The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-04-08
GO ON WITH THE STORY.
''Eh? Into what ~

1Ac wal II was easier dILeT
the plunge. 81 see in the papers that
civilians are being given commits
sions by recommendation. Can you
get me a commission ?"
Colonel Rattray showed surprise.
We'll, l don't know. 1 might. I've
no doubt / could, If you're eligible.
How old are you, Sabre?'
'Thirty-six."
Colonel Rattray said doubtfully,
Come on up to the Mess in the
| morning and I'll get our doctor to
have look at you. Then we'll see
what can be done. All right, eh ?"
III.
He said nothing to Mabel of his
intention. 1t was just precisely the
sort of thing he could not possibly
discuss with Mabel. Mabel would
| say, "Whyever should you?" and Of
| all imaginable ordeals the idea of
| exposing before Mabel his feeling
| about England he would tell
her when it was done, if it came OFF
| And his thought was, when a few
| hours later he was walking slowly
away from his interview with Major
Earnshaw, the doctor at the bar
! racks, Thank God, 1 never said
anything to Mabel about it."
| Major Earnshaw had very pleas
antly had a go at this heart of
yours" Withdrawn his stetho-
scope and shaken his head. 1t was
mo go; absolutely none, Sabre"
We'll, but that's for a commits
sion. I'll go into the ranks"
you can't possibly go in as you
are-now. The standards will
probably be reduced, but they'll
have to be reduced a goodish long
way before you'll get in. don't
mind telling YOU
".
Then came another of the fright
full undoings of his emotions
The occasion was that of his
meeting with Hardness outside the
County Times office Hardness was
a captain of the battalion that had
gone out who had been left behind
owing to some illness. The British
Expeditionary Force had been in
| action.
Sabre SAID, News? Anything
about the Pinks?"
Hardness nodded. He seemed to
be swallowing. Then he said, Yes,
the regiment Pretty bad"
Sabre said, Amy one-T and
also stopped.
Hardness looked, not at Sabre
but straight across the top of his
head and began an appalling, and
as it seemed to Sabre, an endless
recitative. 1.-THE Coloners killed
Bruce is killed. Otway's killed
"Otway :"
"Cottar's killed. Bullen's killed
Endless! The names struck
Sabre like successive blows. Were
they never going to end?
"Carmichaeps killed. My young
brothers." his voice cracked
killed. Skies is killed"
"Sikes killed And your
brother :"
Hardness said in a very thin
squeaking voice, yes, the ragi-
ment's pretty we'll The regi-
mems" He looked full at Sabre
and said in very loud, defiant
voice, II bet they were magnificent
/ BY God, I bet you they were mag
nificient Oh, my God, why the
hell wasn't 1 there?" He turned
abruptly and went away, walking
rather funnily.
This was the moment at which
there descended upon Sabre, never
to leave him while he remained not
lin it" the appalling sense of op-
preston that the war exercised up
on him. On his brain like a weight
on his heart like q pressing hand
"
And still events; still, and nj.
ways, now, disturbing things.
While he stood there he was
suddenly aware Of Young Rod, Pole
or Perch, rather breathlessly come
up.
ct say, Sabre, have you heard
this frightful news about the
PinksNI want you to talk to ny
mother. She'll listen to you. I'm
going to enlist
Sabre said, Good Lord, are you
Perch? Must you? Your mother
why, what on earth will she dc
without you? She'll"
Young Perch WINGED painfully
81 know. 1t pretty well kills me
to think of it and I'm having the
most frightful scenes with her. But
I've thought it all out, Sabre, and
4 l know I'm doing the right thing
This is. well, this is a chaps coun-
try, and I've figured it out it's got
to come before my mother. It's got
to. She says it will kill her If
/. go. l believe it will, Sabre"
He rubbed a hand across his
eyes and broke OF. Never mind
about that; / know what I've got Il
do. You know lots of people. Well
/ want to get hold of some nice cir
|. to live with my mother and take
care of her in my place while In
away. A sort of companion, aren't
they called? / want someone WHIT
nv mother will Indignantly call 4
chit of a child"-he gave rather
broken little laugh-"can't l heal
her saying it. l say, Sabre, do FOL