Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1922-02-09
By MARY ). HlToHcocK

morning sunlight. An ordinary red
brick on other days. the inonotony Of
Its everyday dress was broken now BY
the brave splendor Of red and white
and blue.
Il was the eleventh day Of the elev-
enth month. ana across the square the
groups Of khaki-clad figures gathered
In numbers. Ny interest was centered,
however. in one who stood apart, yet
seemed to be the objeet of general
Interest. Morei Affeetionate regard
was manifested In the clasping Of
hands, the glances of many eyes.
Came the sound Of footsteps behind
me, and turning. | stood face-to.face
with one l knew more than passing
well. is
DO ycu suppose could dig up a
story among that crowafp IL asked.
and waited expectantly.
There's the story Of the ssYeIIow
Streak" was the slow answer. eve
have an hour or two before anything
starts, and up In the hall"
To the hall we went. Presently we
were sitting on the wide window sill,
looking down into the squire.
"Was he really q cowardyo
The man looked at me, and smiled
family ave said 50. hut, maybe we
were wrong. But. wait-there's a
way to tell his story:
1T was year, seven months and
a day after Shefford's marriage to
Colonel Chllton's daughter, that the
Presidents message to congress took
some Of us chaps that had never
dreamed Of soldering BY the shout
ders, as il were. and made of us sol
diers, overnight. From the first, AIaur-
Ice kicked at the idea OF leaving the
peaceful life.
I'VE had got into the sub.z0ne be-
fore it struck me that be was talking
too much for his own good. Some of
the boys limited that maybe he was
scared: that when the time came to
go in he'd. turn and run to save his
skin. ae 9s s..,s
''But was sorry forJhim. too. His
wife had been my schoolmate and be-
lieyed IN him so entirely thnt she had
come to me just before we left and
asked that / look out for Maurice.
Somehow, she felt that he would be
brave!
..And then we moved up. We were
really in. at last 1t grew worse, in
stead of better, an,s By the time we
left the training area there were more
than a dozen bets being laid. for BY
that time everyone of the old crowd \
was calling him the yellow Streak;
and the things they het he'd do were
well, no part Of this story
: Bat maybe telling you about the
night when I'd made up my mind to
have 1t out with Maurice belongs In.
here. There was something doing
every minute--one way og another
and right In the middle Of what the
papers would call a quiet night, a
bunch of the fellows tlnnbled into the
trench, carrying wounded youngster
between them.
Maurice was near me, and the way
he turned away as they went on to
the relief station made me promise
myself that I'd talk some stiffness in
to his backbone II 1t could be. done.
$50 that's why Iwaited in the dug
out after things siminered down lit
tie. They told me he had gone out
with bombing squad, and when the
hours slid along IL just naturally
drowsed and slept.
"0f course, can't say how the rest
Of it happened. The bombing party
came in just before daylight almost
drunk for need of sleep. I'd seen them
often-been one of them myself aud
so could guess that their steps were
none too sure their nerves pretty
raw, as they stumbled into the dug
out.
"Afterward, they agreed that Mau-
rice was the last to come in---that he
had int started to empty his pockets
Of the remaining bombs when 1t hap
1T was frightened, hysterical oath |
that wakened mel hadn't heard the
bomb strike the floor, but it was plain
enough who had dropped it. No, 1t |
wasn't Maurice, hut he knew, as did |
all the rest that, Ave seconds-a heart |
beat or two-was all we could count
on from that minute.
II shut my eyes, praying that the
end would be mercifulIy complete, so
| did not see that Maurice had thrown
the bomb straight toward the open,
doorway just as second bombing
party came around the corner Of the
trench and paused outside.
"But heard the shout of warning
that he gave as he jumped: heard,
too, the muffied explosion. ana the
cries that followed
"Don't tell me anymore ! pleaded. /
4 can supply the rest-Is
MY narrator grinned. eYou think
you can, but I'd better finish. seeing
hat rye told the tofyaso faf~
.Youre thinking that 1t killed hIml k