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 $40, 0O0,o 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.
8. air corps. On the impulse Of the
moment, Patricia cries out: Doctor.
it's my brother Jimmy!"
Pats partial identification is lat
n borne out when q 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 ut 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 to the plane crash wit
messed by Pat and the doctor. and
just a few miles aways, 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 q wound in the
spine, and also suffering acutely
from a bullet-Shattered elbow, cuss-
ed softly, but f~ervently. 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 q 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
eFaiaed consciousness, he found
himself alone on the slope Of q
shell hole, both legs paralyzed, help
less. Here he hao lain for more
than eight hours, suffering the
keenest torture.
Relief came when least expected.
The lieutenant had about given I'D
hope. had resigned himself u death
on the battlefield. when out OF the
darkness app AIRED q human form,
which stumbled, cursed, and rolled
past him Go- n into the shell hole.
In passing. the man struck the lieu
tenants wounded elbow. Again the
lieutenant cursed, fluently, eloquent
ly. An answering laugh, musical.
deep, came out OF the darkness az
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 q happy yearning and a bit Of
brogue 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 I'm Ohiol" answered
the newcomer from out OF the deep
gloom. You're q New Yorker, too
II know from your talkl" added
the speaker, quickly. Then: SIN In
q 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. Tn boat was
damaged only slightly. and I also
escaped injury. But I was held n
prisoner, OF course. Was treated
decently enough till night before
last. when my clothes, with all my
private letters. as well as my lden.
LITIGATION tag. we're taken. The
uniform Of a German rookie was
left In place or mine. There was
nothing for me to do but climb in
to 10.
Yesterday morning" continued
the voice. "a chance offered itself
for a getaway. I took 1t 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 away How far Is II. would
you say, to tn American line?"
I'm not sure. but I don't think
It's more'n q mile" replied the lieu
tenant. "But you'd better wait till
daylight If you're wearing "a Hun
uniform. And I'd advise you even
then to 80 in with ~our hands high
upl"
Il reckon you're right" agreed
the owner OF the voice. Then. II
, say, old man, you haven't got an