hold to.
Things settled down in the train
after departure. Men searched for
friends, found them, talked a while
and then retired to their own section
to read, smoke, talk or play cards, as
the spirit moved them. Dick knew
some of the men slightly, but did not
feel inclined 70 talk. The feeling of
isolation had gripped him hard. For
! the first time in his life he was home
sick. Homesick! For an empty big
brick house and deserted grounds
! back of Garfield boulevard? Home
sick for the family in the mountains?
Perhaps. At any >rate. there was
big void in his heart that he couldn't
explain.
| The train slid away, making very
few stops, save at functions and large
| towns. where new recruits got on.
| Suddenly there was lurch and
stop at a place where no stop was
evidently intended-that is, where no
stop was marked on regular sched-
uleS for either thru or committing
| trains. But ever after Dick knew that
| in the signal tower of Destiny's Do
minions an order had gone out for the
trains to stop right there beside
mea dow, in which sheep were placidly
grazing, a row of gray geese were
| clumsily and hastily retreating-and
a beautiful gray-eyed girl in blue ging
ham was looking over fence.
| She had a white handkerchief in
her hand that she had been waving as
| they passed, but when the train slowed
and stopped, that was a different mat
| ter. No girl can stand ten feet from
a train that is perfectly still and wave
at approximately four hundred men,
all of whom are looking at her; for
| the ones to larboard had been hailed
by those to port. A soldier be he cor
poral or colonel, past master or in en-
| bryo, can see a pretty girl around a
| corner. And this girl, distractingly
pretty, was in plain view of the whole
| train.
Right then and there something
flopped into the void in Dicks heart.
And when thru the open window his
! eyes finally held hers and she smiled
ner, he ceased cropping in that bottom
| less region of loneliness
The engine whistled then and pre-
| pared to depart. Good lucki" she
called 1t was meant for Dick.
| Much obliged" he called back, ap-
probation showing in his eyes.
! Where are you going?" asked the
girl, as the train didn't move.
Georgia" said Dick. Fort Ogle-
thorpe
oh" said the girl, that's splen-
did. I know lots of people there"
! The train whistled again warningly
4 and the procession of geese, which
Lad taken courage and returned to
the fence, started on their second re-
| treat.
Suddenly the girl stopped and
picked up the big, fat leader in her
arms. squawking and protesting. Be-
fore Dick knew what she was doing
| she was over the fence, holding her
| offering up to his window.
| Here, take her for a mascot she
said, kissing the top of the astonished
and indignant fowls head
| Dick reached out eagerly, and in
| the transfer his hand rested ever so
lightly for an instant on the soft white
| one below. The girl flushed the
palest of pinks, but laughed gayIy.
Take good care of her. She's raised
several large families" she said.
| "T1l feed her forty times a day"
answered Dick. What shall call
| her?"
1t was a question The girl knew it
| and considered an instant
Call her Katherine" she answered
| katherine it is,' answered Dick
gratefully. He knew that she knew
he had asked her name and been given
it.
The engine whistled again. This
time the train pulled out, with wav-
| ings and good-byes. Dick, clasping
Katherine tightly.in his arms, felt like
| singing for pure joy.
Days, weeks. months of hard train
ing ensued. There were Hours of dis
couragement and inconsistencies and
miSgivingS for what was ahead.
But the old gray goose, the COM
| pany mascot, was a real source of
comfort to the young man who
thought often of the real gray-eyed
hatnerlne somewhere up IN ONO.
One day-a Sunday afternoon,
when he was off duty and feeling par
ticularly 1onely-he had picked up the
| goose and gone off down the road
Later one of his captains coming up
quietly and Unexpectedly, heard him
| talking to some one, and peeping over
the fence found Dick addressing his
pet.
Katharine, you're the most ador-
able person 1 ever saw. our eyes
heavens, such eyesi 1 can't Sleep for
thinking of them. And your smile,
wonder if I'll ever see you smile
again? I must see you. I've got to
see you. that's all, if I hunt the
world over. I'm going to be made a
captain, Katharine, because you wish