that they are very belle. (Now don't mispronounce things an get sore
till you know. You pronounce that like the bell in push button. It means
good lookers.) There crazy about us fellos. They call us Sammies. They
named one of there rivers for us. You have heard of the battle of the
Samme. But I dont suppose you have.

They have been learnin us a lot about gas at attacks lately. These are
not the kind your father has. These are more like the open places in the
street on 6th avenoo. Only in the army when anything like this happens
they give you a gas mask. A gas mask is like a cracked ice bag with
windos in it. An in the front they got a cigaret holder. I always heard
how the French was cigaret feends. I guess it got so bad they put in the
holders sos they could smoke during a gas attack.

Im goin to put on my mask an have my pictur took en cabinet. Thats
nothin to do with furniture, Mable. Its the French for what its goin to
look like when its done.

The gas fello said the other day that gas was perfectly safe cause you
could always tell when it was comin. You could hear it escape or see it
or smell it. The only trouble was, he said, that when the gas started
the machine guns made so much noise you couldnt hear it an it always
came at night sos you couldnt see it and when you smelled it it was most
to late to bother anyhow. I been thinkin that over. Seems to me theres a
joker in the contract somewhere. Ask your father to read it over an see
if it sound droit (thats French for right) to him. Better still. Ask
Higgins the grocer to give it the once over. Hes got a grand tete as the
French say when they mean brains.

[Illustration: "NOT THE KIND YOUR FATHER HAS"]