Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1922-05-18
Ramsey Milholland
By BOOTH HARRINGTON
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country, and we know what they mean
to do to ours. So we're going to at
tend to them. OF course that's why
I'm here. 1t wasn't you.
Don't forget to write pretty soon,
Dora. You say in your letter. GER
tainly was glad to get that letter.
well, you say have things to do more
important than girls Dora, I think
you probably know without my saying
so that Of course while I have got i'm
portant things to do, just as every
man over here has, and everybody at
home, for that matter, well, 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 IN be to get
it, and don't forget you didn't have
anything to do with my being over
here. That was-it was something
else. And you bet, whatever happens
I'm glad 1 camel Don't ever forget
that!"
Dora knew it 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, floundering somehow
through his lessons in school and
through his sweethearting 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 a stick on the fence as he
went, care-free and masterful, but shy
as a deer If strangers looked at him,
and always mot much Of talker."
She had always felt so superior to
him; she shuddered as she thought Of
1t. His quiet had been so much better
than her talk. His intelligence was
proven now, when 1t came to the great
test, to be of stronger sort than hers.
He was wise and good and gentle
and fighting man! ave know what
they've done to this country and what
they mean to do to ours. So were
going to attend to them" She read
this over, and she knew that Ramsey,
wise and gentle and good, would fight
like an unclaimed devil, and that he
and his comrades would indeed and
indeed do what they "came for
"It wasn't you," he said. She nod
ded gently. agreeing, and knew what
it was that sent him. Yet Ramsey
had his own secret here, and did not
tell it. Sometimes there rose, faint in
his memory, whimsical picture, yet
one that had always meant much to
him. He would see an old man sitting
with little boy upon rustic bench
under q walnut tree to watch the Dec
grafton Day Parade" 60 by--and Ram
sey would see a shoot of sunshine that
had somehow got through the walnut
tree and make bedazzlement Of
glinting fine lines over spot about
the size of q saucer, upon the old
mans thick white hair. And in Ram
sey's memory, the little boy, sitting
beside the veteran, would half close
his eyes, drowsily, playing that this
sunshine spot was white bird's-nest,
until he had a momentary dream Of q
glittering little bird that dwelt there
and wore a blue soldier cap on Its
head. And Ramsey would bring out Of
his memory thoughts that the old man
had got into the child's head that day.
1--WE knew that armies fighting for the
Freedom of Man had to win, In the
long run. ;. We were on the side Of
Gods Plan. Long ago we began
to see hints of His Plan. Man
has to win his freedom from himself
men in the light have to fight against
men in the dark {. That light Is the
answer We had the light that
made us never doubt"
A long while Dora sat with the let
ter In her hand before she answered II
and took it upon her heart to wear.
That was the place for it, since it was
already within her heart, where he
would find it when he came HON.
again. And she beheld the revelation
sent to her. This ordinary life Of Ram
sey's was but the outward glinting Of
high and splendid spirit as high and
splendid as earth can show. And yet
it was only the life Of an everyday
American boy. The streets Of the
town were full, now, of boys like RAM
sey.
At first they were just boys In uni.
form; then one saw that they were
boys no more.
They were soldiers.
1.-THE END.l