The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-11
IS ~ :. |. !, /! ;. L ( MID I'D
4ssy COPYRIGHT 1928 81 NEA SERVICE INC.


nesia, like charity, ccvO~ef a multi.
tude of sins. But John-Johr
wouldn't tell such lies. Why should
he? He loved her didn't he? OF
course he had wanted to come home
to her.
TITS very strange" he muir
n INJURED. And in dumb anguish
she inclined her head. 1t was. Very
strange.
1.-THE baby-is it yours?"
She nodded.
They said you we're dead. At
first I wouldn't believe it. 1 waited
and waited. But YOU never came. !
was married two and a half years
ago. My-my husband is dead"
John Lawrence groaned.
God in heaven'
He struggled to his feet, explor-
ing his pockets nervously. On his
outstretched pal mhe extended a
small white box.
"Look-it's a wedding ring. 1
bought it this morning. The banns
we're published last Sunday. Oh,
my God, Sybil. What are we going
to dol"
He put his hands over his face,
and she kissed his fingers timidly.
John, look at me, dear. It's so
long-so long ago. De we care, dear
still?"
She pried his fingers from his
hair, and he took her hands, and
kissed them wildly.
Then she was in his arms-strug-
Cling, protesting, entreating.
Deaf to her pleas, he caressed
her. Kissed her lips and her eyes
and her poor pale face, and her
white throat. Until, spent with
ardor, they sank on the diyan, like
tired children, and her head fell
Imply in the hollow of his shoulder
Tell me" she whispered, and her
voice was small and weary. Begin
at the beginning"
Il
TRUTH, they say, is. stranger
L than fiction. Here then is the
story John Lawrence told Sybil.
The war played strange tricks on
men. And for exquisite cruelty
psychosis turned the screws-that
dread affliction that spared the
body and scourged the soul.
He told his story disjointedly.
. They were marching in squad
columns. The objective-oh, no
matter. Earth and trees sprouted
up like geysers. There were weird
lights in the sky and shells screech-
ing like hell let loose. He was
scared. No use lying. Knees shak-
ing.
There was an explosion. Worse
than the rest. A shell, you know.
Right in the middle of the squad.
ooh, darling! lists no use.
=. Blood and mud. . Fellows
blown to pieces arms and legs
-and-and things. Sybil, hold
my hand. All, sweetheart. No
Mans land, they call it. :"
He was sobbing. Crying like a
baby-her soldier back from the
ooh, John my dear. My
dear -
He had lain there it seemed.
Days-nights-nobody knew. Once
he found a little pool crawling to
it through the slime. And when he
put his lips to it, and drank, it was
sweet and sticky. Blood. He'd
wiped it off with his sleeve. 1t
was all over his face.
BY and by he dug a hole-with
his hands To bury some poor fell
lows head. 1t lay there, you see.
staring up at the moon. Awful.
The teeth showed.
There was a chap he knew. All
he could see was his hand. Sticking
out of some awful muck heap. Rec
ognized the ring. A big, black
stone. The chaps mother had given
it to him on his 21st birthday. He
told John so. Some one to talk to-
Oh, God, don't let him be dead. ..
FIe reached for the hand. Touched
it--icy cold.
Come on, old man-out Of that
damn slime. I'll give you pull"
"a mighty wrench. A-h-h, there
that's better. He chafed the frozen
wrist, and hunched forward, on his
elbows, to see his friends face.
ut wasn't Jim, Sybill. Only his
arm. 1t came off, you see-in my
hand like that"
John! Don't dear"
"Yes-yes-I've never talked be-
fore IT'S like q dam that'c hrolyey,