The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-03-26


citizens hanging out OF the windows,
waving their arms, staring distraught
at the sky. convinced, IN so Tar as
thew could think at all, that q great
enemy air fleet was bombarding Ger
many at last.
Masses of flame and smoke shot up
ward. The pale morning sky turned
black, rent with darting crimson
tongues and lit with prismatic stars
Other explosions followed In rapid
succession. some coming down the
light morning wind from O long dis
lance. Blasts OF heat swept audibly
through the long galleries OF the
Maximilianeum.
at is an infernor" Marie Won Eri<el
for the moment was almost hysterical
viii Munich be destroyed? Oh, not
thatw
The fire brIsades knew their busi-
mesa"
Gisela glanced up At the Mareoni sta
ton Even through the din she could
hear the faint cracking Of the wire
less. IF all Germany
wIId Eyed win Exeitenenf.
But her eyes were wild. II
the revoIutionists in the rest OF the
empire had been as prompt and fear
less as those OF Bavaria, every muni-
ton and ammunition factory, every
aerodrome and public hangar, save
those taken possession Of by power
fully armed squads OF women, every
arsenal. every warehouse for what
gasoline and lubricating oils were left,
every telegraph and telephone wire,
every railway station near either
frontier, with thousands OF cars and
miles Of track had been destroyed
simultaneously.
The armies would be isolated, with
out arms or ammunition but what
they had on hand or. could manufac-
ture in the invaded countries; no food
but what they had In storage.
They could not tight the enemy
seven days longer: II the enemy al
lies heard Immediately OF the revo-
believed In Il after 50 many false
alarms, the finish of the German
forces would come in two days
But had the women OF the other
states been As prompt and ruthless
as the women OF Bavaria7 Spandau.
Essen, all the centers In the Rhine
Valley for the manufacture OF NUM-
lions on q grand scale. the
great Krupp factories. unless
they were in ruins the revolution was
She could not be everywhere At
once. War and misery and starving
children, the loss Of the men and
boys they loved, and a profound dis
trust of their rulers. had filled them
with a cold and bitter hatred OF an
autocracy convicted OF lying and ar
gressive purpose out OF its own
mouth; but would the iron In their
souls carry them triumphantIy past
the final test? o.
Women were women and Germans
were not Russians. They had little
fatalism In their makeup, and their
brain cells were packed with the ira
dition OF centuries OF submission to
man.
Revolt Long Planned Fer.
True. their quiet revolt had begun
long before the war. and this last
year had wrought extraordinary
changes. quickenIng their mental
processes, forcing them to think and
act for themselves: but their hearts
those last dispiriting hours before the
dawn
And how could It be possible that all
traitors had been detected. sxterri-
mated, with millions in the secretl
Troops might even now be in Prussia
Great headquarters (Grosse Haupt-
Quartier) were in Pless, and although
the women of that city were not In
the confidence OF the revolutionaries.
and It was to remain IN ignorance a.
long as possible. the abrupt cessation
OF telephone and telegraph communal.
cation would advise that group 81
alert brains that something WA
wrong.
Moreover, even with interrupted
communications they would soon learn
of the blowing up OF factories IN other
Silesian towns; no doubt hear them.
1t was true the railways and bridges
between Pless and Berlin were-h
they werel-detroyed. but there were
always automobiles; enough for =
small force. And the police.
the police Of BerIini They were stiIl
formidable in spite OF the drain on
men for the front. Marietta had write
ten her grimly that she would take
care OF the rats In the granary,' >"
meaning the police; but although
Marietta was the most thorough and
merciless person she knew. she doubt
ed even her in this awful moment
Could Revolution Sueeeedf
How could she have dreamed OF
accomplishing q universal revolution
in q country possessing the most per-
feet secret service system In the
world? q country with eyes
in the back of its head7
True, the Socialists In her con-
fidence had been noisy and bumptious
Of late in order to concentrate atten-
ton upon their sex. and at the same
time careful to refrain from definite
statements or overt acts It
would never enter the stupid official
head that German women could con-
ceive, much less precipitate, q rsvo-
luton: but there must be traitors,
women who fundamentally were the
slaves OF men, weak spirits, spirits
rotten with Imperialism, militar-
ism, but cunning in the art OF
discrimination. ''' What an accursed
fool and criminal she had been . .
egotistical dreamer! led on by
the extraordinary power she had
acquired over the women OF her
race.
GIseIa Fights Strong Impulse.
For a moment she chung to the en-
brasure, so overwhelming was her
impulse TO hurl herself down into
oblivion. In that dark and shrieking
uproar she had the illusion that she
was in hell, in hell with her miserable
victims
But although Gisela's long slumber-
a.