The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-03-25
Medals and Things
Ry MARTHA M. WILLIAMS

4 N
There was frost iii the air; also In
Mrs. Hubert's manner, as she went be-
tween gorgeous ragged ranks Of late
] growth to meet the Trevors Aunt
Bah had halted them there to see the
choice late roses and chrysanthemums
she was busy hooding and shrouding
against the strengthening cold. II could
cut them, TO be sure Aunt Bah cx-
| planned "But II Is d shame not to let
chem die happy In the sun on their
own stalks Nh
How I wish humanity ran Id FAM
iliesi'' Archy Trevor laughed, taking
Mrs. Hubert's hand. IF 1t debut
therel won't speculate on the i'm
possible. Instead, here IRE thanks for
what may or may not be about to
receive
,'vivian, dearplease snub him
hard" Anna Trevor entreated with
a plaintiye accent. HE has beeh in-
sufferablea now for three days over
he won't ten what. Say right Off you
won't listen, no matter what 1t may be.
Then he will run away to sullk--and
we can have beautiful gossip"
about me, OF cOurse--I fixed
as the laws of Modes and Per$ians,D
Archy interrupted
Good boy Aunt Bah murmhred,
patting his arm.
He kissed her hand, saying with
twinkling eyes: do your worst, ladies'
I'm ready for anything-even to have
you set the cats on me-
you'd like that, no doubt--now that
you have grown cat fancier," Mrs.
Hubert said silkenly.
Archy smiled, not quite easily, an
swering: There are cats--and cats.
am not fond Of everything that has
claws"
stop fussing and be human. Aunt
Bah commanded when you are as
old as ! am, you'll feel how wicked it
Is to waste life getting grouchy about
nothing. Go on and tell us your
great secret, Archy-whether It's about
money, marbles, or matrimony."
ut might concern all three--oniy It
DOESN'T" Archy answered, Struggling.
Its only-all these came in bunch"
pulling from deep pocket a huddle
OF ribbons, crosses and medals. Near
affidavit along with them, saying
they're all due me. can't quite be-
lleve it,"
"Archy! You darltngl" Anna cried,
hugging him close. Aunt Bah did the
same as soon as ne was free. Mrs.
Hubert looked on with humid eyes,
her whole being fluid. Archy had been
so silent as TO what had befallen In
those months overseas-he had come
back without scratch, and had
seemed to avoid comradely gatherings,
though he had chung to his buddy
Joe~George Green by manchester
than to real brother. They had had
many laughs together about something.
they would not name. When Joe
George went on to California, his last
shouted good-by had been: "Lordy, old
son--they'll git you yet. Don't wish
! could stay ana see the funr' Even
after that Archy had held his tongue.
And Vivian Hubert, whom he had
loved and lost as Vivian Dane, had
been hurt and chilled--there must be
something terrible behind this reti-
nothing could make her believe
Archy had played the coward-but
there were so many, many other ways
wherein he might have tripped and
fallen she had been far from happy.
Then he had begun dangling after
the Francis woman--who affected the
intense in. everything. Just now she
owned humanitarian craze--went
about doing good, according to her
own notion, to animals that she might
better have left alone. Cats we're her
latest specialty-hence yivian's thrust
at Archy-he had actually carried
home for the Francis person a litter
Of blind. kittens rescued from drown
ing, which she insisted were entitled
to an easier death. Vivian had
laughed easily over the story--there-
by confounding the gossip who had
told 1t. But she had cried Silly, half
the night after-she had So hoped
Archy would understand her marriage
Ind been hardly of her own making,
but yielding to what her elders in
their wisdom hadsdecreed. BY cyni-
cal jest Of fate, death had freed her
SIX months after the wedding day. Now
the freedom was Dead sea fruit, turn
Ing to ashes on her lips.
But she had rallied as women will,
yelled her heart BY playing with other
suItors, telling herself the while she
would never marry anybody. She was
striving to hold fast to that mental
attitudeA-even with Archy proven a
rare hero they were friends only. He
stood tossing the decorations lightly
from hand to hand, his sister and
Aunt Bah trying hard to snatch them
away. Cupping the hands, he held
them out 20 Vivian, saying with his
most whimsical smile: Hold fast
what ! give you. Remember, Wv,
how many times we played that
gamer
Several million. think, Vivian
managed TO answer. her fingers clutch.
ing hard what he had dropped within
sx.stx1 ts.sts