Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 190, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1917 — The Slacker [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Slacker

By Alice E. Ives

(Copyright, by W. G. Chapman.) Jack Davies insisted on setting the wedding date a whole month ahead of time. Polly stood out stoutly against the change in time, said she couldn’t possibly have all her dresses made and set up no end of objections to the change of date. ,r ~7" ~ "But," persisted Jack, "Fve got to go away on business, and it's liable to happen just at that time and send all our plans galley west, anyway.” “I didn’t suppose business ever interfered with weddings," pouted Polly. “Well, it ought not to,” temporized Jack, “but sometimes it does. I’m afraid this will.” “I don’t believe it’s business. You’re afraid I’ll run off with Avery Dean before the ceremony.” There was such a provocative twinkle in Polly’s eye that Jack caught her in his arms and kissed her Into silence. Polly had expected him to be a bit jealous, and was disappointed. “You’re mighty sure of me, aren’t you?” And she smoothed back her hair with another provocative glance. “Well, I hope so,” rejoined Jack. “If I couldn’t rely on your promise, If I didn’t think you meant what you said, Td never want to see you again.” Polly looked up, a trifle frightened at his serious tone. “I was only joking,” she said. “But

you know we really haven’t known each other so very long. It was only about two weeks, wasn’t it, after we first met that we were engaged? It has been pretty rapid, hasn’t it?” “Well,” laughed Jack, “what is the use of losing time?” Polly’s sister, Dora, didn’t like the changed date any better than the bride-elect. It damaged her plans, and when Avery Dean called the next evening she confided in him. “I’ve just been reading in the paper today about those slackers who get married to avoid going in the army. Aren’t they the cowards?” she said. “They certainly are,” agreed Mr. Avery Dean. “Goodness' Do you suppose that’s, why Jack is hurrying up the wedding?” asked Dora. Dean looked surprised, then rather pained. » "I would rather you hadn’t asked me. I don’t want to give any opinion," he answered. “Which means you know!” cried Dora. “Oh! isn’t that despicable? 1 thought it was an awfully rapid courtship, and could hardly believe my ears when she told me they were engaged. So that was the reason? Well, she’s going to be put wise. My sister is not going to' be made an excuse for a slacker if J can help it!” 4 “I did think I had the least little chance myself before Davies appeared on the scene,” mused Dean, “but it seems I’ve got to give it up.” “You keep up your hopes. All is not lost,” comforted Dora. “The invitations are not out yet.” Polly, who was away when Dean called, came in to hear the miserable news from her sister. At first she stoutly denied that such a thing could be possible, then Dora’s tearful remonstrances, the attitude of Jack and the unexplained “business” which was to take him away, all lent color to the dreadful suspicion. That evening Dean called, was very kindly received by Polly, and naturally he lost no time In pleading his own suit The form for the wedding invitations, which was to have gone to the. engraver that evening, was not sent. It was a coldly determined young woman that Informed the prospective bridegroom that she absolutely refused to have the date of the wedding changed. “But”* protested .Jack, "the fellows,

my best man, and the ushers all understand that it’s in two weeks. They've made their plans, too. And there’s Jennie Brice and Grace Cleary, both are going to the mountains the next day.” “t can’t help where they’re going nor what they think," was the firm reply. “I’ve made up my mind.” “If you hadn’t wanted a church wedding with all the trimmings, we could have just walked in to the minister and had ijf over in nb time, without everybody gossiping and being upset over the change.” “I think this Is of more importance to me than ‘everybody!’" snapped Polly. Naturally these little scenes did not promote a feeling of harmony, and' Dean began to find his office of comforter more and more In demand. As for Davies, he could but notice that he was becoming unpopular with the young people. They seemed to avoid him. He wondered if it was the delayed wedding. Did they think he was the cause of the changed,time? Once or twice he endeavored to explain, but 'his words seemed to be taken either coldly or incredulously. He did not know that it had been circulated that he was a slacker. Meanwhile Dean lost no time in pressing his suit. Polly, on the point of yielding, had several times refused to see Davies. One evening the telephone rang. Dora answered it. “It’s Jack!” she called to Polly. “Tell him I’m out,” answered Polly. Then a very determined voice came over the wire. “Your sister must see me now, or never,” he said. Dora repeated this to Polly. “Good heavens !” she whispered. “What do you suppose is the matter?” “Tell him I’ll be back in about half an hour.” Jack appeared before the time, in evident haste. “I’ve come to say good-bye,” he announced.

“Good-bye!” she echoed faintly. “Yes, I must leave tonight.” “I suppose it’s that business,” she faltered. “Yes, I suppose I may as well tell you now that it is. It doesn’t matter now. I may never see you again. I don’t think you’ll care very much if I ( don’t. It has been a pretty hard blow to me to —to think I made such a mistake about you. All I can say is that I loved you with all my heart. Well, good-bye.” “But you haven’t told me —” “No, you see before I asked you to marry me, I joined the army—” “Joined the army I” she gasped? Then the whole miserable slacker suspicion was blurted out. “I was assigned to some secret service, and it was best not to talk,” he said. “But now I am off to France tonight. I hope to be in the trenches in two weeks.” It was a very repentent girl that sobbed out her plea for forgiveness, and about the most hurried wedding on record, with no bridesmaids nor “trimmings.” And now Polly spends most of her time knitting or writing tenderly affectionate letters to her boy in the trenches.

Writing Affectionate Letters to Her Boy in the Trenches.