Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-07-10
The FAIRY WISH
BY HlLDA MAlRIs.
Copyright, 1918. by the McCI7ra =
per Syndicatel N'e"Sp

Lnere was nothing Outward,r
tic about Elsie Boggs. She w y ,Oulan'
ly thirty, with sandy red b 90 near.
spectacles. She lived alone w,+t anu
querulous maiden aunt, and sba b ~. d
never, so far as anyone knew bo aSu
lover. '"' nad a
When we entered the war tba loa,..
Of the Stillville Aid society Ill, ,"u 4,
ladies of other aid societies an n' Tue
the country, began to knit for tbo V Da
diers. There were strange tbinae sol'
cussed at their meetings in tbose do als'
To Elsie Boggs it was all lilo = ,'a'S'
from one of her stories, preferoh p~s9
historical one.
For many years she had had h.,.
of wondering what would bannan 1O :.
certain conditions were thus and ~ L
and now, quite suddenly, she cana ~
herself wondering what wonId bon ren'
if the soldier for whom she was t tpit
ting a particularly fine sweater sbou,s
learn that she had knit If.
Aunt Hattie's voice cut in unor 4h,-
reverie. '''
Il hear Bud Emery has enlistodp
Aunt Hattie said, as she came in fror,
the street. "There amt going TO he .
young man left in this town. I doDt
know what we're coming tot"
'Bud Emery?" echoed Elsie, 'Wpu
he's not so very young. He used to ba
In our class in school. He's thirty
anyway"
However, it would be difficult TO i'm.
agine Bud Emery as a figure of rA
nance. He was more freckled than
she, with the sandy hair that brlstlpd
fiercely all over his head: He had
feed store.
AS Elsie went on with that extra fine
sweater, a daring idea came to her.
Never before in her life had she mt
one bit of her sentimental thought into
action. Now she was possessed with
a desire to label that sweater, 50 that
the soldier who got it could come to
find her if he chose. Furthermore, as
she worked she knitted into it what
she tried to imagine was fairy wish:
a wish that he would want to find
her.
The sweaters were designed for some
far-off Red Cross station, so Elsie felt
quite sure that no one she knew would
ever see the slip of paper that she
folded into the garment. 1t bore her
name and address, and it might be
that some time she would hear from
the man who received it.
Elsie saw Bud Emery before he went
away to camp, and tried to fancy how
he would look in khaki uniform. He
was so big and shambling, so awkward
and shy! 1t was hard to imagine him
erect and trim, yet she knew that he
would make fine soldier; Bud Emery
was true blue.
The weeks went by after she had
sent away that sweater, and nothing
happened. Perhaps it took time for
the articles to reach their destination
perhaps her sweater had been lost on
the way, or perhaps the man VINO got
it had not noticed the slip or cared 10
write to her if he had. And so, event.
ually, Elsie gave up thinking about 1t
After all, she was a red-haired OH
maid, and would be a sad disappoln'
ment to any soldier. She had been
fool to dream of romance. The army
might make the men over, but nOulns
could make her over. Her part was
just to stay at home and knit
And then, one day, there came let
ter for Elsie. She rarely received le''
tiers. and this one was addressed IN III
unfamiliar hand, very large ana Dia'A'
almost as if a man had written IL
She opened it with a fast-oealns
heart, and hastily scanned one pay,
Scamp Devons," it was headed. anu
strangely enough, it began: D'
Elsie %
yesterday they gave US out SV ~nS
knitted things that the Red Ofoso n
sent around, and what do you tillHA
gotp sweater with little SIP =,
naper inside it. l couldn't underslauu
at first how your address had Guuo o
there, until I realized that II mus na,
heen Won Elsie, who made that SVEN
or Isn't it funny that shoulu ~,
IN tell YOU 1 like that sweater, , aha
when I think that you maze 1t !
it all the more. .o.a,
"Some people say that II - t tbom
TO write things than it is 10 say Low nog
so maybe that is why l can say y D Gov
on paper, what 1 have wanted ~ t fs
to YOU for years and years. Anu I,ight
is. Elsie, that I love you. You you link
have guessed it before, Sn0uiu ", and
but you know how funny l az have
afraid to talk much. But 10" otran
told you that I shall never Dc son WIll
to talk to you again, that IS L , sot and /
lot me 7 have leave next week and and
plan to come home for re" ua 20 can /
+ want to come to see you 50 " T1sIe,
to1k If over Let me know, nla
how YOU feel about this VI .u 40 but
don't suppose you care Iof ~