The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-05-28
I" WARS
REWARD"
By r. A. mitchell


who was about to leave her TO take
command Of his submarine, U.94 OF
the German imperial navy. There l.
no more dangerous service in the world
than sailing under the sea. and there
ID nothing more appalling than being
smothered on the bottom Of the ocean
Bertha chung to her lover, and wher
he disengaeed himself from her, en-
couraging her that he would soon see
her again and, he hoped, with a dec
GRAFTON on his breast, she walled.
you will never come back to mel"
e. will, dear heart, WILL" he said
and 2arted out Of the door and into
ths car that was to take him to the
sta: ton on the North sea where his
vessel was awaiting him.
Bertha vas inconsolable. In vain
her mother, her relatives, her friends,
endearoIed 70 instfil into her feeling
that hU lUrsr would survive the
perils 10 which he would 10 exposed
AID return t. her sbowered with hon
ors But Bcrtha's mind had become
oppressed with visions OF his boat ly-
Ing hundreds of feet under the surface,
nerciless waves rolling far above it,
the commander and all the crew lying
eti1 end stark within their iron tomb.
4 few days sitter Schlotter left for
lis ship a message came to Bertha
telling her that he was about to slip
cut from the station and rove the sea.
H. xtrns
ing the allied fleet, but after that there
would be little occasion for him to
leave the surface except when nearing
some merchantmen of the enemy that
he was intending to destroy. He
charged his sweetheart to think of
him dashing hitler and thither In the
service of the fatherland and returning
to her, having earned the blessings of
hts countrymen and the appreciation
Of the kaiser.
III I am given any token of my
country's appreciation" he said, 81
will lay 1t at the feet of my darling"
Lieutenant Schlotter sailed out one
dark night on the bosom of a wintry
sea.
Those who endeavored to keep up
Bertha's courage pictured her lover
coming to her aglow with pride at the
blows he had struck for the fatherland.
They spoke Of the decorations he would
wear, and one enthusiast described
him as wearing the wreath OF victory
that Roman conquerors wore when de-
creed a triumph. At this suggestion
Bertha shuddered.
A time came when Schlotter had been
out long while without reporting or
being reported. The German admiral
ty were beginning to think that they
must soon place the U-e4 on the list
Of missing submarines. Those about
Bertha concealed their fears, and the |
more they feared the more hopeful they
appeared to her. She was told that |
the time the submarine was expected |
to return was near and doubtless its |
arrival would soon be announced.
1t was proposed that she should be |
taken to. the station to which her lover |
hand to meet him. The proposal did |
aot cheer her, but she consented, and |
with her mother she left for the coast |
Not far from the station was hotel, |
in which the two were lodged, and
word was left with the proper officer
to notify Lieutenant Schlotter when
he came IN that they were waiting for
rim. The officer took the message and
promised to deliver it.
Bertha spent her time sitting at a
window looking out upon the bleak
North sea or walking on the sands,
constantly looking for sign Of the
U-94. But the days dragged on. and
1t did not come. Bertha remembered
her lovers promise to come back TO
her. II will, dear heart, | WILL" she
kept repeating as If to reassure herself
of what she felt would never be.
One night Bertha heard that sub
marine had come In, but what vessel
wished to go to the station, but her
mother told her that by doing so she
would likely miss her lover, who
would surely come to her II indeed It
was he who had arrived Bertha was +.
persuaded, but insisted on remaining !
Dut on the porch looking In the direc- !
lion Of the station. There was a dull I
moon, and she could see some distance. (
Presently she saw the dim figure of G
/ man walking along the margin Of
he sea He seemed to advance rapid a
2. as though In haste. "It Is her,
,ried the girl, aud before her mother, e
who was with her, could restrain her
he ran toward the coming figure Az :
he neared 1t a pair Of arms were
stretched out toward her. holding out
o her what looked like wreath. A
hill wind blew In from the ocean.
rhe figure grew dim. and In a moment
where It stood was nothing.
Frau Bishoff followed her daughter
nd when she reached her found her
wing on the sand unconscious, press
ne q wreath OF seaweed TO her breast.
Assistance was called and the girl
emoved TO the hotel. Consciousness
cturned. but not reason She lay
iosning and muttering. What she
aid was incoherent, but seemed to be
escrptive Of visions that came TO her.
he described the submarine In the
1ils OF steel net. Her crew lay in
row, each man with a bullet In his
rain.
But this was the rawlings of delirium.