Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-10-04
By ROBERTA YATES

VILLA ROTH held the brave
smile Peter expected OF her, unit
a bend in the tracks hid his rec
head on the train platform. Then
as she turned away from the
platform, resentment washed over
her until her very knees wobblec
in anger.
What right had he 10 barge OF
with an ambulance unit 10 Eng.
land? To go looking for DANGER
Especially now. when she was to
have baby.
The fact that he did not know
she was 10 have a baby did not
justify his neglect, her tear-blurred
eyes said He was leaving her
frightened. alone. And he expected
her 10 be a good sport about it. A
self-sacrifcing COON was better
term.
But she could still stop him. And
she had a right to stop him. She
hurried along the street, eager TO
get back 10 the Roth house, TO the
attic and the quaint old diary she
had found yesterday when she was
going through trunks for charity
bundles. The diary OF Roth wife
in Civil War days. Villa had taken
il for an omen when she read il.
II gaze her courage II showed her
way.
She strengthened her resolve
with reason. So Peter wanted sur
gicai experience. Boloneyl He
could get plenty of that by settling
down 10 practice right here in
haywood. Ky, as he had promised
her two years ago when they were
married.
So he felt il his duty TO help
England Let unmarried doctors,
whose wives weren't going TO have
babies attend 10 duty.
CLIMBS TO OLD DIARY
She tiptoed up the stairs to
avoid her mother-in-law, who
would be sweet and noble, after
the sentimental tradition of the
last war generation. Villa wanted
no sweet nobility. She wanted the
selfish comfort of that old diary.
She passed the bedroom that
seemed bare, though Peters
Clothes were scattered about II. He
would not need those civies. Maybe
he would never need them again
Her hand went trembling 10 a
forehead that was clamny with
fear.
The train whistled, not far away.
II was local that meandered
slowly. stopping at every cross
road along the Ohio River to Gin
cinnati. Peter had wanted her to
60 with him to the city, but she
could not bear TO watch him actu-
ally get on train for Canada.
After that came a boat, and waters
infested with murderous steel cyl
inders. Maybe he would never get
to England.
"Shall we do those bundles for
the church now, dear?"
She halted, one foot on the attic
stairs, trapped by her mother-in-
law. Mrs. Roth smiled. though her
eyes were red-rimmed. Peter was
her only son.
at helps TO keep busy. 1 found
that out when Peters father
went away In III" she offered.
~Why didn't you stop him?
Peters father, i mean," Villa
blurted. "Why did he have to 60
TO war when he had a wife and
SOM"
1T WAS HIS DUTY
Mrs. Roth looked shocked. ~
"He felt IL his duty To 60. We
thought we were fighting TO end
war. That sounds foolish now.
but we believed IL. Besides"
She laughed a little. zone does
not stop a Roth man easily when
he decides to do thing. You
must have found that out--being
married to Peter
No. one didn't stop him easily,
but il could be done. If DR.. Hubert
Phillips, head OF the ambulance
unit, knew the truth, he would and
could stop Peter.
Peters father was I'm the
trenches, but Peter won't be I'm
that danger. Doctors are COM
paratively safe--and he il doing
his duty"
AS though bombers avoided hos
pitalsi Villa looked at her mother
in-law in pity. She knew how Mrs.
Roth had nursed Peters father. i'll
from war wounds, for 10 wrecked
years until his death. Yet here
was the poor woman trying to
minimize Peters danger. and pratt
ting an empty word like duty. y
Sabina Roth, Peters great
grandmother. who had lived dur
ing the Civil War, and had written
that diary. had shown far more
common sense.
'TlI get the things in the at
tic" Villa said ahrIIpllX-
Then she was alone, under the
dusty caves. with the train still
whistling farther off. She forgot
TO tremblea with its shrilling. for
she was engroSsed in the diary
The paper was yellow. the ink