everybody stood on the sidewalks and cheered us to the ecco and I
couldn't get away from the bunch till the parade was over though I don't
enjoy marching and have everybody stare at you but when it was over I
beat it for home. Well I hadn't said nothing to Florrie about comeing
because I wanted to surprise her and I thought of course little Al and
the Swede would be home and I and little Al could walk in on Florrie
over to the beauty parlor and surprise her, but when I got to the flat
and rung the bell they wasn't no answer and I rung and rung and finely I
seen they wasn't nobody home so I went to the beauty parlor and 1 of the
girls there told be that Florrie was takeing the P.M. off and
wouldn't be back till Monday A.M.
So I went back to the flat and looked for the janitor to let me in and
when you don't want janitors they are always snooping around at your
coat tails but when you do want them they are hideing in the ash bbl. or
something. So it took me about a hour to find this bird and another hour
to get him to open the door up for me and of course they wasn't nobody
home so the janitor says maybe I could find out where they went from the
neighbors so I rung the woman across the hall's bell and she come to the
door. So I said "I'm Corp. Keefe and I wanted to know if you knew where
is my wife and kid." So she says "They went out." Well Al I suppose I
didn't know they had went out and I felt like saying to her "Oh I
thought they might maybe of crawled in between the wall paper to take a
nap or I thought maybe they might of left the stopper out of the bath
tub and got drained off or something." But I just asked her did she know
where they went and she said she didn't.
[Illustration: As we marched, everybody stood on the side walks and
cheered us to the ecco (p. 129).]
Well I seen she didn't know nothing about them or probably nothing else
so I went back in the flat and waited and waited and it come along 5
o'clock and I called up a saloon over on Indiana and asked them to fetch
me over a doz. bottles of beer and I had 2 of them and then went out to
a restaurant and had supper and come back and nobody home yet. Well to
make a short story out of it I finished the beer up and finely went to
bed and I didn't know nothing more till 9 A.M. this morning
when the Swede come snooping into the room and seen me and let out a
screem and beat it and I got up and dressed and went in the kitchen and
she said Florrie had took little Al somewheres to stay all night with
some friends and give the Swede permission to go to a ski jumpers dance
out to Berwyn and Florrie would be home about 11.
Well Florrie come strutting in with the kid about 12 looking like she
hadn't done nothing out of the way and when she seen me she squeeled and
come romping over for a kiss. Well Al she didn't get it. I kissed little
Al all right but I didn't see where she had a right to expect favors.
Well she seen how things stood and begin trying to explain something
about spending the P.M. down town shopping and then going to a show with
some friends of hers on the north side and they left little Al in charge
of the nurse at the friends and they both stayed there all night and why
didn't I tell her I would be home so as she could have changed her plans
and etc. So I said "Yes you are a fine wife and mother running around
town with a bunch of bums and leave your kid all alone in charge of a
nurse that you don't know nothing about her and for all as you know she
might of cut his ears off like a Belgium." Well I was sore and I give
her a good balling out and of course it wound up like usual with her
busting out crying and then they wasn't nothing for me to do only say I
didn't mean what I had been saying and we had dinner and maybe
everything would of been O.K. only we hadn't no sooner gotten up from
the table when in come 1/2 of the south side and their wifes to call.
Well they wasn't none of them I ever seen before or ever want to see
them again and they was all friends of Florrie's and 2 of the ladys was
customers of hers so she didn't dare tell them to get the h-ll out of
there and a Mrs. Crane and a Mrs. Somebody else picked on me and got me
in a pocket on the Davenport and they didn't even have sence enough to
call me Corporal but it was Mr. Keefe this and Mr. Keefe that and when
did I think the war would end and wasn't the Germans awful and how many
men did we have in France and when was I going and so on. And Mrs. Crane
said her and all her friends was so jealous of Mrs. Keefe because her
husband was a soldier so I said I had heard they was room in some of the
camps for a few more husbands and Mrs. Crane said her husband had tried
his hardest to get into something but he had bad teeth so I said why
didn't he try and get into some good dentist office. But they wasn't no
way I could get them mad enough to go home till 5 o'clock then I and
Florrie and the kid had just a hour together before I had to beat it for
the train.
[Illustration: One of the girls there told me Florrie was taking the
P.M. off (p. 130).]
Well Al I won't get no more leave off till Xmas and maybe not then but
what is the use any way when your wife gives you a welcome like that and
all together it was a fine trip and I won't never try and take nobody by
surprise after this but at that why couldn't she of stayed home where a
woman belongs.
My train was jamed comeing back tonight and I don't know where they got
it but everybody was oiled up and celebrating about beating Camp Custer
in the football game and I'll say Camp Custer must be a home for
cripples or something if that's the kind of a football club they turn
out any way I bet they ain't no room to dance in the guard house
tonight.
Your pal, JACK.
[Illustration]
CAMP GRANT, Dec. 4.
_FRIEND AL:_ I guess I was so full of my swell visit home when I wrote
you the last time that I forgot about telling you about that little
girlie down in Texas. Well Al they isn't much to tell only that I got
another letter from her though I as good as told her I wished she
wouldn't write me no more but she wrote any way and she says she can't
forget me and theys no use asking her to and she wouldn't tell me where
it was we seen each other and they was no use me asking her. It looks
from her letter like she was getting in deeper every day and I don't
know what will be the end of it all and if she done anything to herself
on my acct. I would feel like a murder though of course a man can't help
how they look or what a girl thinks about them but still and all you
can't help from feeling like you was to blame.
I guess the best way to do is just not answer her letter and hope for
the best and hope she won't do nothing rash.
Well Al I started out to write you a long letter but I am to wore out
and I guess anybody would be after what we went through today. It was
the coldest day I ever seen so they picked it out for us to go on a 19
mile hike and if you could see the roads around here you would know what
that means and they can talk all they want to about how the men suffers
in France but I would rather go out in the middle of Nobody's Land and
start a mumblety peg game then take another of these dam hikes with the
weather a million below zero and the road full of rutts as big as the
grand canion.
If it hadn't been for setting a example to my command I believe I would
of pretended like I was sick and when you are sick they make somebody
else carry your junk and leave you ride in a wagon thats O.K. for a
private that don't care what the rest of them think of him but a
corporal has got to keep going and try to keep his men going and when
you got a bunch of sap heads like mine it keeps a man on the jump to
tend to them. Red Sampson was so bad that I had to keep after him all
the while and finely I pulled a good one on him I said "Sampson
everybody in the whole regt. is out of step but you." So the rest of
them give him the laugh but he can't take a joke no matter how good it
is so he says "I haven't heard that one since they fought with spears."
So I said "You get in step and show a little life or I'll spear you."
[Illustration: Yes you are a fine Wife and Mother running around town
and leave your Kid all alone (p. 134).]
Well its all over now any way and I don't suppose they will send us out
again till theys a big blizzard or something and then they will march us
to Canada or somewheres for a little work out.
Your pal, JACK.
[Illustration]
CAMP GRANT, Dec. 7.
_FRIEND AL:_ Well Al I got some big news for you. The govt. have changed
their plans all around and decided after this to send the best men from
the national army to fill up the national guards and that means theys a
big bunch of us leaveing soon for Camp Logan down in Texas and the
officers say we musent spill nothing about it that is when we are going
because if the pro German spys ever found out that our bunch was going
down there they would spread the rails and turn switches on us and
probably put torpedos on the track or something. So all as I can say is
that you won't hear from me here no more and I can't tell you what units
we will be in because we haven't got no official notice yet and all as I
know is what some of the boys heard that we would be in Col. House's
regt. I thought when I 1st. heard the news that it meant we would be
starting for France pretty quick and of course I didn't stop to think
that they have closed up navigations for the winter.
Well Al I am glad we are going somewheres for the winter where it isn't
so dam cold and of course I don't like to be so far away from home but
maybe Florrie can get away and come down there and join me for a while
and I am going to have a few hours off any way to say good bye to
little Al and she and I wish I could see you and Bertha before I go
especially you but theys no chance so good bye and good luck to you and
I will write when I can.
I just happened to think Al that Camp Logan is in Texas and thats where
that little girl lives but you can bet I won't leave her know where I am
because in the 1st. place she would probably be just crazy enough to
want to see me or something and besides I wrote her a farewell note
yesterday and asked her wouldn't she send me her picture because I
thought that would make her feel a little happier to think I wanted her
picture even if we don't keep on writeing letters and I don't care if
she sends it or not any way if she sent it up here I will probably be
gone before that time.
Well Al I will be kind of sorry to leave Camp Grant where all and all we
have had a pretty good time and I guess Gen. Martin and them will be
sorry to see our bunch duck out and they will have a fine bunch left
when we go but I am glad we won't freeze to death this winter and
besides that they tell me the national guards is shy of officers and
maybe I may not stay a corporal long after I get there but will get
something bigger though a corporal can't be sneezed at.
Your pal, JACK.
CAMP LOGAN, Dec. 14.
_FRIEND AL:_ Well old pal here we are in sunny Texas and its been pretty
cold so far but nothing like it was up at Camp Grant and of course it
don't never get as cold here as up there on acct. of this being further
south.
Well nothing happened to us on the way down though of course it would of
been good night nurse if it had got out what road we come on and when we
left and even at that we seen some bad eggs at several different
stations that looked like Germans that might of tried to pull something
if they had a chance but we watched them like a hawk and they was scared
to make a false move.
Well Al what do you think they have made Shorty Lahey a sargent down
here only thank god he isn't in my Co. or I would be up in front of the
court's marshall for murder. But him being a sargent shows they must of
been pretty hard up and you can bet they was tickled to death to see our
bunch roll in. Well Al if he can get a sargent I will be a gen. in a
month. He says to me yesterday he says "Well old sport I wish they had
of put you in my Co. and you would do the rest of your drilling with a
dish towel." So I said "Yes I would."
Well after thinking it over a while I decided I better write to the
little girl and tell her where I was at because I asked her in my
farewell note for her to send me her picture of herself and if she sent
it up to Camp Grant maybe 1 of them rummys might get a hold of it and
open it up and then write back to the girl and kid her about it and I
figured maybe if I let her know I was down here that maybe she hadn't
sent the picture up there yet. But I didn't give her no encouragement to
write to me here and all I said was that if she ever happened to be in
Houston and I happened to be in town on leave maybe we might run into
each other but I just said that jokeingly because her town is about a
100 miles from here and what would she be doing a 100 miles from home
and besides even if I seen her on the st. I doubt if I would know her
though I generally almost always remember faces though I can't always
remember their names. But if she seen me and spoke to me I would pretend
like I didn't hear her and duck because it would only make it tougher
for her to talk to me because I would have to tell her the truth. But I
guess its all over between us now and any way I hope so.
Your pal, JACK.
[Illustration: If he can get a sargent I will be a gen. in a month (p.
147).]
CAMP LOGAN, Dec. 16.
_FRIEND AL:_ Well old pal I am up against a funny proposition now and it
isn't so dam funny at that. Here is a letter I received this
A.M. from that girlie. I will copy it down.
"Soldier Boy, so we are going to meet at last. Yes we are, that is if
you want it to happen. My aunt in Houston has been wanting me to come
there for months, but not till now have I really wanted to. You know why
I do now, don't you Soldier Boy? You say it is easier for you to get off
Sundays. All right. Will you meet me in the lobby of the Rice Hotel a
week from today at one in the afternoon. I will let you take me to
dinner and we can talk things over. We have a lot to say to each other,
haven't we Soldier. Boy? Write me at once and say you will meet me. I
can hardly wait to get your reply and if you disappoint me I will do
something to make you sorry. But you won't will you? I am just finishing
your sweater and will bring it to you."
Well Al when the letter come I had a notion to write to her back and
tell her to not come but in her letter she said she would do something
to make me sorry and I am afraid of what she would do and if she done
something rash I would feel like it was my fault and besides if she has
got a sweater pretty near made for me it would be kind of mean to of
made her do all that work for nothing and besides a man needs a sweater
a lot of times even down here and I was going to buy one because I
didn't have no idear she was makeing one for me. So I figure the best
way to do is to tell her I will meet her and I will take her somewheres
to dinner and while we are at dinner I can tell her the truth about me
being married and it will be much better to tell her to her face then
write it in a letter because it would sound pretty hard in black and
white but the only thing is we have got to find some quite spot so as if
she makes a seen or something they won't be no crowd around to pop their
eyes out at us. But I hope she is a game bird and will take it O.K. and
I'm sorry now I didn't tell her in the 1st. place and I wish she wasn't
comeing and I sometimes wish I was a little scrimp or ugly so as a girl
wouldn't look at me twice and between you and I Al it isn't all a bed of
roses to be like I am.
I will write and tell you how I come out but I am to exited to write any
more now and I wish they was some way I could get out of it all without
leaveing no scars.
Your pal, JACK.
HOUSTON, TEX., Dec. 24.
_FRIEND AL:_ I bet you will pop your eyes out when you read this letter
and read what I got to tell you. I will begin at the beginning and tell
you what come off so as you will know what come off.
Saturday I pretty near made up my mind that it would be better for me to
not see Miss Chase so when I asked for leave for yesterday I hoped they
wouldn't give it to me but they give it to me O.K. so I had to come or
it would look funny. Well I come into the Rice at about 5 min, to 1 and
looked around the lobby and they was only one woman that was alone and
she was old about 35 and I looked around and couldn't see no girl that
looked like they was waiting for somebody, and while I was looking this
woman I seen seen me and come over to where I was standing. Well Al I
thought sure it was the girl's aunt and she had heard about our date and
was going to raise h-ll or something. Well this woman come up and says
wasn't I Corporal Keefe. Well I didn't know what to say and I kind of
stalled and she says "Was you expecting to meet some one here?" So I
said "Yes I was looking for a man." So then she kind of smirked and
says "Well I was expecting to meet a man to and I thought you was him."
So I said "No I guess you have got the wrong bird."
Well Al everything would of been O.K. and I could of got away O.K. only
just when I had her beleiving it wasn't me who should come up but Lefty
Kramer that pitchs in the Texas League and lives here and instead of him
just saying "Hello Jack" of course he had to say "Well if here ain't old
Jack Keefe" and then it was good night. Well I suppose I turned into all
the colors of the rainbow and I didn't know what to say and then Lefty
asked right out loud if I wasn't going to introduce him to the lady and
she spoke up and said her name Miss Chase and then I had to say
something so I said "Oh I didn't know you was really Miss Chase or I
would of acted different but I thought you was somebody else." So she
kind of give a funny smile and says "Yes you did" and then all of a
sudden I heard little Al's voice right behind hollering "There's daddy"
and I looked around and it was Florrie and little Al.
[Illustration: Well if here ain't old Jack Keefe (p. 154).]
Well Al Florrie come up and kissed me right in front of the whole hotel
and the next thing I know the 3 of us was away from Kramer and the dame
and Florrie was telling me how she had came down to give me a Xmas
supprise and she is going to stay about 3 wks. and spend some of the
time with her sister over in Beaumont.
Well I took a look just as we was going up in the elevator and Miss
Chase was still standing there yet with Kramer and she was looking right
at me and I couldn't help from feeling sorry for her the way she looked
but a woman her age should ought to know more then start writeing
letters to a guy she never seen and maybe this will learn her a lesson
and I suppose she can give her sweater to somebody else and maybe Kramer
has got it by this time but what he ought to have is a wallop in the jaw
for butting in but what can you expect from a left hander.
Well Al I have got a leave off for over Xmas and I am writeing this
letter while Florrie is out shopping and she asked me what I wanted for
Xmas and I told her a sweater so I won't loose out after all.
Your pal, JACK.
[Illustration]
CAMP LOGAN, Jan. 5.
_FRIEND AL:_ Well Al this may be the last time you will ever hear from
me or at least for a long time and maybe never. I'm going over there old
pal and something tells me I won't never come back.
I can't tell you what I am going with or when we go or where we sail
from because they won't leave us give out none of that dope and all as I
can say is that about 30 of us has been picked to fill up a unit and we
leave here tomorrow and meet them at the place where we sail from. Well
Al its a big honor to be 1 of the men picked and it means they have got
a lot of confidence in me and you can bet they are not sending no riff
and raff over there but just picked men and I will show them they didn't
make no mistake in choosing me.
But its mighty tough to leave Florrie and little Al and I thought
Florrie would break her heart when I told her and no wonder. But when
its a question of duty I am not the kind that would back out and Florrie
wouldn't want me to but its hard all the same.
Well Al I can't waist no more time writeing to you and I am going to
meet Florrie in Houston in a little while and it may be for the last
time so I will say good bye to you now and say good bye to Bertha for me
and she ought to be thankful she has got a husband that stayed at home
and didn't enlist. And if we have good luck and nothing happens to us I
will write you once in a while from the other side.
Your pal, JACK.