A LONE PINE STORY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2854, 19 August 1916, Page 5

A LONE PINE STORY

Tho following story i s told in the "Sydney Morning Herald":— "You are quite at liberty to use any little ''story connected with the Lone l'ina battle," writes a girl correspondent from another State (who-had recently been on a visit to Sydney), "provided you do not. lead '/our readers to infer that I am superstitious in any way, or a believer in telepathy or occult influences. The experience was, I think, just a curious coincidence. My mother, who comes of Highland stock,' says I must have second sight, but I do not know anything at all about that." "At the office at which I am shorthand clork I used to have a pal called Dud Smith (that is not his real name). He was just 10, threo rears younger than I, but we wore real good chums, lie was a clover boy, and the manager the world of Dud. When he wanted to enlist, the manager said h» was too young, for he was just a kid in overy way. Wo all looked on him aa a kid, but ho bad a man's heart and courage. He did enlist, 1 anil when ho had leave he used to como to the 'office and have a chat. I loved to sco him come in; he seemed to brighten • up the old office. Everybody, from tho boss downwards, had the blues terribly after Dud enlisted. \ "Well, the day came for his final leave,, and be. asked'me would I have dinner^-with. Jiim at the, Savoy on. his last night, and go- to a picturo show afterwards. 'Of course, I will, Dud,' I answered." "At home they laughed and teased mo about it, and Uncle Dick called mo a cradle-snatcher. But.l didn't care, of oourse; I would have done mora than that for dear old Dud. But we were not engaged; we were just good pah. Of course, after he had sailed I wrote stacks of letters and had dozens from him. Ho was in the lauding, and got on .fine. "I sleep on the "balcony, and one morning, August 8 last year was the date, T awoke suddenly very early and sa,w, in the grey dawn light, Dud standing by my bed. I saw him quite plainly in his khaki, and he b?nt over and kissed me on tho fo'rehead. ■ When .1 sort of recovered from my surprise ho had gone. I could not make it- out at all. " 'Did you come out on the balcony and.kiss me?' I asked Uncle Dick at 'breakfast: But, of course, I knew he would only laugh at ine, as hi did, and say.l "must havb been dreaming. There was no mistake. It was Dud all right; and,T saw him quite plainly. . "I wrote him. that night, asking' him why hf.Jiad been' giving- A good imitation of a 'burglar on our balcony that morning: , Tho letter. was returned to

mo later. Dud was killed in action, nt Lone Pine. You might say that I. made up this story after we had heard of his death, but you see I have my own relumed letter dated August 8 U> prove that I saw him .on that morning. *