"Your little kerchief has been an excellent fetich, mademoiselle. I wore it on my wrist in the attack of April 17. It is a priceless star of gold, on my croix de guerre, and I hope you will be pleased! I offer it to you—because, it is my shining star!"
THE RETURN OF JEAN PAUL COCHIN,
GRAND BLESSÉ, PARIS.
May, 1917.
It was at the beginning of July, 1915, when the army of the Crown Prince unloosed its big thrust in the Argonne.
The battle was raging to the north of St. Menehoulde and this sector became suddenly the most active on the whole front.
Jean Paul Cochin, soldier of the second class in the — Regiment of Infantry was sorely wounded July 7, toward four o'clock in the afternoon near Vienne-le-Château. A shell burst near the parapet of the trench in which he was stationed, shattering his two arms.
He was thrown violently to the ground and lost consciousness——
Toward dusk he half-opened his eyes, but could not move; he suffered very much—his lips dry and he had a tremendous thirst.
Then he felt himself being moved—he recalled vaguely having heard the murmur of a voice—some jolting, sharp pains which hurt.
A stop! He heard guttural voices, a bright light passed several times before his eyes which he could not open——