New-York tribune., 1918-04-28

No sooner said than done. Well
armed, Robelot is hoisted over the
parapet and sets to work crawling on
the ground in the direction indicated.
The night is black. He is quickly out
of sight. One hour passes; then two
hours. Everybody gets uneasy. Some
accident has happened, without doubt.
and they begin to lament tho poor
FELLOW who has gone SO boldly to his
death.
All of sudden they hear a little
whistle at the top Of the trench para
pet. Their eyes stick out of their
heads. They are almost stupefcd as
they see Robelot's smiling face appear
Ut is /, comrades, and not alone"
He leaps into the trench. Then.
turning around, he says in a tone of
authority:
Advance, Boches!"
Four dirty, mean-looking, half
dazed Germans appear.
"They are my prisoners" he con-
O'''NN'' 10 Vie captain mere Z.
lie is not far away. Informed of the
return of tho soldier, he comes a-run-
ming.
"Who arc those people there ?" he
asks.
1T is this way, captain. I crawl
to the place which you have indicated
and | find in hole there these four
Lascars, who are digging into the earth
IN ofoer TO play us some nasty trick
leap in among them, crying: 4 have
you! Surrender!' They have such a
stupid air that l cannot help laugh
ing. That frightens them and thew
call out at once, 'Comrade,' raising
their hands. March, say. 'We will
give you some bread and a drop to
drink They marched, and here thew
are"
"Wonderful!" "Robelot is famou,
tellow!" "Who would have thought Of
doing such a thing?" said the soldiers.
while the captain congratulated him
and announced that he would recon-
mend him for citation in the diyi-
sion's order of the day. Hearing
these words, Robelot trembled with
JOY.
Some weeks later tho citation an
peared in the "Oficial Journal" and
the brave soldier received the Croix de
Guerre
Very proud, the medal pinned to his
coat, Robelot went to find his captain.
"Captain," he said, "I have come to
ask permission to go home on a four
days leave"
You have changed your mind, then 2"
ut is not I that have changed. Cir
cumstances have changed. Now l have
the Croix de Guerre.'
Then you did not wish to go homo
without the star Of the brave"
81 admit that, captain
Did you make a bet?"
cone does not make bets with a thing
like that at stake"
"a vow, perhaps?"
mot that, either"
"Was it, then, that you wanted to
dazzle your family with your glory?"
"Oh, mon Dieu! I never thought of
thatl You see, am a matchmaker in
civil life, and that trade hardly in
spires one with ideas of glory. No, it
isn't that"
He stopped and appeared to hesitate.
81 don't want to force any condolences
out of you,' said the officer. "No
doubt you have your reasons and
know you we'll enough to know that
they are good reasons, even without
knowing them'
We'll, captain, will tell you every
thing. 1t is this way. l am married
and my mother-in-law lives with US.
1t is not always agreeable to have
mother-inlaw around. But things
would have continued to 60 along about
as they have gone in the past if it
heard of for the first time several
weeks ago-thc day l refused to take
my leave.
"And that something was not an
event of ordinary consequence. I'm
agine, captain, my mother-n-law has
found some way of having a Croix de
Guerre conferred on her as nurse
That is what my wife wrote me.
said at once to myself that life would
no longer be tolerable for me if I
didn't get cross, too. 1t was ncces-
sary for me to return either dead or
decorated. That is why l did every
thing l could to get decorated. am
not dead and I have my Croix de
Guerre. Now can reappenr at home.
am at last on an equality"
The captain could not help smiling.
~ understand, my brave man. You
shall have your leave" he said, wiring