English essays -- 20th century; Short stories, English
Over wire entanglements and across shell holes dashed Private Smithlord,
firing rapidly with his revolver all the while. Nearer to the ill-fated
officer he drew, and then suddenly he was in the midst of the enemy.
Lashing out right and left, he fought his way to the man he had come to
rescue, pulled him up behind him and, amidst a hurricane of bullets,
charged back to the British lines. Nor did he pause till he arrived at
the Colonel's dug-out.
"I have brought him back, sir," he said, and fainted. When he awoke it
was to find himself in the Xth bed of the Yth Base Hospital.
And who is it in the next bed? It is the officer whom he rescued. Do we
recognize him? Alas, no. Although unwounded by the enemy, the exposure of
that terrible day had brought on a severe attack of mumps. We cannot
recognize him. But the nurse assures us that it is our old friend, Major
Murgatroyd.
"A visitor to see you," said the nurse, coming in and waking Private
Smithlord up.
"Can't you say I'm out?" said Smithlord, expecting it was another foreign
decoration and wondering what language he would have to speak this time.
"It's an English Colonel," said the nurse.
Smithlord saluted and begged the nurse to show him up at once. In another
minute Colonel Blowhard had entered.
"I want to thank you," said the Colonel, "for so gallantly rescuing an
old friend of mine--Major Murgatroyd, belonging to the Nth Battalion
Blankshires, but now attached to the Qth."
Smithlord could hardly repress a start. In the excitement of the moment
he had not recognized the features of the man he had saved. It was his
old rival.
"It is curious," went on the Colonel, "that in features you resemble
another old friend of mine, Lord Smith."
"My name is Smithlord, sir."
"Ah! Any relation?"
"None," said Smithlord, crossing his thumbs under the bedclothes.
"Do you mind ringing the bell?" he went on, feeling that at all costs he
must turn the conversation. "I think it is time for my medicine."
In answer to the Colonel's ring a nurse appeared.
"Nurse Brown has just gone out," she said. "Can I do anything for you?"
"Good Heavens! Rosamund!" cried the Colonel.
"Yes, father, it is I," she replied simply. "I have come to France to
find the man I love."
"Murgatroyd?" said the Colonel. "But this gallant fellow was the man
who--By the way, let me introduce you. Private Smithlord, my daughter,
Rosamund."
The two looked at each other face to face. The intuition and ready wit of
the woman pierced the disguise which had baffled the soldier.
"Father," she cried, "it's not Smithlord, it's Lord Smith. George!"
"Rosamund!" cried George. We cannot keep the secret any longer from our
readers; it _was_ Lord Smith.
"Tut, tut, sir, what is this?" said the Colonel. "I turned you out of the
Regiment three weeks ago. What the deuce," he said, for, like all
military men, he was addicted to strong language--"what the deuce does
this mean?"
"I was innocent, sir."
"Father, he was innocent."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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