The Nome nugget., 1938-05-21

Leighton cried. Isn't Eddie com ing homer"
 Yes ma'am, no ma'am," Yegg gulped. Eddie ain't coming home no more!"
 She uttered a moan and covered her face with her hands. After few moments she turned toward him, her face an aged mask of grief but her eyes shining clearly, stead lastly with some inner illum ina | tion.
 Tell me, sir" she said very low. When he was in the army, over thare, he wrote he'd got hurt. was in the hospital, nothing much. he said. I didn't hear again for so long-and then only a note saying | he was all right back in Ame rica and playing on the road somewhere. something wrong-that he had one of those injuries they don't ever get over and he was trying to save me worry. My Eddie! know he died a hero-even if it was long after Wards-in a hospital!" | Before that avoWal of faith Yegg Oakley's eyes fell. Eddie died as a gun should die, fighting, but the de- tails were best forgotten. Aw. Ed die had hardly known there'd been a war!
 That lovely lamp to be blown out! That faith shattered!
 Yegg Oakley knew suddenly that that must not happen.
 "Yes, ma 'am," he heard himself gabbing away. Eddie was hero, you know it! He never got no med als nor nothin' but most heroes nev- CT do, ma am." Mrs. Leighton broke into tears and Yegg cursed himself under his breath. Now he would have to live up to that fool yarn! And what he knew about war wouldn't fill much of a book!
 "Tell me about it." she mur- mured. "Tell me everythingt
 The sweat started on Yegg's brow Tt was over in Roosha, ma am," he began. He had once seen a film depicting the Rus sian revolution.
 We both fought there after Flu rope, ma am," he went on. "E Eddie was guarding bunch of pills and nurses against-against the bo- hunks and hell a-popp-"
 "Bohunks?'
 II can't pronounce their real monikers, a'am. Bohunks they looked, bohunks they was. Tough ones. A shell hit him. caught him in my arms, ma am. The pills did the best they could. No use. So before Eddie goes west he tells me to come out here and see you and give you all this money what he saved up and see that you was all to the merry-o! Yes. ma am, your Eddie died fighting to the last-a regular he guy!"
 q can't take all this money" Mrs. Leighton protested. '1 don't see how Eddie could have saved up this much"
 "Oficers get big swa-big money Eddie was a lootenant, ma am.'
 "A lieutenant?"
 Promoted right in the scrap by the head pill-he was a general, Rooshian. Dead now. You have tc take my word for it, Mrs. Leighton I was there!"
 II did so hope Eddie could come back home," she murmured. q need man around here. I'm moi as spry as I once was. l wish-l wish" she looked at Yegg kindly "You're a good man, I'm sure. Or you wouldn't have been my Eddie's best friend. But I don't suppose you would want to give up your business to live in a little pokey town like this and run res-'
 My business!" blurted Yegg Excuse me. ma am, that rem mas me, I picked up your watch just now. Here, put it away!"
 Mrs. Leighton laughed. Funny I thought l had it on," she said. You were saying about living here?"
 'Mebbe old dawgs can't learn new tricks" said the emboldened Yegg. But they can try, Widow For Eddie's mother-yes. If you'll forgive me for being kinda-kinda loose-fngered now and then, ma am I'll get it after while.'
 Yegg did learn new tricks and in time the restaurant sign read: Mrs and MT. Oakley. Our Home Res taurant.'
 The light of faith, which the moth CT had kept in the window of her soul for so many years, had failed to save Eddie, but it had saliva ged Ebert. never again known as the Yegg.