The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-07-29
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Soldier the Seventh.
Nv Dorothy DOUGLAS.
~ BOHOl ~ gOSNLHo'
Copyright, 1915, by the McClui

Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate)
~ lucinda purled the last row on
her seventh sleeveless sweater
SIX Of the boys she had grown
up with already had their warm
Khaki sweaters somewhere in
France" and this seventh one she
would send 70 John Watson.
Lucinda did not know so well as
the others, but many a pleasant after
noon she had with him in her studio
before he. like the rest Of the brave
boys, had Joined the fighting com.
rades. She knew. however that h.
was waiting for the sweater and she
had knitted as fast as her fingers
could fling the needles
When It was finished Lucinda put
q suggestion Of sachet in the woody
folds. It would remind John Of fem
iDinity. She felt sure he would Ike
that familiar scent. Also she tucked
IN some schocolate and many pack.
ages OF his favcrite cigarettes
Her letter was long and gossipy
Lucinda tried, in all her letters TO the
soldier boys, 10 give them a touch
Of home; a feeling that they were
still near and dear 10 her and a part
Of the daily life at home. She told
him OF the stories she had written
and the exact size OF the cheques for
same. John and she had spent many
happy hours talking plot, for John
had written a poem or two and was
deeply interested IN writing.
L seemed an unusually long time
before she heard from France. She
supposed JohE's regiment had gone
into action. Perhaps that was the
delay.
But when word came from the
sweater Il was in another handwriting
than that Of John Watson.
LuelndaS fair head dropped for
ward and she shook with terrific
sObs. John was the first Of her seven
brave fighting friends TO fall in bat
tie.
When her tears permitted her to
continue the letter she found the con.
tents peculiarly touching.
He, the soldier who had written II.
was Johns closest pal. They had
stood side BY side IN the trenches.
and / wish the shell had taken
me rather tnan John" the letter ran.
HE had much TO live for, while I'm
one Of the lonely soldiers you read
about. John has spoken Of you TO me
and | know you're the kind Of girl
that would want me to take the
sweater you made for John. need II
badly and know he would want me
10 have II. The package came Just
after John fell. ! read the letter and
shared the cigarettes and chocolate
with the rest OF the boys. II you have
q moment for G lonely soldier please
write me as you would have John.
have knocked about the world a lot
and am enclosing q bunch OF plots
that may help you with your writing.
u they dO-there are heaps more
where these came from" The letter
continued IN o way that quite touched
Lueinda's heart. She knew, without
the letter Of proof, that there were
many, many lonely soldiers, and she
wished with all her heart that she
could reach and help more Of them.
She wrote back a long letter and
cent more cigarettes and chocolate
80 we'll 90 WTlStlets and O helmet. She
made minute inquiry as to any spe-
cial requirements he had and thanked
him for the plots he had sent.
While letters and messages we're
crossing the wide ocean Lucinda wrote
q story that brought her in the big
gost cheQue she had received from
any magazine. The vivid bits OF life
that David Mcleod, the seventh sol.
der, had sent her had added a strong
touch Of reality to her work.
She wrote him Of the success Of tho
story and told him that sha was put.
ting half the eheque in q little bank.
when you come over to America az.
ter the war;" she wrote, I'VE will
spend all your half Of the cheQue max
ing you forget the tragedy Of war.
am spending mine all on soldiers
doing Just the little things that l
can"
Lucinda and David continued their
strange correspondence and found
much pleasure in It. Her stories i'm.
proved wonderfully and the small
bank for the returning soldier became
bulgy with cheques.
But the day came when Lucinda
waited IN vain for an answer to her
letters. She tried to be brave about
this second loss but II was difficult
Somehow she felt very very near to
David. His frank manner Of entering
into her life and the strange appeal
n his lonelinGrs had wrapped them.
selves rather closely about her.
After long days OF depression when
she had cute given up hope that Da.
ViQ vas one Of the living heroes, she
had q letter from q hospital in France.
They almost got me-" he wrote,
but I'm pulling through like a team
Of American mules. Guess It takes
more than a bunch OF Boches to kill
this globe trotter. I'm coming over
% your country when my wounds arS
sufficiently healed to let me travel.
need not say that / await with IN.
tene SpleaSuro the day when can see
with my physical eyes the girl who
has been 80 wonderful a pal fo-
q lonely soldier. ! am getting q lot
more material for you-hsre in the
hospital have lost . leg, but cheer
up-I have another left"
Lucinda put down her head again
and cried. The tears were happy and
might have sent tiny flowers spring.
ing up had they fallen on earthly gar.
dens. But she dried them and started
on the long wait until the day when
David Mcleod would enter in person
into her life.