New Britain herald., 1927-06-14
disembarked and wild rumors were
floating all about.

floating all about.
No one. not even the officers, knew
what was going to happen.
Ono morning Phil received Z tel
gram from his mother In which she
told him that on the next Sunday
she and Natlee were going to make
him visit. He told the news to
Rod and together they made plans
to make Mrs. Tracy and Natlee think
they were having a real holiday.
Two hours after getting the tele-
gram, the boys received orders to
leave for the training camp at the
border.
| Inexpressibly disappointed and un-
| happy, a hurried wire was sent
home. and they were on their way.
Crowded into ill-smelling cars
with every berth filled with one and
sometimes two boys, Rod and Phil.
for the first time in all their happy
go-lucky friendship. felt there was
could not be perfectly sincere with
each other. Phil did not talk to Rod
about Natlee because he knew that
although he never referred to it,
Rod had never gotten over that
night when he waited for her to
come and bid him goodbye.
Phil had hoped when his mother
racks, Malice would have healed the
hurt she had dealt almost uncon-
sciously.
True, she had written him. but
what she had said to him Rod had
not told. AS soon as he had received
the letter with Natlee's handwriting
on It, he had disappeared and Phil
had not seen him until retreat"
His eyes had frightened. however.
when he heard that Pills mother
and Natlee were coming to visit
them. and he was quite as much dis
appointed as Phil when the order
came for them to move.
However. with a show of relief,
they told each other that they were
now on their way.
All through that first night on
! board the train, where they had both
been put into one bunk. both boys
/ held themselves very quietly. NOV
ing only when their legs or arms be-
came cramped from being kept a
long while in one position. Natu
rally. neither of them slept, but each
hoped the other was asleep and was
doing his best not to make the
slightest disturbance:
Fortunately the train stopped at
a city the next morning soon after
it was light and Phil followed the
hilarious crowd TO the station plat
form where they were met by a
number of pretty girls who offered
them hot coffee. doughnuts. sand
, Wichcs. cigarettes and candy.
To some of the men, these girls
were of the kind with whom they
had never before spoken, and one
irrepressible young chap who. after
eating his fill was smoking a Gig
rctte asked:
rs this a poor war;"
Pretty poor-prctty poor an
swered another. who was biting into
a great apple that made him think
of the pushcarts on Third Avenue.
Say what town Is this?" Phil
asked of a young woman beside
him without much interest.
AS she answered. he remembered
i, was the place in which Lyra Hill
lard lived. The cup he was hold
ing dropped from his fingers.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, buddy. Wait,
/ I'll get you another one
Never mind. l don't think I want
any coffee"
Sure you do. Here comes Mrs.
Truesdale with plenty OF cups and
saucers and a steaming pot"
Phillip Wynne Tracy brought HIM
self up with a jerk and found HIM
self staring into the face of young
ish woman who was holding out TO
, him another cup Of coffee.
Hurriedly he swallowed it, al
though it burned his mouth and
throat until the tears came into his
eyes.
His only thought was to get
through with it and get back into
the car as soon as possible.
nv HCCu " lJtlllS III ouNIl F"
hurry, my boy" said the woman.
who. as every feminine creature
from sixteen to sixty did. answered
his smile with much warmer one
as she glanced into his face.
Thank YOU" he said but just
thought of something and must get
back to the car Immediately.
Without another word he rushed
up the steps and through the door,
where he sat as much in the shadow
as possible, praying that the train
would soon start.
He was sure that Lyra would be
one OF these who were the first to
volunteer to take food and cigarettes
to the soldiers passing through the
town. and he told himself that she
was probably out there.
/ AT last the cry, IAN aboard" and
the rollicking crowd came back.
II tried to find you. Wynne." said
Rod. Mrs. billiard was among
those present on the station plat
form and for once she attempted
! TO transact one of her little vamp
acts without much seccess.
she handed a cup of coffee to big
! Mulcaulhy and offered to kiss the
cup to make it sweeter.
"Mulcaulhy. who probably had
never had such a proposition put to
him before in all his life. held it to
her lips very respectfully if bash
fully, while he said: Thank you,
ma'am. expect it will swatch the
drink fer me. I bet we have a bye
yerself that's goin' over
Il wish, Wynne, you could have
seen how quickly she jerked her lips
away from that cup. II seemed to
have burned her. Here was a man
that was telling her the truth. AT