Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-10-01
CHAPTER XVI,
''ln the EmperOr's Carria9e "

Not word did Marie speak of her exDe-
clifton at Gravelotte; on her arrival there
she fell a-faint into her husbands arms.
out ne thought her overcome by the i'll
tate OF Evelyn, as before, Only late at
night, she wept out the facts to him.
An thought there was something up"
ne Saii. These expeditions of yours, Ma
Il did it for the best, Armand"
Il know. birdie. But the very worst
might have come from it. AS it is, nothing
at all will come l told you the man was
a ruftan."
Well / suppose" said Marie. "tbough II
Is very strange don't know-he was not
altogether unkin1 to me. At first he broke
INTO terrible rage. But afterward- And
Armand ] saw him give such a sidelous
look INTO my eyes. and then at my lips; it
made me blush"
HIM! He doesn't know who it is you
belong to, evidently"
Il told him my husband said no gentle
man would have done it; 50 that was one
for him to swallow"
But the ruTfan! Didn't he saw any,
thing? Didn't he even attempt to excuse
promise?''
No. Net a word. When was going 70
ask him he said Be silentr with such a
irown. He can frOwn. / can tell YOU. And
such a mustache, with hard tags at the
end! II is not mustache, it is a weapon"
80. baDbIirS together, they at last fell
asleep. and Marjes last murrnur was:
Poor Mrs. Vansittartn
1t was the intention of Armand to take
her out of the neighbcrhood by early morn
ing: for there was no doubt that either at
dawn or sunrise some hostile movements
would begin, and that long before midday
the whole locality would be rolled in war.
But he had an intense curiosity to see at
least the beginning of actual fighting and
hung on in Gravelotte till the sun was high
and the clocks pointed to s. At that late
hour there was still. however no sign of
anything In the way of blows.
Nansittart was riding slowly about half
Il mile out OF GraVelotte in company with
some eight or ten persons. His eyes were
hollow, and his careworn face all faded
but with certain toughness, characteristic
OF him, he had stuck to his guns In his
heart. however. as he rode there was moth.
ing else than black and blank despair He
was merely doing his duty. His life was In
ruins about him.
Armand. wandering and lettering here
with Marie before their departure, saw and
approached him.
What said Vansittart assuming a
Wceful bitterness, is this good-bya then .
And Mistress Marie is running from tho
fire and smoke? Well, good voyapei And
thanks. thanks, endless thanks for your
presence here. Are you off to Paris?"
Il am going to join NJ Folliet ar CIer-
mont" said Armand.
All sighed Nansittart, and turned his
face away.
At this point they heard an unexpected
sound behind them. trundiing sound ana
looking round, they saw near to them com
ing from the direction of GraveIotte q s,,In
carriage drawn by two horses bur witbont
any gun on it. Instead. there was a mas
slfe cubical box-a strange object to the
conservative eyes of the old campaigners
stay. said Nansittart lis not this-ves
1t 1s-your engine of flame | ordered one
10 pc sent for experimental use BY night
ran, monsieur, all Europe will know that
the victory of this day was dine to ~
genius Of Armand Dupres"
he SAID II with visible touch of enfhusi
asin ana even Armand's eye frightened
IF 1t does its work, Mr.. Vansittart-"
he said.
1t viii do its work monsieur II bas
been tested, and have kilograms of ire al
soIute efficiency from the manufsctnriro
nrms and the war office. If have NOT dis
cussed the matter with you since Won have
been here-if ! have seemed nnprataf,,
you must put ii down TO my-fny-tronbfn, ;,
HIS voice broke, and he added: 49,,
not fit for anything" ~
Wiz heissen euch hoffenr said Armand
so says the German poet
We'll, then, / will 'hope'-if can R,,t
what is that?"
He pointed across the field
That was a body of horsemen. some
thirty Germans. coming toward him fron
lhe dlrection OF Metz. Uplifted in th=ir
midst there futtered on the morning breeze
white flag of truce. They were escorted
by French officer
They came forward at a rather slow
pace. for the reason that one of their num-
ber-a short, squat man. with fat neck
was on foot. He was in front of all. and
his dress was peculiar 1t was a black
robe reaching to his feet, and on his head
was skull cap.
Then after a minutes breathless sur
prise Vansittart. rising in his stirrup could
see that IN the midst OF the horsemen was