The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1920-05-13

sympathy and service. And in that order
you shall not be least, measured by either
your sacrifice or the spirit in which you
accept II.
But you are yearning for his last word:
for some voice which viii seem TO you
now almost a voice out OF the grave and
/ am happy to be able TO bring you that
word II was something more than chance
that guided me that night-as II Is every
night.
We were well behind the line OF actual
lighting but / had become detached from
my party In moving TO another station;
lost, II you like. yet not lost; never have
1 gone so directly to so great a destination.
While trying to get my location, became
aware OF presence; IL will sound strange
to you. but I became intensely aware of
your presence. or course knew II could
not be you, in the flesh. but you IL seemed
to be, nevertheless. 1 moved as though
led by an invisible hand, and presently
found bit OF shattered wall. In the
gloom j could just discern the form OF a
man lying In the shelter OF the WALTZ
you could call 1t shelter-it rose scarce a
foot above the ground.
I knelt beside him and turned my torch
on his face. IL was pale even through the
brown skin; the eyes were closed; the hair
was wet and plastered on the forehead
there were smears of blood on IL and on
his cheeks. AS my light fell on his lips
they framed a smile.
"Reenie," he said, at was good OF you
TO come. / knew you would come"
"I am here, Dave" l answered. and I
| think you will forgive the impersonation
Now let me find out where you are hurt
and well fix you up. and get you moved
presently"
Ho opened his eyes and looked at me
with the strange look OF a man whose
thread Of consciousness is half unraveled
"Oh, las you, Edith" he said, when he
had taken me in. Funny. l thought IL
was Irene. / must have been dreaming"
I questioned him again about his wound
and began feeling his hair. tits not
| there" he said. "Guess ! got II all over
my hands. They got me this time. Don't
waste Time on me. Some other fellow
may have chance"
I 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. I placed my hand in his
and felt his grip tighten on IL.
I'm going to stay It'll it's over, Dave
Wen see II out together"
That's decent" he answered, and then
was still for quite a time.
I've often wondered what was on the
other side" he said. at length. II shall
know presently
you are not afraid?" whispered.
mo Only sort of-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-the
thing that gives II all in one word?"
"In one word-sacrifice. He that loseth
| his life shall find IT." 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 nv sid NJ maj vuh n
was already far into the shadow-to hear
him chuckle
"That splash OF water-you remember
IL made me think OF the time we pulled
the old car into the stream, and the har.
ness broke or something, and J had to
carry you. You remember that, Reenie?"
/ 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
1t 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 had to lean
close to catch his words.
I'm going-out." he said. kiss me.
| Reenie."
| ana tnen L KISSED nlm-IOr you.
Suddenly he sat up. THE mountains"
he exclaimed, and his voice was athrill
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. II is promise. II is hope.
Some day we shall know. But until
then we shall go on. 1t is woman's bit
to carry on. But not In dependency. not
in bitterness. not in anger or despair. He
| didn't 20 out that way. He was reverent
and a little curious, and he went out
| with 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 sacrifice7
I salute you sister in the Order OF Suf.
EDITH DUNCAN.
handed the letter back to her, and
for time had no words. won't you
let me tell the stOry?" said, at
length. "The world is full of sorrow.
and II needs voices to give that sorrow
words. and perhaps turn II into hope =
as this letter does"
She hesitated. and I realized then how
much I had asked. at is the story
of my life-my SOUL" she said. "Yet,
II II would help"
without names" 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 tongue
Of spruce trees beyond the stream
stands sentinel against the open prairie,
she Is carrying on. not in dependency
and bitterness. hut In service and in
hop. And so her sisters, all this world
over, must carry on, until their sweet.
ness and their sacrifice shall fill up and
food over all the valleys of hate.