Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-27


without arms and legs. like
Il babies in bassinets, wrecks to
be taken back home, men VINO
still smiled. But now and then as
they cast a glance back towards
{ Frances shore, a strange, sad look
came into their eyes. TheNwere the
basket patients"
They came aboard on crutches with
leg gone, or foot gone, or both feet
gone-cut off during those mad swift
moments when an amputation was
safer than slow attempt to cure-or
/ shattered by pieces of high explosive
I shell.
They came aboard with parts of
their faces gone, with queer bits OF
3 flesh hanging to their countenances-
the first processes of the wonderful
/ art of plastic surgery which restores
lost noses, cheeks or even whole
! faces.
! They came aboard with queer little,
] hacking coughs-men whose lungs
! had been burnt away by poisonous
gases.
They came aboard. men outwardly
I normal. but mentally deranged. Out
side whole-inside added. These were
the shell shocked victims of heavy ar
ttllery in warfare.
rail, was saddened by it. He himself
{ had very nearly lost one leg and he
! knew how quickly America would for
get her wounded after the shouting
and the acclaim once died.
He couldn't help being glad that he
was going back home whole.
/ He turned away from the sight of
the gangplank and scanned the dock
! in a hope that he might see Rose
] Mary.
i He had been ordered by telegraph
! to depart direct from Paris without re-
: porting back to the hospital or to his
: outfit. He had telegraphed Rose.
Mary at once, but she had written him
I that she would not be able to see him
Z off
They had correspondent every day.
! as they had agreed, and in her letters
Rosemary had poured out her heart
: TO him as he had to her.
''Oh. Abe" she had written him.
{ snow that this war is over. we two
! are confronted by a struggle of our
own. But it's going to come out al
right as the war did-I'm sure II is!
Each of her letters he carried in his
I inner pocket, and he reread them
again and again.
Now he cherished the latest snap
shot she had sent of herself: 1t show.
! cd her dressed in her white nurses
uniform, and she was smiling-smil.
! ing for him.
He had thought once when he re-
ceived his orders that he would emu
late the thousands of others who were
boiling their regiments, absent with.
out leave. He would go to her. and
afterwards take the consequences.
It was being done by officers and en-.
listed men alike. When the Armistice
. was signed, there seemed to letdown
I in the iron discipline Of war. Devil.
may-care men walked away from their
outfits and made for Paris. The
French capital was Allied with them.
But Able had a clean record. He
didn't want TO besmirch II. And he
knew that although Rose Mary would
I not ch!de him for what he had done,
I she would not approve 1t, because she
had high sense Of honor and duty.
4 So he gave up all hope Of seeing her.
I He was reconciled to the fact that she
would not be there when the ship
sailed. Nevertheless he closely scan
ned the faces of the womeH who were
lined on the dock, looking up at the
soldiers.
One man was leaning far over the
trailing.
"Cherier' he called, "I'u be back for
you. Don't worry I'll be back as
soon as I'm oNt OF the Army. You
must not forget me-
AS the man talked on, Able saw the
girl he was addressing. She stood on
sthe dock. a slim young thing, pathet.
Yically frail, lifting a tear-stained face.
"A damp little handkerchief showed in
zone hand; tears stood in her eyes; she
Axxyau f-@ - FSf-
ing look on her face was tragic.
PLAINLY she believed every word the
IMAM said.
A pretty little thing, about II,
Able thought. Blonde, with large,
blue eyes, and a look Of panic about
her which betrayed the fact that she
had given the soldier everyUhing.
-And then Wen go back over
to America and have a nice little
home, see?"
There was a stir aboard the vessel.
The dock quivered under Abie's feet.
HE realized that the ship was moving
gently. Instictiveiy he threw a last
glance over the crowd beIow-a quick
searching glance in foolish hope that
he might yet see Rosemary. But he
saw none that looked like her-only
French women and few British
nurses who waved their handker.
chiefs when they %eren't pressing
them to their eyes.
: The soldier who had been talking to
the French girl was waving to her
snowi
"Au revoir, cherie"
1 "Adieu, mon amir Her voice had
a sob in it, and sudden dark despair
spread over her face as she turned
away. But instantly she wheeled and
cried:
j 81 shall waitr'
Don't worry! I'll be backr called
the man. Il swear / will!
But Able knew he would not
Many broken hearts were being left
behind. And when this ship with its
Fargo OF destroyed humanity reached
America, there would be many others.
The boat was drawing further from
the drab buildings which lined the
dock.
! The figures at the waters edge
grew smaller-upturned faces merged
together-became a mere indistin-
guishable mass of waving handker-
ehiefs. The soldier at Abie's elbow
turned and walked away.
Able watched him go with mingled
emotions. His heart had gone out to
that girl on the dock-there had been
b certain teli.tale incredulousness