The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-10-17
Correspondent Tells Of an
terpreting' Of French Boy
Who Had Eye for Green
GrOCerS Business,
BY RAYMOND G. CARROLL.
special Correspondent OF the Times Spc
clhlIy Accredited to the American

~" . VI ShR WIZ
special Correspondent Of the Times Spc'
clhlly Accredited to the American
EHpeditionary Forces Abroad.
'Copyrigt. 1917 by Public Ledger Co
AMERICAN TRAINING CAMP IN
FRANCE Oct. H-"Nertcollnc,' with
ITS mushroom growth OF cafes, is The
small hamlet near our training camp
but Bellevue is the nearest city, al
important place. Our recreation per
iodS spent away from the camp gravi.
tatcd between these two ocntcrS OF pop.
ulatlon with a decided preference IN our
hearts for "Bellevic' when there va
opportunity to journey ,hithcr in some.
body'S automobile or TO catch a ride ol
one OF the army motottrucks. Their,
was the tram, Of course, but it was a
local and slow For the return trip It
camp the train would always do. Is.
p~cCially when the very best lessons IL
the French language were to be had il
one or another compartment OF a tram
usually late.
Failing the Spy.
However, il | type too much minutiac
about the attractive features OF Belle.
we. am told that some secret agent OF
Germany in the United States nigh,
clip out the articles and send 1t to an
ether agen, IN Holland. Denmark Of
Switzerland, and thus reveal our loca-
ton 10 the enemy, which seems alto
gether reasonable to the writer. But |
may say OF "Bellevle' that it is a de
lighttul old place (not in ParlS, honor
bright, with narrow winding streets,
picturesque edlfices and the sort of
rcs,ful bi,ou parks that Whisper down
from their treetopS, Don't hurry
Sauntcr 7"
II was from a secluded niche in a
cafe located at the rim of one of these
same parks that saw one OF our sol
dicrS, a veteran sergeant, conduct an
altar quite worth the telling He Swag.
gcrcd III with several aged, blue bloused
French peasants and took a scat at a
table. BY strenuous motions of the
hands be also hcnch6a his ncs found
friends, who were obvioN,ly farmers m
for the day with vegetables TO market.
sit down and have some win" he said
WV IAukiIllNth hllIiNNNlNNllNNNs
Talking by Signs.
They did not understand a word OF
what he said, but fully understood his
gestures, especially those which he made
to an approaching waiter.
"Parlee Anglay?' the soldier con
! tlnued.
Whcrcupon a runner went on, from
the cafe and the neighborhood wa,
secured for an interpreter. One final,
appeared in the person OF a diminutive
mischievous eyed boy. Other peasant!
agape also appeared, and little irol
chairs were brought up for them unit
there was a circle of nine, includinl
the Sammee host. BY holding up cigh'
fingers and a thumb and calling win
he indicated his purpose OF Setting M
the drinks" as we say. The waiter
Iack-knlicd complete under standing
and vanished inside.
| will cndcavor to give an accurat,
account Of the conversation that de.
vcloped via the Juvenile Interpreter. Yor
Will see that he was very smart, and is
bound to make a great success when he
dttainS manhood.
The Conversation.
The soldier struck a majeCtic pose.
his broulcd chm IN his left hand, the
forearm resting upon the edge OF The
table. He was a picture of superb as.
Surancc He began:
tln EngliSh) Tell them, sonny,
am an American from Texas here with
our regular army"
The boy
Gin FrenchD "He says that he is glad
that you have vegetables to bring to the
market, for the great American officer
General Texas, has plenty Of money to
pay for them
The peasants smiled sincere approval,
and from their NAM er the soldier con
cluded he was making a hit, so he con
tinued
Somewhat Garbled.
(ln Englishl Tell them i took ME
two weeks Cup went two fingers to in.
dictate the measure of time) to come
from the United States to France, and
We are going to end the war"
The boy:
Gin Frcnch) "Hc says tina, before the
war he served two years in the French
army without pay and went home to
teach Americans how TO fight
Again there vas a unanimous ap-
pruyal from the farmers. Meanwhile
the waiter had brought the wine, Evil
IDENTIFY thinking he had said enough, the
sergeant pulled from his pocket a great
mass OF French notes and flippcd the
lad a fiyc-franc script with a now
beat it" The boy SCamptrcd off, prob.
ably heading for the nearest pastry
shop might say that the soldier had
a few hours before received three
months pay, including his ~ percent
for foreign service, which amounted to
$50 /. $ A.. In French money at the
prevailing rate OF exchange fixed
monthly by the Bank Of Franco it was
nearly 900 francs, a fabulous sum to a
French peasant
said one OF the farmers Gin French
Tie is very rich
Millionaire; $50.
Another remarked On French ole
must he one OF those American million