© Keystone View Company 



the; gallery oe battles, royal palace : Versailles, France 



"We wander slowly and awesomely through the grandeur of the gallery of battle pictures. 

 I never forget to point out the trench helmet, so like the one in use now, and employed, as 

 one picture proves, early in the thirteenth century." 



We see the ballroom, of a size and 

 splendor never equaled in the history of 

 the world. We walk the entire length 

 and my thirty-two steal shy or defiantly 

 bold glances at themselves in its mirrored 

 walls. I hear a voice say, "Some dug- 

 out ;" and again, "Gee, I'd like to stay 

 here for duration." 



I turn around and for the first time get 

 a good look at the one the others have 

 dubbed the "Infant." I call him to me 

 on the pretense of showing him the view 

 from the windows. I talk rapidly, so that 

 he may not be too ill at ease. After a 

 few minutes he tells me he is from Provi- 



dence, R. I. ; that he is just seventeen and 

 has been on active service for more than 

 a year. When I ask how he got in so 

 young, he smilingly admits that he ran 

 away from home, lied as to his age, and 

 that he's mighty glad he came, except 

 for the discipline. "That's pretty hard 

 on a man, you know." 



I look at him again and I see that he 

 is straight, and strong, and very intelli- 

 gent. I see also that he has a baby mouth 

 and an almost loving way of staring at 

 me. So I decide to take him under my 

 wing — and I do so. I scold him in all 

 earnestness when he insists upon sliding 



54* 



