The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-11-19
AFTER TWO YEARS
Crippled Bm Hopeful, the War Hero Goes Back to the
Girls Who We're So Kind to Him; Would They
Remember Him and Sill Be Kind?

the name OF hero. but In the world
war there were heroes who had
oven less heroic names. Jim had
gone gladly 10 the front. lie wanted
excitement. and he had q plenty. Ho
had stood In the cold river NIL night
long. up 10 his arm pits. helping the
boats to land.
II In we'll he had seon some fight.
ing and excitement before this hap.
pencd for afterwards he had only
pain and anguish IN his legs thnt
would not let him sit or lilo or stand
In any comfort. Then he was sent
home. and put In the hospital at
Louisville. Camp Zachary Taylor.
II WINS really the nearest thing 10
home that Jim had ever known. He
was born and brought W IN the
mountains ~ kentucky. Iic was an
orphan before he was six. and Ind
lived. until he was old enough to
work, on the charity Of people nj
most M poor M himself After he
left Louisville he had gone from
hospital 10 hospital. but to no avail;
the nerves In his legs gradually died.
Jim had never been good looking;
sandy hair. wispy and untcmpt,
small blue eyes, n wide mouth. hol'
low checks. that might have been
round before pain had done It's work.
There was one thing Jim had learn
Cd white ~ Camp Taylor that had
glorlfed even pnIn. II was that he
had a personality. lie couldn't for
get the throb and thrill and Joy he
felt, In spite of all his suffering. IN
knowing that TO some people he was
not AN absolute noncntlty. The doc
tors had found they could not help
him, and had given him braces for
nerves. The steel braces were very
awkward that supported his limp
and nervoless logs, but tho dreadful
pain was gone and that was some
thing.
When fortune smiled on Jim IN
tho shape Of pension, his great
est desire was 10 go bnck 10 where
he Ind first felt the thrill Of Inn
portancc. He knew that Camp Tay'
Ter was broken up. but there were
the people IN the city. That night
M he lay In his berth In the sleeper
he could hardly sleep for thinking
OF the folks for the last six months
OF the war. First there was Miss
Grace Ross. who had come to teach
him how 10 make baskets and bead
things 10 pass away tho tedious
hours when he was on his back.
She had taught him how 10 write
a little, too. lie could only write
his name and form the letters Of
tho alphabet. She saw how much
he wanted to learn TO read and
write than to make fancy things.
40 she gave him lesson each time
she came out.
"What shall sot for n copy for
you" she had asked. And he had
answered with a boldness born OF
n pctted invalid: "Set mo the copy
Il love you" She had laughed,
but she did IT. lie ehuckled aloud
In his berth when he thought OF
how Miss Grace looked Mt him.
Then when he had got better for
the time being, and could walk
around on his crutches and come to
Louisville on the car. Miss Grace
had invited him to dinner on Sun
day Mrs Gross had been 80 polite
and always asked him how his
rheumatism was. When he told her
at one time he thought he was
going west, she didn't understand
him and asked-"to what city?p
Miss Grace had laughed and ex.
planned. why. mother. he meant
70 Heaven; don't you know the
boys call II going west?
They were awfuily fine people
and had everything grand, but
sometimes he was not just as easy
about how to eat and what TO say
as he was with Mother Wilson. He
thought OF how he got to know
Mother Wilson. He was on the
street car. He had laid his crutches
beside him, but they obtruded into
the aisle so that a pretty girl who
got In stumbled over one.
II am sorry" he said.
20. It doesn't make any differ
ence." she answered. and sat down
beside him. Mother and ] always
t2ke an interest In soldiers, and es'
peNlally IL they are wounded"
Then they talked for while and
Mary said her brother had been
killed on No Mans land during
the first OF the war, Her mother
had been all broken up, but she was
cheered by doing for the soldiers.
and there was nothing that made
her SO happy as TO feed them. She
asked him TO come Wednesday
night 10 supper, and every Wednes'
day NIGHT after that he went and
he felt 80 FREQ that he took his
buddy. John sparks with Him, II