Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-08-20
FATE AND BILLY
BY ANNA L. SMITH.
Copyright, 1919, Mcclure Newspaper Syn


Some one had sent Billy a local pa
per and, 1000 miles from home, incl
dents heretofore considered unworthy
of attention were read with absorbing
interest. France, with its thousands
of fighting comrades, its continued ex-
element and impending danger was
lonely place, lonelier than Bridgeburg
had ever been.
Seeming to stand out among the
personalities" was a familiar name.
Miss Elizabeth Brown" so the column
announced, was spending, the summer
with her aunt"
Elizabeth Brown" Billy wrinkled
his brow perplexedly, then memory
came to him. This was "Betty Brown"
of course, black-eyed, jolly Betty, his
companion of past vacations. Betty
had come out from the city, then, to
spend her summer with her aunt.
To Billy, somewhere in France"
came vision of the town of his child
hood, the white house with its flowers
and vines, where saucy Betty had held
sway.
What sort of a young person had
Miss Elizabeth Brown become? he
wondered. With the requirement of
her first long skirt, her visits to
Bridgeburg had ceased. Following a
sudden impulse, Billy drew card to-
ward him. lie would surprise her with
O message from overseas.
"Do you recall" he hastily wrote,
"a youthful admirer, Billy West? Used
to devote himself to you when you
stopped in Bridgeburg? Well, this is
from Bill I'm fighting for Uncle Sam
now, and a fairy has whispered your
name to me over in France. Won't
you send liner"
When the card was dispatched, Billy
wondered at his own temerity.
'Oh, WE'LL no harm done; she need
not answer" But she did.
'What do you know" he murmured
to himself, and perused the letter.
Miss Brown honestly confessed that
she couldn't recall exactly the identity
of Bill West. But if he was the good
natured boy Handsome, slyly inserted
Miss Brown, who used to let her
tyrannize over him when she visited
at Aunt Lucy's, she'd be glad now to
make amends by adopting him in a
certain way, as her soldier, forwarding
to him little things which might add
to his comfort, and also be generally
useful.
hnfh
che must not consider her a foolishly
romantic person or anything like that,
for she was merely trying to help, in
spirit of pure patriotism. And if Mr.
West knew of any other lonely soldier.
aer assistance could also be extended
to him."
Billy did not know of any. He
fastened to tell her so.
Throughout his long homeward jour
ney Billy thou%ht Of the girl who had
written him letters of inspiration and
courage. "What kind little soul she
was!" Then Billy paused in his pleas
ant meditatiOns.
'Iittle? How did he know? She
might be tall neither had Betty been
prepOssessing in her appearance. His
boyish respect, Billy realized, had been
won by her sheer domination. He had
fallen in love; yes, there was no doubt
of it, with Elizabeth Brown, on paper.
And she?
She had confessed that romance
dwelt not in her she had been unable
honestly to recall his identity. Billy
sighed. HE would personally thank
his benefactress for her letters; then
perhaps that would be the end" His
own sister added to the quandary.
elizabeth Brown, who used to live
next door," She answered his ques-
ton. "Why, she was married last
week. They showed me the invita-
tions!"
White-faced and more shaken in dis
appointment than he would have
thought possible, Billy, the soldier,
passed down the Bridgeburg street,
then on to his boyish haunt near the
stream.
A girl sat on the messy bank. She
was engaged in knitting, but she raised
her blue eyes at BlllyS approach
gravely regarding him; then she
smiled.
81 see you have followed me-" said
the girl. 81 came away from home be-
fore you should call, in order to save
you embarrassment. Last night only
realized your mistake When your re-
turn was mentioned aunt referred to
your boyish devotion to my cousin
Elizabeth, who has recently married"
She laughed. Probably my own Wis
its escaped your notice, Mr.. West. L
was much of child at that time. And
So" Elizabeth Brown rose to go, I'VE
will consider the matter dismissed"
Billy looked into the lovely face be-
fore him. 1t was of such face he
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