Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-12-27
READ THIS FIRST:

READ THIS FIRST:
While driving her ambulance
along the Paris to Chateau Thierry
highway in company with DR..
Frank Gordon, Patricia Blair, joint
heiress to a $4,000 900 legacy. wit
nesses an airplane crash. The pilot
escapes death, but suffers a skull
fracture and facial decorations. AS
the girl gazes upon him she Is
struck by the marked resemblance
Of the man to her twin brother,
James X. Blair, a flyer In the u.
s. air corps. On the impulse Of the
moment, Patricia cries out: Doctor,
it's my brother Jimmy!"
Pats partial Identification Is lat
er borne out when a search OF the
flyers clothes reveals letters to
James X. Blair and an identifica-
ton tag. Unconscious. he is hur-
ried to the base hospital az c.,
where he appears to be q victim
Of aphasia, q brain disturbance in
duced by shock. He Is listed as the
second case OF that kind received
at the hospital that day.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTTR 2
On the same day. but several
hours prior 10 the plane crash wit
messed by Pat and the doctor. and
just a few miles Always, another
drama was enacted.
It was during the black hour that
Immediately precedes an October
dawn, with the chill of a thick, gray
fog hanging like an enormous wet
blanket over the fighting sector.
Lieutenant Rex W. ballard, of a
Canadian regiment. lying on the
slope Of a huge shell hole. both legs
paralysed from a wound in the
spine, and also suffering acutely
from a ullet-shattered elbow. cuss-
ed softly. but %fervently. He had
been given a lot Of mighty mean
breaks. the lieutenant told himself.
He had led his company "over
the top" the previous morning in
the wake OF a fine, heavy barrage,
and on through a whole day OF
fighting. with never a scratch. Then
just as the call had come TO fall
back, he was hit. First in the
elbow. and then In the spine. The
last bullet put him down for the
count. Some time late, when he
egained consciousness. he found
himself alone on the slope Of q
shell hole, both legs p~aralyzed, help
less. Here he haC lain fc- more
than eight hours. suffering the
keenest torture.
Relief came when least expected.
The lieutenant had about given up
hope. had resigned himself u death
on the battlefield. when out Of the
darkness app ared a human form,
which stumbled. cursed, and rolled
past him Co n into the shell hole.
In passing. the man struck the lieu
tenants wounded elbow. Again the
lieutenant cursed. fluently, eloquent
~. An answering laugh, musical.
deep, came out OF the darkness at
him. That was an American laugh.
surely. The lieutenant himself was
an American, who had sought ad-
venture by joining the Canadian
army in 1916.
Who are you. ami what In heav-
ems are you doing here?" he cried
with a happy yearninE and q bit OF
br0gue in his tone. 1t was often no
ticeable in the lieutenant's voice
under stress Of emotion.
I'm an American from New York
originally FIN OhioI" answered
the newcomer from out or the deep
gloom. You're a New Yorker, too
II know from your talk" added
the speaker. quickly. Then: I'm in
a bad way. pardner. I'm a flyer
or was--in the American flying
corps. "A week ago my ship was shot
down in the enemy territory-hole
through the gas tank. TIL boat was
damaged only slightly. and I also
escaped injury. But I was held a
prisoner. Of course Was treated
decently enough till night before
last, when my clothes. with all my
private letters, as well as my iden-
LITIGATION tag. we're taken. The
uniform Of a German rookie was
left in place of mine. There was
nothing for me to do but climb in
TO ID.
Yesterday morning" continued
the voice. "a chance offered itself
for a getaway. I took it and carried
on throughout the day. getting by
somehow. Last night. just before
dark, a shot took me in the left
arm. Broke the bone. and pains
now like tn devil. But, thank God.
I got awayl How far Is II. would
you say. to tn A--erican line2"
I'm not sure. but I don't think
it's more'n a mile" replied the lieu
tenant. But you'd better wait till
daylight II you're wearing a Hun
uniform. And I'd advise you even
then to go in with ~our hands high
upl"
Il reckon you're right agreed
the owner OF the voice. Then: Il
say, old man. YOU haven't got an