The Washington herald., 1917-12-09
nv John HALDERsroN,

NSOpgHsAh ASLB " Gne eASSAAo @NS"sS~k
SyndicatsJ
It was q most providential cir
cumstance that nearly all the houses
in the town had good strong cellars
beneath them. The place suffered
frequent bombardment. and had It not
been for the underground refugees
the casualties would have been much
heavier than they were. As It was,
everyone had learned to take shell
ter at the warning drone Of the first
approaching shell, and It was rare
for anybody to come to harm.
Just behind the English battery
position was q house that must have
evidently belonged to a bon vivant.
for the cellar beneath It was nearly
as big as the house itself. and was
fitted with an imposing array Of
bins and bottle-racks. all, alas. empty
now. The battery had converted It
into Its hghting-post, and the vim
tages the cellar had once held had
given place to all the strange ap-
paratuS pertaining to its new use.
A large table occupied one side, upon
which were spread maps and aero
plane photographs of all kinds: the
walls are papered with curious-look-
ing diagrams; instruments Of every
description hung upon pegs here and
there. In one corner was a telephone
exchange; on q bench beside 1t were
ranged a group Of telephones
Battery's sNerve-Centre.s
An officer and a telephonist were al
ways on duty in this nerve-centre,
and In the day time there were usual
ly several other members Of the bat
terry doing business in the place. Mad
am and her little grand daughter,
Marie, lived In the house above, and
when there were shells about they
came down to the cellar. The former
was a dauntless old lady who had
been left as caretaker Of the place,
and who went about her duties with
complete unconcern for the dangers
of war. 1t was no use arguing with
her; she turned a deaf ear to all sug-
gestions that she should leave the
town for some safer spot further from
the line. She had been there since the
var began, she said, and she was go
ing to stop until les sales Bosches
had been driven back to their own
hateful country. As for Marie, she
was an orphan; there was no one else
to take care of her. and she was safer
with her grandmother than she would
be anywhere else. Marie herself had
no doubts at all upon the matter.
War was great fun; there was al
ways something new to see. Besides,
were there not always several burly
British gunners only too anxious to
play games and to share their funny
English food with her?
Gunner Wilson was her favorite. a
brawny East Anglican telephonist, with
more than the usual taciturnity of his
race. They hardly ever spoke to one
another; indeed, Wilson knew no
French, and Aarie's English vocabu-
larry was curious, but limited, being
confined to words she had picked up
In the cellar. But when he was on
duty she always came and sat by
him, very still and quiet. II he were
busy; at other times displaying her
latest treasures or gravely drinking
sadly strong and very sweet tea out
Of the lid Of his mess-tin-
Behind the house was a big enclosed
garden. a small part OF which Madame
still contrtved to keep stocked with
the vegetables which are so dear to
the thrifty French mind, and so in
valuable in their kitchens. because
treated with a skill that approached
artistry. The rest was overgrown and
INTENDED. Its strawberries had run
wild. hiding the paths that wound
among them; the grass OF the lawn
had grown till It resembled a minIa-
ture bayfield,. This was Marie's play
ground. and here, when Wilson was
of duty, they two, and very often
half the rest Of the Battery as well.
held high revel. Besides, there was
fruit hidden among the underground
20 reward the intrepid explorer; rasp-
berries, currants. apples, pears and a
great walnut tree whose coveted fruit.
now nearly ripe, hung far out Of
reach.
New Use for Helmets.
Il was this tree that formed the
c y bone of contention between Will
IL and Marie. The latter, like all
civilians in the town, had been
liyen a gas helmet, to be carried in
. satchel slung over her shoulders
Il was a splendid thing to throw into
the tree to knock the walnuts on
ith. but sometimes 1t caught in the
ranches, high up out Of reach. When
his happened, Wilson was summoned
20 hook it down with a long rod bor-
,oaed from the signallers' store. and
n these times he was very cross.
Look here. old lady," he would
rev NO bon to lose your blessed
gas-helmet. You'll want It badly one
Of these days, compree?
Marie would nod her golden head
sClemnly, but in a few days time the
Warming would be quite forgotten In
TIE fascination of the forbidden fruit.
One night the officer on duty and
wilson were sitting in the cellar. It
was very quiet; indeed. nothing had
been doing for some days on this
particular sector. The battery had
been busy with counter-battery work.
which had evoked no reply. during
the day time. and had had no calls
OF any kind during the night Now
and then the telephone buzZed, and
wilson answered it, writing down the
message as he received IT on the pad
Of pink forms before him and then
passing 1t to the officer, who read 1t
and hung II on a nail that already
held several others. They were
weather reports, and as each came in
the officer made a few calculations
and altered a column of figures on a
slate. These were the orders for his
night-lines, and. the gun elevations
varied with the state of the weather.
Apart from these interruptions. each
WIS free to follow his private oc-
cup1tions. Wilson was reading a six
penny novel with q biood-curdling
picture on the cover and the officer
was answering a pile OF letters that
were stacked on the table by his side.
1t was past midnight. The nightly
load OF amnu unition had come up and
ther was nothing further to be ex-
petted until possibly an aeroplana
rnlsht call up for a shoot with the
first light OF morning.
Gas Attack Comes.
Suddenly the officer looked up