Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-02

the field. They are not impeached on
isolated counts, attributable. perhaps,
to the criminal instincts of small NIL
nority. They carried out bestial orgies
in battalions and brigades acting under
word of command. The jolly. good
humored fellows who used to tramp in
droves through the Swiss passes every
summer. each man with a rucksack on
his back. and beguiling the road IN
1usty song, seemed to cast aside an
their cheerful camaraderie, all their
exuberant kindness of nature. when
CARRIED in the field gray livery OF
pleasant wales and well titled fields OF
Flanders. That will ever remain Ger
many's gravest sin. When the thun-
der of the captains and the shouting
wounds of victor and vanquished, the
memories of Wise. of Louvain, of Aer-
shot. of nearly every town and hamlet
in Belgium and northern France once
the Rhine. will remain imperishable in
their horror. German kultur was a
highly polished veneer. Exposed to
the hot blast of war it peeled and
worm-eaten structure. in which the
honest fiber of humanity had been rot
ted by vile influences, both social ana
political.
the characteristics of the men of a
race. and the women of every other
civilized nation were united in their
dislike of German men long before the
first week in August, 1914. Irene
Beresford had yet to peer into the
foulest depths of Teutonic degrade
ton: but she had sensed it as latent
menace. and found in its stark records
only the fulfillment of her vague fears
Dalroy read into her words much
that she had left unsaid. AT best it's
a terrible necessity" he replied; "at
worst it's what We have seen and
heard of during the past twenty-four
hours. L shall never understand why
a people which prided itself on being
above all else intellectual should i'm
agine that atrocfty is q means toward
conquest. Such theory is SO untrue
historically that Germany might have
learned its folly"
zoos grew uneasy when his English
friends spoke in their own language.
The suspicious temperament of the
peasant is always doubtful of things
outside his comprehension. He would
have been astounded if told they were
discussing the ethics of warfare.
Well. have you two settled where
were to go?" he demanded, gruffly. I'm
my opinion, the Mouse is the best plac e
for the lot of us.
'In with you, then" agreed Dalroy.
but hand over your money to madame
before YOU take the dip. I.eontine ard
Jan may need it later to start the mill
running
Maertz laughed. The joke appealed
strongly.
Mime Joos turned on her husband.
How YOU do chatter, Henri" she said.
I'VE all owe lives to this gentle
man. vet YOU aren't satisfied. The
Mouse indeed. What VIII you be say
ing next"
How far is Argenteaue" put in Dali
'That's it. where the house is on
fire." said the miller. pointing.
About kilometer, ! take it,
la hot
Have you friends there"
LAY. scores, If they're alive.
81 hear no shooting in thar direction
Moreover. an army corps is passing
may turn up We shall be safer
among thousands of Germans than
here
They walked on. The EngIshmans
air of decision was a tonic in itself
The fire on the promontory was now
at its height, but curve in the river
hid the fugitives from possible obser-
walton. Dalroy was confident as to two
favorable factors-the men Of the
marching column would not search far
along the way they had come, and
their commander would recall them
when the wood yielded no trace of its
supposed occupants.
There had been fighting along the
right bank of the Meuss during the
previous day. German helmets. red
and yellow Belgian caps. portions of
announcements and broken weapons
Uttered the tow-path. But no bodies
were in evidence. The river had
claimed the dead and the wounded Bel
gians; the enemy's wounded had been
transferred to Aix-la -Chapelle.
Nearing Argenteau they heard fee
BILE cry. They stopped. and listened.
Again it came, clearly this time: Elsa!
Elsa"
1t was mans voice, and the name
was that of a German woman. MaertZ
m
young German officer lying there. He
was delirious. calling for the help Of
one powerless to aid.
He seemed to become aware of the
presence of some human being. Per-
haps his artophied senses retained
enough vitality to hear the passing
footsteps.
ELSA" he moaned again, give me
water. for Gods sake"
Hes done for" reported MaertZ to
the waiting group. Hes covered with
blood" ...v .s1