The Washington times., 1914-10-21
SMELLING SCISSORS.

The Germans were making a deter
mined attack on the town.
German artillery, including powerful
mortars, supporting the infantry action,
were Smelling the place, and while the
interview was going on, I timed thirty
| seven shells in one minutes. In the midst
OF all this. Nine. Marcherez stood In the
middle of the street, in an exposed
place. and talked as coolly as though in
her own lovely home across the Aisne
river nearby; as though it were peace
instead Of war. Her words were some
times lost in the noise Of an exploding
shell; but she went right on Just as
though unconscious Of the noise.
We stood in the street in front Of the
city hall. Fifty feet away, in a tiny
public park, which had but recently
smiled with bright flowers, half dozen
men were burying the carcasses Of seven
horses killed an hour before by Ger
man shell.
The streets were deserted save by
soldiers and a few men with brassards
on their arms showing them to be mill
tary clerks or assistants in some ca
A she'll Kissed overhead and exploded
two squares down the street
In Charge of City. -.
Mime. Macherez is president of the
Danes Franchises, an organization
something like the American one Of
Colonial Danes. 1t was she, who. in
the absence Of all civil authority In
SCISSORS. went out to meet the Germans
and outdid them in an attempt to levy
a tribute on the city.
When others left the stricken place
on the eve of German occupation, she
took charge; she took over the civil
business Of the city; she ran the hos
pitfalls; she superintended the city's SAM
tation. the ctty's safety, the citys street
cleaning and everything.
The circumstances of my interview
with her were of the strangest.
flying over the city an hour before.
lodging behind patches Of clouds at an
altitude of some 1900 feet to escape
rain Of shells hurled by German bat
teries planted in rock quarries north of
the city, had reported a large force Of
Germans marching against scissors at
distance Of not more than a mile.
The French had gone to meet them.
AS we talked, the rapid-fire guns We're
making a noise something like a thresh-
ing machine in the distance, and an in
termittent cackle Of rifles could be heard
less than mile of.
Bargained With Germans.
III the Germans get back into the
city this time" asked ARE you going
to stay?'
IT shall be all the more needed II
they come back" Nine. Macherez re-
piled simply.
When they came the first time, how
did they behave?"
"They wanted an indemnity from us.
but I Induced the commander to &C
company me about the city to prove
to him that he was asking too much. I
convinced him that We could give no
more than we had"
This was Nine Macherez's modest way
of putting it.
Before seeing her. I had been told
how by infinite tact she had resisted
the demand for tons Of food stuffs, to-
bacco and great quantities of wines, and
had finally secured better terms from
the Germans. She had bargained like
a veteran, tenaciously and at great
length and when at last the Germans
were driven back. they held her in pro-
found respect.
II understand your own house has
been Destroyer" 1 stated.
Not mine, but my son-in-law's." che
corrected. MY own house is over the
river hear 1t has not been molested.
save that some small pieces of silver
ware and a clock are missing. I have