The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-08
WELCOME NOTES


WELCUME MULES
Continued from Page One.)
The last train had unloaded and
the crowd around the depot was be-
ginning to thin out. Near the edge of
the roped-off space on the north side
a member of Battery A and a girl
stood apart. Not a word was being
spoken; they were just standing look
ing at each other. 1t was one of those
moments of heavenly happiness when
the tongue becomes dumb, words fail
and the eyes speak for the soul, as
only the eyes of lovers can speak.
A call for Dick Newman went out
from the section where relatives and
returned heroes were being brought
together. Dick Newman is a State
Journal man in Battery A. Paul Nor
gan, another State Journal man.
smiled his way thru the crowd, meet
ing old friends on every side. Then
there was Ralph Davis and SerSt. Maj
San farrell, both former State Journal
men.
Two pretty Lawrence girls were so
enthused over meeting two of their
boy friends as the train pulled thru
the university city that they stayed
right on the train and rode with the
boys to Topeka. Here. they had the
time of their young lives at the dance
al the. Elks club.
One section didn't stop at the Union
Pacific station. The train pulled
across Kansas avenue and way down
to, the yards. And, if you think hob
bleskirts are any impeachment on speed
you should have seen the excellent
time made by Topeka girls in follow
ing that train into the yards.
AS the train pulled in man with
a babe in his arms saw his brother in
the car window. Running alongside
the car the man held the babe high
and the soldier boy played with the
kid while the train was in motion.
A tall. husky artilleryman was plow-
ing thru the crowd to the street car
track his right arm around his moth
er and the left around his sister, the
father was doing rear guard maneu-
YER stepping on the heels of all of
them in an effort to hear everything
that was said That old girl out
there in the bay sure looked good to
me-" was the remark he made as they
passed out of hearing.
Mother a mans voice called
huskily. My boy, my baby boy"
woman sobbed in a panicky voice
They rushed into each others arms
Their converse ton. tho, was limited
to those first remarks repeated over
and over. But it was enough. Three
other soldiers stood close by. Evident
ly they were expecting no relatives in
Topeka. They stood and looked on
with amused, happy, satisfied smiles
on their faces. I've got you now and
I'm never going to let you go again"
the mother sobbed, her face wreathed
in smiles but with tears streaming
from her eyes. That's the stuff"
said one of the soldiers near by, as he
patted the happy mother on the Shout
der. you've got him now and don't
let him get away" Boy howdy.
said the soldier. Il don't want away"
Aren't you proud of those two god
stripes" a girl murmured softly to her
soldier sweetheart. Yes, hon." he
answered. but there is one more
stripe 1 will be a lot gladder to get.
red chevron. You wear it right up
here" And he pointed to the upper
part of his left arm. Il won't begin
to breath easy until 1 get it either"
John, wasn't there a single French
girl-well, that you sort of liked pretty
well, you know said a girl. she
looked up at her sweetheart half sus-
picious jealousy mingled with a love
unquestioned in her eyes. He turned
and looked at her seriously. NO,
babe, there wasn't soldier in this
mans army ever fell for any of those
French danes Say, they just didn't
have class enough for bunch OF
buddies like us. And listen to me,
Sweet, there never was and never will
be another girl like you. Compre? ?"
From her smile she evidently did. It's
a great old story when you tell it right
and that boy was good
It has been { long time since many
soldiers wearing the crossed gun in
sigma Of the artillery have been seen
on the streets of Topeka. Today the
artillery insigne was out in full force.
1T sure looks mighty fine TO see the
little collar buttons with the number
1870 on Them said a man on the
streets this morning.
q don't know what to do in this
place" said soldier easing his way
thru the mob at the station. If they
were all soldiers you could say. Gang
way there Hot stuff comm But
they are mostly women. I guess you
just have to knock EN- down
A boy was unconsciously, happily
humming he ia Da" tune His SOL
der brother regarded him with the
deepest interest. a Whimsical smile on
his face. Sing the words to that
der was complied with. What's that
-jing jung tune-are those the
words?" "Hmmm. that's funny. You
know that song was new to us when
we hit New York At the hostess
house we played it over about a hun
dred times trying to learn the words
We thought the people of the good
old U S A had suffered a decline and
were becoming like the French people.
Ia a ri haf n