Evening journal., 1918-03-04

lessly In his little white cot In his lit
tie white room. oblivious TO all the
sounds Of the big hospital His eyes
were staring at the dim. high ceiling
and his hand lay motionless on the
coverlet The only movement in him
was at regular intervals Of about IS
minute, when his brows kn0tted tense
ly. after which he closed his eyes for a
while.
Tho reason for that monotonv Of
SLIGHT movement was this: B~essac was
IN the fog with Janet and Maupeta.
and 10 was a raw ch lily morning. The
ground was rourh, pitted and Scared
with nro'ectlles Of every size from
more bullets to biq two men for quite
a little time; shells There was ha-bed
wire ecattered all around. and from
some place nearby came the rafting of
me machine gun they had been sent
out 10 nnd.
D'mly he could DISTINGUISH tho haif
dozen other men OF the detachment
Coulon In the lead. STANDING ont IT.
tie way from the rest and Coulon. ad-
vancing. and nee-ing an about him for
stray sharn-shooters who mlght be
c0ncealed In heavens fnows what mud
ME, was bending his elbow regularly
a0d putting something 10 his mouth.
lIe was eating a piece Of bread
Suddenly there was q .veer IN the dir
ect,on Of the sound Of the machine
gun fire. and Corion fell face down
ward, and lay perfectly stin A man
came runninS from the group OF which
Coulon had been a ra~t. 70 was Lieu
tenant Lomba~d'n. followed by the rest
~ his men, and as he rassed B~essac
and Janet and M0uneta. he called ont
"Over there they arew Just that No
dramatics about ] ombsrdln.
Thew al ran afie~ him. shmhlina
over strands Of half buried ba~hed wire
ard scromhling down into little do
ei'-f'eS ard nm IN the oihe~ s'da; and
srdde~lv ih~Ou~h the mist. they came
IN sl~ht ~ an old hell crater which haJ
been sunrl'ed with ve~v carefully con.
cealed forti0cat'ons and from There
three machine olins wore pumning leal
at the scattered Frenchmen. WITH al
possible vim
Hove fhev ave." cried Iienionan
Louha-d'n t-iunorhanilv and. with ht
pistol IN HIS hand led the way siraigh
into that mu~de~ous fire.
The man noxt 10 B~essac d~onped
as ihev ran side bv side II was Janet
He was Pre- sac's hest friend The maj
Just ahoad of Bresssc FELL rose. stag
gered forward iumned for the crater
and iumbled over and over down in
side it
That was Lomhard'n. There wer
half a dozen % them rushing tOcethe
RIGHT at the edqe OF the crater. vhel
Bressac suddenly ceased 10 remember
20 know. TO feel. 20 exist
When he comes to that point hi
brows always knit: then he closes hi
ewes In exhaustion for three or fou
minutes. As soon as his mind has rest
ID Itself. 10 goes back TO him In the 70
with Janet and Maupeta. and from the
IN. always including Coulon eatin
bread. 10 ihe edVe of the crater, wheT
he Fnows nothing more
All this Is automatic. B~es-ac has q
interest In IL. o. in anything else
A gentle-facod sister came in. movin
softly as a ihisiledovn. and bent Owe
aim. her wide. stiff black cap stickin
out IN the d'mness like wings.
Bressac allowed his ewes 90 RENAL
hut Ha IA not want 20 explain wh
he had not eaten his dinner. or how
felt He did not care how he felt Th
sister moved ont aga'n. as softly as sh
had come IN. taking his trav with her
fellow. with a rlistoning bald head an
a f-in9e ~ white hair. and The wrii
kles OF humo- around his eyes. II
ioo ~a7ed down at Bressac conten
nlat'velv: but he wa sa man who hs
inside ewes as we'll as ont ide eyes, an
no had seen countless Bressacs SIM
his war BEGAN.
Good evening. Bressac." A very gel
ue fona one calculated not 20 arOu
sleeper.
NO movement.
"The doctor says vou are getting
rlendidlv sor 90 short a time art
0ur operation. Brsssac."
An ir~er~ossible CLUTTER N wearnes
The director smiled. and his ey
iyvinkled and ne noiselessly drew up
chair and sat before the disinterest
patient.
you're going to recover nicely, q
doctor saws How do you feel2
The eyelids relaxed BE sac was E
ing hack 10 the fog: automatically.
Wen have you ont IN a couple
weeks. Bresssc, nv bow
Would they2 No stirrins OF VIAL
in B-essac over that cheerful announC
ment
He was at that ebb in the strus'
between lie ana uealN WltlN % ulu
no difference 10 him whether ne li'
or not.
Everything was too much trouble
There was silence between the IN
Bressac's brows contracted, knott
nainsully. after which exhaustion 4
lowed He had Just dropped again
the edge q the crater.
The director studied Breesac with
inside eyes, then he hunted the doc
in those upper wards where stupor a
main and fever held sway over the ro
NJ white cots.
rs il safe 10 move Bressac2
"When?n
"Tonight."
The doctor stroked his beard and 81
1eyed the director They had a gr
deal OF confidence In each other.
"Tll see" a slight pause. Bress
Bressac He needs Ruvel and VIII
,V77E-=ss=s7s..s-