The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1944-02-03

yer ana gray ana Dlack IlLL1nSS
that Candace loved, to his wife
and to him. Then the swift rec
objection that none of these peo-
pie was as happy as he and Can
dace, urged him to be kind. All
of them were young, most of
them were poor and none of
them, with the exception of Lei
la, asked enough of life.
what about Dick Mason?''
Candace prompted now. "What
did he say about the exemption
talk, Minnie?"
Dick had been in uniform, Min
ME answered. Hes tickled pink,
of course. He was twenty-e eight
last April"
"When'Il they release him?"
Coles Arnold put mustard on
Swiss cheese.
In November, Minnie thought.
"But he says the officers are tell
ing the boys that they'll be re-
called. None of the regular Ar
my men like the ruling because
they lose fellows they've just got
trained. I'll bet they won't be
called back-that's just to make
them uneasy"
They'll be recalled all right
Andy began to open cans of beer.
you're twenty-eight, aren't you,
Halsey?"
Leila put down her cigarette to
accept her glass. Gee, what luck,
Halsey! Here's looking at you,
Andy-and I hope you'll be
twenty-eight before your num-
ber's called"
Patty Bailey shrugged. She was
plump, bustling and bossy girl,
buttoned tightly into black
frock that fitted her like the cas-
ing on a sausage. IF I had a
brother, I'd be glad to see him
off to training camp" she an
nounced. whats the matter
with you guys, anyway? A year
in military camp would be the
making of every one of YOU"
II don't see why you think
military training is all to the
good" Leila always plunged in
to conversation as if into an ar
my attack. IF everyone lived in
the country and just went hunt
ing and skiing and raised dogs,
no one would need to be built up
or made over. "Kurt would like
to live in the country. In Ger
many his people live on a large
farm, an estate"
Beside her Kurt smiled into the
eyes that turned to him, but he
did not speak.
Patty maintained that military
training was primary for defense.
What would your skiing enthu-
siasts and canoe trippers do, if the
enemy landed ON our shores?"
No one was surprised when
Leila stood up. There wouldn't
be wars, if the ordinary people
used their heads, she said. mo
one wants war. How can hate
the Germans, when know
Kurt?"
$50 what?" Patty put down her
beer glass with a thud.
Leila flung up her head, her
hands gripped the table edge.
What I'm trying to tell you
dopes is that everyone would
get along peaceably-Germans,
Italians, everybody-if each one
had enough. There shouldn't be
any very poor, or very rich"
Minnie Davis, leaning against
Halsey as she smoked, said lazily
that Communist propaganda did
MT fool her. you're like all the
rest of the fuss-bottoms, Leila;
you paint a rosy picture of the
world as you'd like it to be. It
doesn't follow that it is what
want. You can't even be sure
that it's the kind of world Kurt
wants."
But if the majority of people
wanted it, Leila argued holly,
they were entitled to have it.
10 live in the country, to fish
and swim and not try to make a
lot of money-that kind of life
would please most people. What
ails the world is that the petty,
selfish, grubby ambitions of the
few are set up as something to
strive for. I don't want to be
rich-ever."
They assured her that the dan
ger was remote, but Leila could
not smile. She sat down and re-
sumed her furious smoking,
shoulder to shoulder with Kurt.
"a hundred years from now it
will be all the same" said Coles
Arnold, a little more aggressive