The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-09-20
BRAVE BROTHERS
DIED SIDE BY SIDE
FRANK J. TAYLOR

With The American Troops In
France, August 19.-[By Maill-
In tiny village of Lorraine where
regiment of "doughboys" was resting
after long stretch OF time In the
trenches, German shell found
mark in two brothers. They were
rushed to the nearest hospital mort
ally wounded.
They We're just regular hard fight
ing "doughboys," liked by all the men
in ID company because they Were
good pals who always did little
more than their share of the work. >"
Every nan in the company adj
mired the brothers because he had
seen them behave bravely when it
was hard to be brave.
Out of all the men in d company
it was hard to see why fate had sing
led these two to be struck by one
, German she'll. Fate makes no ex-
plantations, so the doctors in the
hospital operated skillfully and
quickly on the brothers and placed
them in beds next to each other in
ward full of wounded.
For time both men lay there
lowering between life and death, and
there was uncertainty whether or not
they would ever gain consciousness.
Finally one of them stirred slight
ly, opened his eyes, and gradually
came to his senses. A niotherly
nurse bent over him, and eased his
pain as much as possible. Then she
whispered to him that his brother
was on the next cot, but still un
conscious.
Speaks To His Brother.
The conscious brother looked daZed
but gradually an enlightened look
cane into his eyes, as he recollected
what had happened in the last three
hours. He looked across to the next
cot, family reached his arm to-
ward his brother, and whispered.
Joe how are you?"
The other brother stirred slightly,
and gradually regained his senses.
| The nurse gently eased him, as he
looked around with a puzzled look,
and finally told him, Here's your
! brother on the next cot"
The second brother looked over
with panied amaZement.
What are you in bed for, George?
Are you hurt, too?"
got US both"
"Arn you hurt badly George?"
81 think so, Joe. l feel awful weak.
! How are you? Does it hurt you a lot,
boy?"
81 don't know as it does I'm weak
too. But there's another feeling l
can't describe"
What is it, Joe?"
Hears Mothers Voice
Il dunno, George. But, remember
the things mother used to tell us
when we were little, and fought to
get on her lap? I keep hearing her
telling us Sunday school stories,
George, over and over, just the way
she used to do it years ago."
1--WE were on our way to mass
when it hit US, Joe. Maybe that's
why you hear mother telling Bible
stories. can hear her now, too Joe. "
81 wish she were here. don't your
81 should say so, Joe. Maybe the
nurse or someone will talk to us the
way mother useG 20. We ought to do
it anyway, because if something
happened to either of US, mother
would like to know we were all
right"
Il think so, too, but say,-George. f"
| "Yes?"
"If l should die, you'll be careful
so you can go back and look after
mother, won't you"
That's a promise, Joe want you
| to make the same one to me-
Lets shake on it, George"
! They reached their arms across the
space between the beds and clasped
hands.
Not Afraid of Death
I'm not afraid" said Joe, "If you
come through all right, Joe. ! wish
we didn't have to leave d company,
though, but even if we got well we
probably couldn't go back with the
boys. I'm afraid I'm pretty low,
George, but don't you worry. There's
no Iain now"
I'm not in pain, either, George,
but awfully sleepy. We dent have
to worry about company d, because
the boysll never lose chance to get
a German"
That's right, too. l feel myself
going to ,leep. so goodbye, joe"
Goodbye, George"
The brothers drowsed back into
their pillows. and the old hospital
chaplain, who had just arrived, made
/ mis- services a simple prayer for two