Evening star., 1943-04-18
INSTALLMENT XXVI.


We were together in the student
cooks battery, had been on an eX-
tended furlough. Before he re-
turned I had left on thrce-day
pass for Charlotte. We had not
got together for two or three weeks.
so I went over to his battery to
look him up.
The battery street was almost
empty: the mess hall door was
locked. The mess sergeant was no.
where to be seen Finally I found
a soldier who had seen Serat. Sher
In his room, so 1 looked for him
there.
The sergeant lay on his lazy back
on a stilted bunk in his cadre room,
reading Dorothy Parker. The VIM
dows of the room had been equipped
with f1imSy green curtains and
partially Debated hold Y balloons
fluttered against them. On the wall
above the bed hung a small oil
painting of forest with an icy
white mountain in the background.
and on a shelf in over his bunk
were reading lamp, small radio
and a neat array of books.
l stood there surveying the place
for a while. What in the sweet
name of military hardship have YOU
got here?" I asked him. All this
place needs is couple of Morris
chairs and sign reading. What
Is home without mother?''
Beginning to look nice amt it?"
he said. Just a few minor i'm
provements here and there. Know
where I can pick up small upright
piano at good price?'
I looked over the room again and
my eye fell on the resplendent
forest scene. "Where'd you get this
canvas knickknack? It's an orig
inal, isn't it?"
1T amt nothing else but he
said. Painted by friend of mine
up in Columbus. Guy knocks them
off like that in about 20 minutes.
How do you like it?"
Credit to Sergeant's Room.
Aside from the fact that the
waterfall is little frothv and the
mountain looks like something from
a mentholatum advertisement it
would do credit to any mess ser
geants room in the whole replace
ment center.
You didn't notice this" he said.
hitting himself lazily from the bunk.
From the table he took an ordinary
looking beer can with an extra lid
on 1t. John Bull beer" he said.
Cant buy it anywhere except in
my family's restaurant in Ohio and
Pennsylvania
He lifted the top lid. revealing q
businessllke cigarette lighter. 1 took
the can, struck the flint and a roar
ing blaze leaped at me. 1t burned
merrily away.
Not bad, huh? Good advertis-
Ing scheme
1t should come in handy" l told
him, amy time the furnace goes
blah. That little conf1agration would
heat a whole barracks in three
minutes fiat"
He twisted the dial of his radio
and a high-pitched feminine wall
bounced off the far wall. I've been
listening to the opera most of the
afternoon-'The Magic Flute"
What happened to the magic
sklllet?" I asked. How come you're
living around here instead of bus
Ting about your kitchen-tickling
the palates of the men with your
Army cooks manual?"
mo supper tonight" he explained
Alrlly. We're just changing cycles
and there amt nobody here but the
noncommissioned officers, like my
self. I told them to go and eat next
door
This is the life, little man" He
yawned. Nothing to do, nothing to
worry about. Just lie around, read
and listen to the opera. Sans souci.
as we French say-Without care"
KIP Yawns Ahead.
The first sergeant looked over his
glasses with rather unpleasant
gleam in his eye He glanced sig
nlflcantly at the top of my head.
sergeant adjusted himself in his
chair and cleared his throat.
Private Hargrove." he began slow
~ and deliberately. the Government
OF the United States, to whom no
task seems impossible. has tackled
the job OF pulling you a little of
the way out Of your abysmal igno-
rance. With complete faith that
heaven will help them In this Job.
they have begun series of lectures
about why you are being trained
to fight, whom you are being trained
to fight, and all the other little
things you should know"
Yes, sir l said hesitantly. run
ming my finger around the inside of
my collar. You mean the radio
lectures on Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons"
From 4 until 1870" the first SER
eeant said. The entire population
has been invited by Upstairs to
gather in the mess halls to hear and
discuss these lectures. YESTERDAY
afternoon you weren't on hand.
Have you any last words before I
pass KIP on to you?"
It's rather long story, SER
geant." I began.
Here We go again" sighed the
sergeant. Have a chair and begin
breaking my heart. 1t will make
you feel better to have that off your
chest before you go to the kitchen"
Sergeant" I asked him, were
you ever editor Of a high school
newspaper"
rs this long story about me or
you the sergeant asked. Please
continue with your story"
No r. S. V. P.
well. sir" I continued. "onlv a
high school editor could know the
pain that is in my heart. Only
he could sympathize with me. I
have gone back to my old job I had
years ago. l am again true high
school editor. I am editor of the
Replacement Center section of the