The Raymer enterprise., 1920-08-05
CHAPTER I.

IN the beginning Of things. he was
merely q number: hut even that was
crpditable. because his number was
low enough to signify that he had re-
sponded pretty promptly to the rally.
Ing call. After that. and with the
cataciysmic suddenness which marked
oil changes Of military status on the
western front. he became. one frosty
morning. a Case. and got himself
roughly classified (and tenderly han.
dlsdl a. u Stretcher Case. a Grand
Blssss. and. In consequence, Q proper
temporary inmate Of q neld hospital
sn the Belgian plains.
There. he was unoficially known a.
Joyeaux. or Joyous One; not because
hs displayed very buoyant dlsposi.
ton-far from it!-but because he be.
longed to the Foreign legion: and In
thr course Of another day or two he
was routine ticketed a. an Evscue.
aud provided with . lukewarm hot.
wafer bottle and . couple Of evil.
smelling cigarettes to console him on
the road to the base hospital at Neu.
lily.
At Neuilly he became. for the first
time since his enlistment. an lndlvld.
ual. and at the very outset he was dis.
tinyuished by certain qualities which
had passed unnoticed In the frying pan
and nre Of the trenches. For one
thing. he was obviously immune to
kindness and for another. he was ap-
parently immune to hope. He was, a
man Of inveterate silence: not the
eEtm silence Of fortitude In suffering
(which 10 altogether too common a vir.
tue In base hospitals to earn any es.
pecial meriD, but rather the dogged
rsticence Of black moods and chronic
bitterness. To be sure. speech was
physically difficult to him, but other
meu with similar misfortunes spoke
blessings with their eyes, and gave
back gratitude In voiceless murmurs.
Not 20 the Joyous One. From the day
Of hia arrival he demanded nothing.
desired nothing. but to brood sullenly
aloof; and SO, when he became an In.
dividual. he also became q mystery to
the nursing staff. II was rumored that
hs was an implacable woman hater.
and there seemed to be something 10
Il.
Regardless Of the care Of the Amer
lean nurses (all hoveringly attentive
b one Of their own nation who had
Soaght for Francs). his spirit remained
abysual and clouded In gloom. Only
twice, In the initial month Of his con.
Ansment. did be betray the weakness
oe an ordinary emotion: on each occa.
sion Q gold.laced general had come to
salute. In the name Of the republic, one
II the Individuals neighbors. and to
Aslivsr bit Of bronze which danglsd
from Q ribbon striped red and green.
Il was said land doubted By those who
hadn't seen ~ that At these cersmo-
nlso TIE Individual had grown fever.
q, and let tears come to his eyes, but
ouheequently be had relapsed into
seill greater depths Of stoicism than
bsfors: his own bed.jacket was inno-
Seut of crsss Or medal. and his d.prss-
Glon was apparent. and acute. The
anrDs4 tryuing that perhaps bis pride
vas wounded a. seriously a. his desh.
eGsssd Qulck condolences and got them
eelyes ssbuied with shruss Of the In
lIvldual's shouldssA and inarticulats
se0adD WAieh had Ill the sasmarks Of
1nepeeseed profanity, He didn't even
80 wAen Pierre Dusout hard.hit
teusltesial b ths nszt bed. squandsssd
Z 6ay's supply 4 sasrsy . lean aersss
~ whisper syupathstieally y hin:
Soal nm a.. vieog sspscs - eAssx.
Goafs knew Nv Il = !.
- I Aavss't - ~ nien1s asAss.