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

There were no troops biileted in verviers
Every available man was being hurried 10
the front Dalroy watched two infantry
regiments passing while Maertz and Joos
were securing rooms Though the soldiers
were sturdy fellows and they could not
have made an excessively long march, many
OF them limped badly, and only maintained
their places in the ranks by force Of an iron
discipline. He was puzzled 10 account for
their jaded aspect. An hour later while
lying awake I'm a fairly comfortable bed,
and trying TO frame some definite program
for the day which had already dawned, he
solved the mystery. The soldiers were
wearing new boots! Germany had every
thing ready for her millions He learnt
subsequently that when the German armies
entered the field they were followed by am
munition trains carrying four thousand mil
lion rounds Of small-arm cartridges alone!
lie met Joos and Maertz at deieuner.
rough but satisfying meal and was faced
by the disquieting fact that neither Madame
Joos nor Irene could leave the bedroom
which they shared with Leontinc. Madame
was done up; cctte course Ia excede. her
husband put II; while mademoselle's ankles
were swollen and painful
These misfortunes were, perhaps, bless.
ing in disguise. An enforced rest was bet
ter than no rest at all, and the constant
vigil by night and day was telling even on
the apple-chee Leontine.
Ioos wanted to wander about the town
and pick up news, but Dalroy dssuaded
him The woman who kept the little auberge
was thoroughly trustworthy, and hardly
another soul In Nerviers knew or ther pres
ence I'm the town. News they could 90 WIN
out. whereas recognition might be fatal
Irene put In an appearance late in the
dsy She had borrowed a pair OF slippers,
and the landlady had promised to buy her
pair Of strong boots. Sahots she wouid
r1,. cd hgN
be comfortable and watertight when one
was accustomed to them but life was too
strenuous in Belgium just then 10 permit
| Of experiments In footgear
When night fell Joos could not be kept
| in II was understood that the komman-
! dantur had ordered all inhabitants to re-
main indoors after . o'clock, 80 the old man
| had hardly an hour al his disposal for what
| he called a petit tour But he was not iohs
! absent He had encountered a trlend'
| cure whose church near Aubel had neen
! blown TO atoms by German artillery curing
| a frontier fight on the Monday afternoon.
/ This gentleman a venerable ecclesiastc'
| discovered Dalroy's nationality atter nNe
minutes chat He had in his possession
| ronv Of a proclamation issued oy Won
"T regret very much TO find that German
| troops are compelled to cross the frontier OF
! Belgium They are constrained 10 uU
! bv sheer necessity. the neutrality Oh
| gi having
| French officers who, in disguise, nave
passed through Belgian territory IN an au'o-
| mobile in order to penetrate Germany.
| The cure. whose name was GARNER,
laughed sarcastically at the childlshhess ol
the pretext put forward by the comma M
| in-cbief of the army of the Meuse, was
| war yaped for such flimsy reason ever
before in the history Of the worlu ~, ne
! said what fire-eaters these dlssulseu
! French officers must have been lthas,,s s,s
| the hardihood of the braves VINO MOulu .
| ,neretrate' mighty Germany in one auto
, r,obilel This silly lie bears the date OF
! an August, vet my beloved church was
then in ruins, and a large part OF the village
in flames !" 49,, ,soored nunish-
n,ent How do you account for it! IN
auired Dalroy a..
"Tt seems to be a deliberate policy on the
mart of the Germans to spare one town ana
destroy another Both serve as examples
the one as typical of the excellent treat
,,,ent p,eted out to those communities whlch
welcome the invaders, the other as a warn
ing Of the fate attending resistance. Both
instances are absolutely untrue. Every
burgomaster in Belgium has issued notices
calling on noncombatants to avoid hosule
acts and Verviers is exactly on par
With the other unfortihed towns in this
mart of the country. The truth is, mon
sieur that the Germans are furious because
of the delay our gallant soldiers nave I'M,
posed on them. It is bearing fruit too.
hear that England has already lahueu al
army at Ostend,"
nalroy shook his head. II wish I might
credit that" he said sadly 81 am soldier
monsieur and you may take it from me
that such feat is quite impossible in the
time We might send twenty or thirty
thousand men by the end of this week
and another similar contingent by the end
of next week. But months must elapse be-
fore we can put in the field an army big
enough to make headway against the
swarms of Germans I have seen with my
own eyes"
Copyright Edward j. Clodel