The Ordway new era., 1918-03-01
ChApTE Err !.
From Mutt to KHAKI.


was sitting at NY desk talking TO
lieutenant Of the Jersey National
Guard On the wall was a big war
map decorated with vsriousIy colored
little tags showing the position OF the
opposing armies on the western front
in France In front Of ne on the desk
lay New YORK paper with big hzriug
headlines:
IUSITASIk SUNK! AMERICAN
LIVES LOST
The windows were open and feel
Ing Of spring pervaded the air.
Through the open windows came the
strains Of a hurdy-gurdy playing In the
street, Didn't Raise Ny Boy to Be
4 Soldier
Lrsitxnia Sunk, American Lives
Lost TT Didn't Raise Ny Boy TO
Be a Soldier To rs these did not
seem TO 5ibe-
The Lieutenant In silence opened one
Of the lower drawers OF his desk and
took from II an American flag which
be solerunly drsped over the war map
on the wall Then. turning TO ne with
4 grim face. said:
-Hox about it sergeant. You had
better set out the muster roll OF the
Mounted Scouts. as / think they will
ee needed In the course Of few days"
We busted ourselves I'LL late in the
evening writing out emergency tele-
grams for the men TO report when the
call should come from Washington
Then we went home.
/ crossed over to New York. and as
/ went up Fulton street TO take the
subway TO Brooklyn, the lights in the
tall buildings Of New York seemed TO
be burning brighter than usual. as If
they, too. had read -Lusitania Sunk
American Lives Losti- They seemed
to be glowing with anger and righteous
indignation. and their rays wigwagged
the message. -Repayi-
Months passed the kilograms lying
handy, but covered with dust Then.
one momentous morning the lieutenant
with a sigh of disgust removed the
nag from the war map and returned
to his desk ] Immediately followed
this action by throwing the telegrams
into the wastehasket- Then We looked
at each other in silence He WAS
squirming in his chair and l felt de-
pressed and uneasy.
The telephone rang and I answered
IT. 1t was business call for me. re
questing my services for an out-of-
town assignment. Business was not
very good, 50 this was very welcome.
After listening to the proposition /
seemed to be swayed by a peculiarly
strong force within me, and answered
Il am sorry that cannot accept your
oner, but l am leaving for England
next week" and hung up the receiver.
The lieutenant swung around In his
chair. and stared at me in blank aston
ishment- A sinking sensation came
over me- but l defantly answered his
look with. well, its so. I'm going
And 1 went
The trip across was uneventfui. /
landed at Tilbury, England, then go;
into string of matchbox cars and
proceeded TO London. arriving there
about 10 p. m ! took room in a hotel
near St Pancras station for five and
six-fre extra" The room was minus
the fire. but the extra seemed to
keep me warm That night there was
a Zeppelin raid, but l didn't see much
of 1t. because the slit in the curtains
was too small and had no desire tc
make 1t larger. Next morning the tel
ephone bell rang. and someone asked
Are you thereT- was. hardly. Any
way. learned that the Zeps had re
turned to their fatherland- so 1 wen
out into the street expecting to se'
scenes of awful devastation and a COW
erfng populace, but everything wa
normal People were calmly proceed
ing to their work. Crossing tn
street, accosted a Bobbie with:
Can you direct me to the place o
dAmageT
He asked me, what damages"
In surprise. l answered why, th
damage caused by the Zeps."