Evening star., 1917-11-11
IS FORGOTTEN
FOR OLD LEG|0NARY
Veteran Talks With Younger
Volunteer Over the Wine
Cups in French Inn.
THE OLD AND NEW TYPES
ny ALcERNON xARroRI..

Paal Ayres Rockwell forwards from Par.s TO
The Sunday Star and the Chicago Daily Views
the following character sketch Of two entirely
Different types Of leRonary. the old and verfa BE
leGionary Of colonial service and the engage
volontaire." man enlisted for the wars dura-
tion. by Alesrnon sartoris. grandson OF T. s.
Army. who n now serving q private soldier
under the F~nch flag in the foreign legion.
NEAR THE VERDUN FRONT, France,
October 12.-An old lesionary and a
new one. both most interesting sub
table in a not unpleasant inn, comfor-
tsbly far, for the present. from the
shells and the bullets. Of which only the
distant roar of the cannon reminds me
The two men are together. discussing a
liter Of white wine for which, II mis-
take not, tho "engage-volontaire" will
have to pay, though II was the old
lsGionary who suggested the drink.
know them both we'll; they are both
chums Of mine, and bo:h are quite un-
conscious that am writing about them.
Let US begin with tha old type. He
has eighteen years OF service in the
legion 10 his credit. and before that was
in the Dutch foreign legion. serving IN
Java. Sumatra, and other remote CO.
lonfa1 domains of her majesty Queen
Wilhelmina. He has longish black
gray beard and plenty OF thick hair and
6ushy eyebrows and fierce mustache.
His breast Is covered with medals, In
cluding the military medal. He is per-
fectly simple In manner and rathe. loud
in voice. He has been a corporal sew
0ral times and once even attained to the
grade Of sergeant, but, on account OF
equivalent. he Is now simple soldier
again. His nationality remains shroud
ed in doubt He told me once that he
was from Luxembourg: on another oc-
casion he claimed Algiers as his BIRTH
place. and l really should not be at all
surprised II he were German-there is
something odd about his accent. How
ever, that IL not my business.
One Has to Come From Somewhere.
remarked to him. when he told me he
came from Algiers, that he had previ-
ously mentioned Luxembourg. He smiled.
sweetly. blandly. and showed a perfect
set OF teeth
We'll" said he. lone has to come
from somewhere and Luxembourg is non
commital snd covers everything"
Not bad answer for such a simple
soul. HIS face ts bronzed and furrowed
and he smokes a large brown pipe. He is
now presenting some plums to his new
friend. the ''engage-volontaire." He says
without the least appearance Of contri-
tion that he has purloined them from a
nearby farm. and proposes to make a
joint raid on these preserves this same
evening. but the "engage-volontaire," a
Scotchman. and therefore naturally eau
tious. does not seem particularly keen on
this sport, pointing out that It might in
volve fifteen days Imprisonment.
The old 1egionary seems a little aston
ished that any one should care for such
q trif1e and makes a remark in regard to
the military regulations to which. If l
tried. ! could not possibly do justice, so
sweeping is it in its condemnation, so
brief. vet so lurid in its phraseologv. nor
could 1t be reproduced in print without
running the greatest risks.
He sips his wine and shrugs his shouI-
ders. He Is distinctly disappointed at
his Scotch acGuaintance's scruples and