Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-08

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My Mates September, 1914,
You know l came
Story out with the first
and, the time
when all the fighting was done in
the open. The Germans were
smashing everything before them
in their drive on Paris. Our regi-
ment was one of the few opposed
to Won Kluck. 1t was a case OF hold
them for a few hours and then re-
treat-always retreat. We didn't
even have time to bury our dead.
The grub was rotten, and we we're
just about tagged out, dead tired,
with no prospect of a relief or rest
in front of us.
1T was customary for small pa
trolls of ten to twenty men, in charge
OF a sergeant, to reconnoitre on our
Hanks. One day L was sent out in
Charge of one of these parties Oh,
yes, was a sergeant then, but / lost
my pes-disobedience of orders
they called it. 1 suppose L ought to
feel lucky l wasn't shot, but I'll
leave it to you whether / did right
or not.
AT that time 1 was in for q COM
mission, but, of course, didn't get it.
III L had received it, no doubt by this
ume I'd be pushing up the daisies
somewhere in France. In those
days officers didn't last long-made
me targets for the Boches.
This patrol 1 was in charge cf
carried rations for three days. We
We're to scout around Just in front
OIL the advancing enemy, but our or
ders were not to engage them-just
get information. If the information
obtained was valuable enough, l was
u send IL in by one of the men.
Ihere were fourteen of us, and we
were mounted. l was in the Llncers.
then, aEdfwas considered a fair rid
er
The first day nothing happened.
we Just secuted around. BY night
lall we were pretty tired, so when
we came to a village-wasn't a viii
rage either; just five or six houses
clustered around a church, decid-
ed to go into billets for the night
Riding up to the largest house,
which had a four-foot stone wall
running around its garden, | dis
mounted at the gate and knocked
with the hilt of my sword. Pretty
soon light appeared at the front
door-the house was on a sort of a
Knoll, so this door was in plain
view. Then the sweetest voice /
tCnes, in perfect English, TOO, but
ever heard called out in trembling
with just the suspicion of an accent.
Who is there, please?'
Il answered, Just few English
Lahcers who desire a place to rest
for the night. The barn will do.
we don't want anything to eat, as
we have rations with us. SO if you
will accommodate us, miss, 7 will
be much obliged I was in love
with the girl before I saw her-the
voice had done the trick.
"She answered, Just a moment. !
please, until I tell father and then
the door shut and the light disap-
peGred. We didn't have to wait
long before the door opened, and
she called to me:
Father bids you welcome. and
so do l, soldiers of England
Then she opened the gate. There
she stood on the gravel path with
the lantern held shoulder high. II
trembled all over-thought I saw n
vision. I tell you, Yank. she was
beautiful. One of the kind YOU
would like to take in your arms, but
won't for fear of crushing. No use
for me to try to describe her, Yank, |
it's out of my line; but she cap
tured me, heart and soul. There I!
stood like a great big boob, shaking /
and suffering. At last I managed
to hlurt out a stammering Thank
YOU, miss
"She showed us the way to the
stables, and stood in the door hold |
ing the lantern so we could see to
ursaddle. I was fumbling around
with the buckles, but for the life
Of me couldn't get that saddle off. !
One of the men, with a wink and
a broad grin, came over and helped |
me. That grin got my goat, so, on
the sly, kicked him on the shin. He
lot out an explosive Damn Afte.
toat 'camn' the silence was painful. !
The poor fellow felt like a fool. II
was sorry for him, even though r.
could have killed him for his
Put out embar-
rassment was short-lived, because |
silvery laugh came from behind the |
lantern, a laugh that was not loud,
but it echoed and re-echoed among
d
right now, Yank.
After the horses had been un- |
saddled and fed, the men looked ap-
pealingly at me. I knew what they
wanted-they were dog tired. and !!
dying to hit the hay. Just as was
about to ask permission for them to |
turn in, the angel butted in with:
Poor, tired soldiers, sleepy anl !
hungry Come right into the house. .
Jean has some supper and wine
ready for you
I'VE stammered our thanks and |
followed her into the house like n |
string of sheep. Yank, to me that
meal was a dream. She Fitted |
around the table, filing I glass here |
and there, laughing with us, and |
making us feel at home. The war
was forgotten. BY this time WAS
madly in love with her, and she
knew it, because when she leaned |
over my shoulder to replenish nv
glass with red wine, her hair would |
brush my cheek, and once she rested |
her hand on my shoulder and gave
1t just the slightest squeeze. 1 was
in heaven.
''It was getting late, and the wine
was beginning to tell on the men.
They were falling asleep in their
chairs. I had a hard job waking
four of them to 30 on guard. They |
got their rifles and. were sanding |
around me for instructions, when |
our. hostess came over to me, and, 4
resting her hand on my arm, with |
again the slightest Of squeezes and |
pleading eyes, interceded for them.
Sergeant" she said, let tho Door
Cl NIfnN Tf,I.