The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-02-25
BY GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER
AND LILLIAN CHESTER.
Copyright. 1918, by the Newspaper
Enterprise Association.)


Enterprise Association.)
Paris, Feb. 24.--Lights and laughter
in the busy little Cafe de Bruille; but
not for them!
The seven Americans at tho corner
table, from frcckled red headed big
Jones to little Dingbat with the six
hair mustache, are STEPPED and satur-
ated in gloom as they wait for their
soup; for they have been in Paris. the
center now OF all big things, for two
whole days.
The only comfort they have Is in
each other; they are firm friends
having met on the boat coming over,
and they can confide in, and trust in
each other.
SAY" They are electrified by the
sudden appearance of another friend.
though not quite firm one. for Brown
crossed on the previous boat. But
they met him in London, and he came
all the way from there to Paris with
them, he and his crowd. SO he's all
right.
Brown ordinarily Is hard cheeked
fellow with squinty eyes but there Is
no trace Of squirt in him now. The
eyes are bulging with excitement. as he
grabs fat Dooflab and little Ungbat by
the coat lapels, leans as far to the GEN.
ter OF the table as possible, and whis-
pers piercingly.
I'VE fellows had better get right out
Of Parish
There Is one instantaneous thought
in the minds Of ALL and lanky Smith, at
the inner end of the table, voices 1t
hoarsely:
What have you heard?"
'IIverything's gone to the dogs"
Brown gulps, and tightens his grip
on the coat lapels. "Thc French
army has only one cartridge left!
All they're waiting for now is to
decide who gets to shoot 1t; then
they're going to evacuatc Paris,
and let the Germans in; and good
night!"
Brrrrrr! A chill like an ague de-
| sends on the assemblage. but little
Dinbat, who is hopeful, not because he
! is an optimist, but because he hates &c
| die. moistcns his lips. and asks:
How do you know"
| I'm not Mt liberty to state" answers
Brown. looking around him furtivels
and lowering his voice still more
But may tell you this much. the in.
formation came originally from high
authority"
| It's those Judas Russians" comes 6
hollow voice from near the end of The
table. White, with all the gold teeth
and he has lines each side of his nose
which were not there when he dropped
off the train in Paris, and looked
around for the war
"All Russia Is united" explains
White. They've been drilling fo
months under German officers
They've assassinated all the allied rep
resentatives in Moscow and Petrosrad
They started yesterday on march 4
Verdun. a million strong! They'r
numbering everyone who refuses Il
take up arms and join them. BY tn
time they reach the German frontie
there1l be four million of them; ant
good night"
And you have this from a good an
thority?" pipes up little Dingbat, Hi
upper lip seems to be shrinking ava,
from the six hairs of his little mus
tache, leaving them to stick straigh
out. alone and unsupported.
High" affirms White In awe; "a
a man connected with the army"
by Gcorgc!" Jones slams his frs
on the table 50 hard that the soup Il
the plates jumps into little peaks ana
Dingbat spills his wine ordinary as al
turn feserishly to the redhead. Now
] believe 1t! Boys. Il man told m
something this morning, in strict con
fidence, which | couldn't swallow, il
spite of tho fact that the thing cam
almost directly from a high authority
but now that | know this Russian sit
,Iation | see that he was right TIL
Italians have secretly ceded to tn
Germans all their territory down &c
and including. Rome, And the cana
is to be completed cutting across be
low Rome. which will leave the Who'll
southern part Of Italy an island. unde
the protectoratc of the German en-
pirc. with the capital at Naples
Maybe the British can keep thcf
out suggests Brown. They did, 70
know"