Show the crossed swords by BEATRICE vandergrift 1 copyright M MOST OST army romances end with a newspaper account of the bridal I 1 couple emerging from an arch ot of crossed swords but this particular romance of young lieutenant and mrs john R gibbs goes on the first night on their way by car to johns post in ID the south they stopped tit at the nicest hotel in baltimore and had jellied consomme broiled bluefish and peach welba melba which they eat the second night they stopped at the nicest hotel in Iton roanoke nOlle and hall had cantaloupe canta loup fried chicken and blueberry blaeberry pie some of which they ate the third night after a consultation over the honeymoon pocketbook they stopped at the second nicest hotel in greenville and had a dollar blue plate almost all of which they ate on the fourth day they reached their destination the army post to which john had been assigned after his graduation from west point that june A stout stoat captain in the quarte quartermaster amas corps met them at headquarters allter and ushered them to their home it was one of a group of unpainted wooden shacks that resembled squatters tints huts one finds on ash heaps outside large cities from their patched pat clied tarred roofs tin chimneys emitted billows of soft CORI coal smoke the captain got out pried open a rusty sagging screen door and waved the bride and groom inside then left them with a cheery smile ile de was so 00 us used ed to showing hardened army folk into dingy quarters that he be stop to sympathize with these young newcomers mary rose burled buried her bead in johns shoulder and wept heartbreakingly brea kingly im sorry kiddle kiddie he groaned we do dor 1 bounced mary rose by hysterically but firmly im going home cut but she decided to stay for two months tor for after all they were still on their honeymoon cut but when the day came for her to go she feel the least bit like traveling when they realized what was the matter john was terrified and begged her to go if he be suggested it she probably would have cut but she stayed she would let john see little john then leave forever winter descended upon them a chill rainy winter that spread a vast duck pond about their little low shack mary rose kose shut off one room of the house and tried to keep it warm with the potbellied pot bellied stove which with its sister the kitchen range comprised the heating system of the house at last one spring day the great event took place mary rose nose spent an afternoon walking on the hot roof garden of the army hospital with john pacing desperately at her side then the nurses brought her in and told john to stay out after a long while they told him he be could go in you have a cute little daughter they said and girls are just us as nice as boys efe de merely glanced at the bundle on its way out to the nursery cried for or a few moments over mary roses placid white face and went back to hla his little lonely shack lying in the pleasant yellow walled hospital mary rose was more determined than ever to leave john and his dreadful little hut she simply let her baby grow up there to play on those damp floors and perhaps get hold of the deadly white insect powder they were always compelled to have about at her fathers home there would be a sunny gunny nursery with warm rugged floors and steam heat beat sizzling against the frosty windows when they at last took mary rose back to the shack she resolved that the next nest time she went out of it t would be the last john gently deposited her on the quartermaster settee arid and she looked about of colors met her gaze the rough ugly boards were covered with yellow wall paper various pillows of clashing cretonne were carefully plopped on all the chairs on the wavy floor boor newly coated with orange ange shellac was a tan rug that was not half bait bad do you like it he be asked proudly 1 I 1 did it all myself this Is a real home now it it kiddle sudden tears scalded mary roses koses eyes yes this was home this funny terrible little shack that the government had provided and that john had so valiantly tried to make livable thousands ot of army women for generations erat ions had lived in worse she looked at john and smiled bravely 1 I told you that I 1 was going home after the baby came site ehe said well john I 1 am home |