The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-07-31
DAGGER
 bv Mary DahIberg

And suddenly she was glad that the future was a closed book. The past had held it's tragedy. Best let the futures leaves unfold from day to day. So at last, she slept, waking in flood of golden sunlight, with Jack bending over her.
 Hi, little devil! Aren't you in terested in me today? Come on. Breakfast is spread in the den."
 Most of the day she spent with him, except for luncheon and an carly dinner with the whole family, and an interval, she, herself, sug- gested, devoted by him to a visit with his mother. When he left for the ferry to Hoboken to board his ship, Dagger kissed him goodbye with a contentment that was bliss full
 We ought to have gone with him." sobbed Kitty
 Tt would only have been harder for him." said Dagger "Partings are best gotten over with. Nobody cays anything particular on flying field when a ship goes up. If they did"
 T hope you are rec6nciled to abandoning flying, Alexandra" ob- served her mother -in-law. "Is it necessary" asked Dagger. I was able to be of some assist ance to war work in Texas"
 This is not Texas. And flying is dangerous business. Also, you have a position to maintain here, and at your age you must consider de- corum above all things. These fly ing fields"
 An upward glance conveyed the worst. Dagger smiled.
 They are tough places,", she ad- mitted, although girl pilot would probably be safer in hangar than ianywhere-unless it was a ship. l won't bother you, Mrs. Vaneering If you seriously object, I'll stay on the ground"
 That is my wish,' Mrs. Vaneer- ing answered haughtily.
 "Oh, bother" exclaimed Kitty, who had dried her eyes. q was hoping Dagger would take me up.n
 Alexandra, if you please" cor rected her mother.
 We shan't have to worry about Alexandras responsibility" MT. Va- neering intervened mildly. Sup pose we all go to the theatre? We shall be better off this evening with our thoughts occupied"
 Tt would be impossible fer me to enjoy a theatrical entertainment while my Jack was sailing for France" returned his wife.
 The days passed quicker than Dagger had expected. If her moth- er-in-law remained distant and hos- tile, MT. Vaneering was at pains to be attentive, and Kitty gave her companionship and saw to it that she met people and had sufficient entertainment. [
 But the bulk of the people she met had nothing in common with her.
 Always, too, she had Jack upon her mind The night MT. Vaneering had knocked upon her door, un- wonte e dly excited-"Alix, Alix! Washington just called me. Jacks convoy is safe, e,"-she had buried her face in her pillow, biting the linen to restrain the sobs that struggled for utterance.
 Jack went to the Front: he was assigned to a pursuit group-down came the curtain!
 St. Mihiel, and a brief announce
 ment from First Army Headquar-
 ters: Tn combat over the enemy
 lines, Captain John Vaneering, D. F. C., D. s. O., shot down his tenth
 plane" Next letter from Jack
 he'd received the Legion of Honor and a Belgian decoration. More weeks of strain. The Argonne. A second communique, terse and mat
 ter -of-fact: Captain John Vaneer- ing yesterday and the day before shot down in flames his eleventh Iand twelfth enemy planes. Toda, he destroyed an enemy observation balloon over Mont Sec" Like every other American, Dag. ger was swept off her feet by tn,
 rush of events that Fall, the stead, thrusts of the Allied Armies. whicf were chopping German resistanc, , apart.
 | Indeed, as the tide of victor, I swelled, and the daily communique , increased the totals of prisoner : and guns taken and ground gained } she became superstitious about he } own investment in the titanic me , lee. With so many men dying, witt millions graphing in death battl l from the Alps to the Channel coast