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Page 19 and find a nice quite spot in which to murder Bob Rowe. "--an' now my good frien's, you have ze great Libairty Loan... eet is a beeg oppotunity...for you...to help, My countree, she has given everyt'ing she have. Me? I have nothing left to give. But, you, my frien's... you can give...and, eef you do, pairhaps I may some day get back to France...to fin' my wife...and my little bebe. I sank you." And Charlie sat down. Wow! What a finish! And the crowd went wild. The local band started up the Marseillaise again and Charlie took a dozen curtain calls while Bob Rowe's eyes got two sizes larger from the surprise. Finally, the mayor managed to get the crowd quieted. In a rather husky voice he thanked Charlie for his address. Said it made the people of Keyport realize the war really existed outside of the newspapers and he for one hoped Charlie could locate his family all right when he got back to his own country. In conclusion, he wanted to present Lieutenant de Marvin with a slight memento of the occasion. "With the compliments and good wishes of the township of Keyport, Texas," said his honor--and he gave Charlie a big chunk of sulphur tied with a red, white and blue ribbon. Charlie thanked the mayor, bowed once more to the cheering populace of Keyport and accompanied the two committeemen back to the big sedan. Bob Rowe climbed in the front seat with the driver and they went back to the plane which was still in the adjoining field. Charlie got in the front seat, Bob swung the "prop" and they took off--heading back to Wellington Field. From a height of three thousand feet, Charlie dropped the block of sulphur into a cornfield. * * * * "And that," said Arch Holden, "should have been the end of the matter. But it wasn't--not quite. "A couple of days later, I was sitting in the tent saddle-soaping a pair of boots when a sergeant walked through the flap and saluted. " 'Lieutenant Marvin is wanted at H.Q., sir. Have you seen him?' he asked. "He's down at Hangar Six. What's the trouble? " 'Don't know, sir, but the C.O. talks like a benzene board for somebody. It looks serious.' "Well, the sergeant had his motorcycle outside the tent, so I got in the side-car and the two of us went over to Hangar Six to find Charlie and give him the good news. He received the sergeant's message in silence, but I thought I detected a sort of scared look in his eye as we walked toward headquarters. "When we entered the H.Q. building, I passed into the adjutant's office from where I could see Charlie approach the C.O.'s desk. The old man was busy writing, but in a moment he looked up, returned Marvin's salute and received the information that 'Lieutenant Marvin reports to Colonel Haver.' " 'Ah, yes, Lieutenant,' scowled the Colonel. 'A matter has come to my attention that is of grave consequence [[image: ink wash drawing of 5 soldiers standing in an office around the desk of the seated colonel who leans back in his chair scowling, while a man on other side of desk stands on a chair exclaiming, with arm aloft]] [[caption]] Charlie got up on the chair and faced his grinning audience [[/caption]]
