Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-13
NOT PASSED
BY CENSOR
The Adjutant's Dilemma.
BY DEWITT MACKENZIE.

For more than an hour the adju-
tant had sat at his desk in British
general headquarters, Somewhere in
France" with reluctant pen poised over
the findings of the court-martial which
had cashiered Capt. Freddie.
It was the business of the adjutant,
as representative Of the high command,
to pass final judgment, and he was
having trouble. It was a most unusual
circumstance for him to be stumped.
He was adjutant because he was efd-
cient.
Moreover, this was an open and shut
case. On the face Of 1t there was no
earthly reason why he should have de-
layed even minutes in putting MS
o. K. on the paper before him. And
still the pen. from which ultimately
must issue that fateful message. re-
manned suspended in air, its point
weaving little circles of indecision.
The adjutant finally threw his pen
down in despair and walked over to
the window. Before him was lovely
stretch of emerald countryside; OF
there somewhere to the west the big
guns were vomiting out their missiles
of destruction. But he saw neither the
beauty of the immediate vicinity nor
was he thinking of the hell over in the
distance. He was bordering the case
of Capt. Freddie.
Capt. Freddie, one of the finest OIL
GERS who ever led bunch OF bayonets
over the top. Capt. Freddie, clean
living, hard-fighting gentleman. Cash.
iereed! To be sent home In disgrace.
To be thing, yes, thing. OF reproach
in the eyes of his fellow officers for
life. To be evicted from his club. To
ta Sh1Irrad an the street
Something remarkably like a damn"
escaped the adjutant's grimly set
mouth. He drummed impatiently OH
the window pane. and for the hum
dredth time reviewed the case, in hope
that he might see some tiny loophole
which would save the captain.
The whole trouble started from the
fact that Capt. Freddie loved his wife
and she loved him. Daily the military
postman trundled back and forth the
little missives Of affection between this
pair of lovers-one in France and one
In London Those letters were Won
derful helps to love-lorn couple. stu,
it wasn't like seeing each other; jolly
long way from 1t.
But war is war, and love doesn't
enter into it very much. Men must
fight, and women must stay at home
and wait. Stern military law forbade
the wife of any fighting man joining
him in the war zone, even in the back
areas where 1t was quiet. The penalty
for violation of this law was court
martial and disgrace for the man.
It was funny sort Of law, too, on
analysis. For a soldier might make all
the love he wishes to any woman other
than his wife. Wives only were barred.
OF course, several million wives at the
front would have presented something
of a problem to G. H. @. That was
the military point of view, and the
military viewpoint Is VIGOROUSLY lack
ing in sentiment.
Mrs. Capt. Freddie didn't know
much about military law. She only
knew that she was aWfully lonesome
for Freddie. 1t was enough for her
that she wanted to be with him, with
out worrying her pretty head about the
brass hats" at G.. H. @. And SO one
day she wangled a trip to the war zone,
with the Red Crossers, or some similar
workers. She headed straight for
Freddie, and she found him in Amiens
He was the same old Freddie, too. It
was good to see him.
But after the first greetings were
over, an uneasy thought began to run
through Capt. Freddie's mind. He
wasn't an officer in his majestys forces
for nothing. He knew the law, and
realized the danger of having his wife
with him. He said nothing about his
misgivings to his sweetheart, though.
She was too happy. He couldn't spoil
It all. So he sat tight, and showed his
white teeth in the infectious laugh
which had endeared him to the officers
mess and to his men. The adoring
Mrs Freddie loved that laugh. too.
They had wonderful two or three
days together, for Amiens, while full of
troops, was fairly quiet. and they found
good accommodations in hotel. Final
ly Mrs. Freddie kissed her captain
good-by and packed off for London,
happier than she had been In many
long months of separation.
Then Capt. Freddie faced the music.