Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-28
TWO WAR STORIES

| WITH the coming of spring, the magazine
| w war-story season has opened. 1t will be
a long season, no doubt, lasting for months
and years after the last cartridge has been
fired and the last wound healed. But it was
slow in opening, and took nearly nine
months to mature.
First in the war literature of the naga-
zines came analysis of the causes and eff
forts to place the responsibility. Descrip-
tions followed-of mobilization, of besieged
cities, of the trenches under fire.
This month there are some real war
stories. Arthur Stringer puts some clever
psychology in. his MAN From the Front"
in McClure's C):
Summing up the story briefly: The
man" is Gruech, n dllettante and adven-
ture- seeker, who had been overtaken and
caught in the thick of war he motored
through Belgium with his chauffeur-valet-
handyman. The chauffeur got bit of
shrapnel under his ribs" and has been taken
straight to the hospital. Gruellch, who has
just returned to America, has agreed to
meet half dozen old friends at the club
at midnight, and the men gather eagerly,
scenting a good yarn, for Gruelich is a fa-
nous raconteur. The preparation for his
entrance is we'll handled--the sumptuous
club, the midnight hour the sophisticated
New York cubmen their impotience as they
wait, which is whetted by Mylott who had
met Gruelich at the steamer that after
noon, and who repeats snatChes of the hair
raising experiences told him by the chauf-
feur while Gruelich was away arranging for
a stretcher and ambulance for the man.
There was a concerted movement and murmur
of greeting as Gruech entered the room. The
members were not given to effusveness Cruel
ich in evening dress and as immaculate
ever. But there was difference. When
he shook hands, silently and solemny. his
hand was like a dead fish. He waited in a
moment of staring indecsion and then settled
into his chair with an audible sigh. The others
stood about waiting.
1t was the Senator who spoke, "You must
have had quite trip, Gruelich," he prompted
in his chesty baritone. The others stood about
like penguns. watching the newcomers face
1t was quite without color (which trlp?"
asked Gruelich without so much as turning
his head, His voice seemed listless as his
eyes. "Over there, in the zone" again
prompted the Senator, quite a time of IL
imagine, eh?" barrlcaded look came into
Gruech's face. yes" he finally and slowly
acknowledged quite time of it." An un-
broken silence reigned for several minutes. 1t
was Mari who spoke next. you good
deal of the fighting over there, MyIott tells mo"
Gruelch's spare body heaved with a small
sigh. Yes" he said at last, without emotion.
the anXious-eyed Mylott. mo, I'm not tired
You see had A nap before came up here,
IL nnd L sleep great deal these days" ST
imagine you'd need IT, Gruelch, after some of
those nights you went through" suggested the |
Admiral. Yes assented Gruelich, II seem |
to need It," (Which was your worst night |
over there?" inquired Spayer THE worst?" |
echoed Gruelich. He SIGHED again. "They all |
seemed about the same" he said, =
IT wish your fire wouldn't crackle that yvav"
GTuelieh finally complained out of the silence.
''Why?" demanded Crotty. ST don't know
why" was the listless answer "but II seems
to bother me-" Remind you OF the cr-r-rack
of a mitralleuse2' deliberately Interrogated
spayer, whose patience had been exhausted.
Gruelich did not answer. But the next moment
they saw him cover his face with his hands
and then draw them slowly downward with a
scarcely perceptibe quyerng movement of the
body, II can't talk about it," he said in a |
sort OF awed whisper as he sat staring into |
the flames raptly, dumbly, as unconscious of
the circle about him as If he were alone on
the sahara, And as he stared vacantly and
namely into that fire, tears could be seen
dropping slowly from his face and watery
was as unconscious OF them as he was Of the
watchers about him He did not appear to h
actually weeping He merely appeared 10 ha
tired tired 70 the extent of an ultimate in
inference which left him oblvious of his
atutude and his environment His mind
seemed long way off. Some one In tha
5hadoWy background sighed audiblv ana
soda siphon hissed. But Grueleh stl sat
perehed on the edge of the massive chair. star
ns mutely into the fire.
An Agitator in the Ranks
Ernest Poole young New Yorker au-
nor Of the popular "Harbor," which has
'un through six editions Ia the six weeks
Iince It appeared, has been war CORE
iponding, too, and he has written = reaI
saF story Iog' tha Masses ca. which gains |