The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-03-04

France To-Day wEIELeQ OE GSOb 80
Randolph Chester, originator OF
.Get-Rich-Quick U-allin gford, and
his wife. Lillian Chester. who went
TO France to get this story express
II for The West Virginian and 9TH
er members Of the Newspaper En-
terprIse Association. These stories
will appear in no other Fairmont
newspaper.
By GEoRGE RANDOLPH CHESTER
and LILLIAN CHESTER.
Copyright, 1918. By the Newspaper
Enterprise Association.)
PARIS. March 4.-Bressac lay list
1essly in his little white cot in his lit
tie white room, Obvious to all the
sounds OF the big hospital. His eyes
were staring at the dim, high ceiling,
and his hand lay motionless on the
coYerlet. The only movement in him
was at regular intervals OF about 10
minutes. when his broEs knit tensely.
after which he closed his eyes for a
while.
The reason for that monotony OF
slight movement vas this: Bressac
was in the fog with Janet and Mau-
peta, and it was a raw. chilly morn
ing. The ground was rough, pitted
ard Scared with projectiles of every
size from mere bullets to big shells.
There was barbed wire scattered all
around. and from some place nearby
came the rafting Durr of the machine
gun they had been sent out to find.
= Dim1y he could distinguish the half
dozen other men of the detachment.
Cou1on in the lead. standing out a
little way from the rest; and Coulon.
advancing, and peering all about him
for stray sharp-shooters who might
be concealed In heavens knows what
.mud-hole. was bending his elbow reg
uIarly and putting something to his
mouth. He was eating piece Of
5read!
Suddenly there was a veer in the
gun fire, and Coulon fell face down
ward and lay perfectly still. A man
came running from the group OF
which CouIou had been a part. It
vas Lieutenant Lombardin, followed
BIZ the rest Of his men, and, as he
passed Bressac and Janet and Mau-
peta, he called out:
"oyer there they are!" Just that.
No dramatIcs about ombardin.
They all ran after him. stumbling
over str1ndS of half-buried barbed
wire and scramb1inS down into little
decliyitfes, and up on the other side;
and suddenly. through the mist, they
came in sight Of an cid shell crater
which had ben supplied with very
carefully concealed Notifications. and
from there three machine guns we're
pumping lead into the scattered
Frenchmen with all possible vim.
Here they are!" cried Lieutenant
Lombardin. triumphantly. and, with
his pistol in his hand. led the way
straight into that murderous fire.
The man next to Bressac dropped,
as they ran side by side. It was ia
met. He was Bressac's best friend.
The man Just ahead OF Bressac fell.
rose, staggered forward. jumped for
the crater. and tumbIcd over and over
down inside it.
That was Lombardin. There were
kalf dozen of them rushing togeth-
er; right at the edge OF the crater,
when Bressac suddenly ceased to re-
member. to know. to feel. to exist:
When he comes to that point his
hrows always knit; then he closes his
eyes in exhaustion for three or four
minutes AS soon as his mind has
rested itself, it goes back to him in
the fog with Janet and Maupeta, and
from then on always including Cou-
Ion eating bread, to the edge OF the
crater, where he knows nothing more.
All this is automatic. Bressac has
no interest in it. or in anything else.
A gentIe-faced sister came in, NOV
ing softly as a thistledown. and bent
over him her wide stiff black cap
sticking out in the dimness like
wings.
Bressac allowed his eyes to remain
shut. he did not want to explain why
he had not eaten his dinner, or how
he felt. He did not care how he felt.
The sister moved out again. as softly
as she had come IN, taking his tray
with her
The director came IN. tall. lean
old fellow, with glisteninS bald
head and a fringe Of white hair. and
the wrinkles Of humor around his
eyes. He, too. Sazed down at Bressac
contempIatively but he was man
who had inside eyes as we'll as outside
eyes, and he had seen countless Bres-
sacs since this war began.
Good evening Bressac." A very
gentle tone, one calculated not to i
arouse sleeper.
No movement.
''The doctor says you are getting
on spiendidly for so short a time at
ter your operation, Bressac."
An irrepresstble dutter o; weari-
ness.
The director smiled. and his eyes
Ew1nkled. and he noiseIessly drew up |
= chair aud sat before the disinterest-
ed patient.
you're going to recover nicely. |
The doctor says. How do you feel?"
: The eyelids relaxed. Bressac was
SoinE back to the fog; automatically. !