South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-30

AFen you SOlHS 10 say OON-D-
10 Miss Gwen. too?" the child ask
ed She'll be awfully glad you are
soldier"
A queer hurt look came into Uncle
Ralph's face. and he shook his head.
No" he said. "but-you be good
10 her. won't you old chap"
why of course" Robbie agreed.
I'm good TO most everything. even
the caterpillers in my garden. 1
never squash 'em. I just put them
| in mothers garden instead of mine"
After Uncle Ralph had gone away
Robbie heard his father and mother
talking
Il can't imagine what they quar-
relied about" his mother said. Prob
ably Il was something absolutely
trivial. But they're both awfully
stubborn. at least Ralph is. that 1
don't believe they'll ever in the
world make up. 1t seems perfectly
awful, when they've been engaged so
long. and he may never come home
again"
Well" returned Robbie's father"
| there's nothing we can do about il.
They're pair OF young fools. I saw
Gwen on the street yesterday and
she looked as if she had lost ten
pounds in the last week. I'm sorry
for EN-"
Now Robbie did not understand
the whole of this talk, and he had a
very, very, vague idea as to what
engaged" meant. He did under
stand. though. that Miss Gwen and
Uncle Ralph had disagreed about
something and were very unhappy.
IL made him sad to think Of it.
But the weeks went by and Rob
bic saw almost nothing Of Miss
Gwen.
Some one said she had gone away
on visit, and then when she came
home she was sick. so she never
came past Robbie's house any more.
Robbie wished she would because he
was very proud of his house. IL had
a service flag in the window, a beau
tiful flag with a red border around
II and a blue star in the center. The
star stood for Uncle Ralph.
Il hear Gwen Lorimer is simply
fading away" Robbie's mother re-
marked 10 his father one evening.
/ She's been in bed for two weeks
with a kind Of nervous breakdown.
and doesn't get any better at all l
don't believe it's anything in the
world except worrying about Ralph
He ought 10 be ashamed"
1T may be her fault as we'll as
/ his, takes two 10 make a quarrel"
ner husband returned There's
nothing we can do about it."
But Bobbie decided that he would
do something. He would go to see
Miss Gwen and take her a present.
Presents always made him feel bet
ter when he was sick And there
was no doubt at all in his mind what
the present ought TO be. At school
he had once made a service flag with
colored crayons, shaggy red bor-
der supporting a wobbly blue aster-
isk which was meant TO be a star.
He decided to make another one for
Miss Gwen. He did not tell mother
about IL, but toiled for a hard half
hour all by himself. and then stole
out the front gate and up the street
TO Miss Ovens house Miss Ovens
mother was very much surprised 10
see him, but she led him up the
broad staircase into a pretty room
all full of flowers where Miss Gwen
lay in bed, very white, with her yell
low hair in his fairy book. She was
glad to see him, but she did not
smile the happy way she used to-
fa1t Of
smuggling up too close TO her, she
seemed so languid and remote.
Il brought you a present." he asid
at last. " A beautiful present, seei
II stands for Uncle Ralph. this star
does, il means that you love him and
he has gone away TO war. Shall l
pin it up in your window %
Miss Gwen suddenly raised her.
self on her elbow and looked at it.
and to Robbie's alarm two big tears
rolled down her cheeks She took
the flag and caressed it with her
hand. Then, abruptly, she smiled,
and two pink spots bloomed in her
cheeks like flowers.
Yes, pleased" she said in a quick
glad voice as if she were afraid Of
changing her mind. PIN it in the
window for me, RObbie!"
When at last Robbie went home,
expecting 10 be punished for having
run away TO Miss Ovens he heard a
stir of voices in the living room, they
had not even missed him. For some
thing much more exciting had hap
pened. Uncle Ralph had come homel
And he looked so very. very fine in
his uniform, better than any of the
pictures in the papers. better. even
than RObbie's tin soldiers.
oh" cried the little boy. making
straight for his arms. Oh, Uncle
Ralph I've just been TO see Miss
Gwen. and / gave her a service flag
with a star on it for you. She put
il up in her window"
she did? For me? Are you sure
she knew it was for me. Robbie ?"
The little boy nodded his head
"Of course, she knew. and I think
she wants to see you in your uni
form. Uncle Ralph"
Uncle Ralph's eyes were shining,
and he set Robbie down SO quickly
that il almost hurt.
"Well she shall, Right now. too.
/ I won't be back for dinner Rita