Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-31

word came that the German legions
were pressing back the allies.
Col. Taylor elected to take his FAM
lily away, but Winifred refused to leave
her father, and Constance decided to
remain with her friend. Then DR.. Fall
ieros quietly announced he would stay
to take care of his patient. and caused
his personal belongings to be taken tc
The servants also fed when news
came that the troops were approaching
leaving only Williams. the. chauffe ur
a shock headed product of New York S
East Side, who had served old Morton
Stanley, first as coachman, then as mas
ter of his garage. since the granite
faced but secretly kind-hearted manu-
facturer years before rescued him from
the streets and gave him employment
1t was a queerly assorted gathering,
decidedly incompetent to take up the
household affairs of the chateau-two
American girls who were totally igno-
rant of cooking or other duties sud-
denly thrust upon them by conditions
a perfectly capable chauffeur who was
virtually useless for anything else. a
badly injured millionaire used to hav-
ing his wants supplied by a score OF
servants. and a Greek physician. II
was the latter who arose to the occa-
sion.
he could not overcome. He took charge
of the kitchen, and the two girls
learned rapidly under his direction. He
solved the lighting problem by obtain
ing a supply of candles when the cleo
trio current failed, and displayed fore
sight by laying in big store of pro-
visions. He schooled Williams in the
heavier work of caring for the chateau
and daily the others grew to depend
upon him more and more.
70 - ~
fighting reached the isolated household
Mails were irregular. and the few news.
papers obtainab1e contained little thai
| was authentic regarding the battle.
| along the Belgian border, the Somme
and the Mouse. Daily, however, the
! trickle of fugitives toward the south
thickened until the roads were filled
| with a solid procession of persons fee
| ing with what portion of their belong.
| ings they could carry.
F., Soldiers were seen more often-smal
bodies of cavalry, messengers on motor
cycles, officers In swift automo biles, ar
| occasional aeroplane-then one night
| as she stood on a balcony Winifred'i
| ears caught the distant throb Of guns.
Morning found the roads choked will
a slow-moving host-men and horse,
| and wagons, great motor trucks drag.
ging supply trains, ambulances filled
with wounded, ammunition carts, vain!
Of camp equipment and streams of lug
gage-laden peasants trudging stolidl!
| through the dust.
For two days the flood rolled past
then came soldiers in seemingly endles.
column - red-trousered infantrymen
dusty and war-worn; artillerymen ant
dragons. dirty and powder splashed-
and to the north the steady pound O
cannon swelled to a constant roar tina
shook the walls of the chateau, and thu
| jagged outlines of the hills were soft
ened by a haze of shrapnel smoke. .
That night the country around st
Aubins was an armed camp; the mex
1t was the scene of a fierce rear-guart
action: then the French were gone ant
| the Germans had come. Swiftly they
too, departed, pressing on after the re
treating allies. But it was a f1re-swept
| shell-torn virtually deserted country
| side the armies left behind. Like 10
Gusts the soldiers had come, and -lik'
locusts they had devoured and devas
tated all in their path.