The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-02-09


didn't want to come here. But lie
wanted a leave badly enough He was
tired in body and spirit, tired of The
restraint of army life. tired of doing
| what he was told. He, ached to get
out of the routine, to be his own mas
ter to do the forbidden things.
fear he wanted to cut loose. Not that
he was bad. He was merely young
and for months he had been holding
himself in rigid self-control, making
| long, painful hikes. living in the lnul,
| going through the hell of war. That
| is why he didn't want to go % AK.
/ Some one had told him that there he
would have to rise by the clock. en-
! JOY himself as he was told by the
Y NJ. C. A. people, and go to bed at
| nine o'clock-just like kid tied to
a nurses apron strings.
But he had been a good soldier, he
/ needed the leave, and Captain said,
Better 60" and that amounted to an
| order SO Doughboy went. Buddy
| went along, which helped a little
They reached AK one evening, and
| there at the station-just as Dough
| boy had thought-was the Y. NJ. c. A.
man nurse" who assigned and led
them to their hotel In the foyer
a spacious white and gold place, with
two fireplaces in which beautiful
honey logs were glowing-they were
lined up for the inevitable speech
Doughboy scowled, and hoped it would
be quickly over. 1t was, boys, this
is your home while you're in Alix.
You'll be your own BOSSES do what
you please. make your own hours. Re
port at headquarters the day your
leave expires. And have good time
That was all Even though the army
had given the Y. NJ. c. A. complete
charge of leave area entertainment,
Gee" said Buddy. What do You
know about that?"
Doughboy knew nothing at all about
it: he was too dazed to think And
then he had another shock. They We're
: shown their room-all white and blue;
with two glass doors for windows, and
! several great mirrors. And on one side
were two objects which were certainly
out of the routine. Doughboy went
over and touched one; it seemed real.
He set upon it tentatively; it did not
give way.
Gee" said Buddy. Beds Hey,
/: what you doin' there?"
Doughboy had begun to undress with
furious haste. There may have bean
a strain Of Irish in his blood. for his
answer was I'm goin' to get to sleep
in there before I wake up, seei"
When he did wake up it was broad
daylight and he was luxuriously IN
the bed, in the same wonderful room.
the like OF which he had never seen
before. And there was Buddy, snug
under the covers. smoking a cigarette
and grinning at him.
They planned with care how they
would get "zigzag." While they We're
at it a gong sang. Chow. I reckon"
And they dressed in a hurry, splashed
cold water on their faces, and chased
breakfast At table. with dishes and
knives and forks and a napkin. Stand
ing before the coy fire for a cigar
another division. Machine Gunner
though his was the crack division and
had the toughest fighting. Dough
boy knew better and explained the
case with detail citing Hill Two hun
dred and something and Bots de This
and That to prove his point. Machine
Gunner was a pretty good scout at
that. and was invited to join the zig
gag adventure. Machine Gunner.
however, was going to have swim ut
the baths and after dinner planned
some billiards at the Y. NJ. c. y.
Swim and Buddy almost gasped.
billiards. Doughboy whatdaya say"
Now Buddy was prince. and You
would do n good deal for him. So
Doughboy said That's Jake" and
they went to the baths. Doughboy had
forgotten what a luxury it was to soak
and soak in clean, hot water. 1t didnc
cost a sou either. which left more
francs for cutting loose But it was
dinner time when they came out OF
the baths. After dinner they Went
to the "Y"
Doughboy's mouth hung agape when
he saw it. \ huge white palace; in
side. a spacious hall after hall, and
a real theatre; forest of pillars, Won
derful ceilings, electric lights every
where. Doughboy had wondered why
so few soldiers were on the streets;
they were here. several thousand OF
them. reading. writing. lounging and
chatting, lunching, buying at the can
teens, singing al the pianos, playing
checkers or quoits billiards: and
they were not in each others way,
either.
No wonder Buddy liked billiards. he
was a shark at it He beat Machine
Gunner and Doughboy easily. Dough
boy didn't mind that. In fact. it was
three o'clock before he knew it. And
suddenly a band crashed into sound
II vas a very good band. Gee" said
Buddy And. led by Machine Gun
ner they quit billiards for seat ur-
der the dome. Now Doughhoy d:dn'5
love music" but he liked IT, ami thu
band was playing swinging. rollicz-
ing thing. with parts where the wood
and the drums carried on alone ami
made YOU want 10 grin and your foot /
beat time. It was rather pleasant sit |
ting there, smoking and listening -and |
comfortably that cutting