The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-05-17
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Ramsey N lilholland
By BOOTH TAI KlNGroN


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country and we know what they mean
u 20 TO ours. So we're going to at.
tend to them. OF course thnt,s Univ
I'm here. 1t wasn't you.
Don't forget to write pretty soon.
DORA. You say In your letter. Ger.
fanny was glad to get that letter.
well, you say have things to do more
important than girls Dora, think
you probably know without my saying
80 that OF course while have got i'm
portant things to do, Just as every
man over here has, and everybody at
nome for that matter, we'll, the thing
that Is most important In the world to
me, next to helping win this war, it's
reading the next letter from you.
Don't forget how glad I'll be to get
II, and don't forget you didn't have
anything to do with my being over
mere. That vast was something
else. And you bet, whatever happens
I'm glad l came! Don't ever forget
that"
Dora knew 1t was something else"
Her memory went back to her first rec.
objection OF him in school: from that
time on he had been just an ordinary,
everyday boy, laundering somehow
through his lessons In school and
through his sweetheart,ng with Milla,
as the millions Of other boys floun-
dered along with their own lessons
and their own Millas. She saw him
swinging his books and romping home.
ward from the schoolhouse, or going
whistling by her fathers front yard
rafting stick on the fence as he
went. care-free and masterful, but shy
as deer If strangers looked at him
and always mot much of a talker."
She had always felt so superior tc
him; she shuddered as she thought OF
1t. His quiet had been so much better
than her talk. His intelligence wa.
proven now, when it came to the grea1
| test, to be Of stronger sort than hers
He was wise and good and gentle
! and fighting man! I'VE know wha
they've done to this country and wha
they mean to do to ours. So we're
going to attend to Them" She reat
this over, and she knew that Ramsey
wise and gentle and good, would figh
h like an unclaimed devil, and that HI
J and his comrades would indeed ant
4 indeed do what they "came for
ut wasn't YOU he said. She nod
4 ded gently. agreeing, and knew wha
y 1t was that sent him. Yet Ramse
Y had his own secret here. and did no
tell it. Sometimes there rose, faint Il
4 his memory, whimsical picture, We
a one that had always meant much t
7 him. He would see an old man sittin
with little boy upon a rustic benc
" under walnut tree to watch the "Det
y Grafton Day Parade" go by-and Ran
sey would see shoot of sunshine tina
had somehow got through the walnu
tree and make a bedaZZlement c
glinting fine lines over spot abou
the size of saucer, upon the oil
mans thick white hair. And in Ran
o sey's memory, the little boy. sittin
e beside the veteran. would half clos
d his eyes, drowsily. playing that tn
d sunshine spot was white birds-nes
It until he had m0mentary dream OF
J. glittering little bird that dwelt thei
S. and wore a blue soldier cap on Il
e head. And Ramsey would bring out
;e his memory thoughts that the old ma
had got into the clild's head that da
l I'VE knew that armies fighting for Il
I Freedom Of Man had to win. In II
v. long run. We were on the side
n Gods Plan. Long ago we beS'
q. TO see hints of His Plan. Ma
N has to win his freedom from hlmselr-
men in the light have to fight again
~ men in the dark ;. . That light is Il
"a answer We had the light TIL
70 made US never doubt"
=.
:. A long while Dora sat with the le
II ter in her hand before she answered
:, and took IT upon her heart to wes
y, That was the place for 1t. since it w
y, olready within her heart. where
IL would find II when he came hor
. again. And she beheld the reveiati
q, sent to her. This ordinary life OF RAJ
n sey's was but the outward glinting
high and splendid spirit. as high nj
II splendid as earth can show. And y
NJ n was only the life of an everyd
=, American boy. The streets OF t
~ town were full, now, Of boys like Ra
- sey.
=, At first they were just boys in u
20 form then one saw that they We
te boys no more.
nj They were soldiers.