Evening journal., 1914-11-14
Stories Frem the European Firing LiMe
As Related by Some Eye Witnesses


held possession Of this territory.
We had gone about a mile when
two women and little girl, plodding
along in front Of us, turned and
asked the driver for a lift.
gave my consent. One of the
women climbed onto the seat with
the driver and the other got in be-
side me, putting the little girl ON
her lap.
We've walked Is miles today" ok
planned the women. Were going to
Senlis."
But Senlis is destroyed l said.
ITS the only home we have" said
the woman. Struggling her shoulders.
hope our home is not entirely
gone. Oh, Il was terrible. We ran
away in the night"
Were you there when the Ger
mans came?"
Indeed. yes took Yvonne, my
little girl here. into the cellar. and
her 'Aunty Mana Cpolnting to the
woman on the seat followed us. We
stayed in the cellar until Il was pitch
dark. Then we fled. The houses IN
the town were burning and there
was shooting on every hand. An
old man. who is the village street
lighter, told us that the mayor had
been shot and twelve other big men
of the town, and that we must fly.
So we went without a bit OF food or
water, and with only few clothes.
But the Germans are gone now. we
hear. and so we are going back"
"Oh, we've worried and worried
and wondered, these weeks" said
! Madame Grimaud. for that was her
name. I'VE talk and talk and talk
about what might have happened at
| home and about who will be there
and who will be gone when we get
back. It's no use. Wen know
enough"
We talked about things we saw
as we went along the road big
German artillery wagon had been
ditched; threshing machine stand
ing beside unfinished hay stacks. Just
as the thresher had left Il when the
war started; a big stone tower that
| had been blown open at its base by
a German shell; trees that had beer
| cut down so that marksmen could
sweep the road with machine guns q
dozen graves marked by little wooden
crosses which bore among other let
terings the word "Hier"; a great
open barn in which stood a dozer
French aeroplanes. ready for action
Il was evening when we came into
Senlis. Many of the residents whC
had fed were back again. The vii
lage street lighter was in the ac
of lighting a corner lamp when Ma
dame Grimaud pointed him out t
me.
Hes safe" she exclaimed. "The.
didn't kill him." A candy store wa
open to the sky: burned out. turn
in the street would show us TN
Grimaud home. Yvonne jumped ou
and ran ahead; Aunty Mana leane
out from the drivers seat to Loo
around the corner; the driver leane
out too, and so did Madame Grimau
and myself
You dear. darling Dido. You ligf
OF my life" we heard Yvonne vel
A huge black dog had attacked he
in a frenzy of delight my baby
My old rascal babyl" said Yvonn
hugging the big writhing mass
dog.
We turned the corner.
"Our house is therei Our hou.
is therel" cried Aunty Mana.
'Yesi Yesi" cried Madame Gr
maud, gathering her few possession
into her arms.
There It is. Stop there" ordere
Aunty Mana. "The door is close,
The lock is broken. The roof is on.
Some windows are broken" erie
Yvonne.
Madame Grimaud and Aunty Min
didn't have time to take their be
longings out of the wagon The
jumped to the pavement and dashe
to the door Before they got to
the door opened and three wome
rushed out with open arms to NEE
them. Tears and cries of deligh
we're mingled; there was a torren
of words.
I took the things out Of the wagoI
put them in the doorway and drov
away. They were too excited to nc
tice my departure.
| suppose the women we're neigh
! bors who had been burned out {
= their homes. But / had entere
deeply enough. as it was, into tn
intimacies of the lives of the thre
wayfarers, and l had no more PAL
to play in their Homecoming