Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-16
CHAPTER XIV.
Jim Hears Of Agnes.

a ID.
It was not strange. therefore. that
stories began to circulate about Amer
lean girls who, Of their own choice.
went to the conquerors. No one un-
derstood 1t better than the American
men themselves-those herded like
slaves within the stockade. They had
failed completely to protect their wo-
men. They had failed SO miserably
that many Of the girls at least must
see them only as towards and In.
ferfors in comparison with the con-
querors. Their instinct Of admiration
toward the conquerors, their contempt
and distrust Of the conquered, was not
only as old as the Sabine women; 1t
was as old as sex itself.
One of these stories. circulated
among the prisoners in Jim's stockade.
concerned girl from the west who,
from her description, most certainly
was Agnes. The report was that she
had become or was to become the wife
of one Of the enemy's captains.
Jim did not try to convince himself
that the girl. Of whom the prisoners
were talking that day. could not be
Agnes If they had said that Beatrice
Logan had gone over to the conquerors
he would have had no basis Of believ-
ing; he would have refused the
thought: it could not be SO.
There were no, Zines" now, which
We're held by American forces: there
were only lines beyond which the re-
gent was not yet ready to extend the
regions Of occupation. The new Amer
lean army was massing-so the MILL
tary prisoners in the stockade heard
in Ohio now and was preparing posi-
tons south from Sandusky or Toledo
to the Ohio river. but the prince was
not yet pushing his conquest that far. q
The American armies invariably had
practiced In retreat the burning or de-
stroying Of all stores and supplies OF
every sort which could not be remov-
ed and which possibly might aid the
invader. These tactics were delaying
the conqueror, who had planned to
live OF the country by making him use
his ships to transport food and supplies
and arms and ammunition for the reg
iments already in America and pre-
venting him from bringing reinforce
ments rs fast as expected.
I'VE are fighting" said Stone. the
chief Of staff, las Washington fought.
He lost New York and Philadelphia
and Charleston. but he kept IN army
in the field, and so at last he won.
This we viii do If every city in the
nation must be desolateds Every day
we are growing stronger and better
prepared; every day the enemy ex-
tends his lines to seize more ravaged
regions: lie Is growing weaker"
The regents generals realized that
winter, firmly established. added to
the difficulties Of their campaign. Chi
cago, Gary. st. Louis. Minneapolis, St
Paul. Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines
and Denver had become monstrous mu-
milton centers.
Almost daily fotilla Of the regents
planes or a squadron Of his dirigibles
few over one or another Of the cities
in the Mississippi valley. Thus Elgin
again and again was attacked.
. -
It was the autumn Of the year 1919
in Cayuga county. N. Y, brown and
parched season, even more rainless
than the summer and fall Of 1913 had
been. The crops had failed, and in
Europe there was scarcely any crop at
all. The wheat had failed, owing to
drought, and in Asia the rico crop
was cut in two this year by foods Of
rain az It had suffered the year before
by lack Of water. Only Il the great
valleys Of the Mississippi, the Asst
neboine, and the Saskatchewan In
North America and in the valleys Of
the Parana and the Salado In the
southern continent had rain and sun
alternated SO a. to grow grain. but the
wheat Of Argentina was only In the
process Of thrashing. and, II It was ex-
ported; it could not make up the short
age In Europe.
II the nations whose soldiers held
the coast states required the wheat
and the beef and the fodder they
would have to annihilate the American
armies and then capture the supplies
before they could be destroyed.
| For two years now the regents ar
mics had held the Atlantic states, and
for more than a year they had grad.
ually been extending their lines till
they occupied almost all the Ohio val
ley east Of the Wabash and the Cum.
berland. The orientals neld half the
country west Of the Cascades and the
Sierra Nevadas. Yet when either In
vader advanced and succeeded in driv;
ing back the American army opposite
the Americans continued to lay waste
! everything in their retreat. To the re
gents repeated demand that the Amer
leans admit defeat and to his offer t.
withdraw for proper indemnity thu
American reply remained the sam,
and was made by deed as well as b.
word. I'VE offer billions for destruc
ton, not one cent for indemnity" =
4 Upon this brown day in autumn
1919, Jim Ashby was grabbing the lit
tie. dried up potatoes when an object
meant for him, was cautiously passet
from prisoner to prisoner along th,
Il rows IN the potato field. Jim ohtsinel
1t at last--it ms only 4 Swa1ntif. 1aia