Nebraska Newspapers

    RED CLOtfD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF
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if
B
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Matrimonial Adventures
is Wife's Visitor
BY
Henry Kitchell Webster
Author of "lUiRrr llrnke,"
"Cniitiiln of li:iliivrr.M "Tlie
Trailer mill UijiilUl," "Tho
l lilprrlm; Mini," "A Klwr
In KIkiI.I," "111." Skr Sinn,"
".lime Mnilncm." "Ilir lle-.il
Ailinitiire." 'Tlir llmrniuh
Iircl," "An Anicrlriiii J'lim
lly," "Murv WhIIhMuu," "Kcul
IMe," civ.
Copyright by UnttM Frntur Symllcst
--....... .. ................0...
$
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HENRY KITCHELL
WEBSTER
Like fo many of America's blK
nuthots, Henry Kltchell Webster
begun writing at an curly ano. Hln
llrHt work brought forth storloa of
mystery thrllturu. lie opcclallzeJ In
Plot.
'J'licn lie turned from that form
tt Jlctlon to material with more
HiibHlance. For one of tho loading
magazines he tiuv elect In the trop
Rh and wrote articles, not purely
for loial color, but utilities of the
life with a HOCioloKlcal b.ickHroUnd.
Iater iiitnc IiIm novels with their
purtinyals of ical people and real
pioblims, showing the power of
Mr Webster's mental equipment,
fi.r he U a widely cultivated person
v.Uh a knowledge of th drama,
nuislo and literature, lie Meak8
with authority on all of these mib-
ICltH.
Mr Webster Ih one of the nil
thorn who tukes a long time nt his
wilting, nnd the ntory that follow,
written cxpreRsly for the Star Au
thor Herles of Matrimonial Adven
tures, was In process of develop
meut during c trip through Ku
rope. "111b Wife's V'lHltor" shows
how very clever huubund.i uouie
times are!
MAUY STEWAUT CUTTING. Jtl.
S " ..................,
, The toloplione rang for tho third
Jnu since tlioy 1 1 ml nut down to din
.lor. The innld, in her flurried haste
!o iilnente the tyrnnt, set down the
4lsli of fried eggplant from which
George had been about to help himself
m the sideboard out of his reach.
George nnd his wife sat listening In
silence. The innld returned nnd said,
"1 think It's for you, Mrs. Tnlt."
George sighed nnd produced the eve
ning pnper, which hnd been tucked
tinder his leg against this precise con
tingency. He didn't partlctilnrly ace nhout the
news, of which lie hnd already read
the unexciting headlines?, hut he did
want to register n not unnmlahle pro
test against these continual Interrup
tions of their dinner. Emily Insisted
on milking n more or legs formal meal
of It. She'd have heen mildly annoyed
with him If he'd gone to the sideboard
find helped himself to the eggplant
while the maid was nt the phono.
Then why couldn't she Instruct Anna
to say to these Importunate tele
Iihonors that her mistress was nt din
ner nnd ask them to call her In an
hour? It wasn't as If they ever had
anything to say.
There was no use saying this to
Emily. He knew her argument as
well as his own. Anna's morale would
lie mined If they short-circuited her
t-ervlcos by helping themselves, and
then where would they be when they
luul people In to dinner? Iiut If he
didn't want the meal Interrupted by
telephone calls, why did he Insist on
their dining at the bucolic hour of six
instead of seven when most of their
friends did?
Of course Emily knew his answer to
that. too. Hy dining at six they could,
whenever they felt like It, go to the
llr.-t show nt the Alcazar and see the
picture right end to, instond of from
the middle of the fourth reel. Also they
could lind a convenient place to pari:
the car. And they were home again
by nine, so that if George had any eve
ning work to do there were a couple of
solid hours left for It. And as for set
ting an example of propriety to Anna,
Georg" felt It was rather hard. Ever
since their first child, George, Junior,
had been two , oars old, (Jeorge, Senior,
had been submitting to Innumerable
Miiall Infringements upon his personal
liberty under the plea of setting a
proper example. Hut now that Junior
wns lu college, and his younger sister
in 11 boarding school, It seemed to
George at forty-three that he might bo
ullowcd to t II- back In his chair If ho
llkcd and empty his pipe scrapings
Into the dessert plate. There was no
good fraying any of that, either, for
Hinlly knew It as well as he did.
Well, he knew her answer, too,
though this last word was one she bad
never said. After all, they didn't live
16 New York nor In Philadelphia nr
even In Chicago. They lived In Avo
jila, Illinois, (leorge hail a good law
practice In Harrison county, but the
great cities and the great corporation
bad never summoned him, and It wax
becoming clout' t George at forty
three that they never would. Avonla
;und the movies and tho bridge club
pind a month's vacation nt Mucklnne
Volant) was about his speed.
He doubted very much If Emily, as
regarded her own potentlnl speed
granted a conjugal partner of suiH
dent horsepower acquiesced. Emily
might well believe she was born for
better things. She'd been a good deal
of a belle lu her day. She was too loynl
to liiiMTit lost opportunities In his
piescnt'c. let alone to lllng them at him
s mis-lies but a consciousness that
,he might be lying ready to her hand
1 mile him walk warily. She should
inline the best or Avonla In her own
j.ny. and If there was n faint flavor
( absurdity ubriut some of t,ho refine
ments she Insisted upon, and about the
seriousness with which she took her
committees and her classes aild her
clubs, It did not behoove her husband
to rail, no matter how often they
called her from the dinner table to the
telephone.
He had had time to think as far as
this, his mind slipping rapidly past the
familiar landmarks Just as his eye slid
down the columns of the newspapers,
before he perceived that Emily was
not, this time, talking to any member
of her drama committee, nor to any
cltlren of Avonla, nor to anyone she'd
had the slightest expectation of hear
ing from. It was n man (leorge could
tell that from the quality of her voice
and he seemed lo be throwing her
Into a good deal of a flutter.
"Why vvliy, yes," she was saying.
"Oh, but we'd love to have you! . . .
Yes. That'll be lino . . . We cer
lalnly will. Only I'm nfrald you won't
And us very exciting. . . . Four
o'clock Saturday then."
(ieorge, ns she returned to the table,
fastened hi gaze upon the paper.
When sho wns rattled she liked to he
allowed to take her time. She sat
down n hit heavily in her chnlr, drew
a couple of long breaths, resumed her
knife and fork, and then asked, "Did
you hear any of that?"
"Not much," he told her. "I thought
you sounded sort of surprised."
"I should sny I was," she admitted,
"when 1 hadn't heard from him for
nineteen years. Calling up on the
long-distance to nsk If he can come
and spend Sunday with us! Sur
prised I"
"Who?" George wanted to know.
"I don't know why he should want
to. He certainly won't And any ma
terial for a play In us. Still, It'll be
nice to see him again. I don't sup
pose I'll know him."
"Look here," George demanded,
"whom are you talking about?"
"Oil," she said, as If she hnd Just
heard his questions; hut It was another
moment before she answered It.
"Why, it's Charley Hawkins Haw
thorn Hawkins George, you know
who he 1st"
"I know who Hawthorn Hawkins
Is, but why do you call him Charley?
And why does he call us on the long
dlstnnce nnd propose to spend Sunday
with us?"
"Why, he's giving the Sheldon lec
tures down nt the University this year,
and he looked up Avonla on the map
and saw how near It was so he
phoned to nsk If he could come."
"Hut why Avonla, and why us? If
you know him as well as that, why
haven't you ever told me anything
about him?"
"George," she cried, scnndnllzod, "I
told you nil nhout Churley Hawkins
when we were llrst engaged and you
didn't even listen. Ho wasn't famous
then, of course. And I hnven't heard
from him since the note he wrote with
the wedding present ho sent us. Now,
for goodness' sake, don't nsk nny more
questions, hut let me eat."
It was from preoccupation rather
thnn obedience thut he let her alone
until she rang for the maid. Then,
"You haven't been writing to him,
have you telling him he wns great
nnd so on?"
Her eyes flashed nt film, hut the en
trance of Anna procured film a polite
answer. "I couldn't very well write
to him when I'd never seen one of his
plays."
"Ever read em?" he asked. "They
are published, I suppose."
She shook her head and wnlted until
Anna went out ; then she svvoopod
upon him. "I never thought you'd be
so silly," sho declared, "as to be Jeal
ous. And about n man I haven't
thought of for twenty years."
"Jenlous!" lie retorted furiously.
"I'm not."
"What are you then?" she asked
with an alkaline sort of smile, and he
found the question unanswerable.
"Well, I hope you will be decent to
him anyhow."
"I don't know whether I will or not,"
he told her. "That depends." She
didn't speak to him again that night.
Two days later, coming home from
a rather strenuous bout of shopping,
Emily found her husband home from
the olllce a good hour earlier than
usual reading u small green paper
covered volume, which he put down
hastily as she came In, and then took
up again and held out to her.
"'Three I'lnys by Hawthorn Haw
kins,'" she read. "Why, where did
that come from? 1 tried to get it at
Street's, but they'd never even heard
of It."
"I'iiiiic, in the mall," he said. "I
found It when I got here."
"Addressed to me?" she asked.
"Why yes. I believe It was. I
opened the package without thinking."
"Charley sent them on, nf course,"
she remarked; "so thnt I'd have, some
thing to talk to him about."
"1 don't believe ho did," (Jorge said
decidedly. "Not unless he's nil
unusual ass."
Shu flushed angrily at that, hut he
went on before she could speak. "I
said I thought ho wasn't an ass, not
that I thought he wns, There'd have
been a card or un Inscription If It
lind come from him. Anyhow, I
wouldn't thank him for it unless he
gives you a lend. Rend 'em anil say
nothing. And don't leave 'em out on
the sitting room table where they'll
he the llrst thing ho sees, either."
Her Binlle conceded thnt this advice
was both friendly and Intelligent.
"Hut where did they come from?" she
demanded.
"Search me!" he told her. "They
don't postmark this fourth-class stuff.
No. I didn't mean anything uncompli
mentary. As far as I read In the first
one, It seemed pretty good. I thought
you might have sent to Chicago for
them." She pointed out that there
wouldn't have been time. "Oh, well,"
he concluded, "I don't bellerc Ifa tnrtch
of a mystery. Some old friend, most
likely, that be told he was coming,
sent It along so that you could sur
prise him. You'll read 'em tonight. I
suppose.'-
She said she would, unless he want
ed to go out somewhere with her; but
he said he mut go back to the olllce
and woik. "I'm going to be piotty
busy between now and .Monday," lie
added.
She looked at him sharply. Ton're
going to be here tomorrow when he
comes, aren't you?"
"Oh. yes, I'll be here you bet." ft
was so evident, though, that the hist
brace of words had escaped him in
voluntarily thut she forbore to remon
strate. They kept rather carefully away
from Charles Hawthorn Hawkins as 11
conversational topic that night. Next
morning, however, Just before he left
for the olllce, George uneasily broke
the Ice by saying, "Don't count on
him too much, Emily. He may not
come, you know bend you n telegram
this morning."
She asked hotly why he said that,
and added, as tho suspicion Mruck iter,
"I believe you've been telegraphing
him, yourself, not to come." Hut this
Injurious charge she at once retracted.
"They're supposed to be sort of
temperamental and changeable, that's
all," he explained, "nnd I thought he
might change his mind about this."
"You wish he would, I suspect," she
observed.
"Yes," he answered, unhappily, "I
suppose I do."
She gazed at him n moment In mute
exasperation. Then her expression
softened and sl4 gnve a reluctant
laugh. "I think you're the most ridic
ulous person In the world," she said.
"I suppose you think he's coming out
here to break up our happy home and
get me to run awny with him,"
He looked so glum over this thnt she
gave him up us hopeless. "Oh, go
along," she cried. "Hut I'm going to
kiss you llrst, And you will bo home
sharp at four, won't you?"
It was an hour earlier than this
thai she found him In the dining room
unwrapping a package containing two
bottles, one of gin and the other of
Scotch whisky.
"(Sot 'em from Walter nurhury," he
explained sheepishly. "Walter has a
regular bootlegger comes around once
a month. Heen meaning to lay In
something like this for quite n while."
Her astonishment over this hit of
uunhaslied mendacity made It possible
for htm to get on to something else.
He put tho bottles nway lu the side
hoard, turned his bnck upon It, nnd
gazed at her so Intently thnt she
frowned Inquiringly nnd presently
asked, "Well, wfiut Is It?"
"Nothing." he said, "only I think
you're looking great Just as you are."
Now this was tho unadulterated
truth. At forty, after two children
nnd nineteen years of marriage and
Avonla, she still looked intlnltcly de
sirable to George, and never more so
than In the sort of clothes sho was
wearing now, a small felt lint crammed
down upon her small round head
(she'd been out doing some last-minute
marketing), a sweater, a sport
skirt, low-heeled shoes; her face
molstly flushed, Innocent of powder.
It was true and Emily knew It was
true.
All the same, she saw through him
and smiled derisively. "So you want
me to look like this when Mr. Haw
kins comes?" she asked. "Well, I
won't. I'm g'dng up to dress this
minute."
"I wish you wouldn't, Emily," lie
pleaded. "I don't want you to dress
up for this chump. I don't want you
to do anything special for film. I
don't see why you should. You don't
care anything about him, do you? Nor
nhout what he thinks?"
Her Hush deepened as she met hlu
look. She reached out suddenly and
took hold of lilin by the ears. "Idiot!"
she said, "Idiot I" Hut in the Interval
between the two words sho kissed him,
nnd she did not dress up for Mr.
Charles Hawthorn Hawkins.
Perhaps because her husband's per
formance occupied the first place 111
her attention, she found it hard to re
member what a celebrity Charley
Hawkins had become.
He was curiously nnchanged, through
all his changes. The twenty pounds
or so he bad put on hadn't made him
look older; bad servod only to accen
tuate the plump, cherubic look of boy
Ish Innocence there'd always been
about til 111. He talked about himself a
lot, Just as he'd always done.
Emily shot un uneasy glance nt
George now and then ; for Instance,
when Charley spoke offhand of the
foremost American actress as Ethel.
She wondered whether George was
saying to himself, "Ass!" Hut ap
parently George was nof. He seemed
to lie enjoying the go-jslp of the (he
ater as much ns tho tales of Capri
ami Taliltl and other wondrous places
thi playwright hnd Inhabited.
Emily herself didn't talk much.
They drifted back occasionally Into
reminiscence, but since this, of course,
excluded George, they didn't go far
with It.
George had spoken of being busy,
of the amount of time he'd have to
spend upon a case that was coming up
Monday, but he showed no signs of
going off and leaving them to their
own devices. She didn't know whether
she wished he would or not. Intrin
sically she wasn't especially anxious
to be left alone with Charley, but If
George was Maying away from his
work in order to watch them, she was
furious witli him.
Only, It didn't seem like thnt. Tho
two men got around to the war, nt
last, and the humble but absorbing
parts they hud respectively played in
It, nnd After nn hour of this, she bade
them goodnight. This wns Insincere,
so fnr ns It was addressed to George,
for she fully Intended staying awake
until he came to bed, and asking lilm
a few questions, but her modest share
of the unwonted alcohol made her
sleepy, and she never knew bow late
the two men and the bottle of
Scotch sat up.
She got no chance next morning,
either, r.ir a private talk with George
before they met their guest, and in
consequence- George's calm announce
ment ef the day's program and his
total .liiutmitlon of himself fiom It
fell upon her like a thunderclap. She
caught him alone 11 few minutes after
hreakf.ivt and asked him what be
meant ly It.
"I d'Hi't mean anything hy It," ho
protested "i have got to work all
day, Jim as I told you. Hnwklns un
dcrstutuls nil right. I told him about
It last night. He'.t got to leave this
afternoon and there's no good Sunday
train from here, so It seemed decent
to say that you'd drive htm over to
Hockpurt."
"You're simply throwing me nt hln
bend!" she protested.
She detected a touch of bravado In
the way he said, "Nonsense J He en mil
to see j 011, didn't he?" Hut Charley
wns already coming downstairs with
his bag. so there wasn't time for any
thing more.
Well, the events of thnt day were
In George's head, then, whatever they
turned out to be.
George bade their guest a cordial,
almost paternal farewell nnd, clapping
his hat a little too much on one sldo
of his head for a Sabbath morning
and an hour when he was certain to
meet their neighbors going to church,
strolled down the street In the direc
tion of Ids olllce.
It was seven o'clock that evening
when slie stopped their car at the curb
after her return, nlone, from the
flfteen-nillo drive to Ilockport. George
was reclining, very much at his ease,
upon the Gloucester swing on tho
veranda.
"Hello I" he called to her. "You back
already? Had a good day?"
fehe choso to regard his second ques
tion as of n piece with tho llrst, nnd
she enuie up tho front steps before she
spoke at all.
"I suppose you're famished for sup
per," she remurked, ". . . If you'vft
lieen working all day."
"Oil, I got home nhout an hour ugo
and scrambled myself some eggs. How
about you?"
"I'm not speclnlly hungry," she said.
"I'll get myself a glass of milk hy
nnd by."
Sho sat down facing him. "George,"
she demanded, "why did you send for
thoso three plnys of Charley's?"
He snt up. "Why did I send . . . T
"It wns either you or Anna who Rent
for theni," sho Interrupted. "Charley
swenrs ho dldn send them nnd that
ho didn't say anything to n soul ubout
coming out here."
Ho lay back again. "Oh, nil right,"
he conceded. "I telephoned to Chi
cago for 'em the morning after I found
out be was coming."
"Hut why?"
"Oh, I don't know. How could 1
know wbnt he was going to be like?
I didn't know whnt ho was coming for.
So well, I wanted you to 1l ready
for film.
She took n minute or so to digest
this icply. "I suppose you mean," she
mused, "that you thought he might
bo coming out here to see how much
of a hick tho girl was that he wanted
to marry once, after she'd lived
twenty years In Avonla. And you
wanted to fix mo up so ho wouldn't
laugh. I suppose that afternoon dress
Miss Mnltland made for me doesn't
look like much."
"Oil, d nl" he said, and got to his
feet. "Look here, Emily I You're all
right in any dress. It wasn't you I
didn't feel sure nhout. Hut he might
have boon any sort of ass. Of course,
I saw he was all right before I'd talked
with him ten minutes."
"No," she said, "you needn't have
worried about that."
She let the voltage accumulate dur
ing a longlsh silence. Then she ndded,
"He kissed me thin nfternoon. He'd
been rather sentimental all day, and
when I said good-by to him he kissed
me."
"Well," said George, after a silenco
of his own, "he certainly Is a darned
nice fellow."
She stnred nt him, speechless.
"Oh, I'm not much surprised," he
went on. "You see, lie told me nhout
it lat night."
"Told you. Inat night!" she echoed.
"lie didn't say ho was going to kiss
you," (ieorge exclnlmed. "Said he'd
always been romantic about you, and
nil the more after he'd got nld enough
to icallze how kind you'd, been to a
ridiculous, priggish kid. lie said you'd
contributed more to his education than
anybody else he'd ever met, and he'd
always felt grateful to you. Heen
wanting to come to see you for years,
but was afraid to. Scared to death,
he said he was, until he saw you were
Just as you had been ; hadn't changed
n hair. Actually wrote a telegram to
say he wasn't coming and then tore
It up.
"Well, then, why shouldn't he have
a . . . day In the country? I hope
you showed hi in a good time. I guess
you did, or ho wouldn't have kissed
you."
He perceived now ?hnt she was cry
ing. "I don't blame him for that, a
bit." he went on. I think he ehowed
darned good Judgment. Hecause you
are a peach, Emily, and that's tho
truth."
He patted her awkwardly on thfe
shoulder. "Como on in, old Indy," ho
concluded. "What do you say to some
scrambled eggs? You're hungry, that's
all the matter with you,"
i Legion.
(Cop. for TI1N Department Supplied by
Illy A inn lean Legion ewn Hervlce.)
WHAT LEGION POSTS CAN DO
Essay Contests, Participated in by
Children, tiring Out Many Good
Suggestions.
Carrying out a national program of
activities In community affairs Ameri
can Legion posts in many localities
aie holding essay contests among
school children. The post at Mouson,
Maine, recently held a contest among
children of the seventh and eighth
grades 011 the subject, "What the
American Legion Can Do to Hotter Our
Town." The winning essay, written
by Miss Anna Zimmerman, contains
suggestions which Legion national olll
clals believe worthy of adirptlou by
other posts.
The essay, in part, follows:
"The erection of a soldiers' monu
ment would keep alive lu the minds
of the small hoys' admiration of
bravery and patriotism. This would
also make the town look better and
would show other towns that we had
contrlbut'-d our share towards defeat
ing the Kaiser.
"Clean streets Is another Item of
great Importance. The children could
be encouraged by the Legion to keep
tho streets and sMownlks free from
all kinds of waste mutter.
"Another tiling of Importance lj
a public playground where children
of all ages could go and play any
time that they wish to. This play
ground would require a supervisor to
keep the grounds lu good condition
and to Introduce proper piny. This
would keep the children off the streets
ami therefore there would be less
chance for accident.
"A band stand would be n very
nice thing for the town to have. We
have a very nice band, but there Is
no goml place to play outdoors, wbllo
If they bad a band stand, they could
give concerts at least one night In
etery week.
"A gymnasium would be of great
value to the young people of this
town. There Is no place where sports
can be enjoyed here. There could nlso
be a public swimming plnce where
children could learn to swim.
"Among some of the Important
things Is to have a good hall which
would ndd to the town a great deal,
ns there Is no ball to have entertain
ments and socials given by the town
unless they use the halls owned by
private parties.
"The Legion men could open up the
quarries that are now out of work,
which would draw young .men as well
us men with families to come here
and live.
"They could also help stimulate
Americanism among the people of Mon
son by example and by patriotic en
tertainments." LEGION EXTENDS GLAD HAND
Placing in Federal Position Member of
Canadian Body One Example of
Comradeship.
The hand of the American Legion Is '
always extended In fellowship to vet
rans of the allied armies, lu many 1
cases this Is done lu dally association 1
and In comradeship, and In others, In '
actual aid and lliiiinclnl assistance for
the former coinrader.-at-arms.
T. T. Watson, 11 member of the Great
War Veterans' Association of Canada,
Is a lli-m believer lu the friendliness of
the Legion, according to n recent letter
10 T. C. Lapp, editor of the Veteran,
the olllclal publication of the Canadian
organization. This letter found Its way
to National Adjt. Lemuel Holies of the
American Legion nnd is nn Illustration
of the splendid feeling existing lie
tween the organizations In the rolled
Slaies and Canada. Watson wrote:
"I starved out lu the Okangan valley
and came to the V. S. Hat broke.
"Went Into the American Legion and
nI.ed whnt was the chance for a mem
ber of the G. W. V. A. to get a Job.
They .-aid the chance was line and un
til they found mo a Job there was lied
and board and an advance lu money.
Inside of 1M hours they placed me In 11
good lT. S. federal Job, where I still am
and likely to remain.
"I write this to show that the Ameri
can Legion lias the friendliest feeling
for all Canadian returned men. Their
motto Is 'Every returned man a Job.'
and they seem to ho carrying It Into
effect." '
Watson made his application to the
Tncomn (Wash.) post of the Legion,
which placed him at work In a local
hospital.
On Equal Terms.
A rookie who bad been assigned to
tho cavalry much against his will ap
proached the sergeant nnd remon
strated. "Say," he objected, "I never rode n
horse in my life."
"Oh. that's all right." countered the
sergeant, easily, "We've got a horso
that's never been ridden In bis life.
We'll start you ofT together." Amer
ican Legion Weekly.
Juvenile Scalper.
Teacher: "I thought I told you to sit
In the seat next to Mary Jones."
Willie Wlseacro: "Yes, ma'am, ye
did, but I sold It to Tommy Smith
for a nickel." American Legion
Weekly,
GREATER RESPECT FOR LAW
Legion Probation Plan Snvcs Many De
troit Ex-Service Men From Stigma
of Prison Terms.
Judge Thomas M Cotter of the lie
conler's court or Detroit, Mich., act
ing mi suggestion of the American I.e.
glon. has successfully put into opera
tion a probation plan, which has in
stilh'il In Hie minds f many former
service men a high regard for the an
thority of the law.
The system was suggested In Win.
following discharge from military scr
Ice of many thousands of men, of
whom some were forced to appear In
police court on minor charges of mis
demeanors. I'lider the plan Inaugu
rated many of these men were spared
the stigma of a prison sentence, due
to a far-sighted policy instigated by
Judge Cotter.
Only the word nf the man himself,
with a promise to be a better citizen,
and the word from some American Le
gion olllclal Is necessary to save the
mail from sentence. The plan work.i
remarkably well, according to the re-
Judge Thomas M. Cotter.
ports of the court. Out of 817 forinci
service men who appeared before
Judge Cotter, only six or seven re
appeared In his court to answer
charges for violation of the statute-.!.
'f'he plan has been adopted lu every
police court In the city of Detroit.
At the time of the Instigation of Cm
probation system Detroit was filled
with bolshevistic propaganda, and the
success of the Legion system Indicates
the turning point of many former sol
diers from disregard of law and order
to a high respect for the law's au
thority. FROM CONVICT TO COLONELCY
American Legion Acts to Obtain Par
don for Man Who Made Record
in British At my.
Kenneth K. Thomas had been con
victed and was serving a term in a
Virginia penitentiary on a charge of
bigamy at the time of the outbreak
of the World war. Willie employed In
one of the prison farm projects be
escaped, made Ills way up to Canada,
where lie enlisted and was soon In
active service.
lie established v. splendid war rec
ord, reaching 11 colonelcy before dis
charge. During this time he kept the
Virginia authorities Informed of his
moMMiieiits, ami promised that lie
would return and serve out his term
as soon as the war was over.
Itecenlly the mnu returned to IMcb
inoiid and ilcclnrcit that lie was ready
to complete Ids prison term, admitting
his Identity, and acknowledging bis
war record. Delay In return, it l'
said, was duo to the fact that for two
veins lie has been in a hospital recov
ering from tho effect of wounds.
Ills splendid record for lira very and
attention to duty won high esteem of
the Hrlllsh army ollldals. The Ameri
can Legion lias taken up the light to
obtain pardon or parole for the man,
and the case has been presented to
the governor of Virginia by Interest! d
Legionnaires.
Roy M. Hancock Among Missing.
Diligent search If I eiug made for
Hoy M. Hancock. f vmerly a private
In the .Motor Transport Corps of the
army, a World war veteran. Mrs. Hat
lie Hancock of Chattanooga, Tenn..
waited lu vain for word from her son
following the wnr. Government of
llcials had him classified as 11 deserter.
Early In April Mrs. Hancock received
word from the slate hospital for the
Insane at I'ort Sam Houston. Texii",
that her son was a patient lu that In
stitution. On the heels of this infor
mation came word that he bad escaped
and no trace has Iipcii found of hint
since that time. Hancock Is twenty
eight, the feet nine Inches in height,
dark hair, and has a horseshoe tat
tooed on his right arm below his el
bow. In the emblem are the words
"Good Luck." Following the govern
ment's discovery that the man was a
mental patient and not a deserter, ho
was given an honorable discharge.
Donation of Memorial,
oniclals of the Illinois department of
the American Legion, state oflichilsainl
prominent Chlcagoana gathered recent
ly at Cicero, a suburb of Chicago, for
tho unveiling of a monument to the
soldier dead of the city. The monu
liieut wns given by a Cicero real es
tate dealer and bears the names on
bronze plates of those Cicero men wh
made the supreme sacrifice. Dedlcu
tory exercises were under the direc
tion of tho Legion.
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