Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-01-03
FOR HER COUNTRY.
by sTELLA L. COLE.
copyright, 1915, by Mcclure Newspaper
s~yndicate)

'NAoS A<Aoic, 4 was AOptuk i WOUO
zee you" said Helen Sands to her
friend, Elsie Day, as they met on the
street. 1--WE girls are going on q snow
shoe hike tomorrow afternoon, and Of
course we want you to 60 with us. We
are going over through the woods to
my camp on W pond, have an
oyster stew for supper and snowshoe
back In the evening""
"Oh, Helen, I'd love to, but I haven't
any snowshoes! So I guess 1 can't 60
this timer !"
why, that's too badi But ! thought
you had some snowshoes you told me
III, first of the fall that you were go
ing to have some this winter, and so I
thought surely you would have them
by this time"
well, l did intend to buy some, but
/ have changed my mind. I'm sorry
not to be able to 60. for I know You
will have a dandy time, but i really
can't"
you Just bet that we are going to
have a dandy time! You know what
good oyster stews we girls can make,
and then the s~nowshoeing back by
moonlight"
"Oh, Helen, / know It will be Just
wonderful. and I shall be thinking Of
you every minute. But now / am In
q hurry to get home, SO I must say
good-by."
Helen Sands and Elsie Day were
members Of the Local Girls club. a
local organization. the purpose OF
which was to promote social and out
door life. s~nowshoeing was q feature
to be specially taken up this winter.
and the party on the morrow was the
first Of a series planned for the sea-
son. The club was for the most part
composed Of girls Of well-to-do fami-
lies, though q few working girls be-
longed. Elsie being n of that class.
Her position In life made 1t impossible
for her to take part in all the actvi-
ties, but being q particularly bright
and attractive girl, she had become
very popular, and her inability to go
on the morrow was really a great dis
appointment to Helen.
well, what do you think. girls"
said Helen that night, as they were
gathered In the clubroom making
their final preparations for the party.
"Elsie Day Isn't going with US tomor-
row. Says she hasn't any snowshoes.
which / think Is funny, for I know
~ that she has been planning on having
some for q long time"
"well, I know, too" spoke up Sadie
Reed, that she has been saving money,
q little every week, and she was tell
ing me only the other day that she had
enough saved, and that she guessed she
would buy the sn%owshoes soon. She
has talked more about s~nowshoeing
and seemed more enthusiastic over 1t
than any other one Of US, even those
who are veterans at snowshoeing. Per-
haps she Is getting stingy."
There, there, Sadie" spoke q third
girl. you're getting altogether too per-
sonal. II Elsie Day hasn't bought any
s~nowshoes most likely she has some
good reason for II, and It's none of u
business what the reason is. either !"
well, good, bad or Indifferent, she
hasn't any," replied Helen, "and when
I began to tell what a good time we
were going to have, she said she was
In a hurry to get home, and so rushed
off. I really wish she were going to-
morrow. 1t Is too bad for her to miss
the fun, and we shall miss her, too
she is such jolly good company
The week Of the Red Cross drive
had been a busy one and the member
ship lists were large. Mrs. Sands.
Helen's mother. a very popular society
lady, always foremost In the activities
Of the town, was general chairman OF
the local organization, and On the eve
ming of the closing day Of the CAM
paign she sat in her parlor, somewhat
tired from the weeks labor. TN
glad it's over" she said to Helen. i've
surely had q busy week. and a hard
one, too, it's worth It all just to see
the spirit Of the people. And what
surprised me most was the heartiness
with which the laboring class respond
ed. There's Elsie Day. for instnnce,
she took a IS membership, and hats
doing better than many Of the Wealthy
people. She must be CO. ng GOOD
money or she couldn't lrd to do
that, unless, Of course she has mace
some great sacrifice"
Helen turned o. pity and looked at
her mother. face glowing. "Well,
I call that I'D Of Elsie" she said.
.she Is = brick anyway and al
wavs to do her part. ] wish
n g more like her."
next evening ut the club Helen
n the girls with a serious face.
aGirls." she said. IT know why Elsie
Day bought no snowshoes. She has
deliberately chosen to 60 without them
40 that she could give fve dollars to
the Red Cross. TIL wager that there
isn't a girl among 10 here who has
given that amount. and we wouldn't
have had to make any sacrifice either.
Now what are we going TO do about
itf"
The girls looked at one another ~
Iently, then at last Sadie Reed spoke.
est guess said more disagreeabie
things about her than anyone else. 90
It's up to me 10 make the first move.
Imove that this club present Elsie Day
with a pair OF snowshoes. And ] say,