The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-08-28
Two Fights In
One

BY RICHARD MARLEY

had many service stripes on his sleeve
There was a physical popularity abou
him. At twenty-one he had lost al
memory Of his past He could only re
member being discharged from hos
pital and wondering what he should
do to make a 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 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 I'M
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
we could do It, We'd got 'em on the
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 fight?
We're nowhere near Santiago"
mot near Santiago. Then where are
wef"
"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 I'M
Outstanding 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 tbs 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 a woman with red |
cross on her sleeve and asked her IL
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 I
mo, I don't. / mean the Spaniards {
Aren't we in Cuba. fighting to drive
the Spaniards out?"
NO; we are in France. fighting to
drive out the Germans" Il
"Well, I'll be jingedp' exclaimed
John. II thought l knew myself and {
that was Pete Murray. Hand me a (,
|ookin' glass. want to see who am |
I
THAT isn't me-" he said feebly. I'm {
not that old cuss with his hair sprinkled d
with gray. And I'm not John Doyle o
neither. I'm Pete Murray, soldier OF {
The sixteenth infantry. I'm fighting in
cuba. What's the matter with me any n
way" IL
The nurse called surgeon, who. aft
IT considerable questioning of the pa b
lent, came to the conclusion that Doyle ),
,r Murray or whoever he was, had .
,een wounded in the head In the Span !.
sh American war, and had lost his -
Jump of memory. The shrapnel that 4
lad hit him in his fight with the Ger \
mans had restored him to his original :,
elf. 1t was thought best to break the =
natter to him. and the nurse was COM !.
nissioned to do so. The task was ac- =
omplished with great deicacy.
From that time till Peter Murray
vas started home to be discharged for
stability, he wondered what had be- in
ONE Of the sweetheart he had loved a.
$ young man. She must now be ii
roman of nearly forty. What would lin
be look like at the advanced age7 He d,
iust have been reported dead. At any h,
ate he had been lost to her. ia
One day, several months later, Peter al
Iurray, who had spent some time Of
uniting for Ellen Crosby. the sweet he
cart Of his youth, stepped up to the m
orch of cottage in Canada and rang n
ie bell A middle aged woman an
wered the summons. Though Peter
as looking for her and she supposed y
i'm dead she recognized him before he
,cognized her. Nothing was spoken. "
Ie took her In his arms, and she chung
him.
Peter had not been reported dead =
ter the fight at Santiago, but had
zen mentioned as having been dis q
larged from the hospital in some
hat dazed condition" II was these
rec words that led Ellen Crosby to
,Iieve that be had wandered away
i'd had subsequently died before be-
& able to reach his home. She had
as his widow.
Ellen had made her living and hav-
z been frugal had laid up something
sides owning the house In which she
ed. she was ready TO marry Peter
d divide her income with him. Peter
rs too proud TO accept this and know
? no trade except that of soldier
e case hung fire. But finally the
Dry reached the government and Pc
r was appointed to an Office In the