New Britain herald., 1927-06-20

the croix dc guerre on Phil's shirt just over his heart and left . cita- ton on the bed which told that even in his unconscious state he had managed to babble the information asked for-information' for which he had been wounded and Lieuten- ant Dolan killed: information which had caused the death of his best friend. Rodney Maxwell.
 All this came to Phillip as the officer stopped to kiss him on both cheeks. and he was met with such 2 volley of oaths and abuse that he left in horror. thinking the man who had just been honored with one of the great rewards of war had suddenly gone mad. After he had gone. Phillip Wynne Tracy W tore the croix de guerre from his bosom and flung 1t as far as his weak arm was able. What did it mean to him, except to tell him that Rod had gone out of his life forever?
 What did 1t mean, except that his best friend was dead?
 What did he care that because of his information the allies were able to hold the hill? Someone was calling 1t a great patriotic deed.
 What in hell was patriotism. any, way? He remembered that he and Rod had felt very patriotic that morning when they signed up to- gether.
 Now he couldn't go on without Rod--Rod who had done the brav- est act. not for his country. not for all their damned little warning countries-but for him. and he had done it voluntarily, and some idiotic Frenchman had pinned on him the cross, who did not deserve 1t, and expected him to think he was re- warded flor valor on the field of battle"
 He didn't want reward. He want ed Rod-Rod who used to creep through the hedge between their houses and call to him. The sobs came thick and fast. He thought his heart was DredklnS.
 Later that night the nurse picked up the cross and pinned 1t on his shirt while he was sleeping.
 She understood. She also knew that Phil had been brave: that he deserved this medal: that he ought to keep 1t and when time had par tially wiped away his despair the sight of that cross might bring him a need of comfort if it only brought to him memories of Rod.
 Phillip Wynne Tracy " stirred in his sleep. The nurse bent over him and murmured, "Yes, l know it's hell. Everything on earth Is hell just now. Good night, buddy"
 Three months later. Phillip was declared able to rejoin his outfit. His shoulder was completely we'll and the surgeons had saved the arm that they had though he would surely lose, by repeated operations. His lungs, however. which had re- ;arded his recovery. were not yet thoroughly healed.
 f16 Idu plcHty OL pclH6 he had all he wanted of hospitals, of nurses and care and being done up in cotton batting. He wanted to get rack to his outfit.
 The bed which had seemed haven of rest to him when he had first wakened in the hospital now was torture and the smell of anaes- thetics was worse than any other one that he had experienced during the war.
 Although the surgeons thought he should be sent home, he begged with such persistence to be sent back to his outfit that at last a doc tor more sympathetic than the rest made 1t possible for him to go.
 He was not happy, but it was with less grief than he had felt since he had become conscious that Rod was gone, he prepared to start for his regiment the next day There at least he would find those who understood.
 That night he was brought two letters.
 (To Re Continued)
 One letter Is iron, his mother. the other from Natlee. The next chapter also tells more of Major Aukland.