Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-04
Crippled Sons Are Attended by
Fathers Who Shed Tears
j.. Over Narrative.
THREE WIN THE CROSS,
ONE is AMONG THE DEAD
Wounded Hero Rolls Into Hole Made
by Shell and Directs the
Fighting.
DOWNRIGHT. 1851

Copyright. 1851
PARIS, September This story is
merely the relation of what happened
In the Restaurant Weber. down around
the bend in the boulevard. If you
have an architectural soul you sit in
the Restaurant Weber and look at the
Madeleine. If you have not you look
at the girls passing by. Part of 1t
saw. Part was overheard by shame
less waiter. He had no ideals, that
waiter. 1t was not yet noon, and he
had been drinking. Merely for the
hope of a tip hes repeated to me,
breathing warmly in my ear, things he
had heard in his professional capacity.
II were to give the story name
would call it:
The Three Who Won the Cross
We were in that middle room of
Weber's. An officer had been sitting at
pne of the bare brown tables writing
note. As fast as he completed the note
he tore it up. Finally he gave the
shasseur whispered orders about that
note. Almost before the chasseur
reached the street the officer had over
taken him and had been given the note
back He began patiently to draft it
over again. a lone woman sat at an
other table with a glass of coffee be-
lore her. She slipped from time to time,
but it did not seem to grow less. She
waiter hob6led about, putting cloths
upon the little brown tables. In this
room the tables resist the linen until
the very hour of dejeuner strikes.
Two of the party l was afterward to
watch sat down at a table that had
10 roo
was slender, fragile, white-haired
man who might have been professor
Or a timid. conscientious advocate. His
Eyes shone. From time to time he put
ais son. Their relationship was evil
lent at glance. Sometimes the
hand went up to the boys shoulder
and once he patted the Cross of the
Legion that hung on the young mans
breast, with a half shy, half laughing
glance about the room. They were I'M
nensely happy.
A Pair of Heroes.
They were Joined by another pair
This father was 4 grossly fat man,
With an air OF arrogance and stupidity
N spite of his clumsy bulk there was
something suggestive of the soldier
Ibout him, as though he might have
Ought in 1870. There was the ribbon
u decoration in his lapel His eyes
we're those of a boar grunting himself
nto rage, and he took his seat with
.imost growl of recognition OF the
liners One noticed, however that he
ielped his son very Carefully into his
mar He was almost angry about it,
{ seemed. He glanced at the boy.s
Iandaged leg with a frown. IT seemed
Us though he deliberately refused 10
ooh AT the cross upon the boys breast.
the boy was handsome well set I'D.
nick -eyeorowed chap. The two young
men beamed upon each other. They sat
WITH their hands clasped as thew ex
managed question and answer. The
athers talked perfunctorily, watching
heir sons.
Others joined-them. These others be-
anne merely bit of background. The
confidential waiter brought them cot
'ee ana cigarettes and breathed warm
y upon the group. He muttered some
hlng indistinct to me about friends
hree crosses-Armand." l could hardly
yet him to stay with me long enough
% violate the rules of his profession by
elling these things. y chair was va
ant at the table, and the party appar-
intly waited for some one The ser
rtor had not yet learned the identity
" the missing one He made a guess
lsked.
A rather pretty young woman took
The chair She had that air of Wife
hood that some women acquire the mo-
nent the padre pronounces the bene-
Hction over them, and that some wom-
IN never acquire. In a paper cornu-
.opia. such as the flower sellers on the
Place de Ia Madeleine serve their wares
n. she had some small clusters of bios
toms which she handed about to the
men in the chairs. Her dress was mod =
EST. but becoming. 1t was the sort of
treSs young wife might wear in an
II
little celebration we were looking at.
We could see. These were more than
tcnusiutances. They were friends.
--'They are telling her how they won
heir crosses" said the waiter, drifting
tieoholically across to me.