The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-11-04

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"eayonets now, boys! Bayonets!"
recalled 1.-THE handkerchief Paddy
had found i'll the seat of the train
which had belonged to one Of the beau
tiful refugees who had fed to Chicago.
So Paddy had kept it, the guerdon
from his unknown lady for whom he
had fought. Well. the Irish boys gal
lantries were over. He was very bold
and handsome, as the star shell show
ed him. There seemed almost smile
on his lips. He lay as he would have
liked to lie If one Of those blushing
little colleens who came to the camp
In Chicago should como to see him
now. Swedy Swenson, who had car
ried his rifle like mop, was bayonet-
ed through and through. He was not
at all neat now. Swedy would not like
that. Swedy had written a letter Il
few days before. Jim found it and put
1t in his pocket. Winslow was dead,
too. So was Houston-cvery man Of
the company except Jim, who had
faced that charge. The others We're
dead, too-thosc who could not face it.
He took rifle and was fumblng
about dead mems belts and bandoliers
for cartridges when he heard some one
approaching. He crouched very still
and waited. A star shell blazed and
showed him girls slight figure bend
Ing over the bodies at the other end
of N "a. Jim watched her dazedly,
amazed. She was alone. Besides him
self she was the only living thing in
the light of the star shell. Its light
burned out. but the girl continued her
search in the darkness. She worked
slowly in Jim's direction, examining
each still form. Jim waited for an
other star shell to show her to him
again; she was quite close now. She
was girl Of twenty-five or twenty
three. he guessed, with clear cut fea-
lures. She wore shirt waist and plain
skirt and she was without hat. She
looked like an American girl. That
definition included, Jim realized. Mar
ion Marlatt as well as Agnes. She
might be Of the other side, but Jim
believed she was not. She had come
to Winslow's body now and was turn
ing it over.
"Those men are all dead" Jim ad-
dressed her quietly
She Strengthened and looked about
quickly. but without starting. where
are you?" she asked in q low. gentle
voice.
"Here." Jim stood up.
"You are hurt?'
NO: l was-.just resting here"
II see. She came closer and gaZed
at him. She showed no surprise that
he, unhurt, had lain there to rest. She
simply took his hand and began lead
ing him away. She guided him by the
flare of the star shells over the debris,
away from the river toward the great
granite and brick and the pinnacles of
the city. where the scarchlights were
playing. There were none of the re.
gents soldiers about, she told him.
The assault which had swept over N
~ had broken down soon afterward:
the enemy were killed or taken or
driven back. but the Americans had
not yet reformed their positions along
that part Of the water front.
She led him through choked, debris
strewn streets. with smoldering ruins
on both sides. where sentinels chal-
lenged them, and she answered and
was allowed to lead him on. She led
him past charred ruins and great,
gaunt heaps Of brick and stone and
plaster and steel beams. where men
searched with electric flashlights; she
led him into street-a wide street, a
ragged. eerie. spectral caricature of
Broadway. where she was challenged
again and where great gun was fir
ing. 1t was a long barreled gun Of the
sort seen on warships. but it was
mounted upon truck. which stood on
a car track and moved away after the
gun had been fred up into the air.
The girl turned with Jim into build
ing, where he lay down upon a cot and
went to sleep.
Upon the second morning after that
he was assigned to company and
fought desperately as the regents
troops slowly but surely battered New
York to pieces. The regulars had been
withdrawn; only the militia remained.
From high up on the Metropolitan
tower-the regents guns had blasted
away the brick and stone, but most of
the steel framework still stood-Jim
gazed at conquered country beyond
the Manhattan moats. In that circle
within his horizon there lived, or had
lived, one-sixteenth Of the population
Of the United States. The millions Of
Manhattan had disanneared Ordara6