Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-11
THE DAY OF WRATH
A STORY OF 1914
By Louis Tracy

was as though he awaited some reassuring
clasp which should tell him that she still
lived.
Dalroy had no words 20 console the be-
reaved old man. He turned aside, and
mist obscured his vision for a little while
Then he heard the wounded German hic-
coughing and he looked again at the sword,
because this was the assassin who had
foully murdered a gentle, kind-hearted and
inofensive woman. But he could not de-
mean himself by becoming an executioner
Richly as the criminal deserved to be sent
with his victim to the bar of Eternal Justice,
the Englshman decided to leave him to the
avengers coming through the town.
The shooting drew nearer. A number Of
women and children, with few men. ap-
peared. They were running and screaming.
The first batch fed past; but an elderly
dame, spent with even brief furry, halted
few seconds when she saw the group
near the dog team.
Henri Joos !" she gasped And Leon.
tine! What, in Heavens name, are you
doing here?"
1t was Madame stauwaert the Andenne
cousin with whom they hoped to find sane
tuary.
The miller gazed at her in a curiously
abstracted way. rs that you, Margot?"
he said
we were coming to you. But they have
wounded Lise. See! Here she ISL
Madame Stauwaert looked at the corpse
as though she did not understand at first
Then she burst out Historically, shes
dead Henri! They've killed her! They're
killing all of us! They pulled Alphonse
out OF the house and stabbed him with a
bayonet. They're firing through the open-
lngs into the cellars and into the ground
nf
a face at bedroom window they shoot
Two, Germans, so drunk that they could
hardly stand, shot at me as l ran All,
dear God"'
She swayed and sank in faint. The
hying crowd Increased in numbers. Some
one shouted, "FoOls BE Off for your lives!
Make for the quarrles"
Dalroy decided to take this unknown
friends advice. The terrified people of An
denne had, at least, some definite goal i'm
view whereas he had none. He lifted
Madame Stauwaert and placed her beside
the dead body on the cart.
Come he said to Maertz get the dogs
into trot-Leontine, look after your father
and don't lose sight of us!"'
lie grasped Irene by the arm. The tiny
vehicle was fiat and narrow, and he was
30 intent on preventing the unconscious
woman from falling of into the road that
he did not miss Joos and his daughter until
Irene called on Maertz to stop Where
are the others?" she cried. I'VE must not
desert them"
In the midst of a scattered mob came
the laggards, Joos was not hurryng at all
He was smiling horribly In his hand he
held large pocket-knlfe open. 1T was
all | had he explained calmly. but Mar
got said Lise was dead, so it did his bust
ness"
I'm glad" said Dalroy. 1T was your
privilege But you must run now for
Leontines sake, as she will not leave YOU.
and the Germans may be on us at any
moment"
Luckily, the stream of people swerved into
byroad the "quarries' of which some
man had spoken opened up In the hillside
close at hand. On top were woods and
cart-track led that way at a sharp gra-
dent. Dalroy assisted the dogs by pushing
the cart, and they reached the summit
Pausng there, while Irene and the weeping
Leontine endeavored to revive Madame
Stauwaert to whom they must look for
some sort Of guidance as to their next move.
he went to the lip OF the excavation. and
surveyed the scene
Dusk was creeping over the picturesque
valley, but the light still sufficed to re-
veal distances. The railway station with
all the houses in the vicinity, was on fire
Nearly every dwelling along the Namur
road was ablaze while the trim little farms
which rise, one above the other on the
terraced heights OF the right bank OF the
Meuse SeeIleu 10 nave burst into flame
spontaneously.
Settles, too, on the opposite bank. was
undergoing the same process of wanton
destruction but, puzzlng thing, rifles and
machine-guns were busy on both sides of
the river, and the flashes showed that a
sharp engagement was taking place.
man, carrying child in his arms, who
had come with them, was standing at pal
roy's elbow He appeared self-possessed
enough, so the Englishman sought informa-
tion.
Are those Belgian troops in seilles?" he
| inquired.
The man snorted. "Belgians? No! They
retreated TO Namur this morning That is
a Bavarian regiment shooting at Branden-
| burgers in Andenne. They are all mad
| drunk, officers and men. They've been here
since eleven o'clock. first Uhlans, then in.
| fantry. The burgomaster met them fairly
not a shot was fired, and we thought we
| were over the worst. Then, as YOU see
he'll broke loosew
Such was the refuge Andenne provided
on Monday 10th AUGUST Hell-by orderl
CHAPTER XII
A Tramp Across Belgium
| FTNHE stranger, a Monster Jules Pochard
i proved most useful friend In the firs
instance, he was a cool-headed person VIII,
did not allow imagination TO run riot
mo" he said, when questioned as 10 tn,
| chance OF reaching Namur by a forcet
march along, country lanes, "every road II
that section Of the province is closed b,
| cavalry patrols. You cannot avoid thern
| monsieur. Come with me 70 Huy. and you'll
n reasonably safe"