Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-03-29
CHAPTER v1.-Con,lnucd.

Your letter has just reached me
after travelling about for weeks.
am not going to try to tell you how
wonderful 1t is to me to have it. In
fact, the wonder began that morning
81 left home when YOU smiled at me
and waved a friendly farewell. 1t
was q great surprise to me l had not
supposed until that moment that you
remembered my existence. Why
| should you? And it has never been
from lack of desire to do so that /
failed to greet o when we passed
in the street. ], did not think that l,
a nero little hoodlum from your in
FAINT days. had a right to intrude up
on your groNn-up acquaintance with
milton would be agreeable. ] never
blamed you for not speaking Of
course. Perhaps il didn't give you
the chance. 1 simply thought I had
grown out pfVour memory as was al
together natural. 1t was indeed a
pleasant experience to see that light
of friendliness in your eyes at the
station that day. ana to know it was
q real personal recognition and no:
for the whole shabby lot of us draf-
tees starting out to an unknown flu
iture. thanked you in my heart for
that little bit of personal f%riendlincss
but 1 never expected toh ave an OPP
p%ortunity to thank you in words, nor
to have the friendliness last after I
had gone away. When your letter
pleasant surprise. / know you have a
great many, friends, and plenty OF
people to write letters sto. but n
how there was a real note ofIcom-
radeship in the n you wrote me,
not as il you just felt sorry for me
r because 1 had to so off TO war and
fight n maybe get killed. 1t was as
. If the conditions Of the times had
l suddenly swept away a lot of foolish
conventions Of the world, which ma.
all have their good use perhaps al
times, but at a time like this are
v superfuous, and you had Just grave
~ and sweetly offered me an ole
: friends sympathy and good will. A:
such I have taken 1T and am rejoicing
< in it.
i Don't make any mistake abou
\ this, however. l never have forgot
ten o or the rose! 1 stole it from
0 done licking Chuck, n l had a figh
S WITH Hal wainwright over, it. which
: almost finished the rose. and nearl.
: got me expelled from school before
u got through with it. Hal told hi
mother and she took it to the schoo
e board. / was pretty tough little ras
r cal in those days l guess and nj
doubt needed some lickings mysel
occasionally. But I remember l al
8 most lost my nerve which 1 got bacl
to school that day and came within
O an ace Of stuffing the rose in m,
pocket instead of throwing it o.
!. your desk. ] never dreamed the ros
e would be anything to you. 1t was on
~ my way of paying tribute to you
n You seemed to me something like
rose yourself, just dropped down on
tie and pink and gold with such grea
blue Eyes. Pardon me. I don't mea
n to be to personal. You don't mind
big hobbledehoy's admiration, d
you? You were only a baby; but
y would have licked any boy in tow
that lifted a word or a finger aGains
you. And to think you really needle
my help. It certainly would hay
lifted me above the clouds to- hav
known it then!
le And now about this war bushes!
g. OF course it is a rough Job, and some
IN body had to do it for the world.
~ was glad and willing to do my par
but it makes a different thing out {
q it to be called a knight, and I CUES
Y, I'll look It 1t a little more respeci
fully now. If life, like mine ca
;+protect a Efe like yours from some
the things those Germans arc putin
Ill gladly give 1t. I've sized
lg up that a mar couldn't do a bigge
l. thing for the world anyhow h
:. pLanned it than to. make the worl
safe for a life like yours; so me fc
t. what they call 1.-The supreme sacr
n fee" and it won't be any sacrifice {
al il it helps you!
a No, / haven't got a sweater or thot
u | -A1 - 49,. 49,. - A.