The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-08-28
Truth Is Stranger
Than Fiction
BY RUTH GRAHAM

nothing 10 40 DuL ten IT. luis thle, the
:, Incidents Of which really happened. Is
one of the improbable kind which go to
I prove that truth is stranger than fic-
ton. The only change In IL from the
/ truth Is the names Of the actors and
the locations.
We must so back to that period when
a German army was thrown into Bel
GUM; when the French gathered their
forces to defend their capital and the
English threw across the channel what
troops were available to assist their
allies. Yet 1t was not there that our
story begins, but In a colony of the
British empire War had not yet open
| ed when girl and her mother In Can
ada were discussing ball dress for the
former, though the girl was more inter
ested in the expected appearance at the
ball of an Englishman than In her APP
parel.
II hear" said Edith Warren to her
mother, that son of the MacDer-
motifs has come out from bonny Scot
land to see his father and mother
Maybe he win be at the Scotia bali
this evening"
Il think" replied her mother, that
you had better wear your pink silk to
the ball, Edith. 1t is just the shade for
your complexion"
! Edith wore her pink silk to the Scotia
ball and met Ian MacDermott, cap
| tain In a Scotch regiment. Whether it
was the dress or Edith's beauty or her
charming manners that won the cap
| tain there IL no record Certain it is
that she won him, and he carried her
| back with him 10 Scotland from her
home in America on honeymoon trip.
Scarcely had the newly welded pair
got settled In their home In Edinburgh
when England declared war against
Germany and threw a force across the |
channel into France. The honeymoon |
of the MacDermotts had not ended be- /
fore the captain babe an adieu to his
bride and went in command OF his com
pany to the front
One night the English and Germans |
met In n hot fight. MacDermott's regi-
ment was obliged to give ground be-
fore superior force. The captain was
struck by Il fragment Of shell and 4
left on the field among the dead and
wounded. Then the British rallied and
recovered the lost ground.
When it became possible for the Red
Cross and the army surgeons to rescue
the wounded a surgeon. coming upon
the body of Captain MacDernott, took
the Identification tag from 1t and re-
ported him dead. Il
Ii was a sharp blow to the bride J
when she received news Of the death OF |
her husband. She gave up her home In !
and removed 10 another 10. d
cality, but only temporarily, for she de-
signed to return TO her parents In IA
America. She was not able to leave at &
once, but as soon as arrangements o
could be made she sailed from a Scotch !
port for New York. v
There was the usual hustle upon the r
sailing of a steamer Mrs. MacDermott, S
n deep mourning, stood on the deck ;
ooking out upon the country in which j
20 much happiness had been expected,
srieying over the wreck Of her hopes.
The announcement had been made that =
Ill who were to go ashore must leave.
When time had expired for this an or :,
Ter was given TO draw In the gang q
flank. IL
AT this moment an auto came dash a
ng up on the dock, sounding signals for d
'ersons to get out Of the way. Evil 3
emily SOME belated passenger had ar
iyed, and the hauling in of the gang lie
lank ceased. An officer In uniform q
imped from the car and hurried aboard u
be ship. W
thrill shot through the breast OF .
he woman in mourning. She saw In v
be newcomer her husband. Was she 81
roaming? lmpossible! Had she be- %
ome demented by the shock Of passing -.
} suddenly from a bride to n widow ~
Ter brain was In whirl until the off,
ar, coming up on the deck. spiei her ~,
nd, running toward her. clasped her In al
Is arms. In
th
We left Captain MacDermott on the da
I'D OF battle. the Identification tag be- Of
x taken from his body. Later while dii
lie work Of removing the wounded TO
as In progress a surgeon coming upon ol
acDermott saw signs Of life in him. u
be captain was removed 10 a field CO.
'spital Then he was sent across the ~
Iannel and placed in a regularly or -
Inized hospital for the sick and ~
ounded 81 the war. There he lay for
long while unconscious.
in time Captain MacDermott was :
ought round and was discharged r
ON the hospital He made all posi- n
P haste 20 his home In Scotland 70 q
ID that bis wife bad given Bp her
me and gone elsewhere. but where 3
Q had gone be was not Informed.
d only means Of ascertaining her 10
ton seemed 10 b. 10 send a cable
an 70 her relatives IN America. This
did and received q reply that she
IL about 10 SAL from Glasgow Tor *
me.
'uch is the romance - = bride and
,om which N told n q story book
.uld subject the aufhsr ~ a charge
lnreuting what vns 80 improbable
not % be leEitimnfe hctfrn. lm the
n between the sfHtes there nere d
res n soldier reported dead uhs
10 uuf erea wguudef. But uaun-
2