New Britain herald., 1927-06-17

Tracy, Major Aukland was sur from this wire that Phillip was find ing himself.
 This message does not seem a all like Phil. Major" said Mrs. Tracy
 Perhaps, my dear Anne. it's an other side of him. If were you r. just leave him alone and let hin work 1t all out for himself"
 But Major. he seems unhappy"
 "Of course he's unhappy. Ever, youth is unhappy when he wakes uY and finds that this world is not mad. solely for his benefit. My advice te you, Anne. is to stay away from hin for a while."
 And this was why. although hi, mother was all the time promising herself she would so down to Fl Paso and Fort Bliss. she never seemed to find the time to do it.
 Phil, who at first was somewha, hurt. grew to be rather thankful that she did not. for he felt they were growing apart. She still thought of him as . boy. but he knew that since he had come to Fort Bliss. if not before, he was a man.
 Of course he loved his mother dearly. but this old world was changing very rapidly and his moth- CT did not seem to be keeping up with the procession.
 Although Phil did not realize 1t, his experience with Gladys had ex- erted a far-reaching influence on his character. He seemed to be settling down, whether he would or not.
 At first, he was much with Marta Tennis, but she, like all other girls in America, got the craze and joined the "" and was soon sent to some station outside of Fl Paso.
 She promised to write to him. but seemingly had forgotten him. It was then that he and Lieutenant Andrews had agreed to disagree.
 Phillip could not be otherwise than a good soldier with the tradi- tlons of his family behind him. and when he had made up his mind that OelH6 III luC diihy 6OoN oolo1Cl was the thing to be, he settled down to regular drill and the monotony of army life with a will.
 The life out of doors. the drilling and the plain. coarse food, although it was not palatable to either Rod or Phil. was making them both hard muscled and healthy.
 They liked to think of themselves as hard boiled" and they swag- gered little. They both had learn than when they first came down, and they paid little attention the niceties of life; but they had learned there was such thing as hard work and discipline. something which Phillip Tracy, at least. had never known be- fore in ali his life.
 Of course they complained to each other. whenever they got together over the long time they were being kept at the training camp. For some CTS who had enlisted long after them having gone, while they fingered be- hind.
 Natlee wrote long. ncwsy letters, either to Phil or Rod. each week, and both boys, one with unhappi- ness and the other with joy, notic- cd she seemed to treat them both alike.
 They learned from one of these letters that Jerry Kenyon had at last substituted for one of the men at Mr. Jones' dairy. and that man was already on his way to France This, for a while, had a rather de- pressing effect on Phil. who was growing very impatient as the months rolled by.
 Even when he received. his cor porars chevrons he was not over enthusiastic.
 The word came for the regiment to leave. the day another bar was added to the two already on his sleeve. and he started presumably to New York to take the ship for France, in high spirits. His mother. to whom he wired, he learned had been sent to Chicago from Washington. where they were having a great campaign in selling Liberty bonds.
 Phil was not sure he would see her before he left.
 His lip curled as he read her mes- sage, My heart is breaking, Son, because l cannot leave to meet you when you arrive at Camp Merritt. have to tell myself every hour of the day that I am a soldier. too. I love you, dear heart. Mother"
 Natlee. as lovely as ever. however, met him at the Ritz the day he ar rived at Camp Merritt.
 I'm going A. w. o. L.." he had said gayly to Rod as soon as they had gotten to camp. "and I'll be at the Ritz. old chap. If you find the company is going to leave, you must get me therefor don't want to be left behind"
 Don't do 1t. Wynne." pleaded Rod. you can't risk court-martial now"
 Yes can. I can risk anything for one good time before I go abroad. How do we know we're ever. coming back? I for one do not ex- pect to, and you told me you felt the same. Come on with me, old man, let's have one last good time togeth- CT in little old New York before we go. I've sent to Nonnie to send over my dinner clothes and you can send for yours. In 'civies' there will not be much danger from lurking NJ. P.s. Come on. Rod. be a sport.'
 No. Wynne. if you are going out in that reckless frame of mind I must be here to get you back in time."
 All right. Rod, so long,"
 Natlee. too, had braved her fath-