Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1919-01-10

1t was the trailing melancholy Of her
voice that first stirred Treadgold's le-
thargic pulse into action. Later he had
a too fleeing glimpse of pale oval
face framed in tawny gold as Ida
gazed wistfully from the rose-hung
gate that opened into her cottage gar
den.
Treadgold was annoyed with himself
that the quality Of the girls voice had
twined itself among his senses and in
dlgnant at womenlind in general mere
ly because Lida's eyes had stabbed
his heart with a silent appeal.
Ever since the day he had donned
the khaki uniform and become sol
der to fight for his country Tread
gold had eschewed anything even Dor
dering on the feminine. He had
Stunned that thrifty, fascinating,
heady world of the gentle sex as if it
had the plague running wild within it's
borders. War was a thing apart-a
business that must be sternly followed.
There must be no counter-magnet lur-
ing the senses from the austere pur-
poses of the fighting man.
During his six months at training
camp his brain had been far too busy
for the most part in trying master the
contents of some twenty or more text
books, as well as drills, field practice
and few more oddmcnts of learning,
to find much time for missing the fem
mime part of life.
A few more months Mt camp, where
he and many of the field artillery men
had been sent to officer the troops,
quite rounded off Treadgolds ability
to live happily and usefully without
the love Of woman.
In weaker moments, perhaps under
the influence of a glorious moon or the
triclIle of woodland stream, remem-
brance Of dainty, smiling lips, swift
caress or the fragrance of rumpled
tresses came to disturb Treadgold's
war-filled brain. These had been fleet
ing, easily banished dreams.
ancient past" the fighting man
would mutter grlmly.
But in the case of Lida's blue-eyed,
wistful face Treadgold found himself
up against power stronger than HIM
self. Unless he took frightfully cir
.cuitous route, his billet led him
straight past the cottage, with Ida
either in it singing with melancholy
sweetness, OF gazing appealingly from
the garden gate straight into the eyes
of the passer-by.
Treadgold was annoyed when he
saw her and upset for the day when
he didn't see her. He felt that the
girl was aware of his presence on the
. path, whether he passed or didn't
pass. This feeling, too, irritated him.
He decided, however-and with the
decision his jaw clnked-that he
would fight this unknown girls in
fiuence and as successfully as he had
fought the lure of all his feminine
world when he had first entered the
army. Soon France would see him an
actual fighter on the battlefield.
"And If / remain on that battlefield
when the fight is done," philosophical
Treadgold, "there will be less regret,
and IL I come out whole, then a
straight path to something nifty, and
not masculine, for me-"
"In fact" he decided, something
just about the type of Little Sad Eyes
there,will be my finish"
So he fought the magnet and con-
4Quered. Had Treadgold been another
type of man he could have managed
to meet the girl who had stirred his
pulses, could have loved and sailed
away. But he was not that kind OF
man. Love to Treadgold was a Won
derful thing. He could the less hap
PLY kill the Boche and destroy man
kind greedily were he to be reminded
constantly that he had left a wife be-
hind. He knew that ever behind the
sword thrust of battle he would sense
the humanity side of the question
would realize before killing the man
that he was also killing the woman
whom that man had left behind-kill
ing her happiness at least.
Besides, Treadgold knew that should
he marry q girl like Little Sad Eyes he
would be consumed with longing for
her every moment that held him from
her side. He had not the strength to
fight both the enemy and his own emo
tions.
So when the great ship stole out un'
der cover of darkness from the New
York wharf and sailed out toward
France Treadgold found himself re-
jOicing that he was not bringing the
tragedy of separation into some ones
life.
When the battle ragged for him he
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