Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-08-06
HIS RETURN
BY EDITH T. THERRIEN.


| Open house was to be kept at the
armory, where the soldiers could find
| food, reading matter, tobacco and, best
of all, the society of their old friends,
so long denied them. The girls of the
town had arranged a series of dances,
card parties and entertainments.
A band stand had been erected in the
public square and the people felt they
were prepared to welcome fittingly
their returning heroes. A few had al
ready arrived, the remainder were eX-
| pected in three days, aid their well
come was to be most hearty, with
speeches, music, parades and banquets.
AS Marcia Meade helped in these
| preparations, her heart was heavy.
Must she give up her position as pri-
vate secretary to Mr.. Merton? 1t had
belonged to Don Redell, now Lieut.. Re
| dell, and Mr.. Merton had told her when
| she was promoted to the place that
when Don returned he was to have his
old position. But she had made good,
and she did so Bnjoy the work.
| Couldn't Don find another equally
good position?
She could not get up courage to ask
| Mr.. Merton to keep her. He was in
| tensely patriotic and had told each Of
his employees that his place would be
| given him when he returned, with no
| loss of wages. Now Don had been
| gassed and wounded, and although he
wrote home that he had recovered, he
would seem more of a hero than ever
to Mr.. Merton. He had been the first
man in town to enlist, and Mr.. Merton
had been very proud of his youthful
secretary, who was now returning with
decorations for bravery.
How could she breach the subject to
Mr.. Merton? She must be looking for
another situation, she supposed, for her
former one had been filed, of course.
She wondered if Don would be eager
to get back to his old work, or would
prefer to rest at home for a while.
Was Mr.. Merton waiting for her to re-
sign gracefully rather than tell her
that she had only three more days?
These troubled thoughts kept pace
with her hands as she worked, and she
! hated herself that she could not feel
more joy in the homecoming Of the
soldiers.
When the day came, she went with
the rest of the town to view the pa
rade, cheering with the crowd, that
was simply wild with pride and en-
thusiasm. She was quick to see how
fine Lieutenant Redell looked, with his
erect military carriage, his brown face
and steady eyes. Why, what had the
war done to Don? He had gone away
a brilliant, lovable, fun-loving boy; he
had come back a stern-faced man.
Marcia's heart glowed with a warmth
1t had never felt before. She and Don
had been good friends in their school
days but they had drifted apart. She
had written to him often, because he
had begged her to when he enlisted.
But her letters had been almost like
reporters items-news of the office
force and town happenings. She
wished now she had put more of her
personality, more friendly spirit, into
them.
She went to the armory, where she
was to be one of the hostesses for the
afternoon. She hoped that Don would
come there so that she could tell him
that his old place in the office was
waiting for him. She had decided that
as soon as she saw him step from the
train.
She had wearled of the crowd and
stolen quietly away to corner to rest.
AS he came to her the old boyish smile
frightened the grave face. He held her
hand so long, with such friendly
grasp, that a blush spread over her
usually pale cheeks.
marcia, you were brick 90 write
to me so often. You haven't the slight
est idea of what letters meant TO us
fellows. Yours were such fine, neysy
ones; always full of encouragement,
| too: Just the kind to cheer a man up"
81 am glad to have done even that
| little for you, Don. I have been keep
| ing your place for you with Mr.. Mer-
! too, so that no other man would have
| it when you returned" she told him in
most friendly fashion, without quiv-
er now at the loss of her fine salary
and congenial work.
"Oh, you can keep that while long
err. I am planning to run Uncle VIII
Hams farm this summer. I'm so &C.
customed to outdoor life now that an
office in warm weather has no allure
ment for me-"
| Marcia stifed a tiny sigh of relief.
| She would have sacrificed anything for
! this fine soldier but she could but re
ioice that her sacrifice was not neces-
sary.
Marcia" the soldiers voice went on,
though in lower tones, ''you keep the
office for me through the summer, and
| after Uncle Williams crops are all
| harvested l should like to take up Mr..
/ T., Ch