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Show BEAR RIVER VALLEY LEADER PROBLEMS IN NOMENCLATURE WHICH WAR RISK BUREAU HAS TO TACKLE Difficulties the Bureau Experiences in Answering Letters and of Demobilized Men-M- any Maintaining the Correct Addresses Become Transients. and Others Give Only Fragmentary Information. homo! Behold the bureau from an army camp, and ended as follows: , "Get me (his man's name so that I "Respectfully, "Private Divis Spruce. can report definitely on the status of his insurance." Hastings, Pa." Miss Blue Sweater was assigned to That, together with a slip bearing the memo, "James Hall, (3,721,505) the letter with instructions to secure McCall, South Carolina. Beneficiaries: the man's policy number that certain Mrs. Ella Stalks (wife), Mrs. Fannie information requested as to the standStalks (mother)," was handed to a file ing of his insurance might be furnishsearcher in the bureau of war risk In- ed him. The name of Divis Spruce could not surance. The man's name was given as Hall, be found in the files. Then came the while those of his wife and his mother time for imagination and deduction. were given as Stalks. Patently, No matter how the name was split to make some other plausible name, the something was wrong somewhere. Just files could not produce results. what was wrong, however, was not so the young woman decided Finally To out find evident. what and where to address a letter to the man at Hastthe error was, was the job. Pa., requesting him to furnish inFinding the error somebody else ings, formation about himself. In due time made is always the job of the war the letter was returned to the bureau risk index file searchers, and it's a as unclaimed. tough job if they fail to get at the This did not an end t the bottom of it. search by any means. Imagination Going into the index files section and deduction were brought into where are listed the names of nearly the case, and again a further study of the five million men who were inducted . original letter was made. Into military service, the young womDivis Spruce, an made a complete Inventory of all ' Spruce Division. Of course! The Spruce Division! The Spruce division was a part of the American army. Miss Blue Sweater secured a roster of the Spruce division from the war department and searched through the nearly 40,000 names for a man who lived at Hastings, Pa. In this she was rewarded. The list showed only one man from that town. He was Herman Miller. With this information the young woman had no difficulty in finding the card of Herman Miller, (policy number 1,877,155; serial number 800.255) of Hastings, i Pa. This man was furnished the in formation he desired, and in thanking the bureau he admitted he had forgotten to sign his name to the letter. ' Searchers From All Sections. Girls from every part of the conn-trare employed as searchers. If a complex case arises involving a man's identification,- - and his home is in Maine, a girl from that state is assigned to run down the mystery and she nearly always does. Should the "state be California, a girl Hailing from the "Coast'' soon has e correct data carefully listed in the files. There are Innumerable ''wonderful" cases under investigation every day, Girl Sleuths Searching Card Index but these girls are not unlike the heroes from France who never exploit Files. the "wonderful" things they themthe thousands of men surnamed Hall. selves did In line of duty. Among them all there was not one who Handwriting experts are employed .came from McCall, South Carolina,' nor to determine the identity of many sigyet one who had a wife or mother natures, since every conceivable form wliose name even remotely resembled of handwriting reaches the bureau. the "Stalks" given as the name of the Often the body of a letter will be per- two beneficiaries. Calls for Nimble Wit. This, clearly, was a case for the use of that specially nimble wit and fine deductive faculty which has characterized much of the work of the searchers of the index files, and given them a process of procedure which might be used to add a leaf to the book of the Burnsm, the Pinkertons and the Flynns. "Well," remarked the girl charged with producing the needed information,- "this man may be 'Stalk,' since that is the name given for his wife and mother," But search through the "Stalks" brought nothing to identify the case. "Still," she persisted, and they always do persist, these girls. "His name must be some kind of a 'Stalk.' but what kind? Corn stalks, bean stalks, and cabbage stalks are the only kind of stalks I know anything about so 111 Just look them up." And sure enough, it turned out that his name was "some kind of a Stalk." Checking Names of Soldier Survivors. Cabbage stalks, in fact, and his index card was duly changed to read : fectly legible, but the signature will "James Cabbagestalks, (3,721,505) prove to be one of those nonforgeable which are the McCall, South Carolina; beneficiaries, jumbles of pen strokes ' hobby of the writer and pet delight Mrs. Mrs. Ella Cabbagestalks (wife), and the despair of every hopeful Fannie Cabbagestalks (mother)." reader. "You see that grl wearing the blue Silent letters in names must sweater over there," said one young be taken into consideration. Thealways name woman. of Hlynack Is a good example where The girl of the blue sweater appear- the silent letter is the key letter for ed so young she might have just left searching,, but at the same tlme.lt Is school. She was searching some In- particularly dead In pronunciation. dex cards, her fingers rapidly running rfMita r n iti r30 a nyminiiiinofl T trr o lr n rwt from one to another. With each flap In the hurry of writing, often names of the card she had taken a mental !are misspelled, when on the surface note of the inscription thereon, but to they appear very simple and correct. the observer she was making a speed Foreign names are often typed Inrecord In touching every card In the correctly because the soldier at the file drawer. time of making application for insurBang! The drawer was ance may have been unfamiliar with Suddenly closed. She moved a foot to the right, English and made a mistake In rebegan another Marathon in card move- peating the spelling to the army or ments, selected one, made a notation navy clerk. This Is a great source of on a slip of paper she carried, placed worry to searchers. the card among the others, closed the Names Spelled Many Ways. drawer, and walked toward the man one man's name may be Frequently who Is In charge of the file section. spelled In four or five ways. If rein-tireThis pantomime was quickly enacted, parents or someone. Interested and as It turned out, It brought to In his welfare Inquires about his insura dote a remarkable case which had ance, each will spell It In their way. been nader investigation for some Girl searchers must determine which Is the correct spelling and then verdays. The "Divis Mystery." ify It from the man's original signaThe title of this strange case might ture. A clever piece of deduction was that he the "Dlvls mystery" with Miss Blue in the case of Andrew Good of North weater as the detective heroine. A typewritten letter was received by Dakota. His name could not be found Washington. the man Ecce I p-- it y I . s, f through the pallid light of the dawn. It was all a desolate, restless waste 'n the midst of which we tossed, while above hung masses of dark clouds obscuring the sky. We were but a hurtling speck between the gray above and the gray below. The first thing needing my attention In the files and was turned r one was the food and water. I crept forof the cleverest searchers. Since the ward .cautiously and soon bad Sam man's address was given as North Dabusily engaged in passing out the varikota, she assumed, in view of the fact ous articles for inspection. Only esthat there were many Indians listed iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir sentials had been chosen, yet the supfrom that state, that his must be aa ply seemed ample for the distance I Indian name. She immediately added believed we would have to cover beThunder to his name and found the fore attaining land. But the nature of record card as Andrew Good ThunBy that unknown const' was so doubtful I der, in less than three minutes after determined to deal out the provisions she had been asked to lend her aid. RANDALL sparingly, saving every crumb posCarelessness or unavoidable haste In The men grumbled at the small-nes- s sible. PARRISH writing up insurance applications on of the ration, yet munched away the Form by which a man enterenough, once convinced contentedly 61 ing the service requests or disclaims that we all shared alike. government allowance to dependents, jlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllln "All right, lads," I said cheerfully. Copright bj A. C. McOlnrg & Co. and failure to include complete Idenfl-fyin- g "Now we understand each other and information in a letter of in- I CHAPTER XXV Continued. can get at work. We'll divide into quiry, constitute the largest siwgle -1- 7watches first of ail two men aft here cause in the bureau's delay in answew She turned her head, and I felt her and one at the bow. Watkins and I eyes searching the dim outline of my will ing mail. take it watch and watch, but Any letter addressed to the bureau face questioningly. there is enough right now for all hands "Of course I did everything I knew," on any matter pertaining to a service to turn to and make the craft ship(she replied. "Why should 1 not? You man should contain his name in fu'l shape. Two of you bail out that water first, last, and middle; it should state are here. Captain Carlyle, for my sake; till she's dry, and the others get out owe I service." you his rank and. organization at the time that extra sail forward and rig up a "And must I be content merely with "Form was filed, or at the time She'll ride easier and make better jib. insurance application was made; Ms that thought?" I urged, far from progress with more canvas showing." mean would "This that pleased. your present home address, and former adThe men gradually knocked off work dress if the address has been changed ; only interest in me arises from gratiand lay down, and finally I yielded to the first, middle and last name of his tude." Dorothy's pleadings and fell Into a "And friendship," her voice as beneficiary, and present and former sound sleep. It seemed as though I reaas my own. "There is no address, if the address has been lost consciousness, yet I must son why you should doubt that surely." scarcely changed. have slept for an hour or more, my The names of the nearly five mil- t "It would be easier for me to under head pillowed on her lap. When I lion men who were Inducted under the stand, but for the memory of what I awoke Schmitt was again at the steerselective draft, and those who have tam a bond slave." ing paddle, and botli he and Dorothy i our meaning is that true friend were staring across me out over the joined up aince the armistice, arAJin a has as basis equality?" cards in filing cabinets, which, placed ship "Does it not? Can real friendship port quarter. one after the other, would make a line "What is it?" I asked eagerly, but jexist otherwise?" more than five miles long. before the words were entirely uttered she "No," gravely. acknowledged a hoarse voice forward bawled out exJust what complications may arise "And the fact that such friendship when there ia failure to Include this does exist between us evidences my citedly: "There you see it; straight out agin identifying data, may be imagined faith in you. I have never felt this that cloud edge. Its a from the fact that a comparison shows social distinction, Captain Carlyle, schooner." that the repetition of names In the have given it no thought. This may files of the bureau is far greater than "Ay," boomed another, "an' headin' seem to you, yet is most natcross our course astern." the repetition of names carried !ii ural. strange straight You bear an honorable name, 1 reached my feet, clinging to the ard indexes of commercial companies. and belong to a family of gentlemen. mast to keep erect and, as the boat Same Bear Name. Many You held a position of command, won was Fifty-thre- e again flung upward, gained clearly thousand two hundred by your own efforts. You bore the the glimpse I sought. Johnsons were called into active mill of a man in a revolution ; if guilty "Ay, you're right, lads !" I exclaimed. tarv service. The Smiths were not part of any crime, it was a political one, in a schooner, headed to clear us by "It's far behind numerically, coming up to no way sullying your honor. I have a hundred fathoms. Port your helm, the considerable figure of 51,050. The every reason to believe you were falseSchmitt hard down, man. Now, Sam, "Brown" family with 48,000 is next. ly accused and convicted. Consequentoff with that red shirt ; tie it on the More than half the letters inquiring bely that conviction does not exist boat hook and let fly. They can't about insurance come from men who tween us; you are not my uncle's servhelp seeing us if there is any watch on either fail to give their identifying ant, but my friend you understand deck." In thou- me now?" number, or their address. We about in a wide circle, sands of cases they give their address, "And you would have me headed swept across the bows of the straight but due to the fact that there ar? oth- speak with you as ofactually your own class vessel. All eyes stared out ers with similar names who live in the a free man, to claim your worthy watchfully, Sam's shirt flapping above same city, and have moved this inforfriendship in life?" mation is of little value to the girl "Yes," frankly, her face uplifted. searchers. "Why should It be otherwise? No man Actual figures show that more two H could ..have done more, or proved him half the soldiers, sailors and marines self more stanch and true. We are in have moved since leaving the service. danger yet, but such peril is nothing Few forwarded a notice of a change of compared with what I have escaped. I address. This left the bureau with feel that your skill and courage will only the name of the man for record, bring us safely to land. I am no longbut through Its system of tracing men, er afraid, for I have learned to trust large numbers have been located by you. You possess my entire confthe girl sleuths and their correct ad- idence." dresses have been listed. "But do you understand fully?" I Many amazing discoveries have beeii questioned anxiously. "All I have done made in names, and the number of for you would have been done for any ways they can be spelled. One young other woman under the same condiwoman has tabulated 49 ways, so fat tions of danger. Such service to andiscovered to spell Aloysius. other would have been a duty, and no Another has specialized in the spell- more. But to be with you, aiding and ing of Ignatz. She has found 18 ways protecting, has been a delight, a joy. I have served Dorothy Fairfax for her to spell this name. Still another has found that John own sake not as I would any other." can be spelled 24 ways. "Did you not suppose I knew?" To Bartholdt Otto Aabel, (policy Her glance flashed into mine through number 3,263,838) of Minden, Neb., be- the star-gleawith a sudden message longs the distinction of having his of revealment. "You knew that that It was you name the first in all the card Index files. The last card In the file bears personally I served?" "Of course I knew. A woman is the name of Wladyslaus Charles Zyzes, policy number 1.802,680) of 421 Maury never unaware of such things. Now, If ever, I must tell you the truth. I street, Rome, N. Y. Constant combing Is necessary to know you care for me, and have cared since first we met. An interest no less keep the files up to date. fateful has led me to seek your acWe Swept By in a Large Circle. quaintance, and give you my aid. Surely It Is not unmaidenly for nie to conus, and botli Watkins and Schmitt fess this when we face the chance of Georgian Too Tired to straining their muscles to hold the denth together?" Crank Up His Auto against the force plunging quarter-boa- t "But," I stammered, "I can scarcely of the wind. A man forward on his 1 I realize believe words. your you knees growled out a curse. Atlanta, Ga. And now the love you Dorothy." laziest man ! "What's the matter aboard there?" "And is It not also possible for me Lawson Collier, an autoist, he yelled. "Did yer ever see a boat to love?" was coming Into Atlanta, when yaw like that, afore? Damn me, if 1 "You you mean, you love me?" he overtook an old car stopped believe they got a hand at the wheel." "I love you are you sorry?" by the roadside. The occupants The same thought had leaped into I am mad of with the joy "Sorry! were in animated conversation. mind. The schooner was headed my It; yet stricken dumb. Dorothy Fair- to Thinking he might be of assistpass us on the port quarter, yet even dared dream of never I have fax, ance, Collier stopped and asked such a message from your lips. Dear, yawing so crazily at times- as toI make if he could help. could dear girl, do you forget who I am? me fearful of being run down. "You might pull ns down the perceive no sign of life aboard, no What future?" my road a piece to start my auto," signal that we had been seen. The sight "I forget nothing," she said, proudg owner. said the I know what you angered me. ly. "It is because Collier backed up, pulled out "Stand by, all hands," I cried desNor Is are heart that my responds. a pleceof rope, and pulled the "We'Ii board whether they toperately. You so clouded. are future your auto about 50 yards, and then us or not. Slip across, Miss Fairwant we man these if escape day a free asked what the trouble was. fax, out of the way. Now. Watkins, be for whether Fairfax Roger perils, "Oh, nothing at all." said his alive, or dead, he will never seek you 'tin us In under those neighbor. "I just didn't want asy man, don't let her strike us. Lay again to hold In servitude. If alive he to take the trouble to crank it." hold quick, lads, and bang on for your will join his efforts with mine to oblives. Give me that end of rope tain a pardon because of these servready now, all of you; I'll make the we in influence have ices, and Eng ap. Now then hold hard!" U. S. LOSES 4,480 CAPTURED land. Yet, should such effort fail, you It was five feet, and up. my pur-- . are a sailor, and the seas of the world the tossing boat, hut 1 made it, base not It are is free. necessary that your Eighth Army Dlvls'on Makes Low Rec-orhand one desperately gripping a vessel fly the English flag." With Only One Man shroud, until I gained balance and was me hope a wonderful "You give Captured. flung Inboard by a sharp plunge of the hope." vessel. My head was at a level with her hands "And D. A firmly courage," C by Washington, rechecklng the rail, yet 1 saw nothing, my whole on mine. to fight war "Courage clasping the department of the figures up effort In being to make fast before the would I to have faith. that my gift to June 3 shows the total number of loose. Americans captured by the enemy In you, Geoffry. We are In peril still, grip of the men should be torn France was 4,480, of whom 316 were great peril, but you will face It beside This done, I glanced back Into the upme, knowing that whether we live or turned faces below. officers. division The Twenty-eight"Hand In slowly, lads ; yes, let go, was the heaviest loser with 18" off- die we are together. I am not afraid the rope will hold, and the boat ride icers and 714 men, and the Twenty-sixt- h any more." next with 19 officers and '438 safely through. Let a couple of men come up till we see what's wrong with men. The Eighth division reported on CHAPTER XXVI. the hooker the rest of you trail on. man captured. Let Schmitt and Sam come with me." A Pleating Coffin. Of the divisions earliest In tine, the I helped them clamber up and then The laboring boat rested so low in First lost no officers and 152 men and the Second division fle officers and the water It was only as we were lifted my body 'onto the rail, from 182 men. thrown upward on the crest of a wave which position I had a clear view of tbt T could gain any view about the forward deck. It was inex 3IIIIIIIIIIIII1IIIII1I1IIIIIIIII1IIIIIIIIIIIII1IIIS 0 gO WOLVES 1-- 1-- confi-"denti- d tired-lookin- fore-chain- s; d pressibly dirty, yet otherwise sliipj shape enough. Nothing human greeted me, and conscious of a strange feeling of horror, I slipped over onto the deck. The next moment the negro and Dutchman joined me, the former staring about wildly, the whites of bis eyes revealing his terror. "My Gawd, sab," he ejaculated. "Ah done know dis boat It's shore de Santa Marie. Ah's cooked In dat galley. She was a slaver, sah." He sniffed lie air. "A kin smell dem niggers right now, sah. Ah suah reckon dars a bunch o' ded ones under dem hatches right dis minute." Sclimitt's hand fell heavily on my sleeve and I glanced into his stolid face. "I ble." just bet I know vat wus der trou- "What, man?" "Cholera," he whispered boarded a death ship." ; "ve haf XXVII. CHAPTER On Board the Slaver. The terror of the two men as this thought dawned upon them in all its horror was apparent enough. Nothing, not even fire, w'as more to be dreaded than a visitation of this awful nature on shipboard. Charnel ship though this might be, it was safer by far tiiuu the cockleshell towing alongside. "Let's find out the truth first, men," I said quietly. "Hold your tongues. There is no use giving up until we know what the danger is. Will you come with me?" The terror in Sara's eyes caused me to laugh and my own courage came back with a rush. "Afraid of dead men, are you? Then we'll face them together, my lads, and have it over with. Come on, now, both of you. Buckle up; there is nothing to fear, if you do what I tell you this isn't the first cholera ship I've been aboard." It was no pleasant job confronting us, although we had less dead men to handle than I anticipated. Indeed, we found only five bodies on board. There were only two on deck, a giant, white negro, and a man. his face pitted with smallpox. Determined on what was to be done, I wasted no time with either body. The fevo sailors uang back, terrorized at the mere thought of touching these victims of plague. I steeled myself to the jot? and handled them alone, dragging the bodies across the deck and launching tliein over the low rail into the sea. I ordered Schmitt to cut the lashings and take charge of the wheel. "See here, Sam, and you too, Schmitt, I am in love with that girl in the boat. Do you suppose I would ever have her come on this deck if I believed she might contract, cholera? You do as I say and you are perfectly safe. Now, Schmitt, remain n,t the wheel, and you, Sam, come with me. There will be a dead nigger aboard unless you jump when I sppk." He trotted close at my beeis as I flung open the door leading into thv cabin. The air seemed fresh enough ind I noted two of the ports wide man, with open. A tall, smooth-shavean ugly scar down one cheek, lay outstretched on a divan at the foot of the after mast, his very posture proclaiming him dead. His face was the color of parchment, wrinkled with age. The negro crept up behind ma and stared at the upturned face. "My Gaud, sah, he wus de of captain. 1'aradilla, sah ; damn his soul !" In what was evidently the captain's room I discovered a pricked chart and with no entry in it for three days. Without waiting to examine these I stowed them away in my pocket. Between us we forced the stiffened form of the captain through the open after port and heard i splash into the sea astern. There were two dead seamen in the forecastle, both swarthy fellows, with long Indian hair. I never saw a dirtier hole, the filth overpowering, and once satisfied that both men were beyond help, I was content to lower the scuttle and leave them there. God it was a relief to return once more to the open deck and breathe In the fresh air. I hailed the boat towcoal-hlac- k gray-bearde- d n log-boo- ! ing below. "Come aboard, Watkins," I called sharply. "Pass the lady up first, cud turn the boat adrift." I caught Dorothy's hands and aided her over the rail. "Why was the vessel abandoned?" she asked. "What has happened? Do you know?" Quietly 1 told her the truth and assured her that if we staid on deck and used our own bedding and provisions we were in no danger. "I low can I help you?" "Tell the men just what I have totd you," I said gravely. "They will be ashamed to show less courage than you." We turned and faced them together as they formed a little group against the rail. Hallin was first to speak. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Soul That Is Truly Great. Kmerson, that greatest of 'modern philosophers, has told lis that M Is ien In a crowd to allow oureasy selves t be swayed by the opinions about us and comparatively easy to keep our individuality and sweetness when alone, but that the great onnl Is he who In the midst of a mass of other Individuals can still keep the poise and sweetness of solitude. h Work and Workers. There Is not so much difference In the world's work as In the world's workers. It Is not so much difference what we are doing so long as It Is useful that counts as the way In which we are doing It, The work of which we are ashamed we either have no right to do, or we are not doing It as we should. |