Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 April 1915 — THAT OLD, SWEET SORG [ARTICLE]

THAT OLD, SWEET SORG

By DOROTHY DOUGLAS.

(Copyright, 1916, by the McClure Newspepaper Syndicate.) Enid smiled softly to herself while she labored over the task of selecting a number of songs preparatory to Journeying across the ocean. She was going over to do her mite in the great, war crisis by singing at numerous benefits and concerts and in the hospitals for wounded soldiers and sailora. It was not until she had. reached the lowest shelf of her music cabinet that Enid found the old, old song that Capt. Cyril Blaker had given her. The irresponsible, fascinating young scapegrace of the British army had been in New York just long enough to capture a few foolishly feminine hearts, to borrow money from everyone who was unwise enough to give It to him, and to disappear into a future no less vague than the past from which he had come. “My mother used to sing this to me,” he had said softly. “Will you too sing it to me? I want to hear you. •—now.” The effect of the dainty homage on Enid came vividly back to her as she sat three years later looking over the song. A flush crept into her cheeks even as It had on that other day, and Enid wondered if she would ever see . the < flattering young ne’er-do-well again. Enid put the beautiful little song called “Ruby” into her overburdened folio with a hope that its donor would find that salvation held out to so many men In times of war. Perhaps among the thousands of khaki-clad figures she would see Captain Blaker. She was curiously, and without much reason, interested in the career of the handsome, irresponsible officer. • •••••• The men had been brought into the big sun parlor of the hospital, some carried in on stretchers, others in chairs and some of them could limp In on the arms of their nurses. Enid had never expected, in the whole of her musical career, to sing before so completely wrecked an assembly of living men. She was standing quietly after a storm of applause when one of the nurses approached the platform. “Have you, by any chance, a song called Ruby?” the nurse asked Enid. “One of my patients is longing for it.” * Enid smiled and glanced swiftly over the mass of upturned faces. “It is not a very cheerful song,” she said. “But 1 will be glad to sing it.” Her hurried glance had failed to find a familiar golden head that somehow she had expected with the request for the song. Her accompanist left the platform and Enid sat .down at the piano and played the dainty, rippling melody. In so far as she could watch her audience Enid watched for one soldier among them who was more than Interested in the song. She was curious to see who it was that was familiar with the old-time favorite. In the far corner a man, so wound with bandages as to be unrecognizable, was leaning forward. But when she had finished the officer who had been v ~ieaning forward had been wheeled away. Enid searched for the nurse who had spoken with her, but she, too, had disappeared. . Out in the corridor Enid was stopped by one of the surgeons. “I am going to hold you responsible for the sudden desire on the part of one of my patients to live.” “I!" Enid laughed back at the surgeon. “What have I done?” “You have sung life hack Into the heart of a young dare-devil officer whom we had all given up. He had come back from the battlefield wounded, a hero who has won the Victoria Cross, and has stepped into a title and huge estates, but It took your song to make him fight for his own life. He has begun the fight and if he wins, you and your song have saved him. Desire is a great factor as a stimulant along with our medicines. You have given young Blaker that desire and I want to shake hands with you.” When Enid stood beside the young officer who was lying with his face to the wall, she did not speak until the door had closed upon the surgeon. “Why did you not make yourself known to me?” she asked softly, and Blaker turned swiftly. . r “I am ashamed of my past,” he said, and did not offer his unbandaged hand, but his eyes devoured the beauty of her fhee and told Enid that a new man had arisen from the experience of the past. The gentle flattery was still there and Enid suddenly knew that it wbmld always be there for her. She pat her hand softly over hi*. “You have done much to be unashamed of and your future Is before you.” . The blue of Blaker’s eyes deepened. He looked steadily into Enid’s suddenly blushing face. She scarcely realized that during three long yean* her heart had clung to the hope that ' one day she would stand face to face • with the scapegrace captain of the British army and that honor and love would meet her glance. “I have been .an undeniable fail- • ure,” Blaker said. “With all that, I have kept you in my heart, Enid, though I have not been halt worthy. The future—” “—ls a path of sunshine,” Enid told hfm. “I am glad,” she added shyly, “that I came over to sing to the soldiers.” ----- i