I saw one little chap pushing through the crowd. He stood before me
and thrust out his hand. "Hello!" he said. I thought his "Hello!"
might be French quite as easily as American, so I merely returned his
handshake. He grinned, and then said in perfectly good "American":
"You forget me, huh?" I admitted my shortcoming in memory; but his
beard was very thick and stubby and his uniform was very dirty. I
complimented his linguistic ability. He waved his arms, saying: "Huh,
didn't I live eight years in little old New York?" Then he came still
nearer, saying: "You don't remember me, and I have served you many a
cocktail. I don't know your name; but I am sure."

After something like a jar I gasped out, "Where?"

"Five years ago, at Mouquin's," he replied, and then I did remember
him, and while the others stood about marveling at their "educated"
comrade who could actually converse with the American, we talked about
many of the old newspaper crowd in New York who frequented that
restaurant. He had sailed on Aug. 4 to rejoin his regiment.

The automobiles arrived, and I climbed aboard. He reached up his hand.

"Tell those folks back in America that we are all doing fine," he
said. Then his voice sank to an impressive whisper: "And take it from
me, you can say we are giving the Germans hell now."

As our automobile jerked suddenly away into the night I could hear my
ex-waiter excitedly introducing American journalism, particularly THE
NEW YORK TIMES, to his regiment on the battlefield.

WYTHE WILLIAMS.

THE LABYRINTH.

[Special Cable to THE NEW YORK TIMES.]

_Paris, June 2._--This is a story about what, in the minds of the
French military authorities, ranks as the greatest battle of the war
in the western theatre of operations, excepting the battle of the
Marne, which has already taken its place among the decisive battles of
the world's history. This battle is still raging, although its first
stages have been definitely settled in favor of the French, who are
continuing their progress with less and less opposition.

So far the battle has received no name. The French official
communiques laconically refer to it as "operations in the section
north of Arras."

I cannot minutely describe the conflict; no one can do that at this
stage. I can, however, write about it and tell what I have seen these
past few days when the Ministry of War authorized me to accompany a
special mission there, to which I was the only foreig