The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-04-30

But you are yearning for his last word;
for some voice which will seem to YOU
now almost q voice out Of the grave, and
| am happy 70 be able TO bring you that
word. 1t was something more thar chance
that guided me that night-as 1t Is every
night.
We were we'll behind the line Of actual
fighting, but l mad become detached from
my party In moving to another station;
lost, TX you like, yet not lost, never have
l gone so directly to so great a destination.
While trying TO get my location, / became
aware or a presence; ii VIII sound strange
TO you, but / became intensely aware OF
your presence. or course / knew 1t could
not be you, in the flesh, but you IL seemed
to be, nevertheless. / moved as though
led by an invisible hama, and presently l
found a bit OF shattered wall. In the
gloom ! could just discern the form of a
man lying IN the shelter Of the WALTZ
you could call II shelter-it rose scarce n
foot above the ground.
l knelt beside him and turned my torch
on his face. 1t war pale even through the
brown skin; the eyes were closed: the hair
was wet and plasteled on the forehead:
there were smears OF blood on 1t and on
his cheeks. AS my light fell on his lips
they framed a smile.
"Reenie," he said, "ft was good Of you
TO come. ] knew you would come"
II I'm here, Dave" / answered, and l
think you will forgive the impersonation.
Nov let me find out where you are hurt
and Wen fix you up, and get you moved
presently"
He opened his eyes and looked ut mo
with the strange look of q man whose
thread OF consciousness is half unraVeled.
"Oh. it's you, Edith" he said, when he
had taken me In. Funny. / thought IL
was Irene. l must have been drea ming "
L questioned him again about his wounG
and began feeling his hair. tits not
there" he said. Guess / got IT all over
my hands. They got me this time. Don't
waste time on me. Some other fellow
may rave a chance"
L found, with a little examination, that
the case was as bad as he supposed. For
tunately, the wound had induced a local
paralysis and he was not suffering to any
great degree. l placed my HAND in his
and felt his grip tighten on 1t.
I'm going to stay till it's over. Dave.
Wen see 1t out together"
That's decent" he answered, and then
was still for quite a time.
I've often wondered what was on tho
other side" he said. at length. II shall
know presently"
you are not afraid?" I whispered.
mo. Only sort o~f-curious. Andrew
erent. / guess it's reYerent. You
know I haven't been much on religion.
Never seemed to get the formula What
is the formula? / mean the key-tho
/ NAAAii6 Nii"l SiNCo II dAl VI WIG u
I'm one word-sacrifce. He that loseth
his life shall find it," I quoted.
He did not answer, but l could see his
lips smiling again. His breath was more
labored. A few drops of rain fell, and
some Of them spattered on his face.
Presently he chuckled. 1t was an eery
sensation, out on that broad plain of
death, alone by the side OF this man who
was already far into the shadow-to hear
him chuckle.
'"That splash OF water-you remember
1t made me think of the time we pulled
the old car into the stream, and the har-
ness broke or something, and had to
carry you. You remember that, Reenie?"
I could only say, Yes and press his
hand. His mind was back on the old, old
trails.
He became suddenly sober. "And when
Brownie was killed." he went on, II said
IL was the innocent thing that got caught.
Perhaps / was right. But perhaps it's best
to get caught. Not for the getting caught.
but for the-the compensations. It's the
innocent men that are getting killed. And
perhaps It's best. Perhaps there are COM
pensations worth while"
His voice was weaker, and I had to lean
close to catch his words.
Tn ~going-out." he said. kiss me.
Reenie."
And then I kissed him-for you.
Suddenly he sat up. THE mountains!'
ZIG cACldlIlou, ana Ills voice was dlNTlll
with the pride Of his old hills. ''See the
moonlight-on the mountains"
Then his strength, which seemed to
have gathered itself for this one last
vision OF the place Of his boyhood, gave
way, and he fell back, and he did not
| speak any more.
And What can I add? Dear, II Is not
defeat. 1t is promise. It is hope.
Some day we shall know. But until
then we shall go on. It is woman's bit
to carry on. But not in dependency, not
In bitterness, not In anger or despair. He
didn't go out that way He was reverent
and a little curious, and he went out
with a smile. And we shall go on, and
carry his smile and his confidence through
the valley of our sacrifice. What am ]
doing, speaking of our sacrifice?
I salute you, sister in the Order Of SUI.
fering-and Of hope.
EDITH DUNCAN.
I handed the letter back to her, and
for a time I had no words. "Won't vow
let me tell the storyY" I said, It
length. "The world is full of sorrow,
and 1t needs voices to give that sorrow
words, and perhaps turn it into hope
as this letter does"
She hesitated, and I realized then how
much I had asked. "It is the story
Of my life-my SOUL" she said. "Yet,
If 1t would help"
without Names" I fastened to eX
plain. without real names of places
or people"
And so, In that little whitewashed
home, where the brown hills rise
around and the placid mountains look
down from the distance, and a tongue
Of spruce trees beyond the stream
stands sentinel against the open prairie,
she Is carrying on, not In dependency
and bitterness, but In service and in
hope. And so her sisters, all this world
over, must carry on, until their sweet
ness and their sacrifice shallel up and
food yer all the valleys Of Nate. :.
~. And If you should chance 'tnat
way, and If you should win the con-
idence Of young Three-year-old. he
may stand for you and say, with his
voice filed with the honor and the
i 0loru opl tho prfdo ~ ~.