The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-06-04
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Sewing Cheyrons.
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.
ccopyrIsht, 30. ,, ,he MCCLURE

N loused from sewing remark
4N4 ed Agnes Hope, as she piled
her needle over a brilliant red and
green division emblem for a waiting
soldier.
and mine" supplemented her sis
ter worker. 81 thought we were done
with this sort OF work two years ago"
Z "oh-no, dear, peace Is fully as ex-
citing as war nowadays. and provides
even more work, for the Red Cross. I
should say" Agnes said. wisely, nod
ding her pretty capped head.
The two girls with half-dozeu 9th
ers were dressed in the soft. gray uni
form worn by the guides in the big
base hospital on Long Island They
came through the Red Cross organi-
zatien to act as guides for visitors who
might wish to visit their boys in the
many wards of the great institution.
But the work of sewing on Nchevrons
for the discharged patients as they
came into possession of the complete
new uniforms the government provid-
ed for them when they were able to
leave became too heavy for the regular
workers and the guides were pressed
into this service.
ut seems to me 1t must have taken
all the creative energy of. young
staff OF swivel-chaif officers to, design
all these emblems, Agnes" Louis ven
tured, as she picked up bizarre sym
boil which. had white streaks dashing
from & In every direction. Just look
at this one. for instance!"
Agnes smiled. 1T must be some
radio division" she replied.
There was line OF soldiers waiting
80 the girls kept on sewing busily.
Each girl was engrossed in her own
musings as she sewed on these EN-.
blems as the last duty she could per-
form for the lads who had suffered In
battle for them and theirs. Some of
the discharged patients were pale and
unsteady; others seemed entirely we'll.
The Red Cross workers had learned to
feel an especial interest in each and
every one of them and babe them all
good.by with smile and good wish.
Agnes could not take her mind en-
tirely away from the memory OF SOL
der who had smiled at her>two days
before when she had handed him his
overcoat with the chevrons all sewed
in place. He had looked wistful and
lonely and as II he would as soon have
remained in the big hospital as not
Perhaps, thought Agnes, he had no
enc to go to; no one who could give
him the nourishing food, the tender
care, the CHEEKY companionship that
he needed after the long illness he
had passed through since leaving
France and the battlefields. He had
been in the pneumonia ward and had
been conyalescing too slowly to suit
the nurses who were caring for him.
But his time had come to leave and
he had gone. Agnes had hated to see
him leave.
Are you Miss Agnes?" voice ask
ed at her elbow.
She looked up into the face Of an
other guide who held card. yes
Agnes Hope.p
There is young man outside who
would like to speak with you for mo.
mept. This is his card" the guide.
said, handing Agnes the slip of pa
per. The girl was entirely new III
the hospital and did not recognize the
soldier outside as the patient who
had been so long in the hospital.
room, where she found Sergt. Harold
Moore waiting for her, his cap in his
hand.
She shook hands with him warmly.
How do you do? l was wondering
about you even as / got your card
wonderful il you were getting strong
er," she FASTENED to add, while faint
pink stained her own cheeks.
at was good of you to think of me
when you have so many patients to
wait on" he said, simply.
There was pause of an instant
when neither seemed to know just
what to say.
7 Harold hesitated; then he put his
hand on the emblem Agnes had sewn
on the shoulder of his overcoat. q
II seems that this should have been
put on at a forty:fiye degree angle,
and"
$50 1t should" interrupted Agnes,
laughing. 81 made the mistake, sup
pose, having so much to do" =.
i haven't any one to fix 1t for mc
here In the East and-and-"
And SO you brought 1t back to tie
ever ready Red Cross, eh?" Agnes
helped him out. ~
~ took the liberty Of brinr...- it
back to-you," he corrected.
"And I'll change It as soon Is fin,
ish the one I'm sewing on nov. Come
with me-"
Z Harold followed her ar was soon
standing beside her whit, she ripped
out her former STITCHING ID was read
Justtng his division CHI ron. His SER
vice stripes and his wound stripe
remained as she hae ..rst placed them
on his sleeves.
B While she sew I'd, he told her Of how
his mother haE lied while he was in
the service .. how she had been all
he had in to world and Of how lonely
~ seemed,to him to be returning home,
to the oil office, the old circle OF
neighbo7 the old life-without her.
"Mr You return?" Agnes asked. i,
"Fe my business, the business my
fa.aer left me, is there. Butt am re.
naming In New York for week or so
until-until--"
until you are stronger, perhaps?"
Agnes asked. "And feel more nearly
able to take that long inland trip?"
Sergt. Moore nodded, but not con.
vincingly. That's part Of t." he ad.
mitted.
Agnes looked down at her sewing.
And the resti" she asked.
I'll wanted to see II perhaps