The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-10-04

instead of station" But then she
is French.
AS we rolled gently along-Gifford
is a wonderful chauffeur and knows
my peculiarities as to speed-some-
where in the upper driveways OF the
park l noticed soldier, a French
soldier, by the road, his hands in his
pockets, his head raised as If listening.
He was just common poilu, boy,
one of the many who for one reason
or another are here in this country.
The sight of his blue uniform, as ne
stood against the green OF the park,
brought back a memory of that otner
green park near Paris which ! haa
loved so well and from which four
years ago had been obliged to hee'
in hurry. Net
do, you think he would care to
drive with us, SMarie?" l asked, the
war and all its horrors suddenly COM
ing over me once more with renewed
yividness.
But yes, madame-unless he is too
proud. They sometimes are. MY
nephew once refused to drive with
the Comtesse de-"
Never mind your nephew. Tell
Clifford to stop and ask that boy II
motoring with a dull old lady Would
give him any pleasure" 49,.
AS we drew up, l opened the door
myself and leaned forward looking
into the soldiers young, sad eyes.
They were the eyes of youth, but OLD,
heaven, how old! His face was
mass of scars, as if something had
tried to make mincemeat of it and
had been stopped before the job was
thoroughly accomplished. His poor
right hand bore so little resemblance
to what a hand should be that, after
the first glance, l could not bear to
look again. Upon his breast were
strung all the medals France can give
to her brave sons, a glittering row
of hard won glory, and as he stepped
closer to the open door, his face ex-
pressive of neither surprise nor in
quiry, l saw that he limped.
Would you care to drive for an
hour?" l asked, not waiting for Marie,
who is at times conveniently slow.
Cor / could take you wherever you
wish to go, if you want to go any
where Or we might have tea
Madame is very good If it does
not put madame out at all, it will be
a pleasure to do just what madame is
most DESTROYS of doing. | should like
exceedingly to drive" $50 .
Marie, | could see, disproved highly
of the whole proceeding. She sat faI
back in her corner with her lips com
pressed into thin acidity. But her
eyes were eager.
very WE'LL" l said. eve will drive
and then perhaps you will tell me
| where you would like to be dropped
and l moved over as he took his place
| beside me.
He was of peasant stock, one OF
those simple, dignified creatures one
sees so often in France and never in
America. He possessed directness
a gentleness most appealing to ar
older woman, and his story, as he told
it, held somewhat of the simplicity Of
the early French poets, a naive
beauty underlying it all,
He was shy at first, and l was glaC
of that; but as time passed he talked
freely, and l will try to tell you wha
he said with as much of his own sim
| plicity as I can remember, putting i
into English for you out of his some
what hating French. .
To begin with, | asked him for hi:
age.
II have twenty-three years, ma
dame. ! went into the army when
had but nineteen. That seems a lon.
time ago-but one does not pass tn,
time very quickly in the army; it al
pears longer when one is fighting
And now, in your so beautiful city, tn
believe that l have already lived her
for whole month. Yes, it is beau
tiful, but-well, of course not Paris
Madame will forgive me? 1 hav
found much kindness here, mucl
northumberland now | am waitin
| Aoi d SAlp WAlSu Will lane me ~ EuS
land"
ITO England?" I queried, puzzled.
He smiled twisted smile, whicl
| took some of the repellant uglines
from his face and gave one an ide
j of what it might have been before h
was so cruelty wounded.
1T is a long story. If madame ha
the patience?" ..-...
| "But l do so want to hear. Pleas
gos on" ...
Madame is very kind to take tn
/ interest. When came out of the hos
pital for the last time, there did no
Iseem to be very much to do. I hay
been wounded fourteen times-not
iyou understand, fourteen separat
times, only five times have l been i
lhospital-but after all that one be
gins to wonder what there can be 70
one so-how shall 1 say?-so mende(
And the last time, when I stood upo
the steps in the sunshine, j thought
II the good God does not show m
the way I shall have to stand her
until | die, and that would be pity
He must have heard me because, a
most at once, two friends of mine
two Italians, beside whom I ha
/! fought, appeared from around the CO.