Jimmy got to “the hole” first.
“Great Lord, O. D.! Here’s some mail. Ration cart just brought it up from the échelon. Guess it’s all for you. No here’s three for me,” he cried, excitedly.
Mail it was. The first that they had seen in nearly a month. Jimmy had three letters from Mary and in one was two pictures.
“To hell with this guerre!” shouted Jimmy, jumping up.
“What’s the matter, Jimmy? Get good news from some of the boys?” asked O. D.
“Boys hell!” answered Jimmy. “They’re from Mary—” then he stopped short and felt kind of foolish.
“Oh!” exclaimed O. D. “I knew Mary would write if I told her to. I’ve got some from her and mother.”
The two boys read their letters on in silence. The more that Jimmy read of Mary’s letters the more he was willing to believe the rumors that had been coming in by radio that the Germans might sign an armistice. In fact, you could have told Jimmy almost anything at that moment and he would have believed it. He studied Mary’s new pictures with the one that he had taken from O. D. O. D. caught him in the act.
“Mary gave me one of those seashore pictures before I left, but I lost it some place lately,” said O. D., looking at the two new pictures.
“Yes, I guess you did, O. D. I swiped it from you. Don’t mind, do you, old man? I wanted a picture of Mary.”