The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-09-03
VOLUNTEER RESERVES
By KATHERINE THiYER HODGES
Written for the Woman's Liberty Loar
Committee of New England

" SO4lCC1L plLC1l mdO Pldluiy CfIoGuI dc
she picked her way in the late after
noon through the crowded city streets.
1T is not question of To be or not
to be- Liberty Bond-holder, as Mr.
Young said" she declared with a toss
of her pretty head. There is no ques-
ton about it. l cannot buy even a
f1fty-dollar Liberty Bond, and that
ends it.
The innocent but disturbing ele-
ment which was responsible for this
outburst was little pasteboard box
which Dorothy's employer had hand
ed to her only few minutes before
with the result that conscience was
fairly beating a tattoo on her heart
strings. She really wanted to do
something to help the boys lover
there, but how could she? she argued
Yet every time she heard the aggre-
waiting hollow thud of the empty box
as it swung in the silk bag on her arm
she thought of an old but dainty white
silk stocking tucked away back in her
bureau drawer with three crisp ten
dollar bills in its toe.
When two years before Dorothy had
secured a position which meant desk
and swivel chair in large Office, it
seemed as if she had reached the pin
nacle Of success as a business woman
but she soon found that eighteen dol
lars week did not go very far. In
deed, for months the height of he1
ambition had been to save enough
money for a new blue suit for fall
and she thought of it every time her
eye caught sight of the bright new
ring on her finger-blue would look
so nice beside Rays khaki. She had
pinched and squeezed every dime I'M
til the eagle fairly squawked-and
now the goal was SO near-oh, she just
couldn't give it up! No, anything but
that!
Extra! Extra! American Army
in Great Smash! Extra!" cried the
newsboys up and down the street.
Dorothy shuddered as the words
were suddenly visualized and she saw
On the battlefelds of France our boys
fighting for love of justice and human
ity. How could they nobly bear thei1
part in the terrible conflict, were il
not for the remembrance of the be-
loved home land,-their confidence
that all loyal Americans are with them
in the saving and giving which will
win the war.
Il might just as well face this thing
first as last, for it begins to look as il
it really were question" the girl de-
clared aloud as, reaching her room
she threw her hat and gloves onto the
table and herself into a chair by the
open ENTHUSIASTICALLY Bolton, are
you a Stacker, or are you not?" was
her indignant demand.
Instantly the rockers of the little
j.! wicker chair squeaked, 'You are! You
are! You are!"
you saucy thing" laughed Doro-
thy; "but I'm afraid you're speaking
the truth" she added ruefully She
reached for her bag, drew out the lit
| tie pasteboard box, and turned it over
| slowly. Red, white and blue" she
| murmured softly, THE colors of oul
| beloved countfy,-somehow they mear
more than they ever did before.
| Then the words "Woman's. Liberty
Loan Committee of New England,
/ caught her eye: Surely women were
coming into their own in this work
she thought. Though they may no
go into the trenches. and fight, they
can work and save and give as vel
| as the men.
For a few moments Dorothy sa
very still, looking out over the tops o
| the buildings with their smolSins
| chimneys, past the tall elm trees OF
Boston Common, until her eyes rested
| on the gilded dome of the Capitol OF
| Beacon Hill. ITO her awakening
thought it was as a tower of strength
rejecting the principles of pure de
mocracy and liberty for which ou
| government stands
| Suddenly she started from her chair
and a look of dismay crossed thu
pretty face.
"Sacrifice" she exclaimed, "Wha
have I been thinking about! o
course it isn't sacrifice to wear gu
old clothes; it's just a great and glo
| rlous opportunity to do our bit. Why
| I'd be ashamed to look Ray in the fac
| if l could be so selfish when he is of
fering his life. Fifty dollars seems
good deal, but the thirty 1 have will
| be a good start toward it, and the res
will be only a trifie at a time" Glanc
| ing once more at the little box, sh,
begun to hum the lines that met he
eye:
| First nickel, then a dime,
Save the pennies every time;-"
I Dorothy stopped suddenly as a new
thought came to her "Why, it isn't &C
tually giving the money after ALL" sh,
said to herself, cts just letting Uncl
Sam have the use of what we save, AM
| in time We'll have it all back with inter
| est. Like all really good things i
works both ways, and after the war i
over [ can have two suits from what
save. And maybe, yes maybe" sh
added, "the furnishing of a home 70
two. That can be my bit while Ra,
| is doing his in France-and now TO
look at the old clothes"
"Tap, tap" sounded on Dorothy
door few minutes later, and he
chum Marion from the next floor
armed with her knitting and a box O
fudge, came in and flounced down il
the little wicker chair.
What in the world are you dom
with all those clothes, Dot? Not pack
ing for home yet are your
| Dorothy laughed gaily. mo, oh no
just taking stock, as you saleswome1
call it. You see Pm getting very bus
inesslike"
Altogether too much so for my lin
tied understanding" retorted he
friend Come. what's it all abou
Dorothy"
But that perverse little lady was i
no hurry to satisfy her friends curl
| OSity For once in nv life Sh