The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-09-15

"H-here," Mr.. Wrinkle quavered.
''Tindalli"
81 guess I'm here" Freddie an
swered. "I'm not sure"
ANSWER here only" the Alpha
bet ordered. "We'll try again. Tin
DALI"
Here" Freddie replied. In low
mutter he added, "What's left of
me-"
The Alphabet strobe over to stand
In front of Freddie. He took out a
little black notebook from his pock-
ct, wrote in it, and said:
"Private Tindall, because it's you,
and you amt had the Articles of
War read to you yet, especially Ar
ticle Sixty-five providing punishment
for INSTRUMENTATION to a noncommis-
stoned officer-which is newell
just set record for the camp.
You're getting K P duty on your
second day. You will become IA
nous for this"
Mr.. Wrinkle was almost glad to
see how wrong Freddie was In his
attitude, and how painful this was
going to make it for him. Then he
felt guilty at having such an I'M
worthy sentiment.
"Pettigrew!"
Teeth chartered. Between clicks,
Jack called that he was present.
Mr.. Wrinkle had q sense Of float
ing through the rest of that day.
He remained in daze from the
shock of entering the Army. He
supposed it was the same with the
other men, but he didn't notice them
very much.
At the dispensary Mr.. Wrinkle was
inoculated for so many things that
he couldn't keep track of them all.
The faintness induced by being
pricked on one arm was counter
acted by being pricked on the other
arm Immediately afterward. He en-
joyed only one of the examinations.
That was the Mechanical Aptitude
Test. He was happy to wade right
through this, answering nearly ev-
cry question with ease and certain
ty, while others scratched their
heads.
In the afternoon, when they were
given individual interviews, he
hoped to learn what might be done
with him. The interviewer drew
him out about the work he had
done in civil life. He showed a
mild interest in Mr.. Wrinkles his
tory as an accountant, but mostly
he asked Mr.. Wrinkle to talk about
himself as repairer of anything
and the fact that he had his own
shop.
IT think we'll have a place for
you," he said, quite as if Mr.. Wrinkle
only now had been accepted for the
position, and hired.
The late afternoon was given to
them to do as they pleased-within
the confines of their barracks. That
is, all except Freddie. An ennis
sary of Sergeant Czeideskrowski, in
the form of Corporal, arrived to
instruct Freddie to get into his IA
tigue denim and follow him. "We're
going bubble dancing" the Corporal
said.
Freddie, snorting and grumbling,
decided to agree.
Jack was with two of the younger
men, boys like himself. Solemnly
they thumbed through their copies
of The Soldiers Handbook, reading
the instructions about what was, for
most of them of their age, their first
job.
Mr.. Wrinkle looked about for COM
partnership of his own. A few men
looked as if they might be old enough
for him, but he couldn't be sure.
One of them passed by his cot, and
Mr.. Wrinkle, catching his glance,
and for lack of anything else to say
] on the spur of the moment observed:
"Well, here we are"
"Hah?" the man asked, staring
blankly.
Mr.. Wrinkle didn't pursue it, and
the man passed on.
He realized just what an outsider
he was going to be. He wrote let
| ter to Amy. He informed her that
his bag would arrive home by ex-
press collect; it contained his rub
bers, which she had better give to
the scrap rubber drive. He instruct
ed her to tell the Pettigrews that
Jack was getting along fine-right
now he was having a roughhouse
with another boy. He assured Amy
that he was all right. He just felt a
little funny in his new life.
Sitting there alone on his cot, Mr..
Wrinkle reflected that he felt more
than a little funny.
There was an additional thing con-
nected with what was going on,
which he couldn't exactly analyze or
express. It was connected in some
way with the broad, general struc-
ture of the state Of human affairs.
It went beyond the possibility that
man was a warning animal in spite
of all his civilized refnements. Nei-
Their was it to be found in the con-
current theory that at certain inter-
walls man needed to make war in or
der to pull himself down to his nat