Page 111 - 1918 VES Meteor

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cJowu's heart wns bleeding, but still he forced himself to play the fool tlJat these men might ha\·e light in their
darkness.
Suddenly there was a wail, a shriek. The canvas ripped and a Doche shell exploded. 'When the smoke cleared away~ there Jay the clown, with criJUson staining his white make-
up, and a cru111pled yellow sheet by his side. The Doctor-
bent over the prostrate fol'm. Jules stirred slightly-opeued
his eyes. J U$t then another message came. The stricken
clown extended his hand fo1· it, aud the Doctor 1·ead th& words:
"Son survived operation. All well.
"Dn. L\VAN."
A happy smile lit up the dying man's face Rnd he mur- mured, "It.'s my heart." The doctor nodded; he knew there was no hope. The clown moved slightly-the doctor hent
his h<.'ad : "Don't tell my boy I was bnt a clown," he mur- mured to the doctor and the General who were leaning O>er him. "I'm no good- but he will be. I don't want him to know." Tl1e Genera) 1·c·nd the two cnhles, nnd in them he
read the story of a deed of true valor. ITc looke•l at the
l'ccuutbent man, aud thought of the joy and hopt> be had
brought to the suffering nncl the sad. Then he unpinned the
Croix de Guerre from his OWJJ hrenst nnd pinned it on the clown's S!)Otted garb.
"Your son has reason to be proud of ltis father," the grizzled Yeteran snid hnskily.
It wns tlte fulfi11ment of Jules' hopes. H e closed his eyes,
and his face it'll into a pcaco that he l1ad not kuo'Vll since
his boyhood days. A sli~rht tremor shook him, and there near F landers field passed-the clown.
S. R. 1\fcCuLLocn.
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