ONE OF OURS
By W1LLA CATHER.
t-'amous Nebraska Author.
(Continued from Teaterdari
SYNUFSIS.
t l»ud# Wheeler, married to reljrlnu* j
•l»u(hler or Jason Koj<e. Nebraska !
farmer, bus hnllt home on lantl given
him by his father, Nat. Enid, Claude's
wife, is in China where shs went when
receiving a letter from her j Hunger sis-1
ler, Caroline, saying she was ill. Claude 1
formerly attended small college in lJn- 1
coin. Neb. While there he made friends
or Erlich family, a motherly widow and
five sons. He also has as friends, living
near him at home, Ernest Havel and
I.eonard Dawson. Ieonard Is married. Be
fore his marriage to Enid Boyce. Claude
whs much engrossed In study of Derman
sdvance Into Belgium. Cpou Enid's sud
den departure for China he again lakea
up his Interest In the war Just prior to
sinking of l.usltania. Claude, during his
wife’s absence, lives with his mother,
t lauds and Ernest llavel have argued
o'er prohibition. In which cause Claude’s
w-lfe Is active when at home. Ernest
leaves in a huff, latter Interest In the
w-ar draws them hack together. On way
ti Frankfort from the ranch Claude
pirks up Oladys Farmer, high school girl
friend of Ills wife. Claude would like to
ni<l on her hut banishes the thoiight
when be realises it would cause talk In
tow*n.
CHAPTER VIII.
During the bleak months of March
Mr. Wheeler went to town in his
buckboard almost every day. For
the first time in his life he had a se
cret anxiety. The one member of his
family who had never given him the
slightest trouble, his son Bayliss, was
just now under a cloud.
Bayliss was a pacifist, and kept
•telling people that If only the United
States would stay out of this war,
and gather up what Europe was wast
ing, she would soon be in actual pos
session of the capital of the world.
There was a kind of logio in Bayliss’
utterances that shook Nat Wheeler’s
Imperturbable assumption that one
point of view was as good as an
other. When Bayliss fought the dram
and the clgaret, Wheeler only
laughed. That a son of his should
turn out a prohibitionist, was a joke
he could appreciate. But Bayliss’ at
titude in the present crisis disturbed
him. Day after day he sat about his
eon’e place of business, interrupting
his arguments with funny stories.
Bayliaa did not go home at all that
month. He e&ld to his father. "No,
mother's too violent I’d better not."
Claudet and hits mother read the
papers in the evening, but they talked
so little about what they read that
Mahalley Inquired anxiously whether
they weren’t still fighting over
yonder. When she could get Claude
alone for a moment, she pulled out
Sunday supplement pictures of the
devastated countries and asked him to
tell her what waa to become of this
family, photographed among the
ruins of their home; of this old wo
man, who sat by the roadside with
h»r bundles. "Where's she goin’ to,
anyways? See, Mr. Claude, she's got
her Iron cook-pot, pore old thing,
carryin’ it all the way!"
Pictures of soldiers in gas masks
puzzled her; gas was something she
hadn't learned about in the civil
war. so she worked it out for her
self that these masks were worn by
the army eooks, to protect their eyes
when they were cutting up onions!
“All them onions they have to cut
up. it would put their eyes out If
they didn’t wear somethin’,'’ ehe
argued.
on the morning of the 8th of April
< 'laude came downstairs early and
began to clean his boots, which were
caked with dry mud. Mahalley was
• squatting down beside her stove,
blowing and puffing into it. The fire
was always slow to start in heavy
weather. Claude got an old knife
and a brush, and putting bis foot
cn a chair over by the west window,
began to scrape his shoe. He had said
good morning to Mahailey, nothing
more. He hadn't slept well, and was
pule.
“Mr. Claude.” Mahailey grumbled,
"this stove ain't never drawed good
like my old one Mr. ltalph took away
from me. I can't do nothin’ with it.
Maybe you’ll clean it out for me next
Sunday.”
“I’ll clean it today, if you say
so. I won't be here next Sunday. I’m
going away.”
Something dn his tone made Ma
hailey get up, her eyes still blinking
with the smoke, and look at him
sharply. "You ain't goin' off there
where Miss Enid is?” she asked anx
iously.
"No, Mahailey.” He had dropped
the shoe brush and stood with one
foot on the chair, his elbow on his
knee, looking out of tho window as
if he had forgotten himself. "No, I'm
not going to China. I'm going over
to help fight the Germans.”
He was still staring out at the wet
fields. Before he could stop her, be
fore he knew what she was doing,
she had caught and kissed his un
worthy hand.
"I knowed you would.’ she sobbed.
”1 always knowed you would, you
nice boy. you! Old Mahail’ knowed!"
Her upturned face was working all
over; her mouth, her eyebrows, even
the wrinkles on her low forehead
were working and twitching. Claude
felt a tightening In his rliroat as he
tenderly regarded that face; behind
the pale eyes, under the low brow
where there was not room for many
thoughts, an idea was struggling and
tormenting her. The same idea that
had been tormenting him.
“You'rs all right, Mahailey,” he
muttered, patting her back and turn
ing away. “Now hurry breakfast.”
“You ain’t told your mudder yit?”
she whispered.
“No, not yet. But she'll be all
right, too.” He caught up hi? cap
and went down to the barn to look
after the horses.
When Claude returned, the fam
ily were already at the breakfast
table. He slipped into his seat and
watched hie mother while she drank
her first cup of coffee. Then he ad
dressed his father.
"Father, I don’t see any use of
waiting for the draft. If you can
spare me. I'd like to get Into a train
ing camp somewhere. I believe I d
stand a chance of getting a commis
sion.”
“I shouldn’t wonder.” Mr. Wheeler
poured maple syrup on hla pancakes
with a liberal hand. “How do you
feel about It. Evangeline?”
Mrs. Wheeler had quietly put down
her knife and fork. She looked at
her husband In vague alarm, while
her fingers moved restlessly about
over the tablecloth.
“I thought.” Claude went on hasti
ly. “that maybe I would go up to
Omaha tomorrow and find out where
the training camps are to be located,
snd have talk with the men in charge
of the enlistment station. Of course."
be added lightly, “they may not want
me. I haven’t an idea what the re
quirements are.” .
“No. I don’t understand much about
It either.” Mr. Wheeler rolled his top
pancake and conveyed it to his
mouth. After a moment of mastica
tion lie said. "You figure on going
tomorrow’"
"I'd like to. 1 won't bother with
baggage—some shirls and under
clothes in my suitcase. 11 the govern
ment wants me. it will clothe me."
Mr. Wheeler pushed back his plate.
"Well, now 1 guess you'd better come
tut with me and look at the wheal.
1 don't know but Id best plow up
that south quarter and put it in corn.
1 don't believe it will make anything
much."
When ("Intide and his father went
out of the door. Dan spiang up with
more alacrity than usual and plunged
after them He did not wont to be
left alone with Mrs. Wheeler. She
remained sitting at the foot of the
deserted breakfast table. She was not
crying. Her eyes were utterly sight
less. Her back was so stooped that
site seemed to be bend.ng under a
burden. Mahallty cleared the dishes
away quietly.
Out in the muddy fields Claude fin
ished his talk with his father, lie ex
plained that he wanted to slip away
without saying goodbye to any one.
"I have a way, you know." he said,
flushing, “of beginning things and
not getting very far with them. I
don’t, want anything said about this
until I’m sure. I may be rejected for
one reason or another."
Mr. 'Wheeler smiled. “T guess not.
However, I'll tell Dan to keep hi*
mouth shut. Will you just go over
to Leonard Dawson's and get that
wrench lie borrowed? It's about noon,
and he'll likely be at home."
Claude found big Leonard watering
his team at the windmill. When Leort
|ard asked him what he thought of the
president's message, he blurted out
at once that he was going to Omaha
to enlist. Leonard reached up and
pulled the lever that controlled the
'almost nlotlonless wheel.
"Better wait a. few weeks and I'll
go with you. I'm going to try for
the marines. They take my eye."
Claude, standing on the edge of the
tank, almost fell backward. "Why,
what—what for?"
Iveonard looked hint over. "Good
Ixtrd. Claude, you ain't the only fel
low around here that wears pants!
What for? Well, I'll tell you what
for,” he held up three large red fin
gers threateningly: "Belgium, the
Lusitania, Kdith Cavell. That dirt's
got under my skin. I'll get my corn
planted, and then father'll look after
Susie till I come hack.”
Claude took a long breath. “Well,
r DR. ALLWINE H
SPECIALIST in painless ex
traction and restoring lost
teeth by best methods. Ripe
experience and personal at
tention to both.
Because ft win be ah Rem of no little economy for us
to have all our different breads known by the one
name, and because it will be much easier for you to
IDENTIFY our products, and also because we do not
feel that the names we are now using tell the real
story of their superior quality—we are anxious to
have the “public” help us find just the right name
for our breads. Therefore the offer of “reward” to
the party who furnishes us with this BETTER
NAME.
Petersen & Pegau Baking Co.
MAKERS OF
Hard Roll Bread
Tip-Top Rye Bread
Sun-Maid Raisin
Tip-Top Graham
Boston Brown Bread
Tip-Top Bread
Tip-Top Vienna
Wheat-a-Laxa
Petersen & Petrau’s
Whole Wheat Bread
This new name shall be easy to pronounce ands
easy to remember. It must be a “fitting”
name for a quality loaf of bread. It may be
a “coined” word, but not necessarily so. It
should create confidence and must have an
appeal “in ita ring” for the children as well
as for the grownups.
You must have your “suggested’’ names into
our office not later than May 15th. A selected
group of judge* will decide upon the “best"
hame submitted and we will pay the above
mentioned sum to the party giving the se
lected name. It is understood that we shall
hold all “rights" and privileges to the use of
any name submitted.
Addraaa "Naw Nam*** Judgaa, c'o Patartan A Pagau Baiting Co ,
12th and Jackaen Straata, Omaha, Nab.
Leonard, you fooled me. I believed
all this chaff you've been giving me
about noi caring who chewed up
who.’
"And no inure do I care." Leonard
protested, "noi a damn! Hut there's
a limit. I've been ready to go since
the Lusitania. I don't get any satis
faction out of my place any more.
Susie feels the. sumo way."
Claude looked at his big neighbor.
' Well. I'm off tomorrow Leonard.
Don't mention it to my folks, but if
I can't get into the army. I'm going
to enlist in the navy. They'll always
take an able-bodied man. I'm not
coming back here.'' He held out his
hand and Leonard took it with a
smack.
"(loud luck. Claude. Maybe well
meet in foreign parts. Wouldn't that
be a joke! Clive my love to Laid
when you write. I always did think
she was n fine girl, though 1 rt:s
• agreed with her on prohibition."
I Claude crossed the fields mechanical*
ly. without looking where lie went.
Ilis power of vision was turned in*
| ward upon scenes and events wholly!
imaginary as yet.
(Continued in The Morning Bee.)
St. Louis banks have more womeo
depositors than men.
Governor of Minnesota to
Address Lutheran Hally
Governor J. A. O. f'reu* of Minne
sota will be tlie principal speaker at a
Lutheran mass meeting in the Bran
dels theater Sunday. May t>. at 7:30.
The 20 Lutheran congregations In
Omaha will dispense with their reg
ular services that evening. A chorus
of 300 voices will sing.
Governor Preus’ father and grand
father were Lutheran clergymen, as
was also his mother's father. Ile
holds degrees from Luther college,
the 1‘niversity of Minnesota and <>us
tavuH Adolphus college.
He was formerly secretary to Sen
ator Knute Nelson. He is now serv
ing hl« second term as governor.
The 20 Omaha Lutheran congtegi
tions supporting the mass meeting
have property here wprth $1,643,000.
They have 8.204 members. ].ast year
they expended $278,301 for local ex
penses and gave $300,688 to benev
olences. These figures Include Im
manuel Deaconess Institute. Thirty
fourth street and Meredith avenue.
Se\en Alleged Speeders
Fined in Municipal Court
Seven alleged speeders faced Judge
VVapplch In municipal court yester
day and were released with mines.
They were Hex Baiker, 5112 Dodg«
street, $7.50; Charles Dankes, 580'.
South Twentieth street, $12.50: V
Jones, 5107 South Twenty-fifth street.
$12.50; Otto Langhelm, 4313 Soutn
Thirteenth street, $7.50; Harry Davis,
4512 Blondo street, $15; H. A. Stewart,
0930 Florence boulevard, $10; L. M.
Tefft, Majestic apartments, $12 50.
THESE
HART SCHAFFNER & MARX
SUITS HAVE STYLE;
THEY’RE NEW
Any number of well-dressed men want smart
style like this; easier fitting coats; pockets and
buttons placed lower; wider trousers The all
wool fabrics and tailoring are always the best; |
to hold the style and give long wear j
__ _ Copjrn*ht IMJ Bin ft Min I
IfcWwriii ~n iinitwnriir»mi rur-rr tun— - . _ J
The Brandeis Store
OMAHA