Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-23

why am going through, I suppose"
Neither could guess the immense signih-
canoe of those few words. There was
reasonable chance of escape through Hol-
land during the next day By remaining In
the Belgium-bound train they were, all un-
knowing entering the crater of volcano
The ten hours run to Cologne was drawn
out to twenty. Time and again they were
shunted into sidlngs to make way for troop
trains and supplies At a wayside station
a bright moon enabled Dalroy to take stock
of two monster howtzers mounted on
specially constructed boyle trucks He esti-
mated their bore at sixteen or seventeen
inches the fittings and accessories of each
gun filed nine or ten trucks. How prepared
Germany was! How thorough her organi-
zation Yet the hurrying forward of these
giant siege guns was premature, to put IL
mildly or were the German generals
really convinced that they would sweep
every obstacle from their path and ham
mer their way into Paris on fixed date?
Dalroy thought of England, and sighed, be-
cause his mind turned first to the army
barely 100000 trained men. Then he re-
membered the British fleet, and the outlook
was more reasSuring
After night of ftful sleep dawn found
the travellers not yet halfway. The four
Germans were furious. They held staff ap-
pointments, and had been assured in Berlin
that the clockwork regularity of mobiliza-
tion arrangements would permit this par
tlcular train 10 cover Ine journey according
to schedule. Meals were irregular and
scanty At one small town. in the early
morning Dalroy secured quantity of
rolls and fruit and all benefited later by
his forethought.
Newspapers bought en- route contained
dark forebodings of England's growing hos
tility A special edition Of a Hanover jour
nal spoke of an ultimatum, a word which
evoked harsh denunciations of British
traapharV" from the Germans The
parative friendiness induced by Dalroy's
provision as a caterer vanished at once.
When the train rolled wearlly across the
Rhine into Cologne ten hours late, both
Dalroy and the girl were fully aware that
their fellow passengers regarded them as
potential enemies.
1t was then about 6 o'clock on the Tues
day evening, and a loud-voiced official an
nounced that the train would not proceed
to Aix-la-Chapelle until s. The Ger
man officers went out no doubt to seek a
meal but took the precaution of asking an
officer In charge of some Bavarian troops
on the platform TO station a sentry at the
carriage door Probably they had no other
intent, and merely wished to safeguard
their places but Dalroy realized now the
imprudence OF talking English and signed
TO the girl that she was TO come with him
into the corridor on the opposite side of
the carriage.
There they held counsel Miss Beresford
was firmly resolved to reach Brussels, and
fiinched from no difficulties. It must be
remembered that war was not formally
declared between Great Britain and Ger
many until that evening. Indeed, the tre-
mendous decision was made while the pair
so curiously allied by fate were discussing
their program. Had they even quilted the
train at Cologne they had fair prospect
81 reaching neutral territory BY hook or by