Omaha daily bee., 1919-09-14
Affair
Another Love Affair
Of the Beautiful
Kathleen Clifford



the thrust OF her little arm through
his. She was laughing gaily and
injecting into the solemn, measured
step of the march a bit of her own
comedy.
when I 60 into battle" he was
saying as he stopped low that she
might catch his words above the
music, when I 60 into battle and
the sound of shot and shell is in
my ears, l hope | may hear that
merry, merry laugh OF yours. kath,
leen, urging me on, over the top!
Kathleen suddenly ceased the
comedy. The music stopped and
the marchers paused. Page and his
companion found themselves stand
ing in front of the fortune-telling
booth of the white robed seer. SAID
he: Shall we go in and see what
the fates have in store for us?"
do you dare" she answered.
archly.
Holding his hand underneath the
palmsts crystal, Winstanley and
Kathleen listened, as he read:
"A long, far trail, with white
moon SHINING field OF broken
twisted poppies-a thousand men IN
carnage-shafts of light exploding,
plunge through the air-craters
filled with men, dead men-others
forging ahead. The field is cleared,
the air is quiet All are gone over
the ridge. Nothing dawning and a
meadow lark lifts its song-a
wounded man raises his head to
listen--he smiles for he imagnes
vainly he hears the laughter OF his
sweetheart-I see HIM"
But Winstanley had thrust a silver
dollar into the seer's hand and
brushing roughly aside, he said: .
Come on! Do let's get out OF
this, for heavens sake. Let's get
out into the cool, fresh air, Kath-
leenw A paleness enve,oped him
and the perspiration stood on his
forehead. Let's get out into the
air!"
"And consult more STARS" she
bantered, as they moved slowly
through the crowd, now in the maze
of waltz. What would you have,
Winnie, a soldiers fortune, or be a
soldier of fortune.
But the following day, as she
stood on the very edge OF the pave
ment and waved flag while Win
stanley Page and his regiment
marched away, the little star and
musical comedy artistic experienced
an altogether new and a somewhat
singular pang of regret that hitherto
had been a stranger. For she loved
laughter and youth and believed
that tears were for the old, the love-
less, the forsaken, and never were
they meant to be her portion.
Every homeward bound ship car
ried a letter from its soldier man
and every outgoing one took mis-
sive to him. She wrote of the new
est songs on Broadway and de-
scribed infinitely the latest dancing
steps, but always, in between the
line she breathed a prayer tor his
safety. Page in turn wrote of the
bravery of the Salvation Army las
sizes and how good their chocolate
tasted and assured Kathleen that
he was not returning until ne and
his fellows had smashed. Berlin.
And so a year and a half passed
away.
Then came the late afternoon
when her telephone bell rang and
she listened to a strange, deep voice
announcing the arrival Of soldier
from France with message from
the front for her, which must be
delivered in person.
The little Clifford dressed very
carefully for the arrival of the SOL
der from France with the message
from the front which must be de-
livered in person. From the very
| farthermost recesses of her ward
robe, she dragged forth frock Of
coral silk, and at the last moment
bethought herself of a certain gor-
geous fan of scarlet feathers. 1t
was so that she received the SOL
der, standing very erect and very
proudly and with smile, as he
clanked into her drawing room and
bowed stiffly as he saluted her.
A little cry of fear escaned the
daintily roughed lips:
ooh! Why, l was sure-so sure
it was Captain Winstantley Page
he-tell me-quickly, what is it"
L yes, MANI saw i'm die.
nam. l 'eld i'm in me arm so,
nam! We was together in No
Mans Land. I'd a shot ere in me
leg and e 'ad one in is ed, nam.
but e said as 'ow I was to find you,
and tell you French medder lark
sang a song as he passed out. and
l was to be sure and give you this,
mann"
The soldier opened his coat and
took from it a packet which he
gravely handed to the wide-eyes lit
tie figure in the pink silk frock be-
hind the wavering scarlet fan.
1t was handful of faded, broken
ctentned oopo;es