The Era-leader., 1918-12-12

Man can do most anything, from patch-
in nm busted matrimonies to putin
ice in the family refrig. Carl Wall !
burger was busted up when he heard
he was a-goin' to Lose the little house
he an his frau had most paid for,
cause they couldn't dig up the interest.
The Red Cross Man wrote to somebody
an one day Carl was a-smilin' all over
his Dutch phis, cause he'd got letter
sayin' he could pay the interest when
he'd cracked Kaiser Bil's strong box
CorPs United States if he is Dutch. He
wuznt aroun' when they picked his
name. Motors don't 60 dead when he's
given them the once over
"There's that Red Cross on that um-
brella."
"Bet y'ur neck. The NJ. Ps wuz get
tin their kukus dried up, standin' out
In the sun keepin the trucks from
a-gettin' jammed at the crossin's. The
Red Cross Man got umbrellas an put
'em on those platforms, an now the
M. Ps amt afraid @ loosin' their think
boxes an are all scrappin' for a shady
crossin' job. He's always doin' some
thin for the boys. Last winter when
we most froze stiff, he got fifteen thou
sand blankets, an sweaters, an muf-
flers, an gloves, an sox to keep US
warm. They say he worked four days
an nights fore he got US warm and
feelin' timber. Last Xmas he give US
dandy boxes of stuff, candy an the
makin's, an a lot of stuff. Made US
feel like ole Santa hadn't passed US
up but had come a-slidin' down our
tent pole"
Helped Him Out Then.
"Nhered you learn to know him?"
"Him and me got real chummy last
spring when l wuz in the hospital aft
er that propeller blade mussed me up
some. He'd come aroun' to see me
most every day. Always had some
thin to say that made me feel better.
Why, the nurse'd get so she'd bring
| me that damned hospital cocktail when
he wuz there. cause she knowed I'd
take it without cussin'."
"a cocktail, an you cussin'? Quit
your kiddin'!"
"There you 60 again, shown what
gou don't know. Mike, my boy, q hos
pital cocktail is just plain straight
castor oil, without any water as a
chaser. Take it from me an stay
away from them docs at the hos
pital or you'll get one O. them cock
tails. The nurse tole me they most
run out of the burned stuff one day,
an the next batch had got tied up with
red tape an couldn't get in. She said
| the patients wuz all a-gettin' sick,
cause they get well to keep from get
tin them cocktails, but the Red Cross
Man went out an bought hogshead
or two and the patients began to get
well again, SOS they could do without
their toddy. She tole me l mustn't hold
1t agin the Red Cross Man tho, cause
the docs tole him to get it, an that
he gave right smart nicer things to the
hospital than them burned cocktails
it makes me cuss to think about 'em.
Well, l wuz a-tellin' you how me and
him got chummy. He saw / couldn' t
write, account my bum wing, an he
asked me if l didn't want him to write
my letters. / had him write to moth
er, an, after we'd got acquainted, /
asked him to write to Nellie, my best
girl back home. reckon he thought
wuz some mush On her all right, but
he never said nothin'; just put it down
Like tole him. He looked funny
aroun' the eyes sometimes, but
reckon he wuz happy cause we wuz
writin' to my Nellie. When the docs
lets me 60, / wun't good for nothin'
an wanted to go home till got strong,
but l didn't have the coin for the fare
all the way up to Indiana. But darn
my cats, that Red Cross Man got me q
leave an then loaned me the cash to
60.
Paying Back Loan.
| "He didn't charge me no interest
neither. / got 1t most all paid back
now, but he amt pushin' me none for
1t. Nell says she's a-goin' to kiss the
Red Cross Man first chance she gets.
Well, reckon he's the only bird about
this post she's got my o. K. to kiss if
she's got the nerve. The Red Cross
Man says he can stand it, If she can.
| That's his quarters over there with the
red roof and the sign out in front. He's
got card in the door'that says, Come
In an you don't have to stand at ten
shun when you talk to him. He pushes
out chair, passes the smokes an
| first thing you know you're tellin' him
all about yourself and all your trou-
bles. 1t don't make no diff what's got
your goat, he'll sure find somethin' to
make you feel better or forget it. If
| YOU ever get the hIuas or tha ,,,;I1,os