Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-25


Singularly enough, her confidence raised
again in Dalroy's mind a lurking doubt !
which the success thus far achieved had not |
wholly stilled.
MY candid advice 90 you now, Miss
Beresford, is that you leave me-" he said.
you will come to no harm in the main
streets. and you speak German 80 well that
you should have little difflculty in reaching
the Dutch frontier. once in Holland you
can travel to Brussels by way OF Antwerp
believe England has declared war against
Germany. The behavior Of Won Halwig ana
those other Prussians Is most convincing on
that point II So"
Does my presence imperil you, Captain
Dalroy?" she broke in. She could have said
nothing more unwise, nothing so suotly cal
culated to stir a mans pride.
NO" he answered shortly.
why, then, are you so anxious 70 get rid
Of me, after risking your life TO save me
few minutes ago?"
Il am going straight into Belgium.
deem IL my duty. may pick up lntormd-
ton Of the utmost military value
Then / go into Belgium too, unless you
positively refuse to be bothered with my
company. / simply must reach my sister
without a moment Of unnecessary delay
And Is II really sensible 70 stand here argu-
ing so close to the stationg"
They went on without another word. Dal-
roy was ruffled by the suggestion that he
might be seeking his own safety. trust any
woman 70 llIlu Ilt Jp4llL III 1llS AAA'''
wlen IL suits her purpose
Aix-la -Chapelle was more awake on that
Wednesday morning at ! o'clock than on
any ordinary day at the same hour IN the
afternoon. The streets were alive with eN-
cited people, the taverns and smaller shops
open, the main avenues crammed with tor
rents Of troops streaming westward. Regi-
mental bands struck up martial airs as
column after column debouched from the
various stations. When the musicians
paused for sheer lack Of breath the soldiers
bawled Deutschland, Deutschland. uoer
allies" or Die wacht am Rhine" at the TOP
| Of their voices The uproar was, as the
| Germans love to say, colossal The en-
| thusasm was colossal, toe. AiX-la-Cha-
| pelle might have been celebrating great
| national festival. It seemed ludicrous 70
| regard the community as in the throes OF
| war. The populace, the officers, even the
| heavy-jowled peasants who formed the ma
jority of the regiments then hurrying to the
| front, seemed to be intoxicated with JOY.
| Dalroy was surprised at first He was not
| prepared for the savage eXultation with
| which German militarsm leaped TO its long
dreamed-of task OF conquering Europe.
Irene Beresford. momentarily more alive
than he to the exigencies Of their position,
| bought a common shawl at a shop in side
street and threw away her tattered hat
| with careless laugh. She was an excel
| lent actress The woman who had served
her had not the remotest notion that this
bright-eyed girl belonged to the hated Eng
lish race.
The incident brought back Dalroy's va
grom thoughts from German methods OF
| making war 20 the serious business which
was his own particular concern. The shop
was only a couple Of doors removed from
the Franz Strausse; he waited for Irene
at the corner, buying some cheap cigars and
a box of matches at a tobacconist's kiosk
He still retained the lantern, which lent a
touch Of character The carriage-clea ner's
breeches were wide and loose at the ankles
and concealed his boots. Between the saoot:
and his own heels he had added some
inches to his height so he could look easily
over the heads of the crowd; he was watch
ing the passing of battery Of artillery
when an open automobile was jerked to q
standstill directly in front Of him. In the
car was seated Won Halwig
That sprig of Prussian nobility was in q
mighty hurry, but even he dared not in
terfere too actively with troops in motion
So to pass the time, as it were, he ROLLED
his eyes in anger at the crowd on the pave
ment.
It was Just possible that Irene Nigh
appear inopportunely so Dalroy rejoinec
her. and led her to the opposite side of thu
cross street, where a wagon and horses
hid her from the guardsman's sharp eyes
Thus It happened that chance again tool
the wanderers under her wing.
short. thick-set Walloon had emptiet
a glass of schnapps at the counter Of
small drinking bar which opened on TO tn
street, and was bidding the landlady fare
we'll
IT must be Off" he said "I have to be II
Wise by daybreak. This cursed war ha
kept me here a whole day. Who is fighting
= who, I'd like 10 know?"
"visew gufrawed a man seated at tn
bar You'll never get there. The arm
won't let you pass
That's the army's affair not mine" wa
the typically Flemish answer and the othe
, came out, mounted the wagon, chirped u
his horses and made away.
Dalroy was able to note the name on
small board affixed to the side Of tn
, vehicle Henri Joos, miller, Wise"
That fellow lives in Belgium" he whis
pered to Irene, who had dropped the shaw
over her head and neck and now carried tn
Jacket rolled into a bundle. He is Jus
the sort of dogged countryman who viii
, tackle and overcome all obstacles. ! fame.
he is carrying oats TO mill and will b.
known to the frontier officials. Shall w
;, bargain with him for lift"
"It sounds the very thing" agreed th
girl.
> In their eagerness neither took the pre-
caution of buying something to eat They
overlook the wagon before It passed th'
; market. The driver was not Joos but Joosi
u
francs or marks-he did not care which
by conveying a couple OF passengers to tht
placid little town OF whose mere eXistenc'
= the wide world outside Belgium was un
aware until that awful first week of Au
gust, 1914.
, Ana so It came to pass that Dalroy anC
his protege passed out OF Aix-la-Chapell'
{ without let or hindTance because the driver
spurred to an effort OF the imagination b,
promise Of largesse, described Irene TO th'
G customs men as Henri Joos's niece and Dial
roy as one deputed by the railway TO SCI
that a belated assignment Of oats was dul!
> delivered TO the miller.
Neither rural Germany nor rural Bel
gium was yet really at war. The monstrou
shadow had darkened the chancelleries, bu
3 It was hardly perceptibe to the common
people Moreover how could red-fange
war affect a remote place like Wise? TIL
' notion was nonsensical Even Dalroy al
lowed himself 70 assure his companion tha
e there was now reasonable prospect o
= reaching Belgian soil without mourning rea
b danger. Yet, in truth, he was taking he
= 10 an inferno, of which the like is scare
T. known 10 history. The gate which opene
. at the customs barrier gave access ap
I | parently TO a good road leading throug
n | ~ ,pdu1atipp country In sober truth.