Evening star., 1917-10-21
nAmbulanceF1 Hospital and Its GreatV

ing hand In the game. Many an idyll
has had it's birth on a bed of suffering.
and several nurses have been wooeo
and won by patients. doctors and am
bulance drivers. In one case charm
ing auxiliary nurse welded an ofncer
whose sight was gone as result OF .
wound. Another interesting wedding
was that of an ambulance driver ana
the widow of wounded officer he had
carried in his car at the front
The case of Leblanc was. however. tho
most romantic of all that came to my
notice.
Leblanc came to the ward with q
wound not dangerous in itself. but IN
an advanced state of infection. He had
a high fever and was delirious for sew
eral days. during which time the nos
pital historian went through his papers
to find the addresses of his relatives
that they might be informed of his con-
dition. Although his service sheet
stated that he was married. there was
not a single letter from his wife, and
we were obliged to inform his mar
raine" (war godmother), big batch
of whose letters poor Leblanc carried
in his breast pocket, of his condition.
A few days later a telegram arrived
announcing the coming of the mar
raine. Leblanc was better, and I was
delegated to tell him of the approach
ing visit. On account of my knowledge
of the language. l was often the inter-
mediary in these matters.
Leblanc bursting with the need to.
unbosom himself, told me his story.
He was a broker in very fair circum-
stances and had been married four
years before to the daughter of friend
of his father. 1t had been a typical
French marriage. arranged by the par
ents of the contracting parties. moro
attention being paid to their financial
situation. than to their personal inclina-
tions Most of these marriages. based
as they are on similarity of fortune and
social station. turn out very well. but
Leblanc's was an exception to the gem
eral rule. and when the war broke out
he was glad of the opportunity which
it gave him to cast off the matrimonial
yoke.
At the front he felt lonely and, to
break the monotony. advertised for q
"marraine7 a godmother, a correspond
ent.
Among the many answers he receiv-
ed was one signed Yvette, which ap-
pealed strongly to his starved soul. An
intimate correspondence ensued be-
tween Leblanc and Yyette. He had
grown to love her. and felt sure she
returned his affection. He had never
seen her nor told her he was a married
man. Now she was coming. What
could he do?
We talked over the situation earnest
ly and at length, and decided that I
was to meet Mile. Yvette for him and
break the news of his deception. He
could not trust himself to see her lest
he declare his love. and as a married
man and an honest man he would not
do this.
On the next day Boy Scout came to
announce the visit of Mile. Yvette. I
met her in the garden and there STAN
mered out Leblanc's confession, trying
to temper the blow as best ! could.
Mile. Yvette smiled through her tears
Take me to him. she said when / had
finished.
1T is all right. I am his marraine,
but l am also his wife. l saw his ad-
vertisement and answered it under an
assumed name. / have always loved
him. but we never understood each 9TH
; er before"
Copyright, 1917. by The Bell Syndicate. Inc.D