The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-10-07
By DORA NOLAN

Then. oil unexpectedly, the "bil
push" ana Tor month Floyd aamoSr
slept on a motorcycle IS d dispatch
bearer. tearing over the roads d
France and eneounterine every organ
fzation ia his division bit hfs own b9t
TALON, which had been meantime de
tailed TO serve with the FRENCH.
Twice for a fevered hour he had
gotten into the ped food Of battf e, each
time with different and stranger unit
and gone through the chrndge IN
scathed. Then. BACK on the motorcy-
Gle. returning to division headquarters
after delivering a highly important
message to the commander Of a bat.
talon just -soing In" the end 81 the
World, Seemingly. had come out 81 the
shy Where a Hon bomber had evaded
the vigilance Of tne American scouts
and Floyd had found consciousness
on a train headed for base hospital
There he had remained for seven
weeks while the two broken and
mangied arms were restored to use
fulness. After that period In coD-
valescent hospital and one day an
order to report again to division head
quarters.
And all this time, and the rest of
the time over there, without one word
from home, not a sign from Beth-but
who could wonder2 Wars must be
fought as best they may, and soldiers
must be here OF there as the exigen-
cies Of the service demand, whether
one hears from the loved ones or not.
And Floyd Hobart was a soldier to
the marrow Of his bones. Too brave a
soldier and too true a man to doubt
the constancy Of the girl who had
promised to be his wife. just because
her letters had gone astray.
SO there was no shadow, no premo-
milton of evil, no cloud upon the strong
mans faith as the hurrying train car
ried him nearer and nearer to home
and to the happiness he had yearned
for all this frenzied year.
Floyd had wired Beth Hardwick that
he would arrive in the home town by
the train on which he was travelling.
There were many people on the sta
ton platform as the soldier, first pas
senger to alight, swung from the car
step. but his keen eyes found Beth's
erect and well-clad figure instantly.
Then 1t was that the first warning
came.
The girl had not yet seen him, and
as she scanned the trickle of detrain-
ing passengers Floyd could see none
of that eager anticipation, none of that
Joy of imminent welcome In her eyes,
Of which he had been so sure. Beth
was pale, and worry had stamped itself
upon her face.
In moment more she had seen him
and took step or two in his direction
as he hurried to her. But as she held
out her hand to him there was appre-
hension. nervous gayety and a queer,
unaccustomed air Of defiance, all at
the same time. Floyd's heart turned
to lead within him.
I'm very. very glad you're safely
back, Floyd" Beth said-and even as
she spoke, In constrained, unnatural
voice, hobart saw that the little soil
taire was gone from her left hand.
He drew her aside from the crowd
on the platform II can see, Beth"
he said. TELL me about it. I've learn
ed to stand things Who is it2"
And Beth told him.
II was Fred Terrell, Terrell Of
Floyd's own company-Terren the
lawyer, who had come home from the
training camp the week before the
regiment sailed, utterly cast down be-
cause at the last moment he had been
rejected by the medical officers on ac-
count Of lamentably imperfect vision.
He had almost wept as he told Beth
Of the bitter disappointment a strong
man suffers at being, against his pro-
tests and in conflict with his dearest
hopes, compelled to stay out of so glo-
rious q crusade.
Beth had felt 50 sorry for him And
then he had been so splendid afterward
had made such wonderful speeches
urging on the growth of the peoples
viii to victory, even consentlng to en-
ter politics. which he abhorred, so
that he might, In the state assembly,
lesd Ax sturdy patriotic aid to the
wan gUrernOr
And he had been such a miracle Of
kindness and consideration to Beth 10
her loneliness after Floyd had gone.
And somehow Floyd away over there
In the midst of the vast turmoil, en-
gagged in such heroic things. seemed
to need her so much less than this
disappointed friend at home. who
was denied the dearest aspiration Of a
patriotic young Americana
And-ah, well. Floyd would under
stand. And. anyway, he must have far
outgrown ordinary little Beth Hard
wick
Hobart took his sentence like the sol.
der be was. But he could not help
wishing, bitterly, that the Huns bomb
had fallen rod nearer
1t was Andrews. the major doctor,
just returned to civil life, who bullieG
his bosom friend, Floyd, into confess
ing what 1t was that had robbed life
of Its sunshine
There was no deceiying those wise
surgeon's eyes. And two days after.
ward Doctor Andrews deliberately put
himself into Beth's path.
Young woman" he said, Il want
you ~ come into Henri's with me and
have cup of chocolate I've some
thing cross to say to you" Laughing
ly Beth complied
Andrews. who had been the medi-
cal officer in charge of Floyd's and
Terrell's camp. talked straight and
true. Fred Terrell's mother is a splen-
did, proud American woman" he said
at last 1T would have killed her
to have it known that her son was a
yellow dog. And so l let the word get
back here that Terrell had been dis
charged for imperfect vision AS O