Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-09-07
A TALE OF ALSACE.


The carriage was gong at terrihc
pace. The horses, unusually excited by
the Whlte WINE that mad peen poured
over their oats, dasied through tne ar
whlch whistied past thelr ears ineir
ROOFS resounaed iouoiy on the hard no
zeA read Ihe Two carriage lanterns
shone III the hight IKE the glowing eyes
OF some huge, prehistoric monster.
Inns mad, furious course IN the dark
ness had something strange about It,
something mysterious, sinister, and all
the more so, perhaps, that 1t was taking
place III the aimee terrlble-the terrible
year when the Germans were III -Alsac'e'
The carriage, Ike a vessel III distress
on Q raging sea, osclllafed nom lett to
right and from right to lett.
When the vehicle, which had been fly
ing down the slopes OF Ottrot, raced
through the village, passing like an ex-
press tram the houses with their little
low roofs on when the moon cast sill
very llght, the good women, suddenly
heightened, made the sign OF the cross
with a trembling OF the knees and a
whispered prayer.
/ Mon Dleul What Is going to become
OF uss
Inc children crouehed, terrified,
against the knee OF the Older persons
Everywhere there was 4 sense OF depres-
sion and evll presentlment and-a char
acteristle sign OF general terror-the
Ia,yod 70 s;nIr 1r,,. and ny ~ e.. 10
ono thonol,t Of l,oo,,inc, tl'o,,, .I;yo
The fact was tho pr7ssiare fo, several
weeks nact had boon c,,,ollv ravae,ina,
tbe conntrv
Tho eving corr;aco oo,to;,od como
cor,,o, efYi,o,S IL 80 a. loarans -. -
socrot o,.do,.s 20 G
s.Fosta o. fasto,. >, tho~ or;od ,nh;
n;ng mn tbe moor ho,ses which wera II
ready breathing fire and snolre ont ~
/ their noetri1s The yretcbed driver tor-
ritied oheved poacbanicaI1v
ssTonnerre y, he orowlad .s,,v horSes
will dio Whom +bov yoacl tboi, staI1a 70
tbev do NOT h,oaL tha;, nooI-s r,o;n[,
rornd ono of +hasa stoo,, o,,,-,-os,,, Al
tba strol-os - 10 - ,ado,1,ioa -
tba Air., ,Sooa4,,a all 80 -
| L.,
Tho +roeO soo,,,od - er rst N,+nxo
borgolf ,,ro+ostod oo.a;,,et ~ lila Load
Lone caroer for o. tbio ,,o,ao,,t IL 40
/ moon b;d ber faoo bol,ind a olo,,d os e
cbo ala moi ,,,isI, 20 bo :, ,,,;+,,ese -, a.
scc,,o AUD st;I1 +hov, a., on,,,ard
-
mat afternoon the enemy had taken
possession OF the village Of Ottrot, and,
as their custom was, had installed them
selves III the peoples houses.
-Four superior officers were domiclled
wlth the mayor Ihey sat there III the
middle OF his best drawing room, talk
ing loudly III ther gutteral Jar9on and
! smoking thelr long pipes OF porcelain
/ whlle they drled their boots at the hot
ilre nlazlng III the CRATE.
Ihelr unwilling host, tall old man,
with white beard, served them with
drinks as graclously as he could. His
eye passed sadly from one to tho other,
ms venerable head shaking melanchol-
NY, as IL TO say; 1t Is the right OF the
strongest what can one do against a
hundredF
Perhaps his mind was dwelling ON the
past Perhaps he was looking forward
10 revenge thinking, 1t may be, OF the
tlme When his countrymen, by one OF
those spontaneous movements that the
frehcn alone are capable OF, would be
victorious ana ohering mercy to these
very oflcers' ms guests
he raised ms whlte head IN gesture
Oh denahce' ana MS eyes shot IRE lie
seemed 10 nave grown ~ years younger,
ana thls transhe uratlon was evidence OF
ms tremendous internal agitation.
he was recalled to the present by a
gentle KNOCK at the door, and almost
| lnneolateIy afterward he saw III the
porch 'he talI' powerful frame OF Lux
VINO was 'he foreman Oh the mayor S
servants aiu hodern hefcnles' lie
gers as he would break an eggsheil.