TO THE FRONT
In fact, even as far as the train, you could hardly see the soldiers for the women running at the sides. And not all was sad. Some was gay and foolish. But not the sweethearts and wives and sisters and mothers! Mostly them that had no one in the company.
I pitied Jon, the way he looked toward the farm, and wished that Dave and Evelyn might wake up and miss us and come to give us good-by after all. I had the feeling, too, that maybe, we mightn't get back—and I wanted to see Dave and Evelyn once more.
Well, wishing makes things happen, don't it? By hokey, just then Evelyn rushes through the crowd and right up and flung her arms round Jon. Her eyes were red with crying and she was tired—half dead—having run all the way in from the farm—and not well yet. When she got her breath she says:
"Jon! Dave's gone! The black's gone! My uniform is gone! Dave knows!"
Jon seemed turned to stone—and it was as if he understood. But he could say nothing, not a word.
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