New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-23
Veteran of Two Weeks
Proves Fount of Wisdom
Rockies Hang on Words That Fall From Lips of Scared
Warrior of the Filing Case-lhc
at Yaphank
Nv ROBERT II. ROHDE

<rir1y anu Oone-up "S '''' ''"' W
sound workmen it carried, made tho
,r,rout Of z Section with a skid that
.ss Oldfeld and crash that was
wsgner.
private +. Il. Jones glanced down
casually at the leg against which the
car wheels had brusheds leg that by
ne grace OF Providence was still good
"a stand or. With careless hand he
,s.ted away the patch of dust that
showed family against the olive drab.
somebody's killed by one Of them
trucks most every day." he remarked,
The incident was closed.
aBut what l say said Private Jones,
r,kjnr up the thread Of his momenta-
rily interrupted monologue; what
cav IS. show me France! That's what
Won fellows will air be saying a while
from now. Why. give you few weeks
and you'll be as anxious 10 be out o
MS and into action as any OF us older
heads go.
from the city listened with attention
and respect. Private +. r. Jones was
man 10 command both. Rather above
-edium height. with face at once
erin. and kindly, girls waist ana
SouldcrS carried high and square, ne
seemed TO have been melted into the
Uniform which he graced.
n. wore his campaign hat at an an
80 70 suggest a maximum of military
:esb without the sacrifice of one whit
~ soldierIy dignity. COR perhaps dash
%, rot so much the desiderstum as
he shadow which the forward-tllted
MIN cast over the scar that was his
enly facial blemish.)
The Scar Suggested Question
The scar had been early observed by
the men from the city, shadow or no.
n bit deep into the skin lust above the
bridge of the campaigner's nose. An
n,her half inch, il was PLAIN, ana what
ever had come sailing At Private +. Is.
Iores IN that ticklish byEone moment
sshis csreer-bolo. bullet or boomerang
-hsd cracked his devoted skull.
To the minds OF the three rockies,
,es-ce'y an hour off the train that had
brorrht them out of life that was an
amer book into one that was mystery,
=, honorable scar Of Private Jones
suggested question.
Natural timidity kept the first, con-
sejous Of his ignorance of army ell
opttts. from an Immediate inquiry, In
y. citv ne had been a clerk, OF lit
.,srv Iesnings. a correspondence
corrse in short story writing had
tsurbt him 10 keep an eye peeled for
xpcb potentially interesting things as
iris scar. There might be one Of those
rsys "geruinal ideas" in il; anyway,
something worth having filed away.
Tho other two had codes. The col
tre man who had occupied at least
he EDGE Of seat in the Stock IN
change was not in the habit Of men
tiorjng. or appearing to notice, the
d;sf oUremerts Of others. That would
Ne ;ndelicate. The eX-Gopher would
not manifest curiosity concerning the
bkckened eye or the punctured SKIN OF
.strsnger or mere acquaintance. Iha'
would be injudicious. u
Sn Cor the time being, the challenge
AZ the scar of Private +. b. Jones
vent unanswered. And Private Jones
spoke on.
Private Jones Explains Life
"of course, what you men are to go
through I've been through said me-
$50 nm be able TO give you many d
valuable tip. -, -
you've seen the barracks you're 70
live in, and you've tasted the 1000 lhdy
You'll eat. The grub isn't coming ouV
Of Delmonico's kitchen, but IL tastes
pretty good. at that, and has substance
and there's plenty OF It.
"The beds are as good as beds need
be, and they're clean as WnlsI!e'
brand new beds bought especially for
YOU. You won't find your bed-sack
f.lt mattress. Maybe you won't get
used 10 il for a couple Of nights. But
KS plenty warm underneath and plenty
comfortable, and government issued
blankets are o. X
cob. that's all right" interrupted the
college man, rubbing his Flaggish chm.
"But IL will be sort of queer mixing
i up with a couple of hundred room
mates. I've found even one altogether
100 MANY
That's something you'll soon be used
TO- SAID Private Jones, in the voice
OF eXperience. "You won't mind II d
bit. After a few days here you'll be
lonesome if you ever have a room 10
yourself again. You'll sort of miss the
singing and the skylarking and the
tricks that the smart fellows are al
wsys playing or one another
"How about the men that could
never get 70 like or understand? Even
Il did get accustomed 70 the other
sort, thev'd still be there-one Of
them, maybe. ir the next bed"
"You talk" said I jyate Jones, like
a book. Let me tell you this: The
fellows YOU don't like or understand
amt likely 10 like or understand YOU.
And they'll keep to themselves just as
much as YOU want to keep 10 yourself.
Until some day, when you're all IN a
tight place together and the real stuff
IN you comes out, you'll kind OF get
adjusted"
For the Rest, Berlin
The ex-Gopher and the clerk started
10 speak at once.
There was an immediate understand
inc after the first clash of voices. Only
one speaker continued. That was the
e1-Gopher. He had a disconcerting
eye.
The ex-Gopher's clothes were better
hitting, il anything, than the ex-
brokers', and their pattern was GER
tsinly no less unobtrusive. II his nose
had been broken in a shindy, so had
the college mans in a scrimmage. His
finger nails were manicured, and his
shoes and socks and linen of the right
sort. But
Say, Jack, where do we 60 from
here he peremptorily wanted to
know.
I'D" corrected Private f. B. Jones,
gently; and for the rest Of it: Der
. lin"
Jaw, quit! / mean. what's the next
thing they do to US drafted guys
Mug US ?"
some time to-day or tomorrow
ihnrn1 - .rnunI "a cNamine Won.