Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-07-20
Was 1t the
Guardian Angel?
BY r. A. mitchell.

percival and Arnold Stewart, broth.
ers, enlisted when the pnn-European
war broke out In regiment Of in
fautry and crossed the channel into
Belgium. That was when the Ger
mans were driving the allies south
ward, and 1t was expected that they
would drive right through Paris.
One evening, when the Germans
were pushing the allies toward Lille.
the regiment with which the Stewart
brothers served made stand. The
and fought shoulder To shoulder. Per
gival was two years older than Arnold
and kept an eye on his brother. dread
lug every Instant To see him fall To- the
ground. Presently, true enough. what
he feared came to pass. Arnold fell.
literally torn to pieces 10y bursting
shell.
Mnddened at the sight. Percival
pushed forward. but the stand OF the
British was only II temporary one. and
the order was given to fall back. The
young soldier. eSasperated ut not be-
Ing permitted to wreak his vengeance
on those who had killed his brother,
refused to- retreat End. remaining be-
hind. continued to fire ut the enemy.
But presently. seeing blood on one OF
his hands. he knew that he had been
hit ana followed his comrades.
by this time darkness had fallen,
and Stewart saw the retreating Brit.
ish line through the gloaming. They
were To make lengthy retreat this
time. for the French were being push,
ed bnck rapidly. and the British. who
were Oh their flank had greater dis
lance than they to go To keep the
alignment, pcrciyal was marching
some 600 yards behind them. The
enemy ON that part OF the field had
tnruwn forward skirmishers Ia harass
their retreat.
Percival trndged along, following tn.
men ahead Of him. at times trying t.
catch up with them. He had been
shot In the arm. but fortunately the
artery had not been cut. for In this
| case he would have hled to death
His mind was on the brother he has
lost, and neither his condition nor hi
surroundings engaged his attention.
Stragglers We're hurrying past him
| and he was passing stragglers. Tn,
| former were In better condition thar
he. and the latter were mostly NOR,
| severely wounded. But there was ON,
who neither seemed To gain nor lose OF
| Perclval He was In percivars rea
aud couple OF yards behind him. How
| Percivai became conscious of the man
| presence he did not know. for he hear,
no sound coming from his follower III
was simply conscious that some ON
was behind him Turning. he saw
through the darkness what appeare,
to be a person, Whether he was old o
young. soldier or citizen. Stewart coul,
not tell, He only knew that some OH
was there.
The soldier trudged on, or, rather
staggered on. for by this time he wa
very weak from loss OF blood. NOV
and again bullet whistled past hin
sent by some skirmisher. but non
came dangerously near him. Twic
during the retreat he looked back I'm
both times saw his shadower In tn
same relative position as before. One
when he turned fash from distan
cannon slightly Increased his visior
and he saw the person behind him
tribe more clearly.
For an instant there was a flash 9
Joy In his heart. for from the glimps
he got Of the persons face 1t SCENE
to be that Of his brother. Arnold, Blu
he had seen his brother blown I
! atoms. and he knew this could not b
Nevertheless, from the time Of this u
Simultaneous view he became impresse
that there was some connection b
tween this figure and Arnold.
. Presently, when the skirmish lin
was passing 90 near the British line q
10 harass them with scattered shot
the Engiishmen sent back sma