Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-13
This Strange
Adventure
By Mary Roberts Rinehart
copyright
= Service

waiting for her. The girls eyes were
swollen.
"They won't take Eddie. will they,
Mrs. Dexter?"
mo, indeed He's too young"
But soon a letter came. He had lied
about his age and had already enlisted.
When she received this he would be
on his way to camp.
She sat still for long time, with
that letter in her hands. So this was
what it had come to; all this living
and suffering, the tremendous sweep Of
one human life, its endurance, its
weaknesses and its strengths, now mar
rowed down to a pin point, to one boy
in ten million men.
Camps sprang up over night, cheer
full camps, filled with boys. War was
a new game, life had been reduced to
its elements, was carefree: They were
responsibilities. and the regular life
and the exercise agreed with them.
They resented the discipline, but
thrived under 1t.
Eddie was very happy. He ate
enormously, slept on his narrow cot
the heavy unbroken sleep of youth.
In the daytime he dug trenches on
imitation battlefields, practised bayonet
drill on imitation enemies.
seemed unable to adapt herself to war.
Other women were doing it. she knew:
telling themselves that war was noble,
heroic; putting on pitiful little airs
of pride: Eyes, Jim's gone. He was
one of the first to volunteer" Then
going home to sit alone in some upper
room, perhaps with childish garments
on their knees, old forgotten toys.
But she could not do that. There
was terrible revolt in her, bitter, inn
placable. War was useless, damnable.
Sometimes she sat in the rocking chair
in the old nursery and rocked doggedly
back and forth.
One day, when Eddie had been three
months in his camp, the parlor maid
announced Col. Phelps calling. 1t
took Missile moment to realize that
it was Kirby, another moment or two
to still that ridiculous shaking Of the
hands.
just what he felt she did not know,
standing there in that room where once
he had held her in his arms.
When he heard her on the stairs he
shook himself, threw away his cigarette.
We'll, Kirby! And how fine you
are in uniform!"
"Bit of nonsense, really" he said.
I'm non-combatant, you know"
How little these unawakened women
changed! There, In that dusky room
she was the Missile Of years ago. How
still she was, too. Eleanor was never
still; she made him feel tired and old
by comparison.
But he was not a sentimental man,
not any more. He was a business man,
q business man in uniform.
1--WE only just learned about Eddie,
Missile. He's too young, isn't hep"
Eyes. He said he was older"
He made an impatient gesture.
Its ridiculous. This war doesn't
want boys. It's man stuff. If you
want him back, there may be some way
to arrange it. don't know. but I
could try"
Her heart leaped, then settled down
with heavy painful beating. She made
q small gesture, as if she were putting
away from her.
IT couldn't humiliate him." she said.
He would hate me for it. And maybe
It will be good for him." She colored
family. HE has my fathers blood in
him, and AGO" she stopped. ALSO
nine"
Yours"
I'm weak, I've just drifted. I'm no
mother of kings" She smiled at him. |
His father was strong; not always |
light, perhaps, but strong. and Eddie |
wanted him to CO."
He stared at her. Did she believe
that2 Had she built UP q defensive
wall against the memories she must
have of Wesley, or was she living up to
Ill this propaganda about mothers In
war? Take their boys, If it had to be
done, but why demand that they smile2
THAT is, of course, the proper at.
titude." He picked up his cap. "Only
III. Il pw~ aA~
Missie. Quiet and strong"
you don't know"
II think I do" He looked around
the room, back to her. missile. sup
pose had kept you? Never let you
come back. Made q fight for Eddie.
Have you ever thought about that?"
81 would not change. my life, as
have lived it, in any particular. Kirby"
1T has satisfied you, then?"
IT have had great deal. Toward |
the end Wesley changed, Kirby. He |