The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-01-23
A Story With
a Moral
By ALAN HINSDALE
Copyright, 1917. Western Newspaper Union. }

or Il move against I0e teflldHS. III
which they proposed to use the tank
he general of the tank brigade found
himself short of engineers who We're
competent to run the big caterpillsrs.
lie called on the commander of the
United States troops for detail OF
American soldiers who We're skilled
Engineers, as well as brave, to put such
anks as were deficient in men to run
them. Ike Rogers was one OF the
Americans who were selected to con-
1uct a tank in the attack that was to
DC made on the enemy.
Ike's tank was some distance be-
hind the others, and he was instructed
% move it forward, generally in the
light; but Ike in order to catch up and
being on the edge of a wood, drove it /
On in the day time.
Beside the road q young peasant |
girl stood gaping at the big machine.
This girl-Clochette was her name
was very pretty. Ike fell in love with |
her at first sight. He asked her for |
drink of water. The French people |
drink wine in place Of water. so Cloch-
cite gave him glass of wine. She |
spoke few words of English and Ike
while in a training camp before 60
ing over the big pond had studied
French, so they managed to understand
each other after a fashion Something
in the tank needed fixing and Ike was
detained where he had stopped a long
! time. When he was about to move
ON he said to Clochette half in French,
the other half in English, Il love YOU
and Clochette almost swOOned with JOY
! to be told that she was loved by the
guiding spirit of the big war monster.
Clochette having been caught
by the power CT the tank rather than
anything attractive about Ike's person
ality, soon after his departure was
caught in a different way. A cavalry
man rode by who carried a flag, its
staff resting on the toe Of his boot.
His steed danced and curvetted so
beautifully that Clochette was much
moved, and since the rider was hand
some young fellow she transferred her
heart to this man who, compared with
the greasy tank runner, was marvel
of beauty.
The cavalryn1an spoke French flu
emily and not having seen pretty
girl since he left England, there was
another case of love at first sight.
Clochette responded favorably.
Well, the fight came on, the tanks
made a big hit, and Ikes tank went
, walloping over the field like an ele
/ plant that IND esthptf from IT'S keeps
er. But Ike's guiding hand was in the
monsters throat turning it here and
there to trample under its hundred
l feet scores of Germans and cutting
] its way through barb wires as NOW
: ing machine will fell field of wheat.
/ When the armies settled down
e again to ordinary work the commander
' of the tank brigade ordered q long
D rest for all who had manned the gigan-
e tic centipedes. He complimented Ike
as having done extraordinary service
r and asked him what sort of reward
a he would like Should it be decora-
: ton or promotion? Ike said he would
# think it over.
But likes thinking powers were upon
n Clochette-the pretty French girl who
G had fallen in love with either him or
s his tank-it is not certain which-and
= he asked for leave to go back and
< see her. He found the cavalryman in
= possession. He too had received q
d leave, and had returned to his love
l. Ike finding himself supplanted was
much cast down. He looked at his
20 greasy clothes, and his begrimed
re hands, then turned his gaze upon the
So handsome, well-dressed cayalrymar
and having a mind capable of perceiy
'e ing cause and effect resolved upon s
u course that he hoped would give hin
re an advantage. He returned to his gen
TX eral and said:
General, would like a transfer
to ''To what corps?"
D. II wish to be made drum major O.
IL a band"
We Great Scott man, what do you, 1
Is fine soldier desire to sink to such !;
Nv ridiculous position?"
t; Ike told his story and the genera
sent him back to the commander 0
y the American forces with a reques
ne that his petition be granted, and TX
!! obtained his coveted position. In tn
re changes that occurred the fightin
~ afterward fell on the American army
u- Clochette determined to go as nurs
rs to the American camp and appeare
ne there just before d battle. The Ameri
~ can general ordered that the band
play martial music to inspire the mel
III Ike at the head of the band marche
Vi by hospital where Clochette stoo
y ready to help take care of the wound
'e' ed. Amid the bursting of shot an
u ~ shell, the thunder of guns, the cheer
NC of the charging troops, Ike flourishe
~ his staff, tossed it in the air, caugl
IRE it as it came down, and his very al
Il! pearance, to say nothing of the mus
IN of his band. was enough to make an
ip soldier plunge into the jaws of dealt
- Clochette had no eyes for anyone {
iAS oil IF