The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-06-26
HER PRIVATE
BY ESTHER r. HARRINGTON.


enough riding, but to be in an ordinary
day coach, probably so crowded that
I'll have TO sit beside a lady with two
wailing youngsters" but here she
broke off her reflections to smile at
this alarming situation.
Fortunately, she was early enough
to secure a seat by herself. The train
filed up rapidly and at the last minute
people were hurriedly looking for
seats, slowing away baggage and re-
moving wraps.
Edna slipped out of her heavy coat,
procured a current magazine from the
suitcase at her feet and was settling
herself to read when a pleasant mas
culine voice inquired. SIS this seat
takenT Edna glanced up into the
tanned face of a soldier, evidently
recent arrival from across the water.
Upon Edna's statement in the mega
tive, the young man started to place
his grip in the rack above. Edna no
ticed his face suddenly whiten and
look of pain pass across it, replaced
Immediately by a grin, as the grip fell
into place.
tie too close to Fritzie at some time or
other?" she ventured, smiling at her
companion.
The soldier turned with a look of
surprise, and then apparently compre-
bending -"Oh. did look hurt?" Then,
with an amused grin, ''No, Fritz didn't
do it-just a bump"
But persisted the girl, 'yOu have
been scrapping with him, haven't
you?"
Rather" grimIy replied the soldier
lad. "Ill say SO at any rate. Why,
back in July, when" and he started
in to relate an adventure bringing him
within close range of the barbarous
Hun. The girl at his side was en-
crossed at once,
Many questions asked by Edna
brought forth intelligent stories until
finally the soldier exclaimed: "Why,
I'll talk you to pieces, I'm afraid. But
you see, you are the very first person
that I've had a chance to sit down and
talk with since 1 reached this side
Of the water, and it just seems as if
must get some of it out of me-"
ST don't believe you could bore me
at all. Why, just think, we have been
riding nearly three hours and it
doesn't seem three minutes. But you
haven't told how or why you obtained
the wound stripe on your sleeve. Did
you get bullet in your arm?"
mo, Mr.. Boche gave me taste Of
bullet in my leg which laid me up for
a while, but the fact that my arm
hurts-weil, really, really now, I'm not
a bit proud of that bump. Why, 1
could have fallen out Of our grOcer's
truck right at home and broken my
arm, but to continue; after recovering
from my wound I was one day riding
along in a motortruck, sitting at the
rear with my feet lacked up in front
of me. Suddenly the car went over a
gOOd-sized stone and was thrown out.
Striking on a sharp rock caused the
fracture of my right arm. And al
though it's pretty well fixed up now,
once in a while I twist it so that it
bothers a bit. Now that isn't half as
heroic as-why, gracious, girl, what
are you looking at me like that for?'
'Why-I know who you are. You're
Private Paul Crane-aren't you?
THAT'S me, all right"
''You are the soldier who received
my Christmas package and letter sent
through the Red Cross in 1917, and
we've been corresponding ever since.
For positive proof I can quote your
last letter: I'm writing this with my
left hand, as fell from the rear Of
motortruck and broke my right arm.
This is too much Ike work, so don't
worry if you fail to receive a letter
from me for a little while One or
two of your other stories sounded very
familiar, but I couldn't exactly place
them"
land you're Edna Sheridan!" ex-
claimed the soldier, almost too sur
prised to speak.
Suddenly, without warning, both
young people began to laugh, as If it
were huge joke.
''What-what are you laughing att"
gasped Edna, tears standing in her
twinkling eyes.
Paul composed himself long enough
to say: "Now that think of it, be
cause in your last letter you refused
to accept my invitation to let me call
on you when I returned, and here am
sitting right beside you. Do you still
stand by your statement?"
Soberly Edna said: "To tell you the
truth, after I wrote that letter was
sorry, because when found out where
you lived, write to my auntie in the
same town, where am on my way to
visit now, and she said she knew your
mother very well and had seen a pic
ture OF you, which-Oh, well. she said
your picture certainly looked well on
the piano, and that you weren't any
over forty anyway" And her big eyes
twinkled gayly.
els Mrs George Sheridan your auntf
If so, I guess I'll have to come over
some night and tell her that owe her
vote OF thanks for the box OF candy
she sent me once-and perhaps you
Will be thereY
Perhaps" teased the girl, as she
buttoned her coat about her-for the
conductor had announced the name. OF
their station-and the ave hours had
fed, almost unheeded.
(Convrf1h1 1919 by the MeCiura NaUs-