The La Jara chronicle., 1906-04-27

heroIcauy, clearing out much of the
OF Of the moro SauaSe Sn9 faspe5S pae
dawnsd NED the @ Count left Us. going soath
issimo-a somewhat childish procccdS
ing. i thought. though 1 did not op-
my care. | had confded. to him my
tender sentiments, and after blessing
US both he bade me watch her, care
emy to set out for Bethel, small town
to the northwest, where Aimee had
The Meuse in ri'Si front of the Chateau
haiEEunay Lag was perhaps quarter OF 2
was no break fer a considerable dis
| tance north anu south. Some three
rowed. at the town of Ramune, where
| massive stone bridge spanned the
deep waters. This point was selected
ing Aimee with a strong guard of
armed servants, some OF whom were
set out on horseback for Ramune,
1 looking like a French dandy in my
| found the town in great confusion.
| Many persons were loading up their
household goods and making ready for
| departure; others had already fled. So
stealthily had the Germans approached
| that their advance at that point was
unknown half a dozen hours before my
arrival.
From a stone tower on a wooded
hill back of, the town. 1 looked across
eye could see stretched the ranks of
the invaders. They had risen out of
Prussia and Baden and Saxony, out OF
| Wurtemburg and Brunswick. out of
| Hesse and the Mecklenburgs: and mob
| ilizing rapidly had swarmed across the
fro. tier OF Lorraine, that ancient bone
Of contention, and neutral Luxembourg.
As l learned later once they stepped
| upon French soil they swept down like
| u storm. Spies preceded them cutting
telegraph. wires in all directions. The
thirty, miles between the frontier and
| the Meuse River had been covered in
ten hours, the troops moving at q
swinging trot. And here they were at
the crossing without the least show
Meanwhile the French were advance
ing. with characteristics dcliberation,
| their main force being then at and
around the great military camp OF
| Chalons. some nfty miles to the south
| west. They had been apprised on the
previous day OF the appearance at the
| frontier OF several bodies OF LIncers
and Hussars; There had been no
about that tlme) and 1T appeared un-
| necessary to make any decided move
OF the detachmeuts sent out in auto
| mobiles at the time OF my departure in
| the illfated La Jaune, L could hear
nothing. 1t was not until months
| honeymoon with Aimee, that L learn-
ed the facts. Our, wireless message
was vain. The scouts in their ma
chimes reached the rendezvous, did a
| little scouting on their own hook
| found nothing suspicious, and toured
| leisurely back to Paris and Chalons
where they reported that the story OF
| a northern invasion was q canard
Therefore the mobilizinG proceeded. all
eyes being centered on Luneville, Bel
fort and Besancon, where the German
Crown Prince, with his Bavarian, army
manoeuvred at a safe distance. threat
| ications, and steadily pulling the Ger
| man wool over the French eyes.
There was no defense possible foI
| weak Qualifications. Yet the small
| garrison. with true military spirit am
| nounced its presence by a Yolley OF
cannon, which seemed to anger the
Germans. A battery of mortars was
brought up to the river bank. Into
the town were thrown a hundred oil
more sixteen-inch shells, which broke