Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-02
We not yet breakfasted myself Shall

/
we go IMP
She led the way into the dining room and
closed the door. He put his arms around
her and looked into her clear eyes.
| TT is bad newsT' she said slowly.
Eyes, Yolette.'
"Not--not about NJ. Harewocdr'
mo- hope not"
| seTell me, Cecil"
| "Metz has surrendered; BaZaine and his
army are prisoners.
Tears filled her eyes.
"what else, Cecil? There is something
| else"
Eyes, there is. LIE Bourget was carried
| by assault yesterday forenoon"
She sat down by the table, nervously
| twisting the cloth. He took chair oppo-
| site, resting his chin on mis- hands.
Jim was there" he said. after silence.
| 'Then-then-he-"
Eyes, he will come back to Paris because
the soItie has failed to pierce the German
| lines"
He should have come back last night"
| said Yolette.
Bourlse nodded silently.
| And because he has not yet returned
you are worried" continued Yolette. Her
hand stole across the table and his own
| frightened over it.
HE has been delayed-that's ALL said
Bourke. making an effort to shake of his
depression.
| I'VE will say nothing to Hide about it."
Red Riding Hood entered bearing the
breakfast covers. Hide came in a moment
later and looked anxiously at Bourke.
He smiled cheerily and began to read
| from the morning paper aloud how NJ.
| Theirs. who had been trotting around all
! ever Europe to enlist the sympathies of the
| great powers in behalf of France. had just
| returned from Vienna and had entered
| Paris with Bismarck's kind permission. 1t
| seems that M. Theirs had sounded England,
| Russia, Austria and Italy and found them
in accord with himself that an armistice
| should suspend hostilities for while until
| a national assembly could be convened and
terms of peace discussed with Bismarck
and his sentimental sovereign. Hide scarce
| ly listened. Yolette nibbled her toast and
tried to understand a diplomatic muddle
that needed older brains than hers to solve.
Outside in the street the newsboys were
| crying, Extra. Surrender of Bazaine! Fall
of Metz! Terrible disaster at LIE Bourget.
Extra! Full list of the dead and wounded!'
Bourke tried to keep Hides attention; she
smiled at him and held out an extra that
she had already bought and devoured.
IF he was at LIE Bourget." She said, 'he
| was not hurt. See! Here are the names"
She kept her eyes on Bourke as he read
the long columns of dead, wounded and
! missing. When he finished she said:
Will he come back to Paris now?'
Il hope So said Bourke cheerily. Per
haps the Mouse is with him. Heavens!
What a mess Trochu made of it at LIE
Bourget- 1t seems that General Bellemare
was absent in Paris when the Prus-
slams fell on LIE Bourget. It's somebody's
fault-that's clear-and very safe to say"
he added with an attempt at gayety that
deceived no one.
Red Riding Hood, who now always held
herself straight as an arrow when people
spoke of soldiers-for had not her father
died in uniform?-said in clear voice: IF
| the Prussians are in LIE Bourget-are we
not in PARISH
Good for you!" said Rourke heartily
Let Metz fall. let Strassbourg tumble
down, let LIE Bourget blow up, we are in
P Ear 1.-TWO, two young ladies', young. man and
Red Riding Hood. Vive la France."
They all smiled a little ROurka went ont
| laughing, quite confident he had dispeled
some of the gloom. 1t was raining again.
He buttoned his overcoat close to the throat
and hurried away on his daily visit to the
war office.
The streets he traversed were filled with
people. the Place Saint-Sulpice was black
with mob shouting and gesticulating,
| Down with the ministry! Resign!" 1t was
| impossible to approach the war office. The
Place de rHotel de Vile, the square in front
| of the Louvre. the gardens of the Luxem-
bourg were swarming with excited crowds,
indignant at the miniStry's suggestion of
| an armistice. which they considered pre-
| liminary to the surrender of Paris-furious
| at the news from Metz and hysterical over
| the disaster of LIE Bourget.
At 8 o'clock that morning the carbineers
had marched into Paris, spreading the re-
| port that LIE Bourget had been betrayed to
the Prussians, that they had escaped after
prodigies of heroism and that the govern
| ment was responsible for everything.
Bourke, hosting himself upon the railing
VI lHe looked out over the
vast throng toward a window. where.
hedged in by the bayonets of the carbin-
GERS. Buckhurst sat, pale and impossible,
beside Flourens. Mortier had just finished
a venomous Grafton, and Flourens, booted
and spurred had risen and was facing the
mob. His handsome face grew red with
excitement, his gestures became more vio-
lent as the roar of appreciation increased.
'F1Ve Flourens! Down with the govern
ment! The speech was a passionate plea
for the commune and a pledge that the
city would never surrender.
What Is this senle ministry that 1t
should seek peace for us who demand war!
war! war! What was its price when
Metz was sold, when LIE Bourget went up
In flames? The day will come when the
government must answer to the commune
ble''
The uproar was frightful. The carbin-
GERS discharged their rifles in the air and
shouted, 'Vtve la commune!"
Inob of National Guards cheered them
vociferously. In the midst of the din Buck
hurst rose. Slowly his white impressive
face bent to meet the sea of upturned faces
The drums were silenced, the explosion of
rifles ceased. the harsh yells died away.
THE ministers" he said. In low voice,
are at the Hotel de Vile. The govern
ment must resign. The commune is pro-
de Ville?'
There came laundering shout For
ward!' The throngs surged swung back.
and burst into cheers as the carbineers.
drums rolling, bayonets slanting wheeled
out into the Boulevard ST. Michel
bourke Followed the crowd. now almost
entirely composed Of National Guards. mo-
D1es, franc-tireurs and swarms of ruffians
from Belleville. AS they marched they bel
lowed the ''Carmagnole," the sinister
blasts of the buglers, the startling crash
of drums, the trample and chouting com
6ined In one hideous pandemonium of
deafening sound. AS they poured through
the Rue de Rivoli and flooded the square
OF the Hotel de Vile. Bourke saw General
Trochu come out on the marble steps
and wave back the leaders, who were al
ready smashing in the iron gate
Buckhurst ran up the steps and faced
the governor Of Paris There was sharp
exchange of words, menacing gesture
from Buckhurst then he showed the gov
ernor aside. In a moment the yelling pack
swarmed into the splendid building. The
ministers fled to the Sale fu Conseil and |
barricaded the door. Flourens set his car
bineers to guard it. Buckhurst let the mob
loose throughout the great marble building |
and the. pillage began. The splendid rooms
We're looted gilded mirrors smashed, fur
nature mutilated, walls and frescoes torn |
to atoms.