U.S.A_ - John Dos Passos [328]
"I know you did, my boy. . . . You didn't expect to find your old mentor in the uniform of a major . . . wel , we must al put our shoulders to the wheel. I'm in the purchasing department of Ordnance. You see the chief of our bureau of personnel is General Sykes; he turns out to have served with your grandfather. I've told him about you, your experience on two fronts, your knowledge of languages and . . . wel . . . natural y he's very much
-347-interested. . . . I think we can get you a commission right away."
"Mr. Cooper, it's . . ." stammered Dick, "it's extraor-dinarily decent . . . damn kind of you to interest yourself in me this way."
"My boy, I didn't realize how I missed you . . . our chats about the muse and the ancients .
. . until you had gone." Mr. Cooper's voice was drowned out by the roar of the train. Wel , here I am home, something inside Dick's head kept saying to him.
When the train stopped at the West Philadelphia sta-tion the only sound was the quiet droning of the electric fans; Mr. Cooper leaned over and tapped Dick's knee,
"Only one thing you must promise . . . no more peace talk til we win the war. When peace comes we can put some in our poems. . . . Then'l be the time for us al to work for a lasting peace. . . . As for that little incident in Italy . . . it's nothing . . . forget it . . . nobody ever heard of it." Dick nodded; it made him sore to feel that he was blushing. They neither of them said anything until the waiter came through cal ing, "Dinner now being served in the dining car forward."
In Washington (now you are home, something kept
saying in Dick's head) Mr. Cooper had a room in the Wil ard where he put Dick up on the couch as the hotel was ful and it was impossible to get another room any-where. After he'd rol ed up in the sheet Dick heard Mr. Cooper tiptoe over and stand beside the couch breathing hard. He opened his eyes and grinned. "Wel , my boy," said Mr. Cooper, "it's nice to have you home . . . sleep wel ," and he went back to bed. Next morning he was introduced to General Sykes:
"This is the young man who wants to serve his country," said Mr. Cooper with a flourish,
"as his grandfather served it. . . . In fact he was so impatient that he went to war before his country did, and enlisted in the volunteer ambu--348-lance service with the French and afterwards with the Italians." General Sykes was a little old man with bright eyes and a hawk nose and extremely deaf. "Yes, El sworth was a great fel ow, we campaigned against Hieronimo to-gether . . . Ah, the old west . . . I was only fourteen at Gettysburg and damme I don't think he was there at al . We went through West Point in the same class after the war, poor old El sworth. . . . So you've smel ed powder have you, my boy?" Dick colored and nodded.
"You see, General," shouted Mr. Cooper, "he feels he wants some more . . . er . . . responsible work than was possible in the ambulance service."
"Yessiree, no place for a highspirited young fel ow.
. . . You know Andrews, Major . . ." The General was scribbling on a pad. "Take him to see Colonel Andrews with this memorandum and he'l fix him up, has to decide on qualifications etc. . . . You understand . . . good luck, my boy." Dick managed a passable salute and they were out in the corridori Mr. Cooper was smiling broadly.
"Wel , that's done. I must be getting back to my office. You go and fil out the forms and take your medical exami-nation . . . or perhaps that'l be at the camp . . . Any-way come and lunch with me at the Wil ard at one. Come up to the room." Dick saluted smiling. He spent the rest of the morning fil ing out blanks. After lunch he went down to Atlantic City to see his mother. She looked just the same. She was staying in a boarding house at the Chelsea end and was very much exercised about spies. Henry had enlisted as a private in the infantry and was somewhere in France. Mother said it. made her blood boil to think of the grandson of General El sworth being a mere private, but that she felt confident he'd soon rise from the