Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-06
Two Fights In
One
By RICHARD MARKIEY

mocrocy. John was member of the
regular army of the United States and
had many service stripes ON his sleeve.
There was physical pecularity about
him. At twenty-one he had lost all
memory of his past. He could only re-
member being discharged from q hos
pital and wondering what he should
do to make living. Passing United
States recruiting station he went in
and enlisted. He said nothing about
his loss of memory for fear he would
be rejected on this account.
John was not an educated man, con-
sequently he never received a commits
sion, but he was a good soldier and in
time reached the noncommissioned rank
Of sergeant major. When the first con-
tingent of American troops reached
France he was among them and dis
embarking with his regiment marched
into the camp prepared for them.
The first battle in which John took
part brought him wound that un-
fitted him for further military service.
A piece of shrapnel struck him in the
head and rendered him unconscious
Presently he was picked up to be trans
ferred to an ambulance. Conscious
ness returning he shouted:
We've licked the dagoes knew
run when was hit"
When John was deposited in a hos
pital and his wound was being dressed
he asked the surgeon:
Doctor, are we any nearer Santiago
than we were before the fght?'
Were nowhere near Santiago"
Not near Santiago. Then where are
we?"
"In France
The surgeon, thinking the man to be
'off his base" hurried away to an
other patient. John Doyle lay wonder
ing. He soon came to the conclusion
that the surgeon had reached-that the
blow he had received had upset his
brain and he was not capable of IN
derstanding what was said to him.
Calling an attendant. he asked him to
read what was on his Identification tag
that hung at the head of his cot. The
man read the name, John Doyle"
John Doyle" exclaimed the wound
ed man. "They got me mixed up with
some one else"
There was too much to be done, and
now that John did not need especial
attention. the nurses left him alone.
Later he called woman with a red
cross on her sleeve and asked her if
she would write letter for him to his
sweetheart The request touched the
female heart, and the nurse complied.
John debating:
Dearest Ellen-We had fight today
with the Spaniards"-
"You mean the Germans" corrected
the nurse.
"No, l don't mean the Spaniards
Aren't we in Cuba. fighting to drive
the Spaniards out?"
mo; we are in France, fighting to
drive out the Germans"
"Well, I'll be jinged" exclaimed
John. "I thought l knew myself and
that l was Pete Murray. Hand me a
lookin' glass. I want to see who I am
anyway"
'"That isn't me-" he said feebly. "I'm
not that old cuss with his hair sprinkled
with gray. And I'm not John Doyle
neither. I'm Pete Murray, soldier of
the Sixteenth infantry. I'm fighting in
Cuba. What's the matter with me any
way?"
The nurse called surgeon, who, aft
er considerable questioning of the pa
tient came to the conclusion that Doyle
or Murray or whoever he was, had
ish American war, and had lost his
bump Of memory. The shrapnel that
bad hit him in his fight with the Ger
mans had restored him to his original
self. 1t was thought best to break the
matter to him, and the nurse was COM
missioned to do So The task was ac-
complished with great delicacy.
From that time till Peter Murray
was started home to be discharged for
disability, he wondered what had be-
come of the sweetheart he had loved
as young man. She must now be a
woman of nearly forty. What would
she look like at the advanced age? He
must have been reported dead. At any
rate he had been lost to her.
One day. several months later, Peter
Murray. who had spent some time
hunting for Ellen Crosby, the sweet
heart Of his youth, stepped up to the
porch of cottage In Canada and rang
the bell. A middle aged woman an
swered the summons. Though Peter
was looking for her and she supposed
him dead she recognized him before he
recognized her. Nothing was spoken.
He took her in his arms, and she clung
to him.
Peter had not been reported dead
after the fight at Santiago. but had
been mentioned as having been dis
charged from the hospital in ''some-
what dazed condition" 1t was these
three words that led Ellen Crosby to
believe that he had wandered away