Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-26

surrounding forest the strains of the
song he loved so well:
It's a long, long way to Tipperary, but
my hearts right there.
He could stand it no longer. Placing
his kna Sack on his knees, he sat in
the tiickering campfire light and wrote
TO Molly. Mike MalOney. noticing this
action. tiptoed toward Paddy and.
reaching forward. snatched the half
finished letter from the latter's hands.
Triumphantly Mike dashed back, and
while several of the soldiers held Pad
dy. Mike read aloud the roughly scrib-
bled words:
Dearest Molly-Very soon we sure will
have the biggest battle Of the war. 1
don't know whether l Will come out of
1t alive or moi. so. my sweetheart colleen,
l write to say goodby in case
Laughter and jeers and taunts at
Paddy enraged him. His face livid in
the fiery glow from blazing logs. he
tore himself free and rushed madly at
Mike.
Oh you..' he shrieked.
The mel clinched. then broke the
clinch and hammered one another I'M
mercifully.
What's this?' a stern voice sudden
ly pierced through the night.
The men stopped fighting. The spec
tators fell back before the comman-
dant. Colonel Downs.
Boys" the old colonel said quietly.
tscaun xnf14 cfpnnufh for tho nanny
Don't waste it on brother Irishmen.
Now he ready. We march at day
break
The battle of the Bridge of Napo-
leon III. crossing the river Aisne will
go down in history as one of the cost
Hest, bitterest engagements of all time.
The Germans held the approaches to
the structure as well as those to other
arches over the picturesque stream.
The line of battle was approximately
twenty miles long. British aviators
had discovered the location of the
German trenches. in which were. con-
cealed infantry. sharpshooters and ma
4, chine guns. On the tanks the Teutons
were guarded by II centimeter guns,
the epochal machines of death which
battered into shapeless heaps of brick,
marble and stone the cathedrals. pub
lie buildings. costly palaces and hum
Bile homes of Rheims. Antwerp. Lou
vain. Alost. Senlis. Newport, Verdun
and Il dozen other localities.
The allies covered the advance of
their infantry and cavalry with we'll
timed. well directed artillery fire. and
the Tipperary guards soon found them
selves past the trenches and a chief
factor In the fight for the control Of
the bridge. The German fire was like
a rain of death. Men fell on all sides.
Many wounded dropped into the water
and were drowned.
Rooney. having penetrated to the
middle of the structure, seized a de-
serted gatling gun. and, lying fiat on
his stomach. directed a whitening fire
into the very faces of the foe. They
fell back gradually. New courage seiz-
ed the hearts of the guards. They
charged with fixed bayonets. and the
German center was broken. Their
great battle line. twenty miles long.
was cut in two through its very mid
die.
But sorrow attends each victory in
war. Among the severely wounded
was found Michael Maloney and a
score of other loyal Tipperary sons.
HE still breathes,' said the surgeon
gravely as Michael was laid on a
stretcher and received the sympathetic
care of Red Cross nurses.
Fortunately for him his shattered leg
improved sufficiently in a week to per-
NIT him to be invaded home.
Molly's father here proved himself
a true friend of the younger home rule
advocate. He insisted that Michael be
brought to his home, where Molly
could administer to him the necessary
cares and comforts. The soldier made
the most of his opportunities to gain
favor with Molly and was succeeding
fairly well when the letter from Paddy
Rooney was received. Paddy had re-