Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-07
CHAPTER IX-(Contlnued)

/ avoid politics, my friend. Our pres
ent problem is how and where to bestow
these women for the night. After that, the
sooner we three men leave them the better.
/. at least, must 60. ] may be detected any
minute. and then-God help you others J!
"Sapcrlotte That isn't the way you Eng
lish are treating US No, monsieur we sink
or swim together
The ready disavowal OF any clash of in
terests was cheering. The little mans
heart was sound though his temper might
be short. Good faith, however, was not
such prime essential now as good judg
ment, and Daroy halted again at corner
Of the square To stay in Argenteau was
madness. But--there were three roads.
one led to Wise, one to Liegc, and one to
the German frontier The first two were
closed hopelessly The third open in
sense. was fantastic when regarded as a
possible avenue of escape Yet that third
road offered the only path toward compare
tive security and rest,
Il wish you wouldn't look so detected" "
whispered Irene, peeping up into Dalroys
downcast face with the winsome smile
which had so taken his fancy during the
long journey from Berlin. I've been count
ing our gains and losses Surely the bal
ance Is heavy on our side. We--you, that
! is-have defeated the whole German army
We've lost some sleep and some clothes. but
have secured a safe-Conduct from our enc
mics, after knocking good many OF them
on the head. Some men, know, look mis-
erable when most successful; but don't
put you in that category"
She was careful to talk German, not that
there was much chance Of being actually
overheard but to prevent tho sibilant ac-
cents Of English speech reaching suspicious
ears Britons who have no language but
their own are often surprised when abroad
at hearing children mimicking them by
Ii lV
feet Of our island tongue on foreign ears.
Monosyllables like yes" this its and
scores of others in constant use. no less
than the almost invariable plural form Of
nouns, lead to the illusion, which Irene was
aware Of and guarded against.
Yet. DESPITE the uncouth, harsh-sounding
words on her lips and the coarse Flemish
garments she wore, she was adorably Eng
lish Leontine Joos was pretty girl but,
in true feminine parlance, 'lumpy.' Some
three inches less in height than her sis
ter" she probably weighed stone more,
Ieontiue trudged when she walked, Irene
moved with a grace which not even pair
of clumsy sabots could hide Luckily they
were alike i'm one important particular.
Their faces and hands We're soiled, their
hair untdy. and the passage through the
wood had scratched foreheads and cheeks
until the skin was broken, and little patches
Of CONCEALED blood dishgured them.
"T NAV look more detected than ! feel"
Dalroy reassured her I'm playing a part,
remember I've kept my head down and
INV knees bent until my joints ache
"Ob is that it?" she cooed, with a re-
Ueved air How could he know then that
the sabots were Chafng her ankles until
the pain had become well-nigh unoearaole
II she could have gratified her own wishes
Che would have crept TO the nearest hedge
and flung herself down in utter weariness.
zoos having pondered the Englishman's 8
,.ieyvs on Andenne as an unattainable ref
uge scratched his head perplexedly II
think we had better 60 toward nerve, ne ne
said at last This is the road and he
nointed to the left. "On the way we can
branch off TO a farm know Of, II 1t hap
pens to be clear Of soldiers"
Arv goal was preferable to none. They
entered the eastward-bound road, but had
not advanced twenty yards along II before
the way was blocked by a mass of com.
nissariat wagons and scores OF Chlans
standing by their horses
Two officers, needless who heard, were
.Tbsre is nothing else for IT, Herr Haupt.
mann" said one. "It doesn't matter who
is actually to blame. You have taken the
v,rong road and must turn back. Every
ward farther in this dlrectlon puts you
deeper in the mire."
,tput I was misdrected as far away as
u,a,,barq" protested the other. Some
never.to- o-be-forgotten hound of hell told me
tbst this was the VeIviers road, Gott i'm
binnn,eli and must be there by dawnr'
palroy was gazing at the wagons They
,aenned oddly familiar The painted legend
On the tarpaulins placed the matter beyond
So,,bt These were the very vehicles he
bsd seen in the station-yard at Aix.la-
Chapelle
evolved a really clever notion. The Ger
mans wanted a guide, and who so well
qualified for the post as carter TO whom
sach turn and twist in every road in the
nrovince was familiar? Without consult
inS any one. he pushed forward. Pardon,
Herr General" he said in his offhand way.
i,Give me and my friends a lift, and III
have YOU and your wagons in Verviers in
three hours"
brutality is so engrsined in the Prussian
that an offer which a man Of another race
Hould have accepted civilly was treated
almost as an insult by the angry leader
of the convoy.
you'll guide me with the point of a
lance close TO your liver you Belgian swine,
dog." was the ungracious answer,
"Not mel" retorted Maertz Here
mana 4" he cried TO Joos. SHOW this gentle,
man your paper. He can't go about stick,
ing people as he likes, even IN wartime .
Joos went forward Moved BY con-
| temptnous curiosity. the two ofieers ex.