The evening world. Newspaper, July 17, 1922, Page 17

Escaped From Prison Just By Fay Steverson. Copyright, 1922 New York Evening Vorld) by Press. Publishing Company ATE, Cupid and the God of War all played their role in the romance of two New York young people who have just announced their engagement. The gir! is Miss Mary Catherine O'Rourke, 4 Pretty school teacher In Public Schoo! No. 27 of this city and the man is ymond Regan, Presid.at of the Regan Printing ¢ pany at No. 165 William Str Fate t Cupid kept their love warm jand the Great War did the It was while Raymond E lay l of a tre 1 fever ir anama hospital that } st saw the dainty slip of a girl who w become his bride. That was lone before the war and young Regan was then an engineer doing cor work on the ca It wa first job and he was putting in his best work when with the te. His suddenly he was stricken dreaded fever of that clin best O'Rourke pal, a chap*‘by the name of 2 ticken had was also at the same time. O'Rourh a dearly loved sister: und he cab.ed her to come to his ussistance. at once, of « Regan, nursed ber brot! 1—well, course, she also nursed yo! er brother's chum As back to heuith, Raymond lay recuperating on his bed in that Panama hospital his eyes constantly watched the little door through which his pal's sister, ;Mary Catherine O'Rourke, would pass. Her coming meant new life, ew health. She made daily visits to hese boys and when she came— why— “It was just like a breath from heaven,” says Regan to-day, as he talks it over. ‘We boys were away from home for the first time in our life, the fever took all the grit out of us, and then came Mary Catherine, f# mere slip of a girl, with laughing eyes and a pleasant word on heb lips. Mary Catherine meant the whole world to her brother, but she meant life and love to me. I fell in love then and there. Just how she felt I can- not say, but she was mighty kind to me anyway. “Then came long strolls under a tropical moon among the fronding palms, We talked of this world and how strange it was certain ‘people met. We talked of love and Planned for the future. Mary Cath- erine is a Columbia College ‘girl, she has been reared and brought up in New York and is a splendid linguist, and down there during those moon- light nights she seemed like an angel sent from heaven to cheer my spirits and awaken me back to life and work “At last came our parting time. Mary Catherine had to go back school and I was well enough to go to work. I plunned to go back to New York as soon as I finished my work tn Panama, and we parted for what we supposed a ‘short time.’ '* But here is where the World War into their to came romance, Just as young Regan was planning to sail back to New York and to Mary catherine O'Rourke the country went to war and he volunteered to go over- seas as an engineer, He was accept- ed and after three weeks in an army camp near Washington was pressed into immediate service with the 43d Road and Bridge Battalion Raymond Regan and Mary Cathe- rine O'Rourke were so interested and taken up with overseas affairs that they even forgot to correspond, Let- ters, especially romantic ones, were passe, There was no time for love to See Her, Now Wedding Bells Wili Ring in New York or epistles of those happy days spent under Panama moonbeams. The young people of the nation were ready to defend their flag and Raymond and Mary Catherine were the first to its defense. Meanwhile, however, Mary Cath- erine had heard that young Reg: was on the other side. Through her brother she learned that this young man was giving his heart and soul to his work and she longed to give up her school work and get into things herself. During her collese days at Columbia she had been a splendid Lnguist. She Italian and French fluently. What could she do now to help her country? spoke answer came to her through She could be a telegraph There 4,000,000 men doing this work «nd only sixt cold Join the ited States Army. friends operator, were girls Signal She Perhaps she Corps of the U took examinztions and passed so high that within two months after Ray nd Regan resched Paris Mary ‘atherine arrived at Tours and was 4 in charge of the Information where she received and trans- lated hundreds of S. O. messages every day. There was dancing and much mer rymaking in Tours. Mary Catherine was pretty and winsome and very popular. But while she partook of these festivities during recreation Periods her heart about young Regan. now? kept wondering Where was he What was he doing? Regan, too, was constantly think- ing of Mary Catherine. Her brother him she was ‘somewhere tn she was doing or Yet how they could meet it was some comfort to know that she was on his side of the water, They were would they meet? fate which Panama Paris? near. When them they bring Would together in ever stroll through the streets of Paris as they had strolled along the tropical by- ways of Panama hand in hand on moonlight nights? Then the Armistice was signed and every one went wild. War was over. Life was great. Every one was happy. The men must stay on the other side a while longer but the fighting was all And then on top of that good news came the word straight from Regan's pal that Mary Catherine O'Rourke was at Tours still taking 8, O. S, messages, That was too much for Regan. over. rance,"’ but he had no idea what Would the same drew them together in He Tropical Moon of Panara Unite? Hearts of Raymond Regan and Vary 0’ Rourke War Parted T!ea, Though both Served Raymond Wet A. W. 0. L. to Find Mary, threw his hat into the airtand bolted “A. W. 0, L.," as he characteristl- cally tells it now “L took absence without leave,” laughs the young man to-day as he sits safe in his office chair and dis- cusses his future marriage with Mary Catherine. mply couldn't stand it any longer. 1 just had to see her. The Armistice was over and I knew the country didn't need me any more. With her brother's let- ter in my pocket telling me where she light leave, was located I set out one evening by moon- not saying your “But I didn’t know what I was in for, I was then stat at Belford on the Switzerland side of France and my one desire was to get to Paris. Well and good. [ got to Paris all right, but I met the Military Police. The M. P.'s are pretty hard on a ehap who breaks away from ! takes A, W. O. L,, chaps I met took me straight to Bas- tile. Whew, frightened etift! s camp and and these two but 1 was "This looks like seeing Mary Cath- erine,’ I kept whispering to myselée Mary ‘Catherina O Rourke ewe ee eee er ne ee ee eet ATRMA “ ‘But I'm doing it all to see Mary * 1 kept whispering. up the good work and some day your chance will come ‘Then I t6ok'& local train, thank you back to within ten miles of Tours and d to hoot it in, lat was easy. I made the stretch hed in a nearby pool, combed my hair with a pocket comb 1 mirror the size of a vanity next morning ap- at the telegraph office where O'Rourke was busy translating messages, over and I might have * laughed Regan as “One day they e of prisoners, and slapped himself. brought in a sec wild with a sudden de cheeking them up I one, and the I'm in a fine pickle imply got mixed up in the crowd and managed to wedge old Hard Boiled S. had his back looked up from her work, caught one glimpse of me, locked in each other's 48 any chap who was in my stile they took all my “8 who did the *‘Raymond Regan!’ she cried ist tived of war and there we were with the e signed and as happy as two t feel dolled up enough. © moonlight we them, and operas and theatre suppers. Life long stretch of joy and new- Mary had two sis. ters and two brothers in the war and had a regular family reunion. “Then Mary pianned to sall back to sd my old engineer wouldn't do me any good, so [ won- dered what to do. ven I struck luck found happiness oud Obs Gollbd Smith,’ of ‘floaters,’ or fellows who had taken as I had done. more ciothes than I did and so I man aged to get all T wanted from them verican doughboy feared mort et Jonging to punch the Kaiser Now I was ready “Getting Into Tours, still a diMeult feat How was I going to get by the , but when it came however, was Hard Boiled Smith’ 1 Hard Boiled S ever since for s given a good sound beating but oung Regan with a smile, “She went ind I am now in the take me to Mary Catherin ng business and this summer— in fact just as soon as Mary Cather- ine says the Word—we hope to be if I could only board one I jumped aboard waist washing were checking them up the took a chanec