SOLDIER'S HOME Karas went to the war from a Methodist college in Kans There is a picture which shows him among his fraternity brothers, all of them wearing exactly the same height and style collar. He enlisted inthe Marines in 1917 and didnot return to the United Stites until che second division returned from the Rhine inthe summer of 195, ‘There isa picture which shows hiss on the Rhine with wo German girls and another corporal. Keebs and the corporal look too big for their uniforms, The German git are not beautiful The Rhine docs not show inthe piewe. By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over. He came back much to late ‘The men from the town who had been drafted had all been weleomed elaborately on their return, There had been a great deal of hysteria. Now the eeaetion had sein. People seemed to think it was eather ridiculous for Krebs tobe getting back so lat, years after the war was over Atfirst Krebs, who had been at Belleau Wood, Sossons, the Champagne, St. Mihiel and ia the Argonne did not want talk about the war tall, Later he felt the need t alk but no one wanted to hear about it His town had heard too many atrocity stories to be thrilled by actualities Krebs found that to be listened to at all he hal to lie, and after he bad! done this twice he, 10, had a reaction agains the war and against talking about i. A distaste for everything that had happened to him in the war set in because f the Ties he had told. All ofthe times that had been able to make him fel cool and clear inside himself when he thought of them; the times 39 long back when he had done the one thing, the only thing forn IN OUR TIME 1 man todo, easily and naturally, when be might have done something else, nov los ther col, valuable ality and then were lost themselves, His inimportant ies and consisted in ati ting to himself things other men had seen, done or heard and stating a fet certain apocryphal incidents faiia to all Salers, Ever his lies were not sensational atthe poo! room, His acquaintances, who had heard detailed accounts of Ger rman women found chained to machin forest and who could not comprehend, or were hatred by thei cs were gu ‘Sho were not chained, were no thrilled by his stores ren acquired the nausea n epirdt experence chat Illy met another man who fad ely been solder and they te had been badly siceningy fiend all the ine fn this say he lot everyching a in bed, geting upto walle down town tothe Hbvary co get boa, xing inch at home, reading onthe fro porch ie became oced and chen walking down through the town to \d soldier among o spend the ho room. Fe loved t play po Ta the evening he practised on his clarinet, strolled dovn hours ofthe day in the cool dark of che pont town, read and went to bed. He was sil « hero to his two young sister. His mother would have given him breakfast in bod if he had wanted ie, She often came in wher he wa in bed and asked him to tell her about the war, but her attention a: ‘ays wandered, His father was noncomital Before Krebs went away #0 the war he had never bren allowed to drive the family motorcar. His father was in the real estate business and always wanted the ear to be at his command when he required it to take cliente out into the ‘country ta show them apiece of farm property. The ca always Soldier's Home stood outside the First National Bank billing where his fi ther had an office on the second Hoot. Now, alter the war it swasstll the same ca, Nothing was changed in the town except thatthe young girls had grown up. But they lived in such a complicated world of already defined alliances and shifting feuds that Krebs did not feel the energy or the courage to break into it He liked to look at them, though, There were so many good looking young girls. Most of them had their hair cut short ike that for girls thar were fast. They all wore sweaters and shirt waists with round Dutch collars Ie wae pattern He liked to look a them from the front poreh as they walked on the othe side of the street, He ike to wath them walking under the shade of the trees, He liked the round Dutch ‘collars above. their sweaters. He liked ther silk stockings a flat shoes, He liked their bobbed hair and the way they walked. When he was in town their appeal to him was not very strong. He did noe like them when he saw them in the Greeks fe eream parlor. He didnot want them themselves realy, They were too complicated, ‘There was something ese Vogue he wanted a girl but he did not want to ave to work to get her, He would have liked to have a giel but he did not want to have to spend a long time getting her. He did not want to get into the ftrigue and the plitis, He co have to do any courting, He did not want to tll any mote Ties Ie wasn't wort it He did noc want any consequences, He did not want any consequences ever again. He wanted to live along without consequences. Besides he did not eeally needa gil. The army had taught him that Ie was all right to pose as though you fad to havea gil. Neaely everybody did thae. But it wast true You did noe need girl, That was che funny thing. First fel low boasted how girls mean nothing to him, that he never thought of them, that they could not touch him. Then a fellow boasted that he could not get along, without girls that he had wo When he went away only he girls wore their hair: IN ovR TIME them. « ee Tha was lle. K-wa all aH boh wap, Youd nop nec i unl you thought sont hem Hc kare aa ser relly pe forage you always pone on have o think abutit Sooner or ler wld coe apes lene that in the ary ‘Now he woul have ke git ihe had comet hi and nes wanted wo talk, But here at home as Cad: He hae he cold never gt toh ealfonane bot worth the tbl, That wat he tng ase ee ea and German girs. There was cll is hing Yeon ee talk much and you didnot ned owl Iwas spe and yo liked the girls that were walking along the other side of ie street. He liked the look of thea much beter tha de French gitar the German girl But she worl they wee sg them, But twas not worth it They were such s nce panery ‘ied the pater, Ie wos exciting. But fe would nono Hau al the aking, He didnot wast one bly enoask He Iiked to fook at them all though. It was not worse keg ‘ow when things were getting god! agen $e st there onthe porch reading a book on the war. I was history and he was eading about al the engagemene he hal been in. Iwas the mos intresting eeading Re hed seer Ione He wished there were more maps. He looked forwsaed wig ood fecling to reading all the really good histories when hen Tg come out wth good deal maps. Now he wa ey {earning about the war. He had been @ goad ssldie, The, made a difcrence, Soldier's Home (One morning after he had been home about a month his mother came into his bedroom and sat on the bed. She Samoothed her apron ‘Thad a tale with your father last night, Harohd” she said, ‘and he is willing for you to take the car out in the evening,” “Yeah?” said Krebs, who was not fully awake. "Take the car out? Yeah “Yes, Your father has felt for some time that you should be able to take the car out in the evenings whenever you wished but we only talked it over lastnight Tl bet you made hin,” Krebs said 'No. leas your father’s suggestion that we alk the matter “Yeah, Fl bet you made him,” Krebs sat up in bed ‘Will you come down to breakfast, Harold?” his mother sid “As soon as I get my clothes on,” Krebs sid His mother went uot ofthe stom and he could hear her feying something downstairs while he washed, stared aed reset go down into the ding room for breakfve Wise the was eating break his sister brought in the se “Wel, Harsh id, “You ol sleepy bend, What do you Kets Inked ter. Hele er. he wa iss see “Have you got the paper?” he asked She handed him The Kansas Cty Star aod he sucked off its brown wrapper and opened it tothe sporting page He folded The Sur open and propped it aginstne wees Saches 4 he could read while he with his cereal dish to steady it “HHavold,” his mother stood in the kitchen doorway “Harold, please don't muss up the paper. Your father can ‘cad hi Star if i's been mused, “L won't muss i," Krebs sai His sister sat down atthe table and w read ved im while he. IN OUR TIME "We're playing indooe over at schoo! this afternoo ssid. "I'm going to pitch, "Good," said Krebs. “How's the old wing? can pitch better thaa los of the boys {tll ht me. The other girls aren't much good "Yeah?" said Krebs tll them all you're my beau, Aren't you my beau Hare? “You bee” “Coulda't your brother “Idos’t know “Sure you know. Couldn't you be my beau, Ha, 1 was ‘old enough and if you wanted to Sure. You're my girl now “Am really your girl” Sure ‘Do you love me? “Uh, huh, ‘Will you love me always? “Will you come ove our brother rally be your bea just because he's nd watch me play indoor? don’ love me, Ifyou loved me, you'd want 'w come over and watch me play indoor Krebs’s mother came into the dining-reom from the kitchen, She carried a plate with two fred es and some csp bacon on itand a plate of buckwheat cakes ¥ ong, Hilen,” she said. "I want w walk to Harold.” She put the eggs and bacon down in front of hiss and brought ina jug of maple syrup for the buckwheat cakes ‘Then she sat down acros the table eom Krebs, “T wish you'd put down the paper a minute, Harold” she ssid Krebs took down the paper and folded ie ave you decid what you are going todo yet, Harold his mother said, aking off her glasses, No," said Krebs ‘Don't you chink it’s about time this ina mea His mother did not say n way. She seemed worried "hadn't thought about i" Krebs si ‘God! has some work for every one to do,” his moth ‘There can be no idle hands in His Kinglom, Tm notin Hs Kingdom,” Keebs sa “We ae all of usin His Kingdom, Krebs felt embarrassed and resent salva, ‘Ne worried about you so much, Harel" hn mother wene on." know the sempeaions you must have hen cape et Know how weak men are. know what your own desrsssed father, my own father, told us about che Civil War and hang prayed for you I pray for you all ay long, Hare cbs looked atthe bacon fat hardening on his plate ‘Your father is worried, too,” his mother went oa, “He hinks you have lost your ambition, that you haven't gor ade inte aim in life. Charley Siumons, who s just your See hacg good job and is gong toe married. The boys ae all etling lowes they're all determined to get somewhere; you can ee hat buy lke Charley Simmons are on ther way to being really a credit wo the communiey” Keebs sid nothing ‘Don’t look that way, Harold,” his mother said “You know we lore you and I wan to tll you for your own good how ‘matters stand, Your father doesnot want to hamper soos fe dons. He thinks you should be allowed to drive the ean Thea want to take some of the nice gies out riding with your merce only coo pleased. We want you to enjoy youre. Bue fon ae going t0 have to settle down to work, Haruld. Yous hehe oesn' care what you startin at. All work is honorable we he says Bue you've got to make a sartat something, He akod Ime to speak to you thi morning and then ye see him at his fice” “Isthac all” Krebs sid Yes. Don’t can stop inand6 IN OUR TIME Na” Krebs aid His mother looked at him sero the able, Her eyes were shiny. She tated eying “I don'tiove anybody.” Krebs si Te wan't any good He couldn't he, he couldnt make her sce was lly have adit, Hehadony hee hee sent ver and took hold other arm. She was ering ws ks head in er hands idea” esi “I wast angry a something die mean Id love you" His mother went om eying. Krebs put his arm on sour Can't youve me, mesher?” Hin ether thok her hea Pease ple, mother Please believe me.” Allright his mothe sa cell. She loked up “Ibeleve you, Havol. Krebs Kise her hi She put her fee pt him, Tm your mother she sn." held jo nest year when you were atin baby Krebs felt sick and vaguly nauseated Tov, Mummy” he sid" ry and ea goad boy i "Would you kneel and pray with me, Hagold?” hk mater asked They hack down hese the dining room tble and Krebs’ voter pred “Now you pray. Harold she id steam Kren “Tix, Harold “Lean.” “Do you want me ta pray for you? “Ye” his mother prayed for him and then they stood up and Kerebs kissed his mother and went out ofthe houre. He had twied so co keep his life from being complicated. Sil, none of Soldier's Home 7” ithad touched him. He had felt sory for his mother and she fad made him ls. He would go to Kansas City and ger aos and she would feel all right about it. There would be coe more scene maybe before he got away. He would nat go down to his father’s office. He would miss that one. He wanted he fe to.go smoothly. Ie had just gotten going that way, Wall that was all over now, anyway: He would go over to the schoolyard and watch Helen play indoor baseball