The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1931-10-16
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shoulder straps, Heel makeS a
swift movement. For an in.
slant we imagine there Is go
ing to be a standup fight, but
to our establishment the COM
pany commander merely says
abruptly, quite sol" Then,
turning to Ludwig, he lays a
hand on his shoulder. you
don't understand, perhaps,
Breyer? A private's tunic,
that's the idea. The other is
finished with now"
No one utters q word. This
is not the Heel that we know
the man who would go on pa
troll at night armed with
nothing but walking stick
whom everyone regarded as
bullet-proof. This man is hard
put to it just to stand up and
speak.
This evening, as lay already
asleep, I was reused by sounds
OF whispering. You're pulling
my leg" I hear Kosole say.
Fact" persists Willy. You
come and see."
They get UP hastily and 90
out into the yard. follow them.
There is light in the office, so
that it is possible to see inside.
Heel is seated at the table. His
blue officers jacket. the litefka.
is lying before him. The shoulder
straps have gone. He is wearing
a private's tunic. His head is in
his hands and-but no, that
cannot bel go a step near
Heel, HeC. is crying,
Can you beat it," whispers
Tjaden.
Hop it," says Bethke, and
gives >Tjaden q kick. We sneak
off. embarrassed.
Next morning we hear that a
major in one Of the neighbor.
ing regiments shot himself when
he learned of the flight Of the
Emperor.
Heel Is coming. He Is gray
and worn with sleeplesSness.
Quietly he gives the necessary
instructions. Then he. goes
again. And we all feel just ter.
rible. The last thing that was
left to us has been taken away
the very ground cut from under
our feet.
We're betrayed, well and
truly betrayed, that's what we
are" says Kosole GRUMPY.
Very different from yester.
day is the column that lines
up today and marches dismally
off. A last company, an aban-
doned army. The entranching
tool claps with every step
monotonouS melody-in vain
in vain
LedderhoSe alone is as happy
as a lark. He sells us tinted
meat and sugar out Of his
American plumber.
In Grmany Again
Next evening we reach Ger
many. Now that French is no
longer spoken every where
around us, we began at last to be-
lieve that the peace is real. Un-
til now we have been secretly
expecting an order to turn about
and go back to the trenches
a soldier is mistrustful of good,
contrary from the outset. But
now a bubbling ferment begins
slowly to work in us.
We enter a large village. A
few bedraggled garlandS hang
across the street. So many
troops have passed through al
ready that it is not worth while
to make any special fuss about
the last of them. So we must
content ourselves with the faded
welcome of a few rain-sodden
placards losely looped around
with oak leaves cut out Of green
paper. The people hardly SO
much as look at us as we march
by, so accustomed have they
grown to soldiers returning.
Btu for us it is new thing to
come here and we hunger for a
few friendly looks. however
much we may pretend we do
not care. The girls at least
might stop and wave to u.s. Every
now and then Tjaden and Jupp
try to attract the attention OF
one, but without success. we
look too grisly, no doubt. so
, in the end they give it UP.
Children Greet Them .
Only the children accompany
us. We take them by the
hand and they run along be-
side us. We give them all
the chocolate we can spare
we want, of course, to take
some part Of it home. Adolf
Bethke has taken a little girl
up in his arms. She tugs at
his beard as if it were Q bride
and laughs with glee to see
his griinaces. The little hands
pat his face. He catches hold
OF one of them to show me
how tiny it is.
The child begins to cry, now
that he Is pulling no more
faces. Adolf tries to pacify
her, but she. only cries the
more loudly and he has to
put her down.
I'VE seem to have turned
into first-rate bogeymen," growls
KoSole.
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