Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-23
THE GIRL WHO
ALMOST MISSED
BY Mary Douglass.
THE NEWSPAPER.
Chnntrr ININ.

SIGH uf relief IL WAS nil over. ! had seen
Jack and Peggy married in the rough
little mountain chapel that we had Griven
thirtv miles TO reach had left thcm at
Pine odcr. and now was going back alone
SO they lived happily ever after, the
fair, tales tell ms But thought bitterly
that the fairy prince was not man of
the world used to domination, used To
having hi own selfish way-was not, in
short, ol the Jack Madden type.
Nor was the charming fairy princess a
spoiled little girl Of eighteen, who be-
lived tho world should revolvc about her
httlc finger II Peggy had not been my own
SISTER. | might have had more sanglnne
hopes for her marriaEe-but ! knew her
nature So we'll
AtlcaSt she will non be poor, thought
She can have all the pretty clothcs and
furs and Jewels that she may wish for
! believe that Jack was generous But,
feared, She was not gong to have her
own way \ battle Of wills II would be
hut ! could only pray
II hc IS only strong and true and
tender | Thought and gave hall
conscious sigh pretty Peggy may be-
come n lovely woman with some other
thought than ~ herself Fui Il will do no
good for me - worry
! saw folded paper LIVING on the next
scat. and lcilncd across and picked u up
! read of the great war that had been
obhtcratcd from my WInd these last DAYS
as though o wet sponge had been wiped
across tho great outside world
Then | CaWc aCr,~s thus item
The special ccrrcsondcnt of the
Stars and Stripes sends story n
number III Americans who found them
selves III a she'll hole fifty feet from
Germ an machine glm Two of the men rad
bad head wounds and were choking With
THIRST II was necessary for some one I" 81
ont and c,It The cantecns loose from tw"
doad Germans. who law between the shril
hole and the German machine guns
You STAY here said tins partIcu-
lar hero "yua have . wife al home, ! n
alrcad, wounded I'm gong out g get
that water
Ere flow from the German machine
guns a. hc druw near tho coveted Cantcrn,
but hc got back safely with the water.
dropped that paper, moment, ana
gAycd uut of the window - the peaceful
flying country Then picked ltup, torcad
The story cited above, concerns
one ~ our own trSt heutcnants who
has hccn awarded the - ). Cross
First IIeut James kimball for extra
fIt1IltLFA lfAtINl4t 4ll - liNf-i l4AfAA '.''it'
So,~ ~trou~lv wounded earl, !u thc
engagement Lieut. Kimball continued
to direct the operations not only Of his
own platoon hut also Of another lie charged
and drove o.l the crew OF m enemy
machine Gun. supervised tho disposition
and dlggIug on Of a large part ot hls
company. and welded command only when
exhausted from pam and loss OF blood.
Home address Mrs James kmhau,
New York City
read Il al over again before ] could
believe Il was true. jamie My Jamie,
Then realized with sharp stab ot
anguish that he was not nv Jamie would
never bc, IN fact.
Yet ! could feel for his other per
hsps should run IN to New York when
reached my shack and see Mrs. KIM
bali / would want 70 hear al about JAIME
and read his letters and see hls Mother
happiness
BI, must not do il must not 1t
would opcn again the old wound, the
old longing and restlcssness which /
thought had conquered. but which
now. found. could be revived with
the thought OF his hcroism.
pictured JAIME as he must have
fought. that day. with his brown eyes
flashing and hIs hard Jaw set with pur-
pose could hear hIs sharp commands,
/ could sec him fall wounded and then
stand again Yet with that dauntless look
on his face with the inspiration Of his
glorious purpose. be had stood there
unit. al last be sank down fainting from
hIs wound
The tcars had filed my eyes, and I'M
noticed were pouring down my checks.
could see hat white, still face. as
thcy carried hiIn away On the strctcher
10 the first aid station Then ! could stand
u M longer covered my face with my
hand, and tired 10 blot out the picture
Il was all over, now-.Iamle was getting
well HI must be I'D some base hospital.
! should write 10 HIM
He had not asked TO me. nor had
ever heard from hun but surely he would
bc glad 70 hear from me. in those long
DAYS when he must lIa patiently waiting
10 get well J would forget that ] had
loved him would only think Of him as my
friend. and would tell him all the merry
things that ] could find IN my heart to
say.
How foolish ! has been Why had ]
never thought uf it before Why must
! stand back and take the old convention
a, the rIght one-that man must make
the first advances in friendship 1t might
save me. for instead Of storing up every
thing in my heart, ! could speak out
frankly To Jamie treat him rs would an
old friend
The hope sang little song of its own
INTO nv heart And as ] looked out on
The spring gladness J wrote in my mind
The opcuing page Of the letter 10 him.
Tomorrow Different Standards