New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-09

n New England village. The D. A. Ri
n and the Sons of Veterans and II.
Loyalty League were holding CON.
memoration meeting in the parlors Of Tie
County Historical Society.
The speaker, stout, husky, ford h.
dividual of some thirty eight or forty
years, was waxing quite eloquent about
the "gurrand old flag" Lovingly he ca
ressed the silken emblem on the rssdh,
desk before him, as he recounted III
deeds of valor done by the men who fol
lowed it. Beginning with the Boston Ma
sacre, he gradually wound his tortuou
way down to the year 1918, and was still
going strong.
"But, ah, my fellow citozuns," he sp
claimed, chose were the days when we s,Y
Old Glory advance against the sensl
ranks of the Prussian Guards on the ot
Alsace front; against the minions Of The
Hapsburgs as they stood massed before u
on the fields of Flanders; against the ter.
rible Turks, whom we met and conquered
at Chateau Thierry"--
Just then a hardy, weatherbeaten IN
dividual in the back of the little hail. o.
individual who, from the way he workel
the cud in the corner of his face, obvioui
ly did not 'belong" in the select anss
phere of the historical society parlOrs but
had just happened in, stirred in his seat
Then he rose Pointing forefnger The
first joint of which was missing straigti
at the speaker, he inquired:
Say, mister, where was you in France
The audience visibly futtered. Inter
ruptions simply don't happen in well reg
ulated historical society meetings. In fs'
the female portion of the audience-a
majority that is-audibly gasped.
"I-in France, my friend" parried ii
speaker, sparring for wind Where VT
: in France? ~
eyes, mister; where was you in France
"Why, er-er''-- the speaker attempts
but the words would not come.
81 thought So" the hardy, weathsrbssss
interlocutor remarked drily. Thanks
1t was the year 1888, In a thriving an
hustling American city whose populate
ran up into six figures. A monster politics
rally was being held one evening in the d
Beechwood auditorium.
The speaker, tall, muscular man, We
preserved and in his forty-eighth or iitis'
year, was a candidate for the seat n =
United States Senate open at that 1911
election. He made splendid figure IS
stood out on the rostrum, clad in Prin
Albert open enough to show gorgeous 9
panse of white waistcoat girded BY g.
watchchain bearing the emblems Of eVe'
secret society under the sun.
He was a good ta1ker, and made his poiI
we'll about the industrial growth Of
state, the economic policy OF the nation 81
its foreign relations. The latter sub'e'
however, led him into dangerous waters
"Why, my fellow townsmen,' he
claimed, sin the stirring days Of the SUI
mer of 1918, when we beat back the J
from the very gates of the fair city
Meaux"-
Just then, from the rear of the hail. tne
rose a man. He wore q plain suit OF SCI
and the right sleeve OF his coat was emp
He had the insignia of no secret soeie'
on his watchchain-in fact, he mao
chain, but still chung TO the old wrist wa
but in his buttonhole he had little -
of ribbon. Pointing his one remaining ~
at the speaker, he inquired:
where Go you get that we stuff? WE
was you in France ?"
"Wh-why," clustered the great M
"wh--what do you ask ME that for.
Because / want to know" replied :, I,
questioner. CAT this point, something :,
a smoker emerged from a far corner Of
gallery)
eyes, where was you in France" Ply y,
UP the voice of wicked and irrepfesss''
small boy in another corner of the yS''''
and another smoker broke forth. Prov
ing volubly against these unseemiy ~.
ruptions" and having great deal 70
about the fright of free speech the y.
statesman brought his harangue to "a
seemly close.
In the confusion attendant on tas :
the one armed man made his escape
"Guess he's sorter S. o. L." he iems =.
to himself. with grin.-From 1hs 0s'
and Stripes.
4