South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-12


Lcuquet from the window Of the
florist next door. one of the wait
resses said she saw the soldier bring
i. in. So. II really seemed as though
this were that sometimc when her
heart should find the someone for
whom it longed.
Instead CT dreaming. these days.
she occupied her idle moments with
knitting a sweater. And very often,
when the swinging doors flew open
at lunch time. Mary Lou looked up
to see her soldier. so the days slid
by into weeks, the happiest weeks
that Mary Lou had ever known.
Then there came the time wheu
he went away TO camp ana his
"ieaves' were very few. Mary Lou
was no longer concerned with the
swinging doors, and IL was abstrac
ton rather than primness that froze
the friendly words of the stout gen
tlemen. But the sweater continued
TO grow under her fingers. and more
than once over the cash register
she hummed a happy little air that
had nothing in the world to do with
meal checks. Under the ruffles of
her blouse there nestled, more often
than not, letter from Long island.
and sometimes the florist next door
Mary Lou. And the mattresses, /
having nothing more TO say, merely
thought things.
One evening when the dinner
hour was at its height, that rush
ing, noisy, glazing dinner hour, red
oient of steak and omelette, which
il one Of Broadway's characteristics
Mary Lou looked across the room
ard saw something which froze the
little song in her heart, frOze it
dead. AT a table near the window
sat her soldier with another girl.
Unmistakingly it was he; eyes like
Mary LOUIS do not forget one detail
of beloved form and face. She
would know him among a thousand.
But he had not spoken to her when
he came in, he had passed her by
10 sit, as though on purpose. where
il would hurt her most TO see him
smiling at another girl as he had
SO often smiled at her.
The girl was very pretty, with
smart little hat and a trilling laugh
that reached out, seemingly, 70
taunt poor Mary Lou. The soldier
never looked her way. his eyes were
occupied with the girl opposite him.
They fingered over their dinner and
the girls laugh quieted as his head
bent closer towards hers across the
table. One looking would have taken
them for lovers.
Mary LOUIS little hands were icy
cold, but the white mask of her face
showed no sign. and her pointed
chin never quive-ed. Infinitely she
dreaded the moment wher
he would come 20 pay his
check: she feared lest he would
say something, or she would do
something, that would make it hurt
the more. But when he came he said
LOthing. He PAID the check as cas-
ually as though he had never been
her lover, as though she were an
automaton for the exchange of bills.
The pretty girl, who stood pulling
on her gloves, swept Mary Lou with
a cool, impersonal glance, the
swinging coOrs of Fenger's opened
end shut, and he was gone.
When Mary Lou reached home
that night. home being a tiny hall
bedroom. dainty box from the
florists stood on her table. Inside
was a corsage bouquet, the kind he
had sent so many times before, the
kind which he had said, was so like
Mary Lou herself. She looked duly
at the delicate flowers which must
fade so soon and die. Why had he
sent them now. now of all times?
Did he think she was that kind OF
q girl After all, he was like the
others, the stout gentlemen who
leered at her. the ver-familiar
youths. Mary Lou seized the flowers
in a quick agony of rage and threw
them from her. How dared he send
her flowers. How dared he
Her eyes followed the flight of
the little bouquet across the room,
they fell listlessly on the evening pa
per which had fallen to the floor.
She had been too tired TO read it the
night before, she bought it only
from the sense Of duty toward the
stirring days in which she lived.
Suddenly her eyes became intent
upon it. From its topmost page there
stared up at her a face, his face,
two faces
Dazedly Mary Lou picked up the
paper and read the item.
Some confusion is occasioned at
Camp MineOla by two brothers who
are enlisted in the same company.
They are John and Edward Harris
TWINS. who look so much alike that
not even their superior officers can
tell them apart. Both men have
the rank OF lieutenant. The exam
PIE of these brothers should be an
inspiring one 10 other young men,"
Mary Lou looked again at the pic
ture. Yes, there was her John. two
OF him" one brother was standing
one seated. and for the life OF her
Mary Lou could not tell which was
her John. But even as she puzzled
over the photograph she laughed
aloud. and a tear fell onto the pic
tured face of JOhn-Or maybe il was
Edward. AT any rate the little dead
song in her heart came 10 life again.
and after a while she sought the
corner where the little bouquet Of
\