New Britain herald., 1926-12-24
WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE

and turned toward his own barracks i Back once more with his own out : fit and packing his duffle bag, ht
 was forced to answer Lombard
 ment of questions. What's up, Elwell?" Coin to travel" he answered. Where to-"
 Don't know" He's prob'ly goin' to Camp Mer. {, ritt, tn lucky stiff" T was near Camp Merritt once When they took me they sent me to Fort Slocum, New York. An now
 I'm out here in Indiana. I suppose my next move is San Francisco" Yeah, go to France by way oi the Golden Gate. See the world!" Fort Slocum, Simmons observed i was the place where Uncle Sam sent you until he made up his mind l about you. wish I was goin' with you, Elwell," he said. Same here," said Jim. Sorry you're not comin' along" That night Jim found himself on
 a train, along with perhaps a hun. | dred others, all of them enthusiastic at the prospect of getting away not knowing where they were going but hoping it was toward Hoboken- and France.
 Jim got off letter to the family and gripped Simmons hand warm ly as he left. Simmons, this quiet, we'll hammered chap, was to die in a gallant but foolhardy attempt to disentangle a first lieutenant from 8 barbed wire and get him out of range of German bullets.
 The lieutenant lost leg but lived, to call personally on the Simmons family in Chicago after the war and tell them of their herois son, an act for which the elder Simmons was so grateful that he took the officer into his business and made him d rich man. The fortunes of war .... Someone had guessed correctly when he said Camp Merritt. To this area in New Jersey, where men were snatched from their hunks in the early hours before dawn to be placed on board transports, Jim Elwell and many others were as- signed.
 It was here. where men came and went every day, where troops poured in from all over the United States and poured out again toward Eu- rope, that Jim was to form one of the most peculiar friendships of his career. Peculiar because Jim Elwell, brought up in a family where rigid honesty and unwavering morals were accepted as a matter of course, became the bosom pal of a product of New York's slums. an undersized youth who had been shifting for himself since he was a ragged ur- chin of ten and whose code was every man for himself.
 Joe Wren was his name. Jim took his part in an argument one day and fought his fight for him when the wrath of Wren's enemy was diverted to himself. An act for which Wren was grateful.
 Food at Camp Merritt was "army grub" and while filling and sustain ing 1t was lacking in some of the more polite fare to which most of them were accustomed.
 One afternoon, three days after his arrival at camp, Wren, com plained that his stomach was yearn- ing for something sweet, hit Jim Elwell for a loan.
 I'm busted an I'm hungry, Jim. Let me take a buck"
 Jim was flat himself. he informed the other. i've got four bits, Joe. That's all to my name till pay day."
 well, got anything you can sell or borrow on? Cigaret case, watch, ring?'
 "No, nothin' I'd care to hook"
 "Well, how about this fountain pen?" pointing to Jim's shirt pocket.
 Jim smiled. ''It's a good pen. but I don't think I'd want to sell 1t. It cost sS.50."
 "Eight-fitty? Gee, it must be solid gold!"
 Only the pen point was that, Jim assured him. Still, t was a good pen.
 "Tell you what. We'll sell 1t an go an eat. What goods a fountain pen gonna do you when you get in tn trenches?"
 Jim couldn't knock over his argu- ment. Very little, he admitted.
 well, sell 1t, then. If you want It back again. I'll see that you get 1t sooner or later"
 Jim didn't ask how. Tn fact, he never thought again of ever getting it back,
 'I'u pick out some guy who looks like he had some money and while I'm talkin' to him you come up an try to sell the pen. Leave the rest to me-"
 He left, and Jim followed at dis tance. Soon Joe Wren had collared a strange youth, just in with a field artillery unit. and engaged him in earnest conversation.
 Jim stepped up. Say, buddy, ] got cleaned out in crap game, an I'm willin' to sell this fountain pen Wanta buy it?"
 The youth looked suspicious. He was a rosy checked lad and most likely someone had told him to be careful of some of his army asso- ciates.
 I'm broke myself" he informed Jim, but took the pen and eyed 1t How much do you want