The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-09
Euening Story
Sewing Chevrons.
BY DoRoTHY DOUGLAS.


from sewing remarked Agnes Hope.
as she piled her needle over a brill
liant red and green division emblem
for a waiting soldier.
And mine,' supplemented her sis
ter worker. "T thought we were done
with this sort of work two years ago.
.tOh-nb. dear, peace is fully as ex-
citing as war nowadays, and provides
even more work for the Red Cross, I
should say.1 Agnes said, wisely, nod.
ding her prettily capped head.
The two girls with a half-dozen
others were dressed in the soft gray
uniform worn by the guides in the big
| base hospital on Lo lg Island. They
came thru the Red Cross organization
| 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 chevrons for
4 the discharged patients as they came
| into possession of the complete new
uniforms the government provided for
them when they Swere able to>leave
became too heavy for the regular
workers and the guides were pressed
| into this service.
1T seems to me it must have taken
| all the creative energy of a young staff
of swivel-chair officers to design all
/ these emblems, Agnes" Louise VEN
tured, as she picked up a bizarre SYM
| Dol which had white streaks dashing
from it in every direction. Just look
at this one, for instance,"
Agnes smiled ut must be some
radio DIVISION she replied
There was line of soldiers waiting
so the girls kept on sewing busily.
! Each girl was engrossed in her own
| musings as she. sewed on these en-
Dlems 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 well.
The Red Cross workers had learned
to feel an especial interest in each and
every one of them and bade them all
/ goodby with smile and a good wish.
Agnes could not take her mind en-
tirely away from the memory of a
tsoldier 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 visit
full and lonely and as if he would as
soon have remained in the big hospital
as not.
Perhaps, thought Agnes, he had no
one 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 thru since leaving France
and the battlefields. He had been in
the pneumonia ward and had beer
convalescing 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?" a voice
i asked at her elbow
She looked up into the face of an
other guide who held a card. yes
Agnes Hope"
EThere is a young man outside who
:. would like to speak with you for g
moment. This is his card the guide
! said, handing Agnes the slip of paper
pital and did not recognize the soldier
outside as the patient who had beer
, SO long in the hospital.
Agnes went at once to the reception
} 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? I was wondering
! about you even as I got your care
J wondering if you were getting
: stronger" she fastened to add, while
a faint pink stained her own cheeks
) 1T was good of you to think of ms
/ when you have so many patients tt
wait on,'' he said. simply.
There was pause of an instan
, when neither seemed to know jus
! What TO say.
Harold hesitated: then he put hi
. hand on the emblem Agnes had sew
on the shoulder of his overcoat. IT
it seems that this should have beer
+, put on at forty-five degree angle
= and"
: $50 it should" interrupted Agnes
Laughing. ST made the mistake.
? suppose, having so much to do
: II haven't any one to fix it for me
! here in the East-and-'
i And SO you brought it back to tn
n ever ready Red Cross, eh?" Agne
!. helped him out.
: st took the liberty of bringing I
u back to-you." he corrected
And I'll change it as soon as I fin
d ish the one I'm sewing on now. Com
with me-"
:: Harold followed her and was 500
!; standing beside her while she rippe,
e adjusting his division chevron. Hi
e service stripes and his one woun
stripe remained as she had first place,
:! them on his sleeves.
While she sewed. he told her of hoy
: his mother had died while he was il
t the service. of how she had been al
he had in the world and Of how lionel
it seemed to him to be returning home
, to the old office. the old circle o
e neighbors, the old life-without her.
!: Must you return" Agnes asked.
. 'Yes-my business, the business m
i. father left me. is there. But I am re
: naming in New York for a week O
o SO until-until-'
Until you are stronger. perhaps
\ Agnes asked. And feel more nearl
). able to take that long inland trip p"
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.