Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-17

WIFI JOY, seeing; a L0ns. pSISpSCtivS. VI
happiness opening before her. They
were to be married in September, 1914.
, In the last days Of July, when war
seemed imminent, Paul came to tell her
that he was going to Bellfort while there
was still q chance to go. He begged her
along. But the latter absolutely refused
to leave his beloved Mulhouse.
II want Ito be here to receive the
French" he said,, obstinately. They
could not persuade him, and Odile. not
wishing to abandon him, stayed behind
French army and to go to the front. She
would not see him again. She would
have been left all alone in strange
city II she had accompanied him. Un-
doubtedly her fiance would soon return
to Mulhouse with the victorious French
But no. he .wassnot one of the for'tu-
nate ones who, transported with en-
thusiasm. were redeived at Mulhouse
by a population beside itself. He
never knew the intoxication Of that
welcome-the brilliant. dream which
was to be followed by SO tragic an
awakening. p-
, That awakening was the counter of
fensive of the Germans, the battle OF
Dornach, the savage reprisals at the
expense Of, the Mulhousians. faithless
subjects of the German empire. What
sevil prompting induced Odfle's father
to 60 out to see what was. happening
in the streets and to make some indis-
. Greet comments? Stood up against a
wan,she paid with his life. for that
imprudence.
His daughter experienced the anguish
of waiting for him in vain, the grief
of hearing of his cruel fate, the terror
, of finding herself alone thereafter,
masters more than ever implacable.
She remained some time uncertain
what to do. Then in February, 1915,
she profited by a permission to leave
Mulhouse granted reluctantly to a
few women and children.
Those who don't know where to go.
whom nothing attracts anywhere else,
drift to- Paris. the city of miragcs. 1t
Is the place where one has the best
chance to find again any one who
has dropped out of sight. But in spite
of all her efforts Odile had obtained
no news of Paul. The bureaus could
not tell her in what army he served.
name, as most of the Alsatian volun-
teers did. Advertisements inserted in
the, newspapers brought no results.
Now, again, on her way to a new
bureau, Odile turned and returned in
her mind that tnsoluble enigma while
the metropolitan train ran through its
tunnel. stopped, started again, UNI
SoA ASUAy hiOhcIOhy VI
long gray walls. broH Zen only here and
there by a big poster, or an electric
light.
Another station. This time the train
going in the opposite direction also
stops. the two so close that they seem
} to touch each other. From one car to
another the passengers stare across.
with the dull, repressed air of people
who wait uncomfortably in some pub
lie place. Odile lifts her eyes mechan-
} ically. Suddenly she starts There
separated from her only by the thick
ness Of two panes of glass, young
man Is talking to young woman
seated on a bench beside him.
That face. those eyes. that brown
mustache! 1t is Paul!
Is 1t he really? In civilians clothes
with a strange woman?
As II he felt that glance which de-
voured him the passenger across the
way lifts his eyes, meets those OF
Odile. starts-he. too--with a brief
!. and mute glance OF recognition and a
slight gesture, like an appeal. Then
his train gets under Wny aud carries