The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1919-06-06

1t happened right here in Coblenz.
A big corporal came into the Y. w.
C. A. Hostess House and asked for the
! director, Miss Ruth WOodsmall, who
comes from Colorado Springs, Colo.
Gould my mother stay here?" he
began at once, trying his best to cover
ihis excitement.
"Your motherw gasped Miss Wood
small. "How did your mother ever get
here?"
Il "Well, she isn't here yet, but II she
comes will you keep her%
"0f course win, but"
She didn't finish, for the boy had
smashed his cap back on his head and
| Twas out OF the door on run.
The cOrporal's visit remained mys-
tery for two days. Then one evening
| Just at dusk little white haired wo-
man dressed exquisitely In black ap-
,seared in the sitting room Of the Host
fss. House, and the corporal was hover
ing behind her, trying to be beside her
'all at once. He was, carrying her
eoat--a big fur one. With them we're
three doughboys, pals Of the corporal.
They tried to keep in the background,
/ but their eyes were glued on her face.
Everyone in the sitting room sat at
attention. There are no English
speaking men or women out of uni~
form in the Third Army area. Yet
here was a woman in civilian clothes.
Mothers are unheard of with the army.
but this was mother, everyone knew.
! After awhile someone found out
about this mother.
Had Been Interned During War.
She and her husband, who were
born in Germany, but had been nat
rallied, lived in San Francisco. Be-
fore the war they left for Weisbaden,
,Germany, that their invalid daughter
might have treatmentnat this famous
lealth resort.
They brought their other children
with them. One was Walter, a small
hoy, and the other was Ralph, now
Corporal Stepp of the American Army.
When the war was declared they
sent Ralph back to America, because
The was Of military age, and they did
mot want him to fight for the kaiser.
Then America entered the war.
Mrs. Stepp-Mrs. Anna Stepp she is
told this part of the story:
until a month ago hadn't heard
from Ralph for two years and half
even before America got in the war
mail was held up l didn't know
whether he was In the army or not
hut was sure he was, because-well.
because he is an American" Here
she stopped minute to smile up at
him.
"After awhile we heard from some
friends that he was In the army-and
that he had come over here. That was
tnll l ever knew It's nearly Ave years
since have seen him.
"Of course 1t was awfully hard-I
couldn't get word to him and he
couldn't to me- My husband used to
tell me it.wouldn't help Ralph any for
me TO cry. tried not to-before the
rest of them anyway. My daughter
got worse steadily-she Is no better.
We couldn't get the proper food for
her after awhile. And she hated to
see me worried about Ralph, so I used
TO try TO keep up before them.
LAST January my husband came 70
Coblenz about his citizen papers. an
American soldio- In Ralphs company
who was in the Office heard his name
and asked him If ne was any relation
10 Ralph. lie didn't tell him Ralph.
was in Cohienz, but went after, Ralph
lie didn't tell Ralph his father was
here When they. met they couldn't
believe their eyes
Ever since then have been trying
TO see Ralph. He couldn't come to
Weishaaen because II WIS ont Of the
American area, and / couldn't get
through until today-more than two
months"
They asked her II her Ralph had
changed much In all that time.
"Oh, yes-very much. But do you
know, / think it is because all that
long time when I didn't know where
he was or how he was-I got In the
habit OF thinking Of him as he was
when he was a baby-I kept seeing
him as q baby and remembering the
way he felt when he vas little. Isn't
that Queer7 And now look at him 7"
And the corporal tried not to see the
alteration in her eyes.
"Five years is long time to walt
to see your boy" she nnurmured. and
kept her eyes on him. Again she had
forgotten the people around her.
The corporal cleared his throat.
This Is why ask you II you could
keep my mother, Miss Woodsmall.
didn't want her &c come unless she
had good place to stay. An, Ger
thanks awfully."
Ard that Is the story Of how the
Hostess House happened to entertain
the only known A. E. F. mother who
hes visited the Army Of Occupation.