Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-11-24

WOO0s IL hA6at
and very dark, but he could see that
on the other side of the cottonwood
was an open space, which appeared to
be a pasture. There was no sound at
all on the ground. Overhead was the
clatter of an aeroplane. That was not
at all unusual in the neighborhood or
the stockade. The regent had taken
over an American aeroplane factory
In the vicinity, and there was a train
ing school for aviators, who often prac-
ticed night flying over Cayuga lake.
"Jim!" The hail was a whisper. He
knew the voice.
"Jiml' she cried again. He moved
over to her and touched her. Now ne
had her hand In his. Beatrice, you
your His voice choked.
"You are quite all right, JimY"
at? I was never so all right, Bea-
trice, as at this moment. You. How
are your"
"I?" she repeated. She was trem-
bling, and he was trembling, too; they
both knew it. He seized her. There
was no will or thought about 1.-THE
Just took her in his arms, and she chung
to him, and when he kissed her wildly,
p~assionately, she offered her lips again.
"Beatrice!' he cried In wonder her
name over and over; then at a sound
over the pasture both came to them
selves. She pushed from him, and he
let her go. They knelt side by side
and crouched on the grass; her fingers
found his, but it was to give him a
pistol now.
An aeroplane landed nearby and an
officer dispatched his pilot on some
errand while he himself tinkered with
the engine.
Beatrice whispered, scarcely audibly,
into Jim's ear; she needed few words
to make him understand. This pas
ture was the usual place where ma
chimes in trouble descended-that was
why she had chosen 1t. Sometimes
several machines alighted there during
an evening. Beatrice was not an ex-
pert, but she could make a machine
fly; the chance before them was as
good as any which might offer.
1t was even better a minute later
when the officer started the motor. 1t
was no trick at all for a man to stalk
an enemy deafened by those motor ex-
plosions. Jim might have shot him
without raising an alarm; but, though
the stalker was just from prison, a
blow with a pistol butt was quite
enough. The officer tumbled and lay
quite limp. Jim, at Beatrice's direc-
ton, got into a seat; she took the pr
lots seat behind him. The motor was
still running; she speeded it up and
the plane began to rise.
He leaned back close to Beatrice.
"Where are we going?" he shouted.
ITO u lines If we can get there.
The regents going to make another
drive; there's going to be the biggest
battle yet to make US make peace!"
1--WE got a cart for your mother,
Nellie" said Nathan Ashby. ut can
take you and little Bob too"
Nellie shook her head. Mother
can't be moved, father"
"She must be! Nellie, they'll be here
tomorrow! Our men are going to burn
Chicago tonight and then give it up.
They're destroying the grain elevators
today, l hear. The fighting will be be-
yond Chicago tomorrow night"
Mother cannot stand being moved
Mt all, father-miles and miles to the
end of the world In an open CART II
simply would be killing her. She can
run no greater danger here"
"Then you, Nellie; you must go-you
and little Bob"
The rumble of the guns in the great
battle about Chicago sounded continu-
ously as a deep, distant undertone.
Now and then it seemed to swell loud
er. then diminish and increase.
Nellie turned from her father and
went into the room where her mother
lay in bed. Since the night of the air
raid she had been helpless. Nellie was
not going to leave her in that state.
Besides, there were other reasons why
Nellie knew she could not go, for the
time was here when Bob would come.
He had to come at this season. The
leaves and the grass and the dust on
the road now were just as she always
saw them in her dream. So she stayed.
The east wind bore upon 1t the next
morning a parched fog, as from a for
est fre-the smoke Of Chicago In
flames. And through this smoke men
fought and fell, advanced, gave ground,
stood and then gave ground again.
But here there was nc rout. Before
the regents regiments battalions of
the Americans fought a e guard &C
ton, making the regent pay for every
gain as he had not paid for American
ground before. One battalion in par
ticular took it's toll of the invaders
along a line just to the east Of the city
of Elgin. AS it took position and dug
itself in a man with bandaged eyes
and wearing a faded and patched uni
form of a lieutenant in the United