The Bolivar County Democrat., 1923-11-17

supper prepared by de ladies' and she
say dey need you"
The girls first sensation was relief
at postponing the telling of her news;
1t would, she thought, give her that
much more time to find some one to
go to Virginia. There was n
train at nine o'clock. Every
one away. like this. 1t was
providential.
Il can't go. Joseph" she amazed
herself by saying. 81 am leaving to-
night-for Philadelphia"
philadelphia, Miss Ann?"
perhaps Mr.. Hendricks isn't dead,
Joseph. / have to go to find out"
There was a great furry of exclama-
tion and excitement. while Ann ate
her supper, and packed small travel
ing bag. Old Joseph insisted on ac.
companying her to the ferry, and in
the carriage he began to have a change
of heart. at don't seem right to me,
Miss Ann-you going off all by YOU
self, diS-a-way," he protested from
time to time, unavalingly, and at the
last moment, when he had carried her
bag on board the ferryboat. he refused
to leave her. ITS getting too dark,
Miss Ann. honey. FIR you to be on de
water by youself. I'll see you on to
de train" Ann was touched in spite
of herself. and was glad to have him
with her. too. as the water was very
black away from the dock, and almost
all the passengers were men, who
stared at her persistently. She would
not have admitted that she was nerv-
Gus. but she was grateful to the old
negro.
He found seat for her in the
crowded car. and stood beside her,
bareheaded. as long as he could fenc-
ing off any one who might have wished
to share her seat, and talking Of
Hendricks when he was a little boy.
People looked curiously at the elegant
young woman attended by her defer
ential old servant. but neither Joseph
nor his mistress noticed them.
"Good luck Miss Ann" he said as
the conductor shouted "All aboard"
"De Lord be with you. an Mr.. Hen
dricks."
All night long there were delays and
rumors of trouble. Twice they were
side-tracked for train of cavalry
cars filled with shouting men and
stamping horses-and once for a load
of lowing beef cattle, en- route for the
cf nO1I1I nnt
sleep. After her fellow-passengers had
settled themselves into strange gro
tesques of repose, while the candles
in the spring sockets guttered dimly,
she sat looking at the full canals of
New Jersey, placid and unreal, in the
dim light Of waning moon. Z.
Ann knew that she had involved
herself in a fine mess. running off in
this way. If her guardian had
been at home, Of course it wouldn't
have been necessary. Surely, once
Hendricks was found she could man.
age to get into field hospital, If only
for few days. He must be
alive-she was sure Of 1t. {.
How overjoyed her guardian would be
and Hendricks mother. who could
Law aside the black which made her
look so pathetically old. She
wondered II Hendricks had her note
vet. She smiled reluctantly at
the ridiculous figure she would cut. in
her weeds, should he actually face her
with 1t.
| She was wide awake when the dawn
came; for a long time the blank sky
was family streaked with mauve, then
all at once the whole east burst dra-
i matically into rose color, the sun
scared up with a rush of light and
movement, and the trees In the fields
beside the track flung long black
shadows after the escaping train. Ann
watched the transformation eagerly.
She was not sleepy. and she wondered
If hendricks were miraculously awak-
ening tC welcome this new day.
Philadelphia was a vastly different
place from the staid town she had
known before, when visiting there
with her guardian. People thronged
the streets, as though it were holi-
day, and bands playing martial music
promenaded through the crowd, fol-
lowed by huge canvas signs on which
were printed the names of the various
regiments which men might join; 1t
was an enormous advertising cam
| noipn in tha interest Of enlistment