The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-20
Il TOLD
YOU SO"
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

oniy SSscAtSSh years oiu- AutoIle was
SO full Of fight that he wished to enlist
at once. But he was not Of the age
required Of q recruit, and his mother
prevented his being accepted
Antoine was so disappointed at not
being able to go to the war and SO i'm i
patient to get there that he excited
the attention of his associates. One Of
them said, when he gets to the front /
he will be glad to get to the rear"
| Another remarked: II have no conf
dence in the bravery of these fellows /
who are spelling for fight"
Louise Boyer. little girl living near |
Antoine. considered him the bravest |
man in the world. Whether this was
because she was impressed with his |
desire to get to the front. which she
herself shrank from. or because she
that when any one impeached his cour-
age she would say:
"JuSt you wait. Antoine will be call
ed with next years troops, and you
will see what he will do
One morning notices were posted
that the reserves of 1915 were called
for Antoine was very happy. He
babe his mother and Louise goodby
: and, taking position on gun carriage
for he was in the artillery-rode
away with his arms folded over his
swelling chest, for all the world like a
gunner with many service stripes on
his sleeve.
Antoine was what was considered a,
good soldier-that is, he was soldierly
:, In his appearance and attended to his
! duties with zest But this is no cri-
:. terion as to how a man will act con-
:. fronted by missiles of war or cold
steel. In his first fight his battery was
placed in a gap between two slopes In
the ground to defend 1t against a
charge Of Germans. Antoine, who had
been advanced to the rank Of sergeant,
.a was placed In command of two can
70 non, separated from the rest, and or
" dered to hold his position at any cost.
I During the thick Of the fight he left
~ his guns and was seen running as fast
"a as his legs would carry him to the
70 rear with half dozen shells In his
r, arms.
g. "That man." said one who saw HIM
c. "must be terrible coward to De aple
III to get away so fast with those heavy
steel shells. But why does he not droI
r. them? How SINGULAR
tn The Germans poured through the gar
left by Antoine, whose men fed witt
rs him. and were thus enabled to turn thu
'r- position. The fight that day was iost
for they held the ground they took
It. The commander Of the French force
ed whose duty 1t was to repel this attaci
ok wos furious. He ordered Antoine's ar
Mt rest and trial by court martial. An
ill toine begged to be permitted to Sc
him. but his request was refused.
an When the news of Antoine's disgrac
Oh was carried back by wounded CON
lth rade TO the village where he lived ever
lol one said: 81 told you SO. Antoine wa
sat altogether too anxious to spill bioot
yes II "a not surprising that his ardor wa
lnu cooled at facing an enemy
on Meanwhile Antoine sent for his cal
'au +a,n and turned over to him the smell
w that no had carried from the batti'
-. field. asking him to produce tne"
h,s trial 1t was not long delayed, II
-" tho general was anxious that punisl
too ment should be meted out 10 INC n 70
Che whose inglorous retreat had iose u
he'd fight. - 80
when Antoine was about TO
ING brought before the court let'e, ~
= q I.ouise was handed him. opening
ha road IT and took comfort she Sd
~, .ho+ .ba did not believe that he M
,oto run away from the battleneid anu
ooo. no had he doubtless had good reas'
chit for doing so. At any rate, she
,.;u of the opinion that he was ORA
oors man. !.
Whom the court was opened I
,,.rges and evidence produced sho
the ed that Antoine had run away =,
they his guns with MS a. ..atamont III
Mr. The accused made statement u
his no had been placed in charge VI :
-, a,,ns without any ammunition.
r. was confronted with the sheiis u
the he had carried away
vim Taking up one of the Shells he ash
but for an ak "n,on Ill on a.. base.
the and, setting tue -, hlada of /
aimed a blow with the plade ..
into az on its upper pointed end hs v
in. NO, If the court dropped on the u
stsd TO avoid the expected explosion.
seeu D.. 10 oxnlosion came. Instead
Jams But no eAplosion - narts and
river shell was spli. ~ ....arod over
| dis quart OF sahu WIS
nd it floor. o,a
ascue "May it please the court sa'u
non. tonne when the members had reean