Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-01-29
SYNOPSIS.


Neuilly. France, his face disagured be-
yond recognition, an American soldier
serving In the French army attracts at
tendon by his deep dependency. Asked
by the surgeons for a photograph to guide
them in making over his face, he offers
IN derision Q picture OF the Savior bid
ding them take that as a model They do
90. making . remarkable nkeness
CHAPTER u.-lnvalided home. on the
boat he meets Martin Harmon. New York
broker, who Is attracted by his remark
able features The sx-soldier gives his
name as Henry HilliArd." and his home
rs Syracuse. New York. He left there
under . cloud, and is emb!ttered against
his former fellow townsmen Harmon
makes him . proposition 10 sell mining
stocks IN Syracuse, concealine his iden-
tty. He accepts IL, seeing in IL chance
TO make rood and prove he has been IN
derestimated.
With Angela peer,ng hard over his
shoulder, Mr.. Cullen strained TO de-
cipher the uneven penmanship. He
began to read aloud:
Dear Mr.. Cullen:
Il an asking Mr.. Henry Hilliard
TO bring You TIL, letter personally. 1
want him to tell you what Tn not
writing. too. And you can tell other
people, II you care to.
~ want you to know that since I've
had time 70 think, I've changed my
mind about a good many things. I've
come to the conclusion that you were
RICH. and was wrong. Maybe you
won't remember the last talk we had
together. but I do. You told me then
that didn't have il in me to make
good unless learned that I was about
the most worthless young man in town,
and the one with the hardest row TO
hoe In order to make something out
Of myself, and set out from there
Well, I've learned 1t. I had to. OF
course, 1 couldn't agree with you at
the time. That wouldn't have been
expected. But over here I've had one
lesson after another. Some of them
were pretty bitter but they've all
helped. And since May, when I was
hurt, I've had lots Of time to think
them over.
81 never deserved your kindness and
now can't ever repay 1t. But II may
please you to know that this war
has taught me what you tried to, and
couldn't-that was as close to zero
value at home as man could be. It's
only through this war that I've got
any pride in myself, and Tn sort of
like Kipling's gentleman ranker-Tm
proud of myself because I've done
away with all the other kinds Of pride
I used to have. And believe I've
made good-not as a great general,
but as a private soldier. That was
the trouble at home-I was only fit
to be private. and thought l could
be a general Off hand. You said I'd
do we'll II l learned that, and have.
They gave me the Croix de Guerre,
and In a way. that proves it, doesn't
it? Notice that they didn't even make
me a corporal. thought That's all
right haven't had enough training
yet to be a corporal! It's curious
that I'll admit that, isn't 1t?
II want you to know that I've
thought Of you a great deal. I don't
blame you for letting me go. I did
once, but I don't now. Please think
| Of me. though, as man who came
| through at the finish. even II he'd been
pretty hopeless before.
billiard, the best man in the world,
has promised to bring you this letter.
I hope you'll be glad to see him. and
to hear his side Of the story. This Is
my apology and my blessing, II that's
worth anything to you. ! send kiss
to Angela.
"R. NJ"
Mr.. Cullen ended with falling in
Election, and let the hand which held
the letter drop to his knee.
THE letter, as you might guess from
the looks Of it." said Hilliard, was
written at several different times-ac-
cord!ng to his strength. want you
to realize, too, Mr.. Cullen, that it was
no small effort for him to write it.
And then was in Switzerland when
he died, and his possessions had an
gone to one Of those tape-bound bu-
reaus. 80 that had a fearful time to
identify myself and get what he had
meant me to have, and after that, I
had to make a sudden trip to Russia,
and back to England again. There
were delays-delays. I was Ill for
several months myself; had typhoid
in London. I should have mailed
these things to you long ago, but he
had begged me to come in person, and
had promised. And every day l ex-
pected that In another week or two
/ should start for home. I feel that
owe you this explanation and a
great plea for forgiveness for what