New Britain herald., 1927-01-05

1 Well" he made answer. '1'll tell you, Nellie, darlin'-or Downing, mean-Tm just hangin' around. And the hangin' is pretty good around this park. The mayor gave orders to the police last week to let ex- service men sleep on the grass-il we'd keep the snow shoveled off. An we get all the icicles we want to eat l free of cost. They drop from the caves of the municipal building" That, Mike went on to explain, was why he was looking so fine and | fat.
 '1cicles are great for gas-bombed l soldiers with a little salt on 'em- salt on the icicles, not the soldiers: they don't need any salt - we've been fed up on salt-salt bull, salt horse, salt everything.
 "Of course" he went on. his gaze resting speculatively on hobo at ease on a nearby bench. tits under stood that ex-soldiers have gotta keep away from the city lodgin' houses an jails. They're well filled all the time with cash customers mollbuzzers, stickups. an cannons. When didia get back from France, an where yuh goin' now?'' The laughing mouth of the little nurse strengthened and a serious look came into her eyes.
 T returned yesterday on a steam CT from Cherbourg." she told him. And oh, Mike," she went on quick ly, seeing you made me forget for q moment, but I'm on a very sad assignment #In connection with over in France. He was she'll shocked at Sedan and his brain is wrecked.
 Hes now in No 3 Hospital on Long Island and there has been q terrible mixup in his identity We supposed from letters and pictures of an elderly woman and a girl found sewed up in his coat when he was brought to the hospital at Metz that he was John Powell of Newark. But when Mrs Powell and the girl came to visit him on Long Island they said they had never seen him before"
 How those pictures and letters came to be found i'll his coat. Nellie Downing went on, was a mystery. The war office was notified and finally communicated with the hos pital authorities in Metz, but every thing was topsy- -turvy in France and is yet. This young soldier belonged to a machine gun unit of six, four of which were blown to pieces by German she'll Part of another body ! was found near the shell holes and buried with hundreds of others. "All those bodies have been taken up and are now being prepared for shipment back to this country. So you see how impossible it was to straighten out matters over there. I'm hoping to get some kind of clew, but I'm afraid l won't" She shook her head and looked across the park, a worried expression on her face. After q moment she turned back again to the man in khaki.
 Don't you want to go over with me, N1ike?" she asked, little plain- lively. we'll take a surface car over to Brooklyn and then get q taxi out to the hospital. Don't you want to go?"
 Mike Hennegan allowed himself to look at her-quite long look. Then he scratched his ear meditatively and stroked his chin where three days growth of beard glinted warm ly in the rays of the April sun. Again his mouth took on whimsical twist as he glanced down sideways at the good looking nurse.
 Well" he made answer slowly, fits just like this, Miss, Downing. I'd like to go, all right, but I'm, I'm not exactly what you'd call blistered with jack"
 "Jack?" she repeated.
 You know. dough. You see, I haven't got card yet in the Pan- handlers Union, so they won't let me work on the Big stem. was tilillhIA tl Jollllll SuD"tlJ HUI, but the cannons say my hands are too big for liftin' pokes out of tight hip pockets. That's why these whiskers are So"
 "I understand, Mike" cut in Nell lie Downing, nodding wisely. for she had been bred in New York and knew fairly well what he was talk ing about. T think can fix you up all right so you can go with me. Just turn around and look up at the dome on the World Building for half a minute"
 Mike turned and looked up as he was told to do, the while his grin spread alarmingly. He was a good guesser. Mike was, and, as they happened to be standing in front of q hedge, he guessed at once that Red Cross private bank was going to be raided for his especial benefit.
 But Mike wasn't too thin- skinned and it didn't make any difference to him right then where 1t came from just so he got it.
 Here, take this" he heard the voice of Nellie Downing saying. He looked around again and the voice went on: GO over to that restau- rant on the corner and get a good meal. Then get shaved and come right back here. I'll be waiting for you on one of these benches"
 Mike accepted the bill that was being showed at him. If was nic0 and yellow and had the figure 20 on it. He smoothed it out with a loving touch. Then he reached out his right hand.
 Shake, little partner" he said: