The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1922-07-06

Ramsey Milholland
BY BOOTH HARRINGTON


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country, and we know what they mean
10 90 to ours. SO we're goina to at
tend to them. or course thnt's why
I'm here. 1t wasn't you.
Doht rorget to write pretty soon,
Dora. You say in your letter-I GER
tainiy was glad to get that letter.
"eii' you say have things to do more
important than girls Dora, think
you proDaDiy know without my saying
50 thnt of course while have got I'M
portant things to do, just as eyerv
man over here has, ana everybody Mt
home. for that matter, we'll. the thing
mat IS most Important III 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
IT, ana don't forget you didn't have
anything to do with my being over
mere. That wns-it was something
else. And you bet, whatever happens
I'm glad I cnme! Don't ever forget
thnt!"
Dora knew 1t was something else"
fier memory went back to her first rec.
objection Of him In school: from that
time on he hnd been just m ordinary
everyday boy, foundering somehow
through his lessons in school and
through his sweethearting with Milla.
as the millions Of other boys iloun.
oered along with their own lessons
ana their own Mlllns. She saw him
swinging his books and romping home
"ard from the schOolhousc, or going
whistling by her fathers front ward
rattllny stick OH the fence as he
Wont, care-free and masterful, but shy
as Il deer If strangers looked ut him,
ana always mot much Of tnlker."
She had always felt so superlor to
nm; she shuddercd as she thought OF
H. iilS quiet had been so much better
'H"h her talk. His intelligence was
proven now, when it came to the great
test, to be of Al stronger sort than hers.
lie was wise and good and gentle
ana lighting man! "We know whnt
they've done to this country and what
they mean to do to ours. SO we're
going to attend to them" She read
thls over, and she knew TINT Ramsey.
wise and gentle and good, would fight
IKE an unclaimed devil and that he
ana his comrades would indeed and
indeed 40 what they "came for"
1T wasn't you," he said. She nod
dcd gently. agreeing, ana knew what
it was that sent him. Yet Ramsey
mad his own secret here, and did not
tel 1t. Sometimes there rose, faint in
MS memory, Il whimsical picture. vet
one that had always meant much TO
him. lie would see an old man sitting
with little boy upon Il rustic bench
under walnut tree to watch the Dec
Grafton Day Parade" go by-and Ram
Sey would SEQ shoot Of sunshine that
had somehow got through the walnut
tree ana make a bedaZZlpmcnt of
ElintinS fine lines over a SPOT about
the size Of 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 a white birds-nest,
until he had momentary dream OF a
Gllttering little bird that dwclt there
ana wore blue soldier cap on it's
head. And Ramsey would bring out of
his memory thoughts thnt the old man
had got into the child's head that day.
I'VE 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 i. /. We had the light that
made us never doubt"
long while Dora sat with the let
Ter In her hand before she answered it
and took 1t upon her heart to wear
That was the place for 1t. since it was
already within her heart, where he
would find 1t when he came home
again. And she behcld the revelation
sent to her. This ordinary life of Ram
sey's was but the outward ginting OF
Il high and splendid spirit, as high and
splendid rs earth can show. And vet
1t 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.