The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-07-11
THE.DAMY
SHORT STORY
Greetings to a Soldier.
:. By HiLDA MORRIS.

.. By HlLDA MOkhIS.
(OODyTi6ht, 1918, BY the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate)
Wi1 q window full OF greeting
oafds, the sort that people send
nowadayS for every occasion. ap-
noGoDtIy, except funerals. Cards for
OIflf1ayD, cards for weddings, cards
% congratulate you on all sorts Of hap
p1nines, cards with patriotic sentL
mainland on each verse, supposed.
y clever, and . picture Of some sort,
aIluFingiy colorful.
Justine paused before the window,
attracted BY It's gay display. II was
Saturday afternoon. her day off" and
she had nothing else TO do but wander
among the shops, looking in on lovely
hats and blouses and flowers which
Ahe could not afford to buy. This win:
dow however, was different. She
could buy cards. that Is II she had any
one to whom TO send them. Today
most Of the cards seemed to be for
soldiers, the verses told how proud
some one was Of them. and how some
body Ionged TO see a certain soldier
again. Justine looked and most earn
estly wished that she knew a soldier
10 whom she might send card. She
was doing 90 very little about the war.
anyway. She mad no time 70 knit, and
70 money to give. II might help
very little 10 send one OF these bright
cards to some nomesick boy in far
away camp. But the trouble was she
did not know any soldiers. Since she
had come to the city JGstine's days
RAD been too full OF work 70 afford
many chances for meeting men, and
the days back home in Oldport were
now 20 far away. She racked he-
brains trying to think OF some one 20
whom she might send one OF these
friendly greetings.
There was Mr.. Evans, from the
office. but she hardly knew him wcl
enough. And Bert Holmes, from Old
port, but he was engaged to another
giri; perhaps It would not do. The
only soldier whom she could think Of
who might be pleased 70 hear from her
was the little Pratt boy at home. who
had once been in her Sunday school
class. OF course, nc was not a little
boy any longer, he must be twentyone
~ least. But lie would remember her,
she felt sure. and doubtless he would
like to receive a card from the big city,
So she went in and chose the very
prettiest card of all, ba owed a pen
from the stationer and idressed It
On second thought she found that she
vas not quite sure what the Pratt
boys first name was. Charles--Clare
Ece-Curtis--,hat was it. Curtis
Curtis Pratt had n very familiar
sound; she wrote the name firmly,
addressed It to the Long Island camp
whlre she had heard that the Pratt
boy was stationed. and mailed il.
Then she forgot all about it.
But two days later. much 10 hcr sur.
price, there came q note TO her from
= Curtis Pratt. He had received the
card. and YVES very much pleased. He
thought II was 20 good Of her 20 re
member him. He should veFy much
like 70 hear from her again. Il she had
time. q lettor telling something about
herself.
Justine was quite ilattered II Is not
often that boy remembers his Sun
day School teachers with such cour'
tesy and interest So che wrote tho
letter, and q motherly scrt OF epistle
Il was. She scarcely expected an an
swcr to It. but few days later tho
answer came. He was 10 have leave
next Sunday; could he come to sec
her?
Now. this was something that had
never before happened to Justine since
she came to the city. Her Sundays
had been lonely days. given over to
church and books and washing her
hair and solitary walks In tho park.
Tc have q nice boy call on her was
something which she had long given
uD hoping for. The very though OF il
sent q delightful little thrill through
her. She wrote to him TO come, and
Sunday morning she stayed home from
church and washed her hair in his
fouor. She looked disgracefuily
young for an ex.teacher about TO greet
her pupil; her hair curlei about her
ears in q delightful style that reminded
one. somehow, Of yellow spring things.
AND her eyes were altogether too dan.
gerously blue for teacher to possess.
especially II she wears a blue dress
that accentuates their color. Justine
was twenty.seven years old, but she
looked about sixteen when she came
down into the little clearinghouse
rarlor TO greet Curtis Pratt, her OK
pupil.
The tall soldier who was seated BY
the window rose upon her entrance,
thereby revealing himself to be very
tall indeed. and Of much broader pro-
portions than she associated with little
Curtis Pratt.
why, how you have grown!" ex-
claimed Justine. II didn't think"
And then. with widening eyes, she
saw that this was not her Sunday
School pupil at all. He had never
hooked like that. with such straight
noso and such very brown eyes. He
had been q blonde.
Whwy you-you aren't Curtis
pTatt!" she accused him breathlessly.
- AZ nalIlarts N,,r 40 lo0l,