The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-10-17

bravely as if flesh were hot torn
and bones were not riven.
THAT was the sight the UNI
brellas of the beach of Deauville
and Trouville showed to me when.
I turned the corner by the bath
house.
And it was not so very gay.
TrouyilIe and Deausille are the
places where they are mending
the kettles they are going 90 pat
onto the fire again-here il where
the soldiers are brought who
may recover" They are given
careful nursing and as soon as
they are able they are shipped
back 20 the front TO stand up
again to face the most terrible
guns that have ever beIched the
hail of death.
If you can read the language
of stripes and stars, of epauiettes
and laurel leaves, you might
know from his uniform just what
rank Paul Croisnel holds in the
..Armee Franchise" l only know
| found him sitting on the PLACE,
very sad and very lonely. ! tried
to say a few words to him in my
limited French, French quite
guiltless of tense and gender. He
smiled a little, quite feebly, and
then replied in perfect English,
You are an American, aren't
you? You should be glad you
have not 'revanehe' for your ma
tional inspiration"
Paul Croisnel was very young.
His face cut the atmosphere as
Clearly as a cameo, seeming to
leave the cleaving line visible to
the eye. His mouth was bowed
and scarlet and everything about
him was altogether fresh and
warm. His eyes did not seem to
ponder; they rather showed that
he took life only through his
senses-that he responded to pure
instinct in a perfectly simple man.
ner. that he never questioned.
Even this terrible war, interrupt
ing the lovely routine of his life,
had done nothing else than at
first to daze him and then to
make him hate everything and
everybody connected with it. OF
those instincts which controlled
him, love of fight surely was not
one.
- am going back today
back TO the damned 'front.'"
he said very slowly. "And L
haven't seen her. And the
baby-you know I had wait
ed so long for the baby, and
now-now-I don't know
whether the baby is born or
not. Or whether-Oh, may
be, You know, they are BOTH
dead"
The tears in his soft brown eyes
gathered in a sudden flood, de-
tached themselves with a rush and
streamed down his cheeks. He
didn't brush them aside in sol
dierly fashion"-he didn't heed
them at all. He just waited
then he went on with the story
just the story of one of those ket-
ties France is mending to put into
the fire again.
I'VE lived at Epinal, Renee and
t." he said. I'VE were very
happy. We were married not
quite a year ago. IL was beauti-
ful-our love. 1t was real and
we had had to fight for it. My
father was rich. He was a wine
grower. he made champagne. He
wanted NE 10 marry INTO GdTlS
| society. l could have a countess,
he told me, IL I would try. Money,
he said, could do anything. But
| loved Renee. She was-oh,
what Americans call charming
She was very slight and very dark
aud her hair shone and so did her
eyes. And she loved me-oh, you
don't know how much she loved
me! And / could not live with
out love, you know. | must have
real affection. I get cold with
out il.
MY father separated us when
[ was Is. He sent me to New
York to stay a year to learn to
speak English-and to forget
Renee. | knew and | didn't
forget. How can you forget the
SUM- You remember ii all the
more on dull days, don't you?
Il came back and went at