New-York tribune., 1918-06-08
Glinpses
By Wilbur Forrest
wa 7ITH THE AMERICAN FORCES IN
wv PICARDY-There is certain
major of machine guns here w


receives frequent letters from his family.
The major had just returned to his dugout
after particularly dangerous mission, dur
ing which he had lodged many German
shells. In his mail he found a letter from
cheerful cousin in Nebraska which wound
up something like this:
g. We are all hoping that you will
return from the war. Some one in the
house reads the war news aloud every day
and We all watch the casualty lists closely,
but of course, we don't expect to find your
name among the casuaties.'
"Wow!" exclaimed the major as he read
the windup; "that's what call real cheer
full letter froD home"
The American soldier will have his Joke.
In town very close to the line where per-
haps more enemy shells have fallen to the
square acre than in any other part of the
American sector a large building stands
on the corner which can barely now be dis
tinguished as the remains of tourist hotel
battered sign still invites automobilists
to drop in and try the wines and menu.
There are holes now in the structure that
would accommodate the largest auto truck
Some waggish soldier has taken a piece
of chalk, which substance is incidentally
the immediate subsoil of Picardy. and
marked in large letters on the remaining
front of the building:
"HOTEL DESTRUCTION"
Albert and Walter Grierson, twenty-one
are twin American soldiers from St. Louis
Mo-, fighting the war together here in Pi-
cardy. The Grierson twins. dressed in
American uniforms, are of such remarka-
BILE likeness that none but themselves can
tell the difference. They are literally fight
ing the war together" because they en-
listed together in St. Louis, came to France
together on the same transport, eat, sleep,
work and hight together in France as men,
bers OF the same company. In addition to
that, what one does is done by the other, so
they are corresponding via the army mail
service with pretty twin sisters, Geraldine
and Blendne Smalley, back in Sheldon. III.
1t is a growing romance in which the Illi-
nols twin sisters answer the twin soldier
letters with knitted things and home dain
ties that make the average soldier smile
One fine day, about year ago. the Grier-
son twins resigned at the same moment
from the passport windows in bio ST
Louis bank after making up their twin
minds ensemble" as the French would saw.
to do little fighting for Uncle Sam. Thew
walked together from the bank to their
home, at 1912 Lucas Street. and told their
mother about the double intention in the
same breath. Then they went to the near
est recruiting station and enlisted They
passed a single medical examination, which
elected that the only difference in the two
Griersons was an infinitesima mole on
twin Albert Griersons right foot. The
medical examiner made a careful note of
the mole, but he didn't send his notes to
the commanding officer of the company
graced by the presence of the Grerson
twins. At first the twins occupied the same
section in the same platoon. but the exas-
Peiaseu commanding omcer was forced to
place them in different sections so that he
could talk to one or the other separately
and intelligently
There are many things that the c. O. of
the Grierson twins will never know. The
other evening twin Walter was called upon
for guard duty when he wasn't feeling equal
to the emergency. Twin Albert made
brotherly offer and Albert slipped into the
guard position while twin Walter slipped
back to the Grierson twin bed-a soft bum
die of straw in a we'll ventilated French
barn.
The Griersons are frequently under fire.
but always side by side. If a she'll gets
one it will probably get the other. If they
survive the dangerous business of war that
budding twin romance which reached from
a spot on the French front to Sheldon, ILL.,,
swill probably be realized.