The Ordway new era., 1919-08-15


hours of that evening. Twice Gerald
Cummings walked to the front window
and peered down at the throng of men
who were besieging the enlistment
offices on the corner.
He pointed them out to Janet. but
she was impassive. MAD men," she
remarked, and shrugged her shoulders.
And the final issue came about the
next morning. Gerald was firm.
"War is duty between a man and
his God" he said hotly. mot man
and his wife"
Just enough to kindle the flame.
Janet blnzed her brown eyes upon him
and replied. "'vell, If you go. Gerald,
you go for good. If you are that stub
born and care for me so little. it's best
we know 1t now. You go. Gerald, and
-and-well we part ways"
Gerald tried conciliation, but 1t
was futile. He decided to go!
A dull period of monotony followed
for Janet at the Hemingway establish
ment. where she had taken refuge
after Gerald had gone to camp. But
the loneliness of the days she had
hitherto filed to the brim with her
many household cares seemed TO pail.
Janet must do something. And so be-
cause Anne Dawson was going into
the navy as a yeomanette, Janet de-
cided TO take up stenography and so,
too.
But she was disappointed. Several
weeks after she graduated from the
business school In the heart of town
an order came through for stenoS-
raphers at the gas defense plant on
Long Island. She hesitated. Anne was
appointed in the navy. But could she
not do the same bit in the army2
Her selfishness in merely wanting to
In full realization one morning when
she had seen the first transport of
wounded soldiers land, and she has
tened to the plant to offer her services.
Janet. with the knack of her fathers
aptitude for business, got along ex-
ceedingly well. Meantime the war
ragged at its fiercest. Battles came
thicker and more often, and the yell
of the newsies' husky voices on the
big metropolitan daily made Janet's
flesh creep. Yes. she had read of Ger
AIDS wonderfIa deed.
She had followed every line of the
account of how he had saved whole
squadron by repairing the motor ambu-
lances so rapidly. Janet knew that Il
new and greater love had come into
her life. There was change. too. in
her parents view. Janets mother. all
concillatory and one of the chief work
ers at the war camp community serv-
ice, said she always knew there We're
big things in Jerry"
But Janet had cried herself to sleep
that night.
In vain she wrote letters abroad. If
only she knew his definite address.
She had read where he had been
wounded, but no hospital number was
given. The Red Cross took down the
data sne was able to supply them,
scant as 1t was, for she had refused
even to see him the day he graduated
from the training camp and was or
dered over.
That was months before, and a bit
ter repentance grew In her heart be-
cause of it. She had been selfish, mar
row minded and vain. The words she
had uttered that day he had enlisted
burned and scared like blue fame now.
But morning banished all the tears,
just because there was work to be
done, and Janet, dainty from the
feather In her little trig hat to her
neatly polished shoes, went to the plant
to take her place among Its many other
workers. 1t was her last trip this day,
for orders awaited her to report in
Washington.
word of thanks to her captain for
recommending her as most capable, n
hastily packed travelling bag, a host of
imagination-and Janet was on her
way to the great center from which
rndiated so many executive spOkes of
the worlds war. 1t was glorious! But
the old feeling returned to quell her
enjoyment every now and then on the
train trip going down.
Mrs. Cummings" Sergeant Mum
sey read day later from her slip to
the lieutenant sitting Mt the huge oak
desk To his right. And Janet had tim
Idly acknowledged the title and mount
ed the stairway to the next floor with
him.
You are to work for the major. are
you not?" he asked, and Janet said she
had not been told. Yes" continued
Sergeant Munsey, "the new major ar
rived yesterday. I guess you'll like
him all right, with his hnshy smile and
good humor always. So much as we
have seen of him I don't wonder he
was so popular with his men"
But they had reached the doorway
of the majors office and Sergeant
Munsey stopped.