The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1929-10-14

der, ominous-blood-s stirring
Shattered the golden calm now.
A SILVER seemed to pass over the
little town.
The group Of peasant women
clustered about the we'll curb
looked into each others faces
with startled eyes. One voiced
the thought which leaped into the
mind of each.
Mon Dieu! crossing herself.
"It has come" Beady-eyed with
fright, she started on a waddling
run for the cafe.
Like the overwhelming circles
Of a stone flung in a pool, the
sound carried to white-washed
farmhouse on the edge of town.
An old woman, doing in the
sun of the courtyard, raised her
head, and alarm leaped to her
faded eyes. She struggled to rise,
for one excited moment forgetting
the helplessness which chained
her to the invalid chair. Failing
back exhausted on the cushions
she screamed shrilly.
"Marianne! Do you hear q
drum
At the cry a girl had run from
the house. A slender wlsp OF
thing, scarcely more than a child.
"a drum Her hands
pressed hard over her breast IN
dread. Eyes hear drum,
auntie!"
run. Marianne! Find OUT"
Like a bird released from
cage the slim figure darted away
through the sunshine.
B-R-R-R-R-R-UMM
A man driving load OF hay
from his farm suddenly flung
the reins to a boy and leaped
to the ground. 1T has come
We go!"
10 to the little schooihouse
perched on the hill above the
town the thunder rumbled.
The Young schoolmaster stand
ing before the blackboard, a bit
of chalk poised in his fingers
was suddenly frozen, dark eyes
wide, head lifted alertly. as the
head Of stag which scents
Behind him the children had
broken into a babble OF excite
ment.
"a drum 1t is Papa
Gerard beating his drum
But why-at this hour-It's funny
"a drum
The master spoke, his young
voice shaking with the pressure
he put upon it to keep it calm.
Mes petites, the lesson is fin
ished. War is declared
The lesson was finished
AS, yes, and finished, too, all
things golden and lovely. All
tranquil and beautiful things.
Drowned out by the rumble Of
the drum beaten down there in
the town.
Andre, the master, turned back
to his hysterical audience.
"Of all that 1 have taught you,
my little ones, you need remem-
Der only this"
Picking up the chalk he wrote
in a sweeping hand over the un-
finished lesson
WYE LA FRANCE
As he ran from the school
house in the wake Of the scream
ing children, Andre found the
town in an uproar. Neighbors
pounded by, their voices had
already taken on a strange new
edge Of alarm.
The drum was like the beat.
ing Of an angry heart. The
village seathed about the town.
crier, old Gerard, who had bled
for France in his youth and had
tasted the bitterness Of 1871.
Now the old mans face was
glorified. He stared over the
heads Of the crowd as he beat
the roll, and his eyes held the
rapt expression Of one who sees
visions.
Men crowded before O. notice
pasted on the brick wall OF the
cafe--a mobilization notice call.
ing the reservists into service
for war.
AS Andre ran up. a man carry.
ing q bundle hastily done up in
a blue bandana called to him
exc1tedly, I'VE are to go to the
Army Corps Barracks at Croix
We will assemble with the re-
servists Of the whole district there
and then on to the Rhine"
"War! War" this was Pierre
la Mott. the town cobbler. his
fierce black mustache bristling
with excitement. Now we will
pay them back for Alsace and
Lorraine-eh. Papa Gerard? You
met them in II. Well, this
time we will make the Prussians
pay through the nose! The
pigs Ugh"
He staggered under the sud-
den onslaught of a fat woman
who clawed at him lovingly.
"Ah, mon chere Pierre, mon
hebe! Au revoir sois pru.
dent, Pierre"
The reservists had dragged the
hurdy-gurdy from the cafe into
the street. 1t was presided over
by no less a person than the
village cure, Pere Joseph him
self. who started 1t playing Sam
bre ct Meuse
Voices took it up. The mar
tial beat of 1t pounded through
ones blood like the roar of the
sea.
1t crashed meaninglessly on An
dre's ears. His eyes were comb
ing the crowd. searching-yearn-
ing.
And then he say her come fly.
tnR along the ros to town, q slim