Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-09

unceasing hammer-strokes of heavy guns on
the anvil Of LeEe.
Staid old Europe might be dssolving
even then in a cloud Of high-explosive gas.
The scheme of things was all awry. one
Englshman gave up the riddle lie turned
on his heel and lit one of the cheap cigars
purchased in AiN-la-Chapelle less than
forty-eight hours ago.
CHAPTER
Andenne
MADAME Joos was old for her fifty
L'l years and heavy withal Hers was not
the finer quality Of human clay which
hardens in the fire Of adversely She be.
came III, almost seriously i'll, and had to
be nursed back into good health again
during nine long days And long these
days were, the longest Dalroy had ever
known. To man of his temperament en-
forced inactivity was anathema in any con-
ditions n gnawing doubt that he was not
justified in remaining in Nerviers at all did
not improve matters Monsieur GARNER,
the cure, was a frequent though unob-
trusivc visitor. He doctored the invalid
and brought scraps Of accurate information
which filtered through the far-hung screen
of Thlans and the dense lines Of German
infantry and guns. Thus the fugtives
knew when and where the British expedi-
tionary force actually landed on the Con-
tinent They heard Of the gradual sapping
! of the defenses OF Liege, until Fort Loncin
fell, and, with II, as events were to prove.
the shield which had protected Belgium for
nearly fortnight. The respite did not
avail King Albert and his heroic people
| in so far as the occupation and ravaging
Of their beautiful country was concerned.
But calm-eyed historians in years TO
! come will appraise at its true value the
| breathing space, slight though it was, thus
secured for France and England.
| DarOy found it extraordinarily difficult
to sift the true from the false in the crop
| Of conflicting rumors. In the first instance,
| German legends had to be discounted.
! From the outset Of the campaign the
| kaiser's armies were steadily regaled with
| accounts of phenomenal successes else
where. Thus, when four army corps COM
manded now by Won KluCk, were nearly
| demoralzed by the steadfast valor Of Cen
| eral Leman and his stalwarts the men
| were rallied by being told that the Crown
| Prince was smashing his way to Paris
! through Nancy and Nerdun. ProdigieS were
being performed in Poland and the North
| Sea, and London was burnt by Zeppelins
! almost daily Nor did Belgian imagination
| lag far behind In this contest of unveracity.
| British and French troops were marching
| TO the Meuse by dozen roads; the French
| raid into Alsace was magnilcd into a great
military feat the British fleet had squelched
| the German navy by sinking nineteen
| battleshps; the Kaiser haggard and blear-
| eyed, was alternately degrading and shoot
ing generals and issuing lamboyant procla-
| nations, Finally, Russia was fattenng
out East Prussia and Galcla with the slow
| crunchng of a steamroller.
out of this maelstrom of news" a level
| headed soldier might and did extract certain
hard facts. The landing Of Sir John
| French's force took place exactly at the
! time and place and in the numbers Dalroy
himself had estimated. To throw small
| army into Flanders would have been folly.
! Obviously, the British must join hands
| with the French before offering battle. For
| the rest--though he went out very little, and
| alone, as being less rsky-he recognized
| the hour when the German machine re-
| covered it's momentum after the first un-
| expected collapse. He saw order replace
| chaos. lie watched the dragon crawling
| ever onward and understood then that no
| act of man could save Belgium. Vervicrs
| was the best possible site for an observer
| who knew how to use his eyes. lie assumed
| that what was occurring there was going
on with equal precision in LuNcmburg and
along the line of the Vosges Mountains
| . Gradually, too, he reconciled his con-
! science to these days of waiting He be-
| lieved now that his services would be inn
| mensely more useful to the British COM
! mander-n-chief in the field If he could
cross the French frontier rather than reach
| London and the War Office by way Of the
] Belgian coast. This decision lghtened his
30
welfare Of Irene Beresford was conflicting
with duty. 1t was cheering to feel CON
| vinced that the odds and ends Of nforma-
ton picked up in Nerviers might prove of
inestimable value to the Allied cause
For instance, Liege was being laid low
! by eeven-inch howitzers, but he had seer
| seventeen inch howitZers each in three
parts, each part drawn by forty horses OF
| a dozen traction engines moving slowly
| toward the southwest, There lay Namui
| and France. No need to doubt now where
the chief theatre of the war would find il.
| habitat The German STAFF had blunderet
| in its initial strategy, but the defect wa,
| being repaired. All that had gone befor,
| was a mere prelude to the grim busines.
which would be transacted beyond the
| Meuse.
During that period OF quiescence, certain
| minor and personal elements affecting tn,
| future passed from a nebulous stage TO Z
| state of quas-acceptance. There was not
there could not be, any pronounced love
making between two people so situated a!
! Dalroy and Irene Beresford But eve.
can exchange messages which the lips dar,
not utter, and these two began TO realiz
that they were designed the one for tht
other by a wise Providence. As that Il
precisely the right sentiment OF young foll
In love, romance throve finely In Madam,
Berangers little auberge in the Rue d
MYERS at Vervlers. A tender glance.
touch Of the hand, a lighting Of a trouble,
face when the dear one appears-thesi
things are excellent substitutes for thi
spoken word
(copyright. Edward J ciode)
(coNTINUED TOMORROW