Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1920-07-09
CHAPTER l.

In the beginning of things he was
merely q number; but even that was
creditable. 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
cntaclysmic suddenness which marked
all changes Of military status on the
western front. he became, one frosty
morning, Case, and got himself
roughly classified (and tenderly han
dled) as Stretcher Case, a Grand
Blesse. and. in consequence. a proper
temporary inmate of Geld hospital
on the Belgian plains.
There, he was unofiicially known as
Joyeaux, or Joyous One; not because
he displayed a very buoyant disposi-
tion-far from II tI-but because he be-
longed to the Foreign legion; and in
the course Of another day or two he
was routine-tcketed as an Evacue,
and provided with a lukewarm hot
water 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 Individ-
ual. and at the very outset he was dis
tinguished by certain qualities which
had passed unnoticed In the frying pan
and f1re 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
grim silence of fortitude in suffering
(which Is altogether too common vir-
tue In base hospitals to earn any es-
pecial merit), but rather the logged
reticence Of black moods and chronic
bitterness. To be sure, speech was
physically difficult to him, but other
men with similar misfortunes spoke
blessings with their eyes, and gave
back gratitude In voiceless murmurs.
Not 70. the Joyous One. From the day
Of his arrival he demanded nothing.
aioof; and SO. when he became an In
dividual. he also became a mystery to
the nursing star. 1t was rumored that
he was an implacable woman hater.
and there seemed to be something in
IT.
Regardless of the care Of the Amer
ican nurses (all hovenngly attentive
to one Of their own nation who had
fought for France). his spirit remained
abysmal and clouded In gloom. Only
twice, In the initial month Of his con-
hnement, did he betray the weakness
Of an ordinary emotion; on each occa-
sion . gold-laced general had come to
salute. In the name Of the republic, one
Of the Individuals neighbors, and to
deliver a bit Of bronze which dRngled
from a ribbon striped red and green.
1t was said (and doubted by those who
hadn't seen it) that at these ceremo-
MES the Individual had grown fever
ish. and let tears come to his eyes, but
subsequently he had relapsed into
still greater depths of stoicism than
before; his own bed-jacket was inno-
cent of cross or medal, and his depres-
sion was apparent, and acute. The
nurses. arguing that perhaps his pride
was wounded MS seriously as his flesh,
offered quick coincidence and got them
selves rebuffed with shrugs of the In
dividuars shoulders, and inarticulate
sounds which had all the earmarks of
suppressed profanity. He didn't even
soften when Pierre Dutout, hard-hit
territorial In the next bed, squandered
a days supply of energy to lean across
and whisper sympathetically to him:
"Old man =. Vieux espece de choux-
croute / know how It is
and / haven't got any friends either.