The Meeker herald., 1919-02-08
THE FAIRY WISH
BY HlLoA mAIs,a
Copyright, 1918. by the Mcclure Nswsps.
.1s i.'stsf. - per Syndlcats.)


4 tic about Elsie Boggs. She was near
.ly thirty, with sandy red hair and
!. spectncles. She lived alone with q
!, querulous maiden aunt, and she had
!. never. SO fur as anyone knew. had =
Glover.
. When we entered the war the ladies
! of the StIllvllle Aid society. like the
ladies' of other aid societies all over
. the country. began to knit for the SOL
diers. There were strange things dis
5 cussed ut their meetings In those days.
To Elsie Boggs 1t was all like page
! from one of her stories. preferably q
historical one.
For many years she had had a habit
of wondering what would happen II
certain conditions were thus and 30,
and now, quite suddenly. she caught
herself wondering what would happen
II the soldier for whom she was knit
ting particularly fine sweater should
learn that she had knit 1t.
Aunt Hattie's voice cut In upon this
reverie.
II hear Bud Emery has enlisted"
Aunt Hattie said, as she came In from
the street. "There amt going to be
young man left In this town. I don't
know what we're coming tot"
"Bud Emery?" echoed Elsie. ''Well.
he's not so very young. He used to be
in our class In school. He's thirty
anyway"
However. It would be dlhlcult to i'm.
agine Bud Emery as figure Of ro-
nance. He was more freckled than
she, with the sandy hair that bristled
fercely all over his head: He had q
feed store.
As Elsie went ON with that extra fine
sweater. a daring idea came to her.
Never before In her life had she put
one bit Of her sentimental thought Into
action. Now she was possessed with
a desire to label that sweater, so that
the soldier who got 1t could come to
dnd her II he chose. Furthermore. a.
she worked she knitted into 1t what
she tried to imagine was 4 fairy wish:
a wish that he would want to flnd
her..
The sweaters were designed for some
far-Off Red Cross station, 20 Elsie felt
quite sure that no one she knew would
ever see the slip of paper that she
folded Into the garment. 1t bore her
name and address. and 1t might be
that some time she would hear from
the man who received It.
Elsie saw Bud Emery before he went
away to camp, and tried to fancy how
he would look in khaki uniform. He
was so big and shambling. 80 awkward
and shy! It was hard to imagine him
erect md trim. yet she knew that he
would make fine soldier; Bud Emery
WINS true blue.
The weeks went by after she had
sent away that sweater, and nothing
happened. Perhaps It took time for
the articles to reach their destination.
perhaps her sweater had been lost on
the way, or perhaps the man who got
1t had not noticed the slip or cared to
write to her II he had. And 30, event.
ually, Elsie gave up thinking about 1t.
After all, she was red-haifed old
maid. and would be sad disappoint-
ment to any soldier. She had been a
fool to dream Of romance. The army
might make the men over, but nothing
could make her over. Her part was
Just to stay at home and knit.
And then, one day. there came a let
ter for Elsie. She rarely received let
tiers, and this one was addressed In an
unfamiliar hand. very large and black,
almost as IL man had written 1t.
She opened 1t with fast.beating
heart, and hastily scanned one page !;
Scamp Devons," 1t was headed. And
strangely enough. It began: Dear
Elsiel"
Yesterday they gave US out some
knitted things that the Red Cross had
sent around, and what do you think
gotf sweater with little slip Of
paper inside 1t. couldn't understand
at first how your address had come
there, until realized that 1t must have
been you, Elsie. who made that sweat
er. Isn't 1t funny that should get
It'll tell you like that sweater. and
when think that you made 1t I like
1t all the more.
"Some people say that It Is easier
to write things than 1t is to say them,
30 maybe that is why I can say now.
on paper, what have wanted to say
to you for years and years. And that
is, Elsie. that love you. You might
have guessed 1t before, should think,
but you know how funny am and
afraid to talk much. But now I have
told you that I shall never be afraid
to talk to you again. that is II you will
let me. have leave next week and
plan to come home for a few days, and
i want to come to see you, so we can
talk 1t over. Let me know, Elsie,
how you feel about this. OF course, I
don't suppose you care for me, but
maybe you could"
The letter was signed bud Emery"
Elsie dropped 1t to the floor and stood
staring straight ahead. Her ewes. he-