Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-11

After final look l returned to the house.
where | took the map from the tankard
and examined ii afresh
Now that it had been seen by SO many
eyes, it had acquired more interest in
mine: l traced again the lines and dots.
Iana}yZed anew its system OF gun arrange
ment and defense. and read once more
I stif, angular script. Nothing about ii
| had changed. But / studied it more
| closely than l had ever done before. with
an eye for detail and for its distinguish
| ing pecularities. In one corner OF the
sheet was drawn a compass to adjust the
fortress relatively TO points Of the earth.
and by this indicator | perceived that the
major number Of guns were planted IN
! their pits so as to hurl shells in west
/ erly direction. though. of course. they
could be swung upon their pedestais TO
| any point of the horizon. The faces OF
| the embrasures. too. indicated that IN
case of attack it might be expected from
! the same point-these and the general ar
| engagements of defensive galleries for ma
| chine guns and rifles. On the right was
! the station of the range finders. at SUI
| perior elevation. and connected with the
gun pits by telephone. Evidently the
| fortress crowned some height that com
! manded sweep of space TO westward :
and as ! considered the import of this
fact my opinion that it was A German
military work became more than ever
| Ntt.ii .hcu. Ids Ncs'"aA' $500
| Germany.
/ With the map spread before me I could
not help but let my ina gination run Tree
| in cOn1ured pictures of that armed state
| of peace made significant by the line
! which separated those two countries. one
summer | had wandered upon the pre-
| cncts of Alsace and Lorraine. where l
| had been impressed by the silent. alert
watchfulness and ever-present mass OF
| soldiers. From a distance / had seen one
! of GprmanN'S fnrtiftcStiOnS Vet ONLY from
distance. as visitors were not permitted
! TO visit IL. Always there was evident
/ feeling of uncertainty. sense of eXpec-
| fancy, that some time France would
spring upon those forts in an endeavor
to realize her dream of recapturing the
! two provinces.
| And now here before my eyes lay what
France would give fortune to possess
| If ever war were determined upon, she
would have with it the key to az least
| one door: with it she could post her own
guns and cast her bursting shells into
! the pits, rush the outpost by night at
tack and smash through this point in
| the long line of steel that bristled along
her eastern border all the way from
| Belgium up to the Alps Men had given,
and still would give. their lives to win
| such information as was inscribed upon
| this piece Of paper How many daring
| spies. how many fearless officers. had
| stolen about the base of these bastions
| or penetrated to their interior, in the end
| to be caught, tried and delivered to an
inglorious death. In that secret and vigi-
! liant game which nations play beneath an
outward manifestation of friendly good
| will there is neither pause nor leniency!
Spies vanish and the game goes on One
, in a dozen succeeds in small measure
/ one in a thousand greatly. Had Fred
erick Douglass. that cool and canny
| ScOtchman. been the thousandth man!
Or had he. by some hook crook. come
! at an original map? That seemed even
more impossible. Two years the diagram
had lain idle in my possession. now. as
IL light and air exerted upon it some sub
| tie change and invested it with an active,
malignant character. it radiated an un-
natural influence and evil attraction.
| Baron Won Hussman desired it. Senior Del
! Hervale strove for it, I.avouche quar-
relied over IL: threatened to turn this
quiet peaceful island into an isle of strife.
! Like one of those jewels out of an IN
dian temple accused by being stolen
| from sacred image. it promised to be-
! stow harm on every hand that touched
| IL. Well. il such We're to be the case. L.
| like those daring pillagers who had got
| their fingers on the Indian gems, would
+ hold ii the tighter.
! Having put away the map. | stroiled
out upon the path which led through the
| wood to the road. The clear. fresh air.
| full of odorous scents, was like wine
/ Over my head the boughs met in an
/ arch which made my advance like that
of walking along the aisle of some Gothic
! cathedral: no thick tangle of underbrush
! incumbered the prospect. only clumps of
| bushes grew at intervals. through which
one had long. green. mistiiy lighted vistas:
and everywhere birds twittered and sang.
while lanceike lines Of sunshine shot
downward through apertures in the
| boughs. j startled a rabbit. which leaped
| a pace or two. sat listening for moment
| motionless as a stone animal, then dove
suddenly into cover Sharing the island
with pines and hemlocks We're foliaged
| trees. here and there an oak or walnut or
| birch. Vines of the trailing arbutus ran
under foot. while withes OF wild grape
i climbed and hung their bushy garlands
! on high: bluebells shook their fragile
cups i'm little corners. where rock crop
ped out moss and ferns had taken root:
/ now and again one beheld some fallen
! monster of tree that had lived its time
/ and toppled over. and vow lay in decay.
! the habitation Of colonies of insects. On
this morning all was life. all was bright
ness. all was happiness in the hearts Of
| these wood folk.
! | perceived standing figure up the path.
which recognized as that of Betty.
wide-brmmed garden hat of straw was
| upon her head. her dress was of some
! simple white material: I'm one hand she
! carried a small basket in which We're
| wild flowers, the other closed. was held
/ TO her cheek in thought. ShG did not note
my approach until was before her. when
with start she dropped her hand
! Where did YOU come from?' she eX
| claimed
1 along the path to be sure"
| II was coming 10 see you-and yet
| What, Betty.
| My reason seems silly. | stopped
| | could not make up my mind. | came
| a little way and then II appeared so
! ridiculous n thing 10 do. ! halted: but the
1 more ! thought. the more anxious | grew
and came on again. then once more stop
/ ped. and | don't know what to think.
1 Does X concern me-?
! Yes: oh. do be careful. Charlie,
| Come. tell me what's the matter.
Her blue eyes looked into mine. her lip
! quivered the barest thing in the world.
/ IF anything happened to you-now.