The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-05-30
Her PRIVATE
BY ESTHER r. HARRINGTON.

~SSeS S"AS A"~S
seats-and a five-hour ride" she sigh
ed as she directed her steps toward
the waiting train. Its tiresome
enough riding, but to be in an ordinary
day coach, probably SO crowded that
I'll have to sit beside q 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
filled 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, us this seat
taken?" Edna glanced up into the
tanned face of a soldier, evidently a
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 a
look Of pain pass across it, replaced
Immediately by a grin, as the grip fell
into place.
II guess you must have been a lit
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-
hending-"Oh. did I look hurt?' Then,
with an amused grin, mo, Fritz didn't
do it-just a bump"
"But,' persisted the girl, "you have
been scrapping with him, haven't
you?"
Rather" grimly replied h 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 l reached his side
of the water, and it just seems as II !
must get some of it out Of me"
II don't believe you could bore me
at all. Why, just think, we have been
riding nearly three hours and 1t
La-rs% .o.r, VAC ,,jnrJtac HI1t Won
haven't told how or why you obtained
the wound stripe on our sleeve. Did
you get a bullet in your arm!
mo, MI. Boche gave me a taste of a
bullet in my leg which laid me up for
a while, but the fact that my arm
hurts-well, really, really now, I'm not
a bit proud of that bump. Why, |
could have fallen out of our grocers
truck right at home and broken my
arm, but to continue; after recovering
from my wound l 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 l 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 il
bothers a bit. Now that isn't half as
heroic as-why, gracious, girl, wha'
are you looking at me like that for!'
"WhyII 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 n letter sen
through the Red Cross in 1917, ant
we've been corresponding ever since
For positive proof l can quote you
last letter: Tn writing this with m.
left hand, as l fell from h rear OF
motortruck and broke my right arm
This is too much like work, SO don
worry if you fail to receive a lette
from me for a little while One o
two of your other stories sounded yer.
familiar, but l couldn't exactly plac
them
land you're Edna Sheridan" eS
claimed the soldier. almost too SUI
prised to speak.
Suddenly, without warning. bot
young people began to laugh, as II
were a huge joke
"What-what are you laughing at!
gasped Edna, tears standing In he
twinkling eyes.
Paul composed himself long enoug
to say: "Now that l think OF 1t, 81
cause in your last letter you refuse
to accept my invitation to let me ca
on you when l returned. and here al
sitting right beside you. Do you sd
stand by your statement3"
Soberly Edna said: ITO tell you tn
truth. after l wrote that letter I va
sorry, because when I found out whel
you lived, l write to my auntie IN tn
same town, where I am on my way
visit now, and she said she knew yot
mother very well and had seen q pi
ture Of you. which-Oh. well. she sal
your picture certainly looked well 9
thA niano. and that you weren't ar