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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2fc122e --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #69289 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69289) diff --git a/old/69289-0.txt b/old/69289-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c0a6f4a..0000000 --- a/old/69289-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8906 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Little comrade, by Burton Egbert -Stevenson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Little comrade - -Author: Burton Egbert Stevenson - -Release Date: November 3, 2022 [eBook #69289] - -Language: English - -Produced by: D A Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team - at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images - generously made available by Cornell University Digital - Collections) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE COMRADE *** - - - - - - LITTLE COMRADE - - _A TALE of the GREAT WAR_ - - BY - - BURTON E. STEVENSON - - Author of “The Marathon Mystery,” “The Destroyer,” etc. - - NEW YORK - - HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY - - 1915 - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1914, - BY - BURTON E. STEVENSON - - COPYRIGHT, 1915, - BY - HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY - - _Published March, 1915_ - - THE QUINN & BODEN CO. PRESS - RAHWAY, N. J. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. THE THIRTY-FIRST OF JULY 1 - II. THE FIRST RUMBLINGS 18 - III. “STATE OF WAR” 38 - IV. THE MYSTERY OF THE SATIN SLIPPERS 52 - V. ONE WAY TO ACQUIRE A WIFE 59 - VI. THE SNARE 80 - VII. IN THE TRAP 102 - VIII. PRESTO! CHANGE! 130 - IX. THE FRONTIER 151 - X. FORTUNE FROWNS 172 - XI. THE NIGHT ATTACK 196 - XII. AN ARMY IN ACTION 214 - XIII. THE PASSAGE OF THE MEUSE 234 - XIV. THE LAST DASH 249 - XV. DISASTER 267 - XVI. A TRUST FULFILLED 285 - - - - -LITTLE COMRADE - - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE THIRTY-FIRST OF JULY - - -“LET us have coffee on the terrace,” Bloem suggested, and, as his -companion nodded, lifted a finger to the waiter and gave the order. - -Both were a little sad, for this was their last meal together. Though -they had known each other less than a fortnight, they had become fast -friends. They had been thrown together by chance at the surgical -congress at Vienna, where Bloem, finding the American’s German lame and -halting, had constituted himself a sort of interpreter, and Stewart had -reciprocated by polishing away some of the roughnesses and Teutonic -involutions of Bloem’s formal English. - -When the congress ended, they had journeyed back together in leisurely -fashion through Germany, spending a day in medieval Nuremberg, another -in odorous Würzburg, and a third in mountain-shadowed Heidelberg, -where Bloem had sought out some of his old comrades and initiated -his American friend into the mysteries of an evening session in the -Hirschgasse. Then they had turned northward to Mayence, and so down the -terraced Rhine to Cologne. Here they were to part, Bloem to return to -his work at Elberfeld, Stewart for a week or two in Brussels and Paris, -and then home to America. - -Bloem’s train was to leave in an hour, and it was the consciousness of -this that kept them silent until their waiter came to tell them that -their coffee was served. As they followed him through the hall, a tall -man in the uniform of a captain of infantry entered from the street. -His eyes brightened as he caught sight of Bloem. - -“_Ach_, Hermann!” he cried. - -Bloem, turning, stopped an instant for a burlesque salute, then threw -himself into the other’s arms. A moment later, he was dragging him -forward to introduce him to Stewart. - -“My cousin,” he cried, “Ritter Bloem, a soldier as you see--a great -fire-eater! Cousin, this is my friend, Dr. Bradford Stewart, whom I had -the good fortune to meet at Vienna.” - -“I am pleased to know you, sir,” said the captain, shaking hands and -speaking excellent English. - -“You must join us,” Bloem interposed. “We are just going to have coffee -on the terrace. Come,” and he caught the other by the arm. - -But the captain shook his head. - -“No, I cannot come,” he said; “really I cannot, much as I should like -to do so. Dr. Stewart,” he added, a little hesitatingly, “I trust you -will not think me discourteous if I take my cousin aside for a moment.” - -“Certainly not,” Stewart assured him. - -“I will join you on the terrace,” said Bloem, and Stewart, nodding -good-by to the captain, followed the waiter, who had stood by during -this exchange of greetings, and now led the way to a little table at -one corner of the broad balcony looking out over the square. - -“Shall I pour the coffee, sir?” he asked, as Stewart sat down. - -“No; I will wait for my companion,” and, as the waiter bowed and -stepped back, Stewart leaned forward with a deep breath of admiration. - -Below him lay the green level of the Domhof, its close-clipped trees -outlined stiffly against the lights behind them. Beyond rose the -choir of the great cathedral, with its fretted pinnacles, and flying -buttresses, and towering roof. By day, he had found its exterior -somewhat cold and bare and formal, lacking somehow the subtle spirit -of true Gothic; but nothing could be more beautiful than it was now, -shimmering in the moonlight, bathed in luminous shadow, lace-like and -mysterious. - -He was still absorbed in this fairy vision when Bloem rejoined him. -Even in the half-light of the terrace, Stewart could see that he was -deeply moved. His face, usually glowing with healthy color, was almost -haggard; his eyes seemed dull and sunken. - -“No bad news, I hope?” Stewart asked. - -Without answering him, Bloem signaled the waiter to pour the coffee, -and sat watching him in silence. - -“That will do,” he said in German; “we will ring if we have need of -you.” Then, as the waiter withdrew, he glanced nervously about the -terrace. It was deserted save for a noisy group around a table at the -farther end. “There is very bad news, my friend,” he added, almost in a -whisper. “There is going to be--war!” - -Stewart stared for an instant, astonished at the gravity of his tone. -Then he nodded comprehendingly. - -“Yes,” he said; “I had not thought of it; but I suppose a war between -Austria and Servia _will_ affect Germany more or less. Only I was -hoping the Powers would interfere and stop it.” - -“It seems it cannot be stopped,” said Bloem, gloomily. “Russia is -mobilizing to assist Servia. Austria is Germany’s ally, and so Germany -must come to her aid. Unless Russia stops her mobilization, we shall -declare war against her. Our army has already been called to the -colors.” - -Stewart breathed a little deeper. - -“But perhaps Russia will desist when she realizes her danger,” he -suggested. “She must know she is no match for Germany.” - -“She does know it,” Bloem agreed; “but she also knows that she will not -fight alone. It is not against Russia we are mobilizing--it is against -France.” - -“Against France?” echoed the other. “But surely----” - -“Do not speak so loud, I beg of you,” Bloem cautioned. “What I am -telling you is not yet generally known--perhaps the dreadful thing -we fear will not happen, after all. But France is Russia’s ally--she -will be eager for war--for forty years she has been preparing for this -moment.” - -“Yes,” agreed Stewart, smiling, “I have heard of ‘_la revanche_’; I -have seen the mourning wreaths on the Strassburg monument. I confess,” -he added, “that I sympathize with France’s dream of regaining her lost -provinces. So do most Americans. We are a sentimental people.” - -“I, too, sympathize with that dream,” said Bloem, quickly, “or at least -I understand it. So do many Germans. We have come to realize that the -seizure of Alsace and Lorraine, however justified by history, was in -effect a terrible mistake. We should have been generous in our hour of -triumph--that way lay a chance of friendship with a people whose pride -remained unbroken by disaster. Instead, we chose to heap insults upon -a conquered foe, and we have reaped a merited reward of detestation. -Ironically enough, those provinces which cost us so much have been -to us a source of weakness, not of strength. We have had to fortify -them, to police them, to hold them in stern repression. Even yet, -they must be treated as conquered ground. You do not know--you cannot -realize--what that means!” He stared out gloomily into the night. “I -have served there,” he added, hoarsely. - -There was something in his tone which sent a shiver across Stewart’s -scalp, as though he had found himself suddenly at the brink of a -horrible abyss into which he dared not turn his eyes. He fancied he -could see in his companion’s somber face the stirring of ghastly -memories, of tragic experience---- - -“But since France has not yet declared war,” he said at last, “surely -you will wait----” - -“Ah, my friend,” Bloem broke in, “we cannot afford to wait. We must -strike quickly and with all our strength. There is no secret as to -Germany’s plan--France must be crushed under a mighty blow before she -can defend herself; after that it will be Russia’s turn.” - -“And after that?” - -“After that? After that, we shall seize more provinces and exact more -huge indemnities--and add just so much to our legacy of fear and -hatred! We are bound to a wheel from which we cannot escape.” - -Stewart looked dazedly out over the lighted square. - -“I can’t understand it,” he said, at last. “I don’t understand how such -things can be. They aren’t possible. They’re too terrible to be true. -This is a civilized world--such things can never happen--humanity won’t -endure it!” - -Bloem passed a trembling hand before his eyes, as a man awaking from a -horrid dream. - -“Let us hope so, at least,” he said. “But I am afraid; I shake with -fear! Europe is topheavy under the burden of her awful armaments; now, -or at some future time, she must come tumbling down; she must--she -must--” he paused, searching for a word--“she must crumble. Perhaps -that time has come.” - -“I don’t believe it,” Stewart protested, stoutly. “Some day she will -realize the insane folly of this armament, and it will cease.” - -“I wish I could believe so,” said Bloem, sadly; “but you do not -know, my friend, how we here in Germany, for example, are weighed -down by militarism. You do not know the arrogance, the ignorance, -the narrow-mindedness of the military caste. They do nothing -for Germany--they add nothing to her art, her science, or her -literature--they add nothing to her wealth--they destroy rather than -build up--and yet it is they who rule Germany. We are a pacific people, -we love our homes and a quiet life; we are not a military people, and -yet every man in Germany must march to war when the word is given. We -ourselves have no voice in the matter. We have only to obey.” - -“Obey whom?” asked Stewart. - -“The Emperor,” answered Bloem, bitterly. “With all our progress, -my friend, with all our development in science and industry, with -all our literature and art, with all our philosophy, we still live -in a medieval State, ruled by a king who believes himself divinely -appointed, who can do no wrong, and who, in time of war at least, has -absolute power over us. And the final decision as to war or peace is -wholly in his hands. Understand I do not complain of the Emperor; he -has done great things for Germany; he has often cast his influence for -peace. But he is surrounded by aristocrats intent only on maintaining -their privileges, who are terrified by the growth of democratic ideas; -who believe that the only way to checkmate democracy is by a great war. -It is they who preach the doctrine of blood and iron; who hold that -Cæsar is sacrosanct. The Emperor struggles against them; but some day -they will prove too strong for him. Besides, he himself believes in -blood and iron; he hates democracy as bitterly as anyone, for it denies -the divine right of kings!” He stopped suddenly, his finger to his ear. -“Listen!” he said. - -Down the street, from the direction of the river, came a low, -continuous murmur, as of the wind among the leaves of a forest; -then, as it grew clearer, it resolved itself into the tramp, tramp of -iron-shod feet. Bloem leaned far forward staring into the darkness; and -suddenly, at the corner, three mounted officers appeared; then a line -of soldiers wheeled into view; then another and another and another, -moving as one man. The head of the column crossed the square, passed -behind the church and disappeared, but still the tide poured on with -slow and regular undulation, dim, mysterious, and threatening. At last -the rear of the column came into view, passed, disappeared; the clatter -of iron on stone softened to a shuffle, to a murmur, died away. - -With a long breath, Bloem sat erect and passed his handkerchief across -his shining forehead. - -“There is one battalion,” he said; “one unit composed of a thousand -lesser units--each unit a man with a soul like yours and mine; with -hopes and ambitions; with women to love him; and now marching to death, -perhaps, in the ranks yonder without in the least knowing why. There -are four million such units in the army the Emperor can call into the -field. I am one of them--I shall march like the rest!” - -“You!” - -“Yes--I am a private in the Elberfeld battalion.” He spread out his -delicate, sensitive, surgeon’s hands and looked at them. “I was at -one time a sergeant,” he added, “but my discipline did not satisfy my -lieutenant and I was reduced to the ranks.” - -Stewart also stared at those beautiful hands, so expressive, so expert. -How vividly they typified the waste of war! - -“But it’s absurd,” he protested, “that a man like you--highly-trained, -highly-educated, a specialist--should be made to shoulder a rifle. In -the ranks, you are worth no more than the most ignorant peasant.” - -“Not so much,” corrected Bloem. “Our ideal soldier is one whose -obedience is instant and unquestioning.” - -“But why are you not placed where you would be most efficient--in the -hospital corps, perhaps?” - -“There are enough old and middle-aged surgeons for that duty. Young men -must fight! Besides, I am suspected of having too many ideas!” - -He sat for a moment longer staring down at his hands--staring too, -perhaps, at his career so ruthlessly shattered--then he shook himself -together and glanced across at his companion with a wry little smile. - -“You will think me a great croaker!” he said. “It was the first -shock--the thought of everything going to pieces. In a day or two, I -shall be marching as light-heartedly as all the others--knowing only -that I am fighting the enemies of my country--and wishing to know no -more!” - -But Stewart did not answer the smile. Confused thoughts were flying -through his head--thoughts which he struggled to compose into some -order or sequence. - -Bloem looked at him for a moment, and his smile grew more ironic. - -“I can guess what is in your mind,” he said. “You are wondering why we -march at all--why we offer ourselves as cannon-fodder, if we do not -wish to do so. You are thinking of defiances, of revolutions. But there -will never be a revolution in Germany--not in this generation.” - -“Yes, I was thinking something like that,” Stewart agreed. “Why will -there be no revolution?” - -“Because we are too thoroughly drilled in the habit of obedience. That -habit is grooved deep into our brains. Were any of us so rash as to -start a revolution, the government could stop it with a single word.” - -“A single word?” - -“Yes--‘_verboten_’!” retorted Bloem, with a short laugh. Then he -pushed back his chair and rose abruptly. “I must say good-by. My orders -are awaiting me at Elberfeld.” - -Stewart rose too, his face still mazed with incredulity. - -“You really mean----” - -“I mean,” Bloem broke in, “that to-morrow I go to my depot, hang about -my neck the metal tag stamped with my number, put on my uniform and -shoulder my rifle. I cease to be an individual--I become a soldier. -Good-by, my friend,” he added, his voice softening. “Think of me -sometimes, in that far-off, sublime America of yours. One thing -more--do not linger in Germany--things will be very different here -under martial law. Get home as quickly as you can; and, in the midst of -your peace and happiness, pity us poor blind worms who are forced to -slay each other!” - -“But I will go with you to the station,” Stewart protested. - -“No, no,” said Bloem; “you must not do that. I am to meet my cousin. -Good-by. _Lebe wohl!_” - -“Good-by--and good luck!” and Stewart wrung the hand thrust into his. -“You have been most kind to me.” - -Bloem answered only with a little shake of the head; then turned -resolutely and hastened from the terrace. - -Stewart sank back into his seat more moved than he would have believed -possible by this parting from a man whom, a fortnight before, he had -not known at all. Poor Bloem! To what fate was he being hurried! A -cultured man graded down to the level of the hind; a gentleman set to -the task of slaughter; a democrat driven to fight in defense of the -divine right of kings! But could such a fight succeed? Was any power -strong enough to drag back the hands of time---- - -And then Stewart started violently, for someone had touched him on the -shoulder. He looked up to find standing over him a tall man in dark -blue uniform and wearing a spiked helmet. - -“Your pardon, sir,” said the man in careful English; “I am an agent of -the police. I must ask you certain questions.” - -“Very well,” agreed Stewart with a smile. “Go ahead--I have nothing to -conceal. But won’t you sit down?” - -“I thank you,” and the policeman sat down heavily. “You are, I believe, -an American.” - -“Yes.” - -“Have you a passport?” - -“Yes--I was foolish enough to get one before I left home. All my -friends laughed at me and told me I was wasting a dollar!” - -“I should like to see it.” - -Stewart put his hand into an inner pocket, drew out the crackling -parchment and passed it over. The other took it, unfolded it, glanced -at the red seal and at the date, then read the very vague description -of its owner, and finally drew out a notebook. - -“Please sign your name here,” he said, and indicated a blank page. - -Stewart wrote his name, and the officer compared it with the signature -at the bottom of the passport. Then he nodded, folded it up, and handed -it back across the table. - -“It is quite regular,” he said. “For what time have you been in -Germany?” - -“About two weeks. I attended the surgical congress at Vienna.” - -“You are a surgeon by profession?” - -“Yes.” - -“You are now on your way home?” - -“Yes.” - -“When will you leave Germany?” - -“I am going from here to Aix-la-Chapelle in the morning, and expect to -leave there for Brussels to-morrow afternoon or Sunday morning at the -latest.” - -The officer noted these details in his book. - -“At what hotel will you stay in Aachen?” he asked. - -“I don’t know. Is there a good one near the station?” - -“The Kölner Hof is near the station. It is not large, but it is very -good. It is starred by Baedeker.” - -“Then I will go there,” said Stewart. - -“Very good,” and the officer wrote, “Kölner Hof, Aachen,” after -Stewart’s name, closed his notebook and slipped it into his pocket. -“You understand, sir, that it is our duty to keep watch over all -strangers, as much for their own protection as for any other reason.” - -“Yes,” assented Stewart, “I understand. I have heard that there is some -danger of war.” - -“Of that I know nothing,” said the other coldly, and rose quickly to -his feet. “I bid you good-night, sir.” - -“Good-night,” responded Stewart, and watched the upright figure until -it disappeared. - -Then, lighting a fresh cigar, he gazed out at the great cathedral, -nebulous and dream-like in the darkness, and tried to picture to -himself what such a war would mean as Bloem had spoken of. With men by -the million dragged into the vast armies, who would harvest Europe’s -grain, who would work in her factories, who would conduct her business? -Above all, who would feed the women and children? - -And where would the money come from--the millions needed daily to keep -such armies in the field? Where could it come from, save from the sweat -of inoffensive people, who must be starved and robbed and ground into -the earth until the last penny was wrung from them? Along the line of -battle, thousands would meet swift death, and thousands more would -struggle back to life through the torments of hell, to find themselves -maimed and useless. But how trivial their sufferings beside the slow, -hopeless, year-long martyrdom of the countless thousands who would -never see a battle, who would know little of the war--who would know -only that never thereafter was there food enough, warmth enough---- - -Stewart started from his reverie to find the waiter putting out the -lights. Shivering as with a sudden chill, he hastily sought his room. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE FIRST RUMBLINGS - - -AS Stewart ate his breakfast next morning, he smiled at his absurd -fears of the night before. In the clear light of day, Bloem’s talk -of war seemed mere foolishness. War! Nonsense! Europe would never be -guilty of such folly--a deliberate plunge to ruin. - -Besides, there were no evidences of war; the life of the city was -moving in its accustomed round, so far as Stewart could see; and -there was vast reassurance in the quiet and orderly service of the -breakfast-room. No doubt the Powers had bethought themselves, had -interfered, had stopped the war between Austria and Servia, had ceased -mobilization--in a word, had saved Europe from an explosion which would -have shaken her from end to end. - -But when Stewart asked for his bill, the proprietor, instead of -intrusting it as usual to the head-waiter, presented it in person. - -“If Herr Stewart would pay in gold, it would be a great favor,” he said. - -Like all Americans, Stewart, unaccustomed to gold and finding its -weight burdensome, carried banknotes whenever it was possible to do -so. Emptying his pockets now, he found, besides a miscellaneous lot of -silver and nickel and copper, a single small gold coin, value ten marks. - -“But I have plenty of paper,” he said, and, producing his pocket-book, -spread five notes for a hundred marks each before him on the table. -“What’s the matter with it?” - -“There is nothing at all the matter with it, sir,” the little fat -German hastened to assure him; “only, just at present, there is a -preference for gold. I would advise that you get gold for these notes, -if possible.” - -“I have a Cook’s letter of credit,” said Stewart. “They would give me -gold. Where is Cook’s office here?” - -“It is but a step up the street, sir,” answered the other eagerly. -“Come, I will show you,” and, hastening to the door, he pointed out -the office at the end of a row of buildings jutting out toward the -cathedral. - -Stewart, the banknotes in his hand, hastened thither, and found quite -a crowd of people drawing money on traveler’s checks and letters of -credit. He noticed that they were all being paid in gold. They, too, it -seemed, had heard rumors of war, had been advised to get gold; but most -of them treated the rumors as a joke and were heeding the advice only -because they needed gold to pay their bills. - -Even if there was war, they told each other, it could not affect them. -At most, it would only add a spice of excitement and adventure to the -remainder of their European tour; what they most feared was that they -would not be permitted to see any of the fighting! A few of the more -timid shamefacedly confessed that they were getting ready to turn -homeward, but by far the greater number proclaimed the fact that they -had made up their minds not to alter their plans in any detail. So much -Stewart gathered as he stood in line waiting his turn; then he was in -front of the cashier’s window. - -The cashier looked rather dubious when Stewart laid the banknotes down -and asked for gold. - -“I am carrying one of your letters of credit,” Stewart explained, and -produced it. “I got these notes on it at Heidelberg just the other day. -Now it seems they’re no good.” - -“They are perfectly good,” the cashier assured him; “but some of the -tradespeople, who are always suspicious and ready to take alarm, are -demanding gold. How long will you be in Germany?” - -“I go to Belgium to-night or to-morrow.” - -“Then you can use French gold,” said the cashier, with visible relief. -“Will one hundred marks in German gold carry you through? Yes? I think -I can arrange it on that basis;” and when Stewart assented, counted -out five twenty-mark pieces and twenty-four twenty-franc pieces. “I -think you are wise to leave Germany as soon as possible,” he added, in -a low tone, as Stewart gathered up this money and bestowed it about -his person. “We do not wish to alarm anyone, and we are not offering -advice, but if war comes, Germany will not be a pleasant place for -strangers.” - -“Is it really coming?” Stewart asked. “Is there any news?” - -“There is nothing definite--just a feeling in the air--but I believe -that it is coming,” and he turned to the next in line. - -Stewart hastened back to the hotel, where his landlord received with -reiterated thanks the thirty marks needed to settle the bill. When that -transaction was ended, he glanced nervously about the empty office, -and then leaned close. - -“You leave this morning, do you not, sir?” he asked, in a tone -cautiously lowered. - -“Yes; I am going to Aix-la-Chapelle.” - -“Take my advice, sir,” said the landlord earnestly, “and do not stop -there. Go straight on to Brussels.” - -“But why?” asked Stewart. “Everybody is advising me to get out of -Germany. What danger can there be?” - -“No danger, perhaps, but very great annoyance. It is rumored that the -Emperor has already signed the proclamation declaring Germany in a -state of war. It may be posted at any moment.” - -“Suppose it is--what then? What difference can that make to me--or to -any American?” - -“I see you do not know what those words mean,” said the little -landlord, leaning still closer and speaking with twitching lips. -“When Germany is in a state of war, all civil authority ceases; the -military authority is everywhere supreme. The state takes charge of -all railroads, and no private persons will be permitted on them until -the troops have been mobilized, which will take at least a week; even -after that, the trains will run only when the military authorities -think proper, and never past the frontier. The telegraphs are taken -and will send no private messages; no person may enter or leave the -country until his identity is clearly established; every stranger in -the country will be placed under arrest, if there is any reason to -suspect him. All motor vehicles are seized, all horses, all stores of -food. Business stops, because almost all the men must go to the army. -I must close my hotel because there will be no men left to work for -me. Even if the men were left, there would be no custom when travel -ceases. Every shop will be closed which cannot be managed by women; -every factory will shut, unless its product is needed by the army. Your -letter of credit will be worthless, because there will be no way in -which our bankers can get gold from America. No--at that time, Germany -will be no place for strangers.” - -Stewart listened incredulously, for all this sounded like the wildest -extravagance. He could not believe that business and industry would -fall to pieces like that--it was too firmly founded, too strongly built. - -“What I have said is true, sir, believe me,” said the little man, -earnestly, seeing his skeptical countenance. “One thing more--have you -a passport?” - -“Yes,” said Stewart, and tapped his pocket. - -“That is good. That will save you trouble at the frontier. Ah, here is -your baggage. Good-by, sir, and a safe voyage to your most fortunate -country.” - -A brawny porter shouldered the two suit-cases which held Stewart’s -belongings, and the latter followed him along the hall to the door. As -he stepped out upon the terrace, he saw drawn up there about twenty -men--some with the black coats of waiters, some with the white caps of -cooks, some with the green aprons of porters--while a bearded man in -a spiked helmet was checking off their names in a little book. At the -sound of Stewart’s footsteps, he turned and cast upon him the cold, -impersonal glance of German officialdom. Then he looked at the porter. - -“You will return as quickly as possible,” he said gruffly in German to -the latter, and returned to his checking. - -As they crossed the Domhof and skirted the rear of the cathedral, -Stewart noticed that many of the shops were locked and shuttered, and -that the street seemed strangely deserted. Only as they neared the -station did the crowd increase. It was evident that many tourists, -warned, perhaps, as Stewart had been, had made up their minds to get -out of Germany; but the train drawn up beside the platform was a long -one, and there was room for everybody. It was a good-humored crowd, -rather inclined to laugh at its own fears and to protest that this -journey was entirely in accordance with a pre-arranged schedule; but it -grew quieter and quieter as moment after moment passed and the train -did not start. - -That a German train should not start precisely on time was certainly -unusual; that it should wait for twenty minutes beyond that time was -staggering. But the station-master, pacing solemnly up and down the -platform, paid no heed to the inquiries addressed to him, and the -guards answered only by a shake of the head which might mean anything. -Then, quite suddenly, above the noises of the station, menacing and -insistent came the low, ceaseless shuffle of approaching feet. - -A moment later the head of an infantry column appeared at the station -entrance. It halted there, and an officer, in a long, gray cape that -fell to his ankles, strode toward the station-master, who hastened to -meet him. There was a moment’s conference, and then the station-master, -saluting for the tenth time, turned to the expectant guards. - -“Clear the train!” he shouted in stentorian German, and the guards -sprang eagerly to obey. - -The scene which followed is quite indescribable. All the Germans in -the train hastened to get off, as did everybody else who understood -what was demanded and knew anything of the methods of militarism. But -many did not understand; a few who did made the mistake of standing -upon what they conceived to be their rights and refusing to be -separated from their luggage--and all alike, men, women, and children, -were yanked from their seats and deposited upon the platform. Some were -deposited upon their feet--but not many. Women screamed as rough and -seemingly hostile hands were laid upon them; men, red and inarticulate -with anger, attempted ineffectually to resist. In a moment one and -all found themselves shut off by a line of police which had suddenly -appeared from nowhere and drawn up before the train. - -Then a whistle sounded and the soldiers began to file into the -carriages in the most systematic manner. Twenty-four men entered each -compartment--ten sitting down and fourteen standing up or sitting -upon the others’ laps. Each coach, therefore, held one hundred and -forty-four; and the battalion of seven hundred and twenty men exactly -filled five coaches--just as the General Staff had long ago figured -that it should. - -Stewart, after watching this marvel of organization for a moment, -realized that, if any carriages were empty, it would be the ones at the -end of the train, and quietly made his way thither. At last, in the -rear coach, he came to a compartment in which sat one man, evidently a -German, with a melancholy, bearded face. Before the door stood a guard -watching the battalion entrain. - -“May one get aboard?” Stewart inquired, in his best German. - -The guard held up his hand for an instant; then the gold-braided -station-master shouted a sentence which Stewart could not distinguish; -but the guard dropped his hand and nodded. - -Looking back, the American saw a wild mob charging down the platform -toward him, and hastily swung himself aboard. As he dropped into his -seat, he could hear the shrieks and oaths of the mêlée outside, and the -next moment, a party of breathless and disheveled women were storming -the door. They were panting, exhausted, inarticulate with rage and -chagrin; they fell in, rolled in, stumbled in, until the compartment -was jammed. - -Stewart, swept from his seat at the first impact, but rallying and -doing what he could to bring order out of chaos, could not but admire -the manner in which his bearded fellow-passenger clung immovably to -his seat until the last woman was aboard, and then reached quickly out, -slammed shut the door, and held it shut, despite the entreaties of the -lost souls who drifted despairingly past along the platform, seemingly -blind, deaf, and totally uninterested in what was passing around him. - -Then Stewart looked at the women. Nine were crowded into the seats; -eight were standing; all were red and perspiring; and most of them had -plainly lost their tempers. Stewart was perspiring himself, and he got -out his handkerchief and mopped his forehead; then he ventured to speak. - -“Well,” he said; “so this is war! I have always heard it was warm work!” - -Most of the women merely glared at him and went on adjusting their -clothing, and fastening up their hair, and straightening their hats; -but one, a buxom woman of forty-eight or fifty, who was crowded next to -him, and who had evidently suffered more than her share of the general -misfortune, turned sharply. - -“Are you an American?” she demanded. - -“I am, madam.” - -“And you stand by and see your countrywomen treated in this perfectly -outrageous fashion?” - -“My dear madam,” protested Stewart, “what could one man--even an -American--do against a thousand?” - -“You could at least----” - -“Nonsense, mother,” broke in another voice, and Stewart turned to see -that it was a slim, pale girl of perhaps twenty-two who spoke. “The -gentleman is quite right. Besides, I thought it rather good fun.” - -“Good fun!” snapped her mother. “Good fun to be jerked about and -trampled on and insulted! And where is our baggage? Will we ever see it -again?” - -“Oh, the baggage is safe enough,” Stewart assured her. “The troops will -detrain somewhere this side the frontier, and we can all take our old -seats.” - -“But why should they travel by this train? Why should they not take -another train? Why should they----” - -“Are we all here?” broke in an anxious voice. “Is anyone missing?” - -There was a moment’s counting, then a general sigh of relief. The -number was found correct. - -From somewhere up the line a whistle sounded, and the state of the -engine-driver’s nerves could be inferred from the jerk with which -he started--quite an American jerk. All the women who were standing, -screamed and clutched at each other and swayed back and forth as if -wrestling. Stewart found himself wrestling with the buxom woman. - -“I cannot stand!” she declared. “It is outrageous that I should have to -stand!” and she fixed glittering eyes upon the bearded stranger. “No -American would remain seated while a woman of my age was standing!” - -But the bearded stranger gazed blandly out of the window at the passing -landscape. - -There was a moment’s silence, during which everyone looked at the -heartless culprit. Stewart had an uneasy feeling that, if he were to do -his duty as an American, he would grab the offender by the collar and -hurl him through the window. Then the woman next to the stranger bumped -resolutely into him, pressed him into the corner, and disclosed a few -inches of the seat. - -“Sit here, Mrs. Field,” she said. “We can all squeeze up a little.” - -The pressure was tremendous when Mrs. Field sat down; but the carriage -was strongly built and the sides held. The slender girl came and stood -by Stewart. - -“What’s it all about?” she asked. “Has there been a riot or something?” - -“There is going to be a most awful riot,” answered Stewart, “unless all -signs fail. Germany is mobilizing her troops to attack France.” - -“To attack France! How outrageous! It’s that Kaiser Wilhelm, I suppose! -Well, I hope France will simply clean him up!” - -“So do I!” cried her mother. “The Germans are not gentlemen. They do -not know how to treat women!” - -“‘_Kochen, Kirche und Kinder!_’” quoted somebody, in a high voice. - -“But see here,” protested Stewart, with a glance at the bearded -stranger, who was still staring steadily out of the window, “if I were -you, I’d wait till I was out of Germany before saying so. It would be -safer!” - -“Safer!” echoed an elderly woman with a high nose. “I should like to -see them harm an American!” - -Stewart turned away to the window with a gesture of despair, and caught -the laughing eyes of the girl who stood beside him. - -“Don’t blame them too much,” she said. “They’re not themselves. Usually -they are all quite polite and well-behaved; but now they are perfectly -savage. And I don’t blame them. I didn’t mind so much, because I’m slim -and long-legged and not very dignified; but if I were a stout, elderly -woman, rather proud of my appearance, I would bitterly resent being -yanked out of a seat and violently propelled across a platform by a -bearded ruffian with dirty hands. Wouldn’t you?” - -“Yes,” agreed Stewart, laughing; “I should probably kick and bite and -behave in a most undignified manner.” - -The girl leaned closer. - -“Some of them did!” she murmured. - -Stewart laughed again and looked at her with fresh interest. It was -something to find a woman who could preserve her sense of humor under -such circumstances. - -“You have been doing the continent?” he asked. - -“Yes, seventeen of us; all from Philadelphia.” - -“And you’ve had a good time, of course?” - -“We’d have had a better if we had brought a man along. I never realized -before how valuable men are. Women aren’t fitted by nature to wrestle -with time-tables and cabbies and hotel-bills and head-waiters. This -trip has taught me to respect men more than I have ever done.” - -“Then it hasn’t been wasted. But you say you’re from Philadelphia. I -know some people in Philadelphia--the Courtlandt Bryces are sort of -cousins of mine.” - -But the girl shook her head. - -“That sort of thing happens only in novels,” she said. “But there is -no reason I shouldn’t tell you my name, if you want to know it. It is -Millicent Field, and its possessor is very undistinguished--just a -school-teacher--not at all in the same social circle as the Courtlandt -Bryces.” - -Stewart colored a little. - -“My name is Bradford Stewart,” he said, “and I also am very -undistinguished--just a surgeon on the staff at Johns Hopkins. Did you -get to Vienna?” - -“No; that was too far for us.” - -“There was a clinic there; I saw some wonderful things. These German -surgeons certainly know their business.” - -Miss Field made a little grimace. - -“Perhaps,” she admitted. “But do you know the impression of Germany -that I am taking home with me? It is that Germany is a country run -solely in the interests of the male half of creation. Women are -tolerated only because they are necessary in the scheme of things.” - -Stewart laughed. - -“There was a book published a year or two ago,” he said, “called -‘Germany and the Germans.’ Perhaps you read it?” - -“No.” - -“I remember it for one remark. Its author says that Germany is the -only country on earth where the men’s hands are better kept than the -women’s.” - -Miss Field clapped her hands in delight. - -“Delicious!” she cried. “Splendid! And it is true,” she added, more -seriously. “Did you see the women cleaning the streets in Munich?” - -“Yes.” - -“And harvesting the grain, and spreading manure, and carrying great -burdens--doing all the dirty work and the heavy work. What are the men -doing, I should like to know?” - -“Madam,” spoke up the bearded stranger by the window, in a deep -voice which made everybody jump, “I will tell you what the men are -doing--they are in the army, preparing themselves for the defense -of their fatherland. Do you think it is of choice they leave the -harvesting and street-cleaning and carrying of burdens to their mothers -and wives and sisters? No; it is because for them is reserved a -greater task--the task of confronting the revengeful hate of France, -the envious hate of England, the cruel hate of Russia. That is their -task to-day, madam, and they accept it with light hearts, confident of -victory!” - -There was a moment’s silence. Mrs. Field was the first to find her -voice. - -“All the same,” she said, “that does not justify the use of cows as -draft animals!” - -The German stared at her an instant in astonishment, then turned away -to the window with a gesture of contempt, as of one who refuses to -argue with lunatics, and paid no further heed to the Americans. - -With them, the conversation turned from war, which none of them really -believed would come, to home, for which they were all longing. Home, -Stewart told himself, means everything to middle-aged women of fixed -habits. It was astonishing that they should tear themselves away from -it, even for a tour of Europe, for to them travel meant martyrdom. -Home! How their eyes brightened as they spoke the word! They were going -through to Brussels, then to Ostend, after a look at Ghent and Bruges, -and so to England and their boat. - -“I intend to spend the afternoon at Aix-la-Chapelle,” said Stewart, -“and go on to Brussels to-night or in the morning. Perhaps I shall see -you there.” - -Miss Field mentioned the hotel at which the party would stop. - -“What is there at Aix-la-Chapelle?” she asked. “I suppose I ought to -know, but I don’t.” - -“There’s a cathedral, with the tomb of Charlemagne, and his throne, and -a lot of other relics. I was always impressed by Charlemagne. He was -the real thing in the way of emperors.” - -“I should like to see his tomb,” said Miss Field. “Why can’t we stop at -Aix-la-Chapelle, mother?” - -But Mrs. Field shook her head. - -“We will get out of Germany as quickly as we can,” she said, and the -other members of the party nodded their hearty agreement. - -Meanwhile the train rolled steadily on through a beautiful and peaceful -country, where war seemed incredible and undreamed of. White villas -dotted the thickly-wooded hillsides; quaint villages huddled in the -valleys. And finally the train crossed a long viaduct and rumbled into -the station at Aix-la-Chapelle. - -The platform was deserted, save for a few guards and porters. -Stewart opened the door and was about to step out, when a guard waved -him violently back. Looking forward, he saw that the soldiers were -detraining. - -“Good!” he said. “You can get your old seats again!” and, catching the -eye of the guard, gave him a nod which promised a liberal tip. - -That worthy understood it perfectly, and the moment the last soldier -was on the platform, he beckoned to Stewart and his party, assisted -them to find their old compartments, ejected a peasant who had taken -refuge in one of them, assured the ladies that they would have no -further inconvenience, and summoned a porter to take charge of -Stewart’s suit-cases. In short, he did everything he could to earn the -shining three-mark piece which Stewart slipped into his hand. - -And then, after receiving the thanks of the ladies and promising to -look them up in Brussels, Stewart followed his porter across the -platform to the entrance. - -Millicent Field looked after him a little wistfully. - -“How easy it is for a man to do things!” she remarked to nobody in -particular. “Never speak to me again of woman suffrage!” - - - - -CHAPTER III - -“STATE OF WAR” - - -STEWART, following his porter, was engulfed in the human tide which had -been beating clamorously against the gates, and which surged forward -across the platform as soon as they were opened. There were tourists -of all nations, alarmed by the threat of war, and there were also many -people who, to Stewart at least, appeared to be Germans; and all of -them were running toward the train, looking neither to the right nor -left, dragging along as much luggage as they could carry. - -As he stepped aside for a moment out of the way of this torrent, -Stewart found himself beside the bearded stranger who had waxed -eloquent in defense of Germany. He was watching the crowd with a look -at once mocking and sardonic, as a spider might watch a fly struggling -vainly to escape from the web. He glanced at Stewart, then turned away -without any sign of recognition. - -“Where do you go, sir?” the porter asked, when they were safely through -the gates. - -“To the Kölner Hof.” - -“It is but a step,” said the porter, and he unhooked his belt, passed -it through the handles of the suit-cases, hooked it together again and -lifted it to his shoulder. “This way, sir, if you please.” - -The Kölner Hof proved to be a modest inn just around the corner, -where Stewart was received most cordially by the plump, high-colored -landlady. Lunch would be ready in a few minutes; meanwhile, if the -gentleman would follow the waiter, he would be shown to a room where he -could remove the traces of his journey. But first would the gentleman -fill in the blank required by the police? - -So Stewart filled in the blank, which demanded his name, his -nationality, his age, his business, his home address, the place from -which he had come to Aix-la-Chapelle and the place to which he would go -on leaving it, handed it back to the smiling landlady, and followed an -ugly, hang-dog waiter up the stair. - -The room into which he was shown was a very pleasant one, scrupulously -clean, and as he made his toilet, Stewart reflected how much more of -comfort and how much warmer welcome was often to be had at the small -inns than at the big ones, and mentally thanked the officer of police -who had recommended this one. He found he had further reason for -gratitude when he sat down to lunch, served on a little table set in -one corner of a shady court--the best lunch he had eaten for a long -time, as he told the landlady when she came out presently, knitting -in hand, and sat down near him. She could speak a little English, it -appeared, and a little French, and these, with Stewart’s little German, -afforded a medium of communication limping, it is true, but sufficient. - -She received the compliments of her guest with the dignity of one who -knew them to be deserved. - -“I do what I can to please my patrons,” she said; “and indeed I have -had no cause to complain, for the season has been very good. But this -war--it will ruin us innkeepers--there will be no more travelers. -Already, I hear, Spa, Ostend, Carlsbad, Baden--such places as -those--are deserted just when the season should be at its best. What do -you think of it--this war?” - -“Most probably it is just another scare,” said Stewart. “War seems -scarcely possible in these days--it is too cruel, too absurd. An -agreement will be reached.” - -“I am sure I hope so, sir; but it looks very bad. For three days now -our troops have been passing through Aachen toward the frontier.” - -“How far away is the frontier?” - -“About ten miles. The customhouse is at Herbesthal.” - -“Ten miles!” echoed Stewart in surprise. “The frontier of France?” - -“Oh, no--the frontier of Belgium.” - -“But why should they concentrate along the Belgian frontier?” Stewart -demanded. - -“Perhaps they fear an attack from that direction. Or perhaps,” she -added, calmly, “they are preparing to seize Belgium. I have often heard -it said that Belgium should belong to Germany.” - -“But look here,” protested Stewart, hotly, “Germany can’t seize a -country just because it happens to be smaller and weaker than she is!” - -“Can’t she?” inquired the landlady, seemingly astonished at his -indignation. “Why is that?” - -Her eyes were shining strangely as she lowered them to her knitting; -and there was a moment’s silence, broken only by the rapid clicking of -her needles. For Stewart found himself unable to answer her question. -Ever since history began, big countries had been seizing smaller ones, -and great powers crushing weaker ones. If Austria might seize Bosnia -and Italy Tripoli, why might not Germany seize Belgium? And he suddenly -realized that, in spite of protests and denials and hypocrisies, -between nation and nation the law of the jungle was, even yet, often -the only law! - -“At any rate,” pursued the landlady, at last, “I have heard that great -intrenchments are being built all along there, and that supplies for a -million men have been assembled. There has been talk of war many times -before, and nothing has come of it; but there have never been such -preparations as these.” - -“Let us hope it is only the Kaiser rattling his sword again--a little -louder than usual. I confess,” he added more soberly, “that as an -American I haven’t much sympathy with Prussian militarism. I have -sometimes thought that a war which would put an end to it once for all -would be a good thing.” - -The woman shot him a glance surprisingly quick and piercing. - -“That is also the opinion of many here in Germany,” she said in a low -voice; “but it is an opinion which cannot be uttered.” She checked -herself quickly as the ugly waiter approached. “How long will the -gentleman remain in Aachen?” she asked, in another tone. - -“I am going on to Brussels this evening. There is a train at six -o’clock, is there not?” - -“At six o’clock, yes, sir. It will be well for the gentleman to have a -light dinner before his departure. The train may be delayed--and the -journey to Brussels is of seven hours.” - -“Very well,” agreed Stewart, rising. “I will be back about five. How -does one get to the cathedral?” - -“Turn to your right, sir, as you leave the hotel. The first street is -the Franzstrasse. It will lead you straight to the church.” - -Stewart thanked her and set off. The Franzstrasse proved to be a wide -thoroughfare, bordered by handsome shops, but many of them were closed -and the street itself was almost deserted. It opened upon a narrower -street, at the end of which Stewart could see the lofty choir of the -minster. - -Presently he became aware of a chorus of high-pitched voices, which -grew more and more distinct as he advanced. It sounded like a lot of -women in violent altercation, and then in a moment he saw what it was, -for he came out upon an open square covered with market-stalls, and so -crowded that one could scarcely get across it. Plainly the frugal wives -of Aachen were laying in supplies against the time when all food would -grow scarce and dear, and from the din of high-pitched bargaining it -was evident that the crafty market-people had already begun to advance -their prices. - -Stewart paused for a while to contemplate this scene, far more violent -and war-like than any he had yet witnessed; then, edging around the -crowd, he arrived at the cathedral, the most irregular and eccentric -that he had ever seen--a towering Gothic choir attached to an octagonal -Byzantine nave. But that nave is very impressive, as Stewart found when -he stepped inside it; and then, on a block of stone in its pavement, he -saw the words, “Carlo Magno,” and knew that he was at the tomb of the -great Emperor. - -It is perhaps not really the tomb, but for emotional purposes it -answers very well, and there can be no question about the marble throne -and other relics which Stewart presently inspected, under the guidance -of a black-clad verger. Then, as there was a service in progress in the -choir, he sat down, at the verger’s suggestion, to wait till it was -over. - -In a small chapel at his right, a group of candles glowed before an -altar dedicated to the Virgin, and here, on the low benches, many women -knelt in prayer. More and more slipped in quietly--young women, old -women, some shabby, some well-clad--until the benches were full; and -after that the newcomers knelt on the stone pavement and besought the -Mother of Christ to guard their sons and husbands and sweethearts, -summoned to fight the battles of the Emperor. Looking at them--at -their bowed heads, their drawn faces, their shrinking figures--Stewart -realized for the first time how terrible is the burden which war lays -on women. To bear sons, to rear them--only to see them march away when -the dreadful summons came; to bid good-by to husband or to lover, -crushing back the tears, masking the stricken heart; and then to wait, -day after dreary day, in agony at every rumor, at every knock, at every -passing footstep, with no refuge save in prayer---- - -But such thoughts were too painful. To distract them, he got out -his Baedeker and turned its pages absently until he came to Aachen. -First the railway stations--there were four, it seemed; then the -hotels--the Grand Monarque, the Nuellens, the Hôtel de l’Empereur, the -du Nord--strange that so many of them should be French, in name at -least!--the Monopol, the Imperial Crown--but where was the Kölner Hof? -He ran through the list again more carefully--no, it was not there. -And yet that police-officer at Cologne had asserted not only that it -was in Baedeker, but that it was honored with a star! Perhaps in the -German edition---- - -A touch on the arm apprised him that the verger was ready to take him -through the choir, where the service was ended, and Stewart slipped -his book back into his pocket and followed him. It is a lovely choir, -soaring toward the heavens in airy beauty, but Stewart had no eyes -for it. He found suddenly that he wanted to get away. He was vaguely -uneasy. The memory of those kneeling women weighed him down. For the -first time he really believed that war might come. - -So he tipped the verger and left the church and came out into the -streets again, to find them emptier than ever. Nearly all the shops -were closed; there was no vehicle of any kind; there were scarcely any -people. And then, as he turned the corner into the wide square in front -of the town-hall, he saw where at least some of the people were, for a -great crowd had gathered there--a crowd of women and children and old -men--while from the steps before the entrance an official in gold-laced -uniform and cocked hat was delivering a harangue. - -At first, Stewart could catch only a word here and there, but as he -edged closer, he found that the speech was a eulogy of the Kaiser--of -his high wisdom, his supreme greatness, his passionate love for his -people. The Kaiser had not sought war, he had strained every nerve for -peace; but the jealous enemies who ringed Germany round, who looked -with envy upon her greatness and dreamed only of destroying her, would -not give her peace. So, with firm heart and abiding trust in God, -the Emperor had donned his shining armor and unsheathed his sword, -confident that Germany would emerge from the struggle greater and -stronger than ever. - -Then the speaker read the Emperor’s address, and reminded his hearers -that all they possessed, even to their lives and the lives of their -loved ones, belonged to their Fatherland, to be yielded ungrudgingly -when need arose. He cautioned them that the military power was now -supreme, not to be questioned. It would brook no resistance nor -interference. Disobedience would be severely dealt with. It was for -each of them to go quietly about his affairs, trusting in the Emperor’s -wisdom, and to pray for victory. - -There were some scattered cheers, but the crowd for the most part stood -in dazed silence and watched two men put up beside the entrance to the -rathaus the proclamation which declared Germany in a state of war. Down -the furrowed cheeks of many of the older people the hot tears poured -in streams, perhaps at remembrance of the horrors and suffering of -Germany’s last war with France, and some partial realization that far -greater horrors and suffering were to come. Then by twos and threes -they drifted away to their homes, talking in bated undertone, or -shuffling silently along, staring straight before them. In every face -were fear and grief and a sullen questioning of fate. - -Why had this horror been decreed for them? What had they done that this -terrible burden should be laid upon them? What could war bring any one -of them but sorrow and privation? Was there no way of escape? Had they -no voice in their own destiny? These were the questions which surged -through Stewart’s mind as he slowly crossed the square and made his -way along the silent streets back toward his hotel. At almost every -corner a red poster stared at him--a poster bearing the Prussian eagle -and the Kaiser’s name. “The sword has been thrust into our hands,” the -Kaiser wrote. “We must defend our Fatherland and our homes against the -assaults of our enemies. Forward with God, who will be with us, as He -was with our fathers!” - -Sad as he had never been before, Stewart walked on. Something was -desperately wrong somewhere; this people did not want war--most -probably even the Kaiser did not want war. Yet war had come; the fate -of Europe was trembling in the balance; millions of men were being -driven to a detested task. Caught up in mighty armies by a force there -was no resisting, they were marching blindly to kill and be killed---- - -A sudden outbreak of angry voices in the street ahead startled Stewart -from his thoughts. A section of soldiers was halted before a house at -whose door a violent controversy was in progress between their sergeant -and a wrinkled old woman. - -“I tell you we must have him,” the sergeant shouted, as though for the -twentieth time. - -“And I tell you his wife is dying,” shrieked the woman. “He has -permission from his captain.” - -“I know nothing about that. My orders are to gather in all stragglers.” - -“It is only a question of a few hours.” - -“He must come now,” repeated the sergeant, doggedly. “Those are the -orders. If he disobeys them--if I am compelled to use force--he will be -treated as a deserter. Will you tell him, or must I send my men in to -get him?” - -The sunken eyes flamed with rage, the wrinkled face was contorted with -hate--but only for an instant. The flame died; old age, despair, the -habit of obedience, reasserted themselves. A tear trickled down the -cheek--a tear of helplessness and resignation. - -“I will tell him, sir,” she said, and disappeared indoors. - -The sergeant turned back to his men, cursing horribly to himself. -Suddenly he spat upon the pavement in disgust. - -“A devil’s job!” he muttered, and took a short turn up and down, -without looking at his men. In a moment the old woman reappeared in the -door. “Well, mother?” he demanded, gruffly. - -“I have told him. He will be here at once.” - -As she spoke, a fair-haired youth of perhaps twenty appeared on the -threshold and saluted. His eyes were red with weeping, but he held -himself proudly erect. - -“Hermann Gronau?” asked the sergeant. - -“Yes.” - -“Fall in!” - -With a shriek of anguish, the woman threw her arms about him and -strained him close. - -“My boy!” she moaned. “My youngest one--my baby--they are taking you -also!” - -“I shall be back, mother, never fear,” he said, and loosened her arms -gently. “You will write me when--when it is over.” - -“Yes,” she promised, and he took his place in the ranks. - -“March!” cried the sergeant, and the section tramped away with Gronau -in its midst. At the corner, he turned and waved his hand in farewell -to the old woman. For a moment longer she stood clutching at the door -and staring at the place where he had vanished, then turned slowly back -into the house. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE MYSTERY OF THE SATIN SLIPPERS - - -STEWART, awakening from the contemplation of this poignant drama--one -of thousands such enacting at that moment all over Europe--realized -that he was lingering unduly and hastened his steps. At the end of five -minutes, he was again in the wide Franzstrasse, and, turning the last -corner, saw his landlady standing at her door, looking anxiously up and -down the street. - -Her face brightened with relief when she saw him--a relief so evidently -deep and genuine that Stewart was a little puzzled by it. - -“But I am glad to see you!” she cried as he came up, her face wreathed -in smiles. “I was imagining the most horrible things. I feared I know -not what! But you are safe, it seems.” - -“Quite safe. In fact, I was never in any danger.” - -“I was foolish, no doubt, to have fear. But in times like these, one -never knows what may happen.” - -“True enough,” Stewart agreed. “Still, an American with a passport in -his pocket ought to be safe anywhere.” - -“Ah; you have a passport--that is good. That will simplify matters. The -police have been here to question you. They will return presently.” - -“The police?” - -“There have been some spies captured, it seems. And there are many who -are trying to leave the country. So everyone is suspected. You are not -German-born, I hope? If you were, I fear not even your passport would -be of use.” - -They had walked back together along the hall as they talked, and now -stopped at the foot of the stair. The landlady seemed very nervous--as -was perhaps natural amid the alarms of war. She scarcely listened -to his assurance that he was American by birth. Little beads of -perspiration stood out across her forehead---- - -“The police visited your room,” she rattled on. “You will perhaps find -your baggage disarranged.” - -Stewart smiled wryly. - -“So it seems they really suspect me?” - -“They suspect everyone,” the landlady repeated. - -She was standing with her back toward the door, and Stewart wondered -why she should watch his face so closely. - -Suddenly, over her shoulder, he saw the ugly waiter with the hang-dog -air approaching along the hall. - -“Such anxiety is quite natural,” said the landlady rapidly in -German, raising her voice a little. “I can understand it. But it is -not remarkable that you should have missed her--the trains are so -irregular. I will send her to you the moment she arrives. Ah, Hans,” -she added, turning at the sound of the waiter’s footsteps, “so you are -back at last! You will take up some hot water to the gentleman at once. -And now you will excuse me, sir; I have the dinner to attend to,” and -she hurried away, carrying the waiter with her. - -Stewart stood for an instant staring after her; then he turned and -mounted slowly to his room. But what had the woman meant? Why should -he be anxious? Who was it he had missed? “I will send her to you -the moment she arrives.” No--she could not have said that--it was -impossible that she should have said that. He must have misunderstood; -his German was very second-rate, and she had spoken rapidly. But what -_had_ she said? - -He was still pondering this problem, when a knock at the door told him -that the hot water had arrived. As he opened the door, the landlady’s -voice came shrilly up the stair. - -“Hans!” she called. “There is something wrong with the stove. Hasten! -Hasten!” - -Stewart took the can which was thrust hastily into his hand, turned -back into the room, and proceeded to make a leisurely toilet. If the -landlady had not told him, he would never have suspected that his -baggage had been searched by the police, for everything seemed to be -where he had left it. But then he was a hasty and careless packer, by -no means precise---- - -That vague feeling of uneasiness which had shaken him in the church -swept over him again, stronger than before; there was something wrong -somewhere; the meshes of an invisible net seemed closing about him. -More than once he caught himself standing quite still, in an attitude -of profound meditation, though he was not conscious that he had really -been thinking of anything. Evidently the events of the day had shaken -him more deeply than he had realized. - -“Come, old man,” he said at last, “this won’t do. Pull yourself -together.” - -And then a sudden vivid memory rose before him of those praying women, -of that wrinkled mother gazing despairingly after her youngest born -as he was marched away perhaps forever, of the set faces of the crowd -shuffling silently homeward---- - -He had been absently turning over the contents of one of his bags, -searching for a necktie, when he found himself staring at a pair -of satin ball-slippers, into each of which was stuffed a blue silk -stocking. For quite a minute he stared, doubting his own senses; then -he picked up one of the slippers and looked at it. - -It was a tiny affair, very delicate and beautiful--a real jewel in -footwear, such as Stewart, with his limited feminine experience, -had never seen before. Indeed, he might have doubted that they were -intended for actual service, but for the slight discoloration inside -the heel, which proved that these had been worn more than once. Very -deliberately he drew out the stocking, also a jewel in its way, of a -texture so diaphanous as to be almost cobweblike. Then he picked up the -other slipper and held them side by side. Yes, they were mates---- - -“But where on earth could I have picked them up?” he asked himself. “In -what strange fit of absent-mindedness could I have packed them with my -things? But I couldn’t have picked them up--I never saw them before----” - -He sat down suddenly, a slipper in either hand. They must have come -from somewhere--they could not have concealed themselves among his -things. If he had not placed them there, then someone else had. But -who? And for what purpose? The police? His landlady had said that they -had searched his luggage; but what possible object could they have -had for increasing it by two satin slippers and a pair of stockings? -Such an action was farcical--French-farcical!--but he could not be -incriminated in such a way. He had no wife to be made jealous! And even -if he had---- - -“This is the last straw!” he muttered to himself. “Either the world has -gone mad, or I have.” - -Moving as in a dream, he placed the slippers side by side upon the -floor, contemplated them for a moment longer, and then proceeded slowly -with his dressing. He found an unaccustomed difficulty in putting his -buttons in his cuffs, and then he remembered that it was a tie he had -been looking for when he found the slippers. The slippers! He turned -and glanced at them. Yes--they were still there--they had not vanished. -Very coquettish they appeared, standing there side by side, as though -waiting for their owner. - -And suddenly Stewart smiled a crooked smile. - -“Only one thing is necessary to complete this pantomime,” he told -himself, “and that is that the Princess should suddenly appear and -claim them. Well, I’m willing! A woman with a foot like that----” - -There was a knock at the door. - -“In a moment!” he called. - -“But it is I!” cried a woman’s voice in English--a sweet, high-pitched -voice, quivering with excitement. “It is I!” and the door was flung -open with a crash. - -A woman rushed toward him--he saw vaguely her vivid face, her shining -eyes; behind her, more vaguely still, he saw the staring eyes of the -hang-dog waiter. Then she was upon him. - -“At last!” she cried, and flung her arms about him and kissed him on -the lips--kissed him closely, passionately, as he had never been kissed -before. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -ONE WAY TO ACQUIRE A WIFE - - -STEWART, standing petrified, collar in hand, thrilling with the warmth -of that caress, was conscious that his free arm had dropped about the -woman’s waist, and that she was cuddling to him, patting him excitedly -on the cheek and smiling up into his eyes. Then, over her shoulder, he -caught a glimpse of the sardonic smile on the ugly face of the waiter -as he withdrew and closed the door. - -“But how glad I am!” the woman rattled on, at the top of her voice. -“And what a journey! I am covered with dirt! I shall need gallons of -water!” - -She walked rapidly to the door, opened it, and looked out. Then she -closed and locked it, and, to his amazement, caught up one of his -handkerchiefs and hung it over the knob so that it masked the keyhole. - -“They will not suspect,” she said, in a lower tone, noticing his look. -“They will suppose it is to conceal our marital endearments! Now we can -talk. But we will keep to English, if you do not mind. Someone might -pass. Is everything arranged? Is the passport in order?” - -Her eyes were shining with excitement, her lips were trembling. As he -still stood staring, she came close to him and shook his arm. - -“Can it be that you do not know English?” she demanded. “But that would -be too stupid! You understand English, do you not?” - -“Yes, madam,” stammered Stewart. “At least, I have always thought so.” - -“Then why do you not answer? Is anything wrong? You look as though you -did not expect me.” - -“Madam,” answered Stewart, gravely, “will you kindly pinch me on the -arm--here in the tender part? I have been told that is a test.” - -She nipped him with a violence that made him jump. - -“Do not tell me that you are drunk!” she hissed, viciously. “That would -be too much! Drunk at such a moment!” - -But Stewart had begun to pull himself together. - -“No, madam, I am not drunk,” he assured her; “and your pinch convinces -me that I am not dreaming.” He rubbed his arm thoughtfully. “There -remains only one hypothesis--that I have suddenly gone mad. And yet -I have never heard of any madness in my family, nor until this moment -detected any symptoms in myself.” - -“Is this a time for fooling?” she snapped. “Tell me at once----” - -“There is, of course, another hypothesis,” went on Stewart, calmly, -“and that is that it is you who are mad----” - -“Were you not expecting me?” she repeated. - -Stewart’s eyes fell upon the satin slippers, and he smiled. - -“Why, certainly I was expecting you,” he answered. “I was just saying -to myself that the only thing lacking in this fairy-tale was the -beautiful Cinderella--and presto; there you were!” - -She looked at him wildly, her eyes dark with fear. Suddenly she caught -her lower lip between the thumb and little finger of her left hand, and -stood a moment expectantly, holding it so and staring up at him. Then, -as he stared back uncomprehendingly, she dropped into a chair and burst -into a flood of tears. - -Now a pretty woman in tears is, as everyone knows, a sight to melt a -heart of stone, especially if that heart be masculine. This woman was -extremely pretty, and Stewart’s heart was very masculine, with nothing -granitic about it. - -“Oh, come,” he protested, “it can’t be so bad as that! Let us sit -down and talk this thing out quietly. Evidently there is a mistake -somewhere.” - -“Then you did not expect me?” she demanded, mopping her eyes. - -“Expect you? No--except as the fulfillment of a fairy-tale.” - -“You do not know who I am?” - -“I haven’t the slightest idea.” - -“Nor why I am here?” - -“No.” - -“_Ah, ciel!_” she breathed, “then I am lost!” and she turned so pale -that Stewart thought she was going to faint. - -“Lost!” he protested. “In what way lost? What do you mean?” - -By a mighty effort she fought back the faintness and regained a little -of her self-control. - -“At this hotel,” she explained, in a hoarse voice, “I was to have met a -man who was to accompany me across the frontier. He had a passport for -both of us--for himself and for his wife.” - -“You were to pass as his wife?” - -“Yes.” - -“But you did not know the man?” - -“Evidently--or I should not have----” - -She stopped, her face crimson with embarrassment. - -“H-m!” said Stewart, reflecting that he, at least, had no reason to -regret the mistake. “Perhaps this unknown is in some other room.” - -“No; you are the only person in the hotel.” - -“Evidently, then, he has not arrived.” - -“Evidently,” she assented, and stared moodily at the floor, twisting -her handkerchief in nervous, trembling hands. - -Stewart rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he looked at her. She seemed -not more than twenty, and she was almost startlingly beautiful, with -that peculiar lustrous duskiness of skin more common among the Latin -races than with us. Slightly built, she yet gave the impression of -having in reserve unusual nervous energy, which would brace her to meet -any crisis. - -But what was she doing here? Why should she be driven to leave Germany -as the wife of a man whom she had never seen? Or was it all a lie--was -she merely an adventuress seeking a fresh victim? - -Stewart looked at her again, then he put that thought away, definitely -and forever. He had had enough experience of women, as surgeon in a -public clinic, to tell innocence from vice; and he knew that it was -innocence he was facing now. - -“You say you can’t leave Germany without a passport?” he asked at last. - -“No one can leave Germany without a passport.” She sat up suddenly and -looked at him, a new light in her eyes. “Is it possible,” she demanded, -with trembling lips, “can it be possible that you possess a passport?” - -“Why, yes,” said Stewart, “I have a passport. Unfortunately, it is for -myself alone. Never having had a wife----” - -But she was standing before him, her hands outstretched, tremulous with -eagerness. - -“Let me see it!” she cried. “Oh, let me see it!” - -He got it out, gave it to her, and watched her as she unfolded it. Here -was a woman, he told himself, such as he had never met before--a woman -of verve, of fire---- - -She was looking up at him with flaming eyes. - -“Mr. Stewart,” she said, in a low voice, “you can save me, if you will.” - -“Save you?” echoed Stewart. “But how?” - -She held the open passport toward him. - -“See, here, just below your name, there is a blank space covered with -little parallel lines. If you will permit me to write in that space the -words ‘accompanied by his wife,’ I am saved. The passport will then be -for both of us.” - -“Or would be,” agreed Stewart, dryly, “if you were my wife. As it -happens, you are not!” - -“It is such a little thing I ask of you,” she pleaded. “We go to the -station together--we take our seats in the train--at the frontier you -show your passport. An hour later we shall be at Liège, and there our -ways will part; but you will have done a noble action.” - -There was witchery in her eyes, in her voice. Stewart felt himself -slipping--slipping; but he caught himself in time. - -“I am afraid,” he said, gently, “that you will have to tell me first -what it is all about.” - -“I can tell you in a word,” she answered, drawing very near to him, and -speaking almost in a whisper. “I am a Frenchwoman.” - -“But surely,” Stewart protested, “the Germans will not prevent your -return to France! Why should they do that?” - -“It is not a question of returning, but of escaping. I am an Alsatian. -I was born at Strassburg.” - -“Oh,” said Stewart, remembering the tone in which Bloem had spoken of -Alsace-Lorraine and beginning vaguely to understand. “An Alsatian.” - -“Yes; but only Alsatians understand the meaning of that word. To be an -Alsatian is to be a slave, is to be the victim of insult, oppression, -tyranny past all belief. My father was murdered by the Germans; my two -brothers have been dragged away into the German army and sent to fight -the Russians, since Germany knows well that no Alsatian corps would -fight the French! Oh, how we have prayed and prayed for this war of -restitution--the war which will give us back to France!” - -“Yes; I hope it will,” agreed Stewart, heartily. - -“Of a certainty you do!” she said, eagerly. “All Americans do. Not one -have I ever known who took the German side. How could they? How could -any American be on the side of despotism? Oh, impossible! America is on -our side! And you, as an American, will assist me to escape my enemies.” - -“Your enemies?” - -“I will not deceive you,” she said, earnestly. “I trust you. I have -lived all my life at Strassburg and at Metz, those two outposts against -France--those two great fortresses of cities which the Germans have -done their utmost to make impregnable, but which are not impregnable -if attacked in a certain way. They have their weak spot, just as every -fortress has. I have dissembled, I have lied--I have pretended to -admire the gold-laced pigs--I have permitted them to kiss my hand--I -have listened to their confidences, their hopes and fears--I have even -joined in their toast ‘The Day!’ Always, always have I kept my eyes and -ears open. Bit by bit, have I gathered what I sought--a hint here, a -hint there ... I must get to France, my friend, and you must help me! -Surely you will be glad to strike a blow at these braggart Prussians! -It is not for myself I ask it--though, if I am taken, there will be -for me only one brief moment, facing a file of soldiers; I ask it for -France--for your sister Republic!” - -If it had been for France alone, Stewart might still have hesitated; -but as he gazed down into that eloquent face, wrung with desperate -anxiety, he seemed to see, as in a vision, a file of soldiers in spiked -helmets facing a wall where stood a lovely girl, her eyes flaming, her -head flung back, smiling contemptuously at the leveled rifles; he saw -again the flickering candles at the Virgin’s feet---- - -“Very well,” he said, abruptly-- almost harshly. “I consent.” - -Before he could draw back, she had flung herself on her knees before -him, had caught his hand, and was covering it with tears and kisses. - -“Come, come, my dear,” he said. “That won’t do!” And he bent over her -and raised her to her feet. - -She was shaken with great sobs, and as she turned her streaming eyes up -to him, her lips moving as if in prayer, Stewart saw how young she was, -how lonely, how beautiful, how greatly in need of help. She had been -fighting for her country with all her strength, with every resource, -desperately, every nerve a-strain--and victory had been too much for -her. But in a moment she had back her self-control. - -“There, it is finished!” she said, smiling through her tears. “But the -joy of your words was almost too great. I shall not behave like that -again. And I shall not try to thank you. I think you understand--I -cannot thank you--there are no words great enough.” - -Stewart nodded, smilingly. - -“Yes; I understand,” he said. - -“We have many things to do,” she went on, rapidly, passing her -handkerchief across her eyes with the gesture of one who puts sentiment -aside. “First, the passport,” and she caught it up from the chair on -which she had laid it. - -“I would point out to you,” said Stewart, “that there may be a certain -danger in adding the words you mentioned.” - -“But it is precisely for those words this blank space has been left.” - -“That may be true; but unless your handwriting is identical with that -on the rest of the passport, and the ink the same, the first person who -looks at it will detect the forgery.” - -“Trust me,” she said, and drawing a chair to the table, laid the -passport before her and studied it carefully. From the little bag she -had carried on her arm, she took a fountain-pen. She tested it on her -finger-nail, and then, easily and rapidly, wrote “accompanied by his -wife” across the blank space below Stewart’s name. - -Stewart, staring down over her shoulder, was astonished by the -cleverness of the forgery. It was perfect. - -“There,” she added, “let it lie for five minutes and no one on earth -can tell that those words were not written at the same time and by the -same hand as all the others.” - -A sudden doubt shook her hearer. Where had she learned to forge like -that? Perhaps, after all---- - -She read his thought in his eyes. - -“To imitate handwriting is something which every member of the secret -service must learn to do. This, on your passport, is a formal hand very -easily imitated. But I must rid myself of this pen.” - -She glanced quickly about the room, went to the open fireplace and -threw the pen above the bricks which closed it off from the flue. Then -she came back, motioned him to sit down, and drew a chair very close to -his. - -“Now we have certain details to arrange,” she said. “Your name is -Bradford Stewart?” - -“Yes.” - -“Have you a sobriquet?” - -“A what?” - -“A name of familiarity,” she explained, “used only by your family or -your friends.” - -“Oh, a nickname! Well,” he admitted, unwillingly, “my father always -called me Tommy.” - -“Tommy! Excellent! I shall call you Tommy!” - -“But I detest Tommy,” he objected. - -“No matter!” she said, peremptorily. “It will have to do. What is your -profession?” - -“I am a surgeon.” - -“Where do you live in America?” - -“At Baltimore, in the State of Maryland.” - -“Where have you been in Europe?” - -“To a clinical congress at Vienna, and then back through Germany.” - -“Perfect! It could not be better! Now, listen most carefully. The name -of your wife is Mary. You have been married four years.” - -“Any children?” asked Stewart. - -“Please be serious!” she protested, but from the sparkle in her eye -Stewart saw that she was not offended. - -“I should have liked a boy of three and a girl of two,” he explained. -“But no matter--go ahead.” - -“While you went to Vienna to attend your horrible clinic and learn new -ways of cutting up human bodies, your wife remained at Spa, because of -a slight nervous affection----” - -“From which,” said Stewart, “I am happy to see that she has entirely -recovered.” - -“Yes,” she agreed; “she is quite well again. Spa is in Belgium, so the -Germans cannot disprove the story. We arranged to meet here and to go -on to Brussels together. Do you understand?” - -“Perfectly,” said Stewart, who was thoroughly enjoying himself. “By -the way, Mary,” he added, “no doubt it was your shoes and stockings -I found in my grip awhile ago,” and he pointed to where the slippers -stood side by side. - -His companion stared at them for an instant in amazement, then burst -into a peal of laughter. - -“How ridiculous! But yes--they were intended for mine.” - -“How did they get into my luggage?” - -“The woman who manages this inn placed them there. She is one of us.” - -“But what on earth for?” - -“So that the police might find them when they searched your bags.” - -“Why should they search my bags?” - -“There is a certain suspicion attaching to this place. It is impossible -altogether to avoid it--so it is necessary to be very careful. The -landlady thought that the discovery of the slippers might, in a -measure, prepare the police for the arrival of your wife.” - -“Then she knew you were coming?” - -“Certainly--since last night.” - -“And when the man who was to meet you did not arrive, she decided that -I would do?” - -“I suppose so.” - -“But how did she know I had a passport?” - -“Perhaps you told her.” - -Yes, Stewart reflected, he had told her, and yet he was not altogether -satisfied. When had he told her? Surely it was not until he returned -from his tour of the town; then there was not time---- - -“Here is your passport,” said his companion, abruptly breaking in upon -his thoughts. “Fold it up and place it in your pocket. And do not find -it too readily when the police ask for it. You must seem not to know -exactly where it is. Also pack your belongings. Yes, you would better -include the slippers. Meanwhile I shall try to make myself a little -presentable,” and she opened the tiny bag from which she had produced -the pen. - -“It seems to me,” said Stewart, as he proceeded to obey, “that one pair -of slippers and one pair of stockings is rather scanty baggage for a -lady who has been at Spa for a month.” - -“My baggage went direct from Spa to Brussels,” she answered from before -the mirror, “in order to avoid the customs examination at the frontier. -Have you any other questions?” - -“Only the big one as to who you really are, and where I’m going to see -you again after you have delivered your report--and all that.” - -His back was toward her as he bent over his bags, and he did not see -the quick glance she cast at him. - -“It is impossible to discuss that now,” she said, hastily. “And I would -warn you that the servant, Hans, is a spy. Be very careful before -him--be careful always, until we are safe across the frontier. There -will be spies everywhere--a false word, a false movement, and all may -be lost. Are you ready?” - -Stewart, rising from buckling the last strap, found himself confronting -the most adorable girl he had ever seen. Every trace of the journey had -disappeared. Her cheeks were glowing, her eyes were shining, and when -she smiled, Stewart noticed a dimple set diagonally at the corner of -her mouth--a dimple evidently placed just there to invite and challenge -kisses. - -The admiration which flamed into his eyes was perhaps a trifle too -ardent, for, looking at him steadily, she took a quick step toward him. - -“We are going to be good friends, are we not?” she asked. “Good -comrades?” - -And Stewart, looking down at her, understood. She was pleading for -respect; she was telling him that she trusted him; she was reminding -him of the defenselessness of her girlhood, driven by hard necessity -into this strange adventure. And, understanding, he reached out and -caught her hand. - -“Yes,” he agreed. “Good comrades. Just that!” - -She gave his fingers a swift pressure. - -“Thank you,” she said. “Now we must go down. Dinner will be waiting. -Fortunately the train is very late.” - -Stewart, glancing at his watch, saw that it was almost six o’clock. - -“You are sure it is late?” he asked. - -“Yes; at least an hour. We will send someone to inquire. Remember what -I have told you about the waiter--about everyone. Not for an instant -must we drop the mask, even though we may think ourselves unobserved. -You will remember?” - -“I will try to,” Stewart promised. “But don’t be disappointed if you -find me a poor actor. I am not in your class at all. However, if you’ll -give me the cue, I think I can follow it.” - -“I know you can. Come,” and she opened the door, restoring him the -handkerchief which she had hung over the knob. - -As they went down the stair together, Stewart saw the landlady waiting -anxiously at the foot. One glance at them, and her face became radiant. - -“Ah, you are late!” she cried, shaking a reproving finger. “But I -expected it. I would not permit Hans to call you. When husband and wife -meet after a long separation, they do not wish to be disturbed--not -even for dinner. This way! I have placed the table in the court--it -is much pleasanter there when the days are so warm,” and she bustled -before them to a vine-shaded corner of the court, where a snowy table -awaited them. - -A moment later Hans entered with the soup. Stewart, happening to meet -his glance, read the suspicion there. - -“Well,” he said, breaking off a piece of the crisp bread, “this is -almost like home, isn’t it? I can’t tell you, Mary, how glad I am to -have you back again,” and he reached out and gave her hand a little -squeeze. “Looking so well, too. Spa was evidently just the place for -you.” - -“Yes--it was very pleasant and the doctor was very kind. But I am glad -to get back to you, Tommy,” she added, gazing at him fondly. “I could -weep with joy just to look at that honest face of yours!” - -Stewart felt his heart skip a beat. - -“You will make me conceited, if you don’t take care, old lady!” he -protested. “And surely I’ve got enough cause for conceit already, with -the most beautiful woman in the world sitting across from me, telling -me she loves me. Don’t blame me if I lose my head a little!” - -The ardor in his tone brought the color into her cheeks. - -“You must not look at me like that!” she reproved. “People will think -we are on our moon of--our honeymoon,” she corrected, hastily. - -“Instead of having been married four years! I wonder how John and -Sallie are getting along? Aren’t you just crazy to see the kids!” - -She choked over her soup, but managed to nod mutely. Then, as Hans -removed the plates and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen, he -added in a lower tone, “You must allow me the children. I find I can’t -be happy without them!” - -“Very well,” she agreed, the dimple sparkling. “You have been so kind -that it is impossible for me to refuse you anything!” - -“There is one thing I can’t understand. Your English astonishes me. -Where did you learn to speak it so perfectly?” - -“Ah, that is a long story! Perhaps I shall one day tell it to you--if -we ever meet again.” - -“We must! I demand that as my reward!” - -She held up a warning finger as steps sounded along the passage; -but it was only the landlady bringing the wine. That good woman was -exuberant--a trifle too exuberant, as Stewart’s companion told her with -a quick glance. - -The dinner proceeded from course to course. Stewart had never enjoyed -a meal more thoroughly. What meal, he asked himself, could possibly be -commonplace, shared by such a woman? - -The landlady presently dispatched Hans to the station to inquire -about the train, while she herself did the serving, and the two women -ventured to exchange a few words concerning their instructions. -Stewart, listening, caught a glimpse of an intricate system of -espionage extending to the very heart of Germany. But he asked no -questions; indeed, some instinct held him back from wishing to know -more. “Spy” is not a pretty word, nor is a spy’s work pretty work; he -refused to think of it in connection with the lovely girl opposite him. - -“We shall have the police with us soon,” said the landlady, in a low -tone. “Hans will run at once to tell them of Madame’s arrival.” - -“Why do you keep him?” Stewart asked. - -“It is by keeping him that I avert suspicion. If there was anything -wrong here, the police tell themselves, this spy of theirs would -discover it. Knowing him to be a spy, I am on my guard. Besides, he is -very stupid. But there--I will leave you. He may be back at any moment.” - -He came back just in time to serve the coffee, with the information -that their train would not arrive until seven-thirty; then he stood -watching them and listening to their talk of home and friends and plans -for the future. - -Stewart began to be proud of his facility of invention, and of his -abilities as an actor. But he had to admit that he was the merest -bungler compared with his companion. Her mental quickness dazzled him, -her high spirits were far more exhilarating than the wine. He ended by -forgetting that he was playing a part. This woman was really his wife, -they were going on together---- - -Suddenly Hans stirred in his corner. Heavy steps were coming toward the -court along the sanded floor of the corridor. In a moment three men in -spiked helmets stepped out into the fading light of the evening. - -“The police to speak to you, sir,” said Hans, and Stewart, turning, -found himself looking into three faces, in which hostility and -suspicion were only too apparent. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE SNARE - - -AS the three men advanced to the table, Stewart saw that each of them -carried a heavy pistol in a holster at his belt. - -“You speak German?” one of them asked, gruffly. - -“A little. But I would prefer to speak English,” answered Stewart. - -“We will speak German. What is your nationality?” - -“I am an American.” - -“Were you born in America?” - -“Yes.” - -“Have you a passport?” - -“Yes.” - -“Let me see it.” - -Stewart was about to reach into his pocket and produce it, when he -remembered his companion’s suggestion. So he felt in one pocket after -another without result, while the Germans shifted impatiently from foot -to foot. - -“It must be in my other coat,” he said, half to himself, enjoying the -situation immensely. “But no; I do not remember changing it. Ah, here -it is!” and he drew it forth and handed it to the officer. - -The latter took it, unfolded it, and stepped out into the court where -the light was better. He read it through carefully, compared the -description point by point with Stewart’s appearance, and then came -back to the table. - -“Who is this person?” he asked, and nodded toward the girl. - -“She is my wife,” answered Stewart, with a readiness which astonished -himself. - -“She did not arrive here with you.” - -“No,” and he told the story of how he had left her at Spa to recuperate -from a slight nervous attack, while he himself went on to Vienna. -He omitted no detail--even added a few, indeed, in the fervor of -creation--and with his limited German, which his hearers regarded with -evident contempt, the story took some time to tell. - -The police listened attentively to every word, without the slightest -sign of impatience, but long before it was ended, the lady in question -was twisting nervously in her seat. - -“What is the matter, Tommy?” she demanded, petulantly. “Are you -relating to them the story of your life?” - -“No,” he explained, blandly, venturing at last to look at her, “I was -just telling them how it was that you and I had arranged to meet at -this hotel.” - -“Well--now tell them to go away. They are ugly and they annoy me.” - -“What does she say?” asked the officer. - -Stewart was certain that at least one of them knew English, so he -judged it best to translate literally. - -“She wants to know what is the matter,” he answered. “She asks me to -tell you to go away--that you annoy her.” - -The officer smiled grimly. - -“She does not understand German?” - -“Not a word,” lied Stewart, glibly. - -“What is her name?” - -“Mary.” - -“Her maiden name?” - -“Mary Agnes Fleming,” answered Stewart, repeating the first name that -occurred to him, and thanking his stars the next instant that the -officer could scarcely be acquainted with the lesser lights of English -fiction. - -“Is that correct?” asked the officer, suddenly turning upon her. - -Stewart’s heart gave a leap of fear; but after a stare at the officer, -she turned to her companion. - -“Was he speaking to me, Tommy?” she asked; and it was only by a heroic -effort that Stewart choked back the sudden snort of laughter that rose -in his throat. - -“Yes,” he managed to answer; “he wants to know your maiden name.” - -“Why should he wish to know that?” - -“I give it up; but you’d better tell him.” - -“My maiden name was Mary Agnes Fleming,” she said, looking at the -officer with evident disapprobation. “Though what concern it is of -yours I cannot see.” - -“What does she say?” demanded the officer, and again Stewart translated -literally. - -The officer stood staring intently at both of them, till the lady, with -a flash of indignation, turned her back. - -“Really, Tommy,” she said, over her shoulder, “if you do not at once -get rid of this brute, I shall never speak to you again!” - -“He is a policeman, dear,” Stewart explained, “and imagines that he is -doing his duty. I suppose they _do_ have to be careful in war-time. We -must be patient.” - -“I will look at her passport,” said the German, suddenly, and held out -his hand. - -“My passport is for both of us,” Stewart explained. “Those words -‘accompanied by his wife,’ make it inclusive.” - -The officer went out into the light again and examined the words with -minute attention. - -“I find no description of her,” he said, coming back. - -“There is none,” assented Stewart, impatiently; “but there is a -description of me, as you see. The passport adds that I am accompanied -by my wife. I tell you that this lady is my wife. That is sufficient.” - -The officer glanced at his companions uncertainly. Then he slowly -folded up the passport and handed it back. - -“When do you depart from Aachen?” he asked. - -“By the first train for Brussels. I am told that it will arrive in -about half an hour.” - -“Very well,” said the other. “I regret if I have seemed insistent, but -the fact that the lady did not arrive with you appeared to us singular. -I will report your explanation to my chief,” and he turned on his heel -and stalked away, followed by his men. - -Stewart drew a deep breath. - -“Well,” he began, when he was stopped by a sharp tap from his -companion’s foot. - -“Such impudence!” she cried. “I was astonished at your patience, Tommy! -You, an American, letting a Prussian policeman intimidate you like -that! I am ashamed of you!” - -Glancing around, Stewart saw the hang-dog Hans hovering in the doorway. - -“He was a big policeman, my dear,” he explained, laughing. “I shouldn’t -have had much of a chance with him, to say nothing of his two men. If -we want to get to Brussels, the safest plan is to answer calmly all the -questions the German police can think of. But it is time for us to be -going. There will be no reserved seats on this train!” - -“You are right,” agreed his companion; “I am quite ready.” - -So he asked for the bill, paid it, sent Hans up for the luggage, and -presently they were walking toward the station, with Hans staggering -along behind. - -Stewart, looking down at his companion, felt more and more elated over -the adventure. He had never passed a pleasanter evening--it had just -the touch of excitement needed to give it relish. Unfortunately, its -end was near; an hour or two in a crowded railway carriage, and--that -was all! - -She glanced up at him and caught his eyes. - -“What is it, my friend?” she asked. “You appear sad.” - -“I was just thinking,” answered Stewart, “that I do not even know your -name!” - -“Speak lower!” she said, quickly. “Or, better still, do not say such -things at all. Do not drop the mask for an instant until we are out of -Germany.” - -“Very well,” Stewart promised. “But once we are across the border, I -warn you that I intend to throw the mask away, and that I shall have -certain very serious things to say to you.” - -“And I promise to listen patiently,” she answered, smiling. - -At the entrance to the station, they were stopped by a guard, who -demanded their tickets. Stewart was about to produce his, when his -companion touched him on the arm. - -“Hasten and get them, Tommy,” she said. “I will wait here.” - -And Stewart, as he hurried away, trembled to think how nearly he had -blundered. For how could he have explained to the authorities the fact -that he was traveling with a book of Cook’s circular tickets, while -his wife was buying her tickets from station to station? - -There was a long line of people in front of the ticket-office, and -their progress was slow, for two police officers stood at the head of -the line and interrogated every applicant for a ticket before they -would permit it to be given him. Stewart, as he moved slowly forward, -saw two men jerked violently out of the line and placed under arrest; -he wondered uncomfortably if the officers had any instructions with -regard to him, but, when his turn came, he faced them as unconcernedly -as he was able. He explained that he and his wife were going to -Brussels, showed his passport, and finally hastened away triumphant -with the two precious bits of pasteboard. It seemed to him that the -last difficulty had been encountered and overcome, and it was only by -an effort that he kept himself from waving the tickets in the air as he -rejoined his companion. In another moment, they were past the barrier. -Hans was permitted to enter with them, and mounted guard over the -luggage. - -The platform was thronged with a motley and excited crowd, among whom -were many officers in long gray coats and trailing swords, evidently on -their way to join their commands. They were stalking up and down, with -a lofty disregard for base civilians, talking loudly, gesticulating -fiercely, and stopping ever and anon to shake hands solemnly. Stewart -was watching them with an amusement somewhat too apparent, for his -companion suddenly passed her arm through his. - -“I should like to walk a little,” she said. “I have been sitting too -long.” Then, in a lower tone, as they started along the platform, “It -would be more wise not to look at those idiots. They would seek a -quarrel with you in an instant if they suspected it was at them you -were smiling.” - -“You are right,” Stewart agreed; “besides, there is someone else whom -I think much better worth looking at! The officers seem to share my -opinion,” he added, for more than one head was turned as they walked -slowly down the platform. “I shall be jealous in a moment!” - -“Do not talk nonsense! Nothing is so absurd as for a man to make love -to his wife in public!” - -Stewart would have liked to retort that he had, as yet, had mighty few -opportunities in private, but he judged it best to save that remark for -the other side of the frontier. - -“Just the same,” she rattled on, “it was good of you to write so -regularly while you were at Vienna. I am sure your letters helped with -my cure. But you have not told me--have you secured our passage?” - -“I will know when we get to Brussels. Cook is trying to get us an -outside room on the _Adriatic_.” - -“Do we go back to England?” - -“Not unless we wish to. We can sail from Cherbourg.” - -They had reached the end of the platform, and, as they turned, Stewart -found himself face to face with a bearded German who had been close -behind them, and who shot a sharp glance at him and his companion -before stepping aside with a muttered apology. Not until they had -passed him did Stewart remember that he had seen the man before. It -was the surly passenger in the crowded compartment on the journey from -Cologne. - -His companion had not seemed to notice the fellow, and went on talking -of the voyage home and how glad she would be to get there. Not until -they turned again at the farther end, and found the platform for a -moment clear around them, did she relax her guard. - -“That man is a spy,” she whispered, quickly. “We are evidently still -suspected. What sort of railroad ticket have you?” - -“A book of Cook’s coupons.” - -“I feared as much. You must rid yourself of it--it is quite possible -that you will be searched at the frontier. No, no,” she added, -as Stewart put his hand to his pocket. “Not here! You would be -seen--everything would be lost. I will devise a way.” - -Stewart reflected with satisfaction that only a few coupons were left -in the book. But why should he be searched? He had thought the danger -over; but he began uneasily to suspect that it was just beginning. -Well, it was too late to draw back, even had he wished to do so; and -most emphatically he did not. He was willing to risk a good deal for -another hour of this companionship--and then there was that explanation -at the end--his reward---- - -There was a sharp whistle down the line, and the train from Cologne -rolled slowly in. - -“First class,” said Stewart to Hans, as the latter picked up the -luggage; and then he realized that they would be fortunate if they -got into the train at all. The first five carriages were crowded with -soldiers; then there were two carriages half-filled with officers, -upon whom no one ventured to intrude. The three rear carriages were -already crowded with a motley throng of excited civilians, and Stewart -had resigned himself to standing up, when Hans shouted, “This way, sir; -this way!” and started to run as fast as the heavy suit-cases would -permit. - -Stewart, staring after him, saw that an additional carriage was being -pushed up to be attached to the train. - -“That fellow has more brains than I gave him credit for,” he said. -“Come along!” - -Before the car had stopped, Hans, with a disregard of the regulations -which proved how excited he was, had wrenched open the door of the -first compartment and clambered aboard. By the time they reached it, -he had the luggage in the rack and sprang down to the platform with a -smile of triumph. - -“Good work!” said Stewart. “I didn’t think you had it in you!” and he -dropped a generous tip into the waiting hand. “Come, my dear,” and he -helped his companion aboard. Hans slammed the door shut after them, -touched his cap, and hurried away. “Well, that was luck!” Stewart -added, and dropped to the seat beside his companion. “But look out for -the deluge in another minute!” - -She was looking out of the window at the excited mob sweeping along the -platform. - -“The crowd is not coming this way,” she said, after a moment. “A line -of police is holding it back. I think this carriage is intended for the -officers.” - -Stewart groaned. - -“Then we shall have to get out! Take my advice and don’t wait to be -asked twice!” - -“Perhaps they will not need this corner. In any case, we will stay -until they put us out. If you are wise, you will forget all the German -you know and flourish your passport frequently. Germans are always -impressed by a red seal!” - -But, strangely enough, they were not disturbed. A number of officers -approached the carriage, and, after a glance at its inmates, passed on -to the other compartments. Stewart, putting his head out of the window, -saw that the line of police were still keeping back the crowd. - -“Really,” he said, “this seems too good to be true. It looks as if we -were going to have this compartment to ourselves.” - -He turned smilingly to glance at her, and the smile remained frozen on -his lips. For her face was deathly pale, her eyes were staring, and she -was pressing her hands tight against her heart. - -“You’re not ill?” he asked, genuinely startled. - -“Only very tired,” she answered, controlling her voice with evident -difficulty. “I think I shall try to rest a little,” and she settled -herself more comfortably in her corner. “The journey from Spa quite -exhausted me.” Then with her lips she formed the words “Be careful!” - -“All right,” said Stewart. “Go to sleep if you can.” - -She gave him a warning glance from under half-closed lids, then laid -her head back against the cushions and closed her eyes. - -Stewart, after a last look along the platform, raised the window -half-way to protect his companion from the draft, then dropped into -the corner opposite her and got out a cigar and lighted it with -studied carelessness--though he was disgusted to see that his hand -was trembling. He was tingling all over with the sudden sense of -danger--tingling as a soldier tingles as he awaits the command to -charge. - -But what danger could there be? And then he thrilled at a sudden -thought. Was this compartment intended as a trap? Had they been guided -to it and left alone here in the hope that, thrown off their guard, -they would in some way incriminate themselves? Was there an ear glued -to some hole in the partition--the ear of a spy crouching in the next -compartment? - -Stewart pulled his hat forward over his eyes as though to shield them -from the light. Then he went carefully back over the sequence of events -which had led them to this compartment. It was Hans who had brought -them to it--and Hans was a spy. It was he who had selected it, who had -stood at the door so that they would go no farther. It was he who had -slammed the door. - -Was the door locked? Stewart’s hand itched to try the handle; but -he did not dare. Someone was perhaps watching as well as listening. -But that they should be permitted to enter a carriage reserved for -officers--that, on a train so crowded, they should be undisturbed in -the possession of a whole compartment--yes, it was proof enough! - -The station-master’s whistle echoed shrilly along the platform, and the -train glided slowly away. - -Darkness had come, and as the train threaded the silent environs of the -town, Stewart wondered why the streets seemed so gloomy. Looking again, -he understood. Only a few of the street lights were burning. Already -the economies of war had begun. - -The train entered a long tunnel, at whose entrance a file of soldiers -with fixed bayonets stood on guard. At regular intervals, the light -from the windows flashed upon an armed patrol. Farther on, a deep -valley was spanned by a great viaduct, and here again there was a heavy -guard. The valley widened, and suddenly as they swept around a curve, -Stewart saw a broad plain covered with flaring lights. They were the -lights of field-kitchens; and, looking at them, Stewart realized that -a mighty army lay encamped here, ready to be hurled against the French -frontier. - -And then he remembered that this was not the French frontier, but the -frontier of Belgium. Could the landlady of the Kölner Hof have been -mistaken? To make sure, he got out his Baedeker and looked at the -map. No; the French frontier lay away to the south. There was no way -to reach it from this point save across Belgium. It was at Belgium, -then, that the first blow was aimed--Belgium whose neutrality and -independence had been guaranteed by all the Powers of Europe! - -He put the book away and sat gazing thoughtfully out into the night. As -far as the eye could reach gleamed the fires of the mighty bivouac. The -army itself was invisible in the darkness, for the men had not thought -it worth while to put up their shelter tents on so fine a night; but -along the track, from time to time, passed a shadowy patrol; once, -as the train rolled above a road, Stewart saw that it was packed with -transport wagons. - -Then, suddenly, the train groaned to a stop. - -“The frontier!” said Stewart to himself, and glanced at his companion, -but she, to all appearance, was sleeping peacefully. “We shall be -delayed here,” he thought, “for the troops to detrain,” and he lowered -the window and put out his head to watch them do it. - -The train had stopped beside a platform, and Stewart was astonished at -its length. It stretched away and away into the distance, seemingly -without end. And it was empty, save for a few guards. - -The doors behind him were thrown open and the officers sprang out and -hurried forward. From the windows in front of him, Stewart could see -curious heads projecting; but the forward coaches gave no sign of life. -Not a door was opened; not a soldier appeared. - -“Where are we? What has happened?” asked his companion’s voice, and he -turned to find her rubbing her eyes sleepily. - -“We are at the frontier, I suppose,” he answered. “No doubt we shall go -on as soon as the troops detrain.” - -“I hope they will not be long.” - -“They haven’t started yet, but of course--by George!” he added, in -another tone, “they aren’t getting out! The guards are driving the -people out of the cars ahead of us!” - -The tumult of voices raised in angry protest drew nearer. Stewart could -see that the carriages were being cleared, and in no gentle manner. -There was no pause for explanation or argument--just a terse order -which, if not instantly obeyed, was followed by action. Stewart could -not help smiling, for, in that Babel of tongues, he distinguished a lot -of unexpurgated American! - -“There’s no use getting into a fight with them,” he said, -philosophically, as he turned back into the compartment and lifted down -his suit-cases. “We might as well get out before we’re put out,” and he -tried to open the door. - -It was locked. - -The certainty that they were trapped turned him a little giddy. - -“Who the devil could have locked this door?” he demanded, shaking the -handle savagely. - -“Seat yourself, Tommy,” his companion advised. “Do not excite -yourself--and have your passport ready. Perhaps they will not put us -off.” - -And then a face, crowned by the ubiquitous spiked helmet, appeared at -the window. - -“You will have to get out,” said the man in German, and tried to open -the door. - -Stewart shook his head to show that he didn’t understand, and produced -his passport. - -The man waved it impatiently away, and wrenched viciously at the door, -purple with rage at finding it locked. Then he shouted savagely at -someone farther up the platform. - -“I have always been told that the Germans were a phlegmatic people,” -observed Stewart; “but as a matter of fact, they blow up quicker and -harder than anybody I ever saw. Look at that fellow, now----” - -But at that moment a guard came running up, produced a key, and opened -the door. - -“Come, get out!” said the man, with a gesture there was no mistaking, -and Stewart, picking up his bags, stepped out upon the platform and -helped his companion to alight. - -“How long will we be detained here?” he asked in English; but the man, -with a contemptuous shrug, motioned him to stand back. - -Looking along the platform, Stewart saw approaching the head of an -infantry column. In a moment, the soldiers were clambering into the -coaches, with the same mathematical precision he had seen before. But -there was something unfamiliar in their appearance; and, looking more -closely, Stewart saw that their spiked helmets were covered with gray -cloth, and that not a button or bit of gilt glittered anywhere on the -gray-green field uniforms. Wonderful forethought, he told himself. -By night these troops would be quite invisible; by day they would be -merged indistinguishably with the brown soil of the fields, the gray -trunks of trees, the green of hedges. - -The train rolled slowly out of the station, and Stewart saw that on the -track beyond there was another, also loaded with troops. In a moment, -it started westward after the first; and beyond it a third train lay -revealed. - -Stewart, glancing at his companion, was startled by the whiteness of -her face, the steely glitter of her eyes. - -“It looks like a regular invasion,” he said. “But let us find out -what’s going to happen to us. We can’t stand here all night. Good -heavens--what is that?” - -From the air above them came the sudden savage whirr of a powerful -engine, and, looking up, they saw a giant shape sweep across the sky. -It was gone in an instant. - -“A Zeppelin!” said Stewart, and felt within himself a thrill of wonder -and exultation. Oh, this would be a great war! It would be like no -other ever seen upon this earth. It would be fought in the air, as well -as on the land; in the depths of the ocean, as well as on its surface. -At last all theories were to be put to the supreme test! - -“You will come with me,” said the man in the helmet, and Stewart, with -a nod, picked up his grips again before he remembered that he was -supposed to be ignorant of German. - -“Did you say there was another train?” he asked. “Shall we be able to -get away?” - -The man shook his head and led the way along the platform, without -glancing to the right or left. As they passed the bare little -station, they saw that it was jammed to the doors with men and women -and children, mixed in an indiscriminate mass, and evidently most -uncomfortable. But their guide led them past it without stopping, and -Stewart breathed a sigh of relief. Anything would be better than to be -thrust into that crowd! - -Again he had cause to wonder at the length of that interminable -platform; but at last, near its farther end, their guide stopped -before a small, square structure, whose use Stewart could not even -guess, and flung open the door. - -“You will enter here,” he said. - -“But look here,” Stewart protested, “we are American citizens. You have -no right----” - -The man signed to them to hurry. There was something in the gesture -which stopped the words on Stewart’s lips. - -“Oh, damn the fool!” he growled, swallowing hard. “Come along, my dear; -there’s no use to argue,” and, bending his head at the low door, he -stepped inside. - -In an instant, the door was slammed shut, and the snap of a lock told -them that they were prisoners. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -IN THE TRAP - - -AS Stewart set down his bags, still swearing softly to himself, he -heard behind him the sound of a stifled sob. - -“There! there!” he said. “We’ll soon be all right!” and as he turned -swiftly and reached out his arms to grope for her, it seemed to him -that she walked right into them. - -“Oh, oh!” she moaned, and pressed close against him. “What will they do -to us? Why have they placed us here?” And then he felt her lips against -his ear. “Be careful!” she whispered in the merest breath. “There is an -open window!” - -Stewart’s heart was thrilling. What a woman! What an actress! Well, he -would prove that he, too, could play a part. - -“They will do nothing to us, dear,” he answered, patting her shoulder. -“They will not dare to harm us! Remember, we are Americans!” - -“But--but why should they place us here?” - -“I don’t know--I suppose they have to be careful. I’ll appeal to our -ambassador in the morning. He’ll soon bring them to their senses. So -don’t worry!” - -“But it is so dark!” she complained. “And I am so tired. Can we not -seat ourselves somewhere?” - -“We can sit on our bags,” said Stewart. “Wait!” In a moment he had -found them and placed them one upon the other. “There you are. Now let -us see what sort of a place we’ve come to.” - -He got out his match-box and struck a light. The first flare almost -blinded him; then, holding the match above his head, he saw they were -in a brick cubicle, about twenty feet square. There was a single small -window, without glass but heavily barred. The place was empty, save for -a pile of barrels against one end. - -“It’s a store-house of some kind,” he said, and then he sniffed -sharply. “Gasoline! I’d better not strike any more matches.” - -He sat down beside her and for some moments they were silent. Almost -unconsciously, his arm found its way about her waist. She did not draw -away. - -“Do you suppose they will keep us here all night?” she asked, at last. - -“Heaven knows! They seem capable of any folly!” - -And then again he felt her lips against his ear. - -“We must destroy your ticket,” she breathed. “Can you find it in the -dark?” - -“I think so.” He fumbled in an inside pocket and drew it out. “Here it -is.” - -Her groping hand found his and took the ticket. - -“Now talk to me,” she said. - -Stewart talked at random, wondering how she intended to destroy the -ticket. Once he fancied he heard the sound of soft tearing; and once, -when she spoke in answer to a question, her voice seemed strange and -muffled. - -“It is done,” she whispered at last. “Place these in your pocket and -continue talking.” - -Her groping hand touched his and he found himself grasping two minute -objects whose nature he could not guess, until, feeling them carefully, -he found them to be the small wire staples which had held the coupons -of the ticket together. He slipped them into his waistcoat pocket; and -then, as he began to tell her about the women from Philadelphia and the -journey from Cologne, he was conscious that she was no longer beside -him. But at the end of a moment she was back again. - -“That girl was perfectly right,” she said. “Women are very silly to try -to travel about Europe without a man as escort. Consider how I should -feel at this moment if I did not have you!” - -But in spite of themselves, the conversation lagged; and they finally -sat silent. - -How strange a thing was chance, Stewart pondered. Here was he who, -until to-day, had seen his life stretching before him ordered and -prosaic, cast suddenly into the midst of strange adventure. Here was -this girl, whom he had known for only a few hours and yet seemed to -have known for years--whom he certainly knew better than he had ever -known any other woman There was Bloem--he had been cast into adventure, -too. Was he outside somewhere, among all those thousands, gazing up -at the stars and wondering at Fate? And the thousands themselves--the -millions mustering at this moment into the armies of Europe--to what -tragic adventure were they being hurried! - -A quick step came along the platform and stopped at the door; there was -the snap of a lock, and the door swung open. - -“You will come out,” said a voice in English. - -Against the lights of the station, Stewart saw outlined the figure of -a man in uniform. He rose wearily. - -“Come, dear,” he said, and helped her to her feet; “it seems we are to -go somewhere else.” Then he looked down at the heavy bags. “I can’t -carry those things all over creation,” he said; “what’s more, I won’t.” - -“I will attend to that,” said the stranger, and put a whistle to his -lips and blew a shrill blast. Two men came running up. “You will take -those bags,” he ordered. “Follow me,” he added to Stewart. - -They followed him along the platform, crossed the track to another, and -came at last to a great empty shed with a low table running along one -side. The men placed the bags upon this table and withdrew. - -“I shall have to search them,” said the officer. “Are they locked?” - -He stood in the glare of a lamp hanging from the rafters, and for -the first time, Stewart saw his face. The man smiled at his start of -surprise. - -“I see you recognize me,” he said. “Yes--I was in your compartment -coming from Cologne. We will speak of that later. Are your bags locked?” - -“No,” said Stewart. - -He watched with affected listlessness as the officer undid the straps -and raised the lids. But his mind was very busy. Had he said anything -during that ride from Cologne which he would now have reason to regret? -Had he intimated that he was unmarried? He struggled to recall the -conversation, sentence by sentence, but could remember nothing that was -actually incriminating. And yet, in mentioning his intended stop at -Aix-la-Chapelle, he had not added that he was to meet his wife there, -and he had made a tentative arrangement to see Miss Field again in -Brussels. The talk, in other words, had been carried on from the angle -of a bachelor with no one to think of but himself, and not from that of -a married man with a wife to consider. - -It was certainly unfortunate that the man who had happened to overhear -that conversation should be the one detailed here to examine his -luggage. How well did he know English? Was he acute enough to catch the -implications of the conversation, or would a disregard of one’s wife -seem natural to his Teutonic mind? Stewart glanced at him covertly; and -then his attention was suddenly caught and held by the extreme care -with which the man examined the contents of the bags. - -He shook out each garment, put his hand in every pocket, examined the -linings with his finger-tips, ripped open one where he detected some -unusual thickness only to discover a strip of reënforcement, opened -and read carefully every letter and paper, turned the Baedeker page by -page to be sure that nothing lay between them. He paused over the satin -shoes and stockings, but put them down finally without comment. At last -the bags were empty, and, taking up his knife, he proceeded to rip -open the linen linings and look under them. Then, with equal care, he -returned each article to its place, examining it a second time with the -same intent scrutiny. - -All this took time, and long before it was over, Stewart and his -companion had dropped upon a bench which ran along the wall opposite -the table. Stewart was so weary that he began to feel that nothing -mattered very much, and he could see that the girl also was deadly -tired. But at last the search was finished and the bags closed and -strapped. - -“I should like to see the small bag which Madame carries on her arm,” -said the officer, and, without a word, the girl held it out to him. - -He examined its contents with a minuteness almost microscopic. Nothing -was too small, too unimportant, to escape the closest attention. -Stewart, marveling at this exhibition of German thoroughness, watched -him through half-closed eyes, his heart beating a little faster. Would -he find some clew, some evidence of treachery? - -There were some handkerchiefs in the bag, and some small toilet -articles; a cake of soap in a case, a box of powder, a small purse -containing some gold and silver, a postcard, two or three letters, and -some trivial odds and ends such as every woman carries about with her. -The searcher unfolded each of the handkerchiefs and held it against -the light, he cut the cake of soap into minute fragments; he emptied -the box of powder and ran an inquiring finger through its contents; -he turned out the purse and looked at every coin it contained; then -he sat down and read slowly and gravely the postcard and each of the -letters and examined their postmarks, and finally he took one of the -closely-written sheets, mounted on his chair, and held the sheet close -against the chimney of the lamp until it was smoking with the heat, -examining it with minute attention as though he rather expected to make -some interesting discovery. As a finish to his researches, he ripped -open the lining of the bag and turned it inside out. - -“Where did you buy this bag, madame?” he asked. - -“In Paris, a month ago.” - -“These handkerchiefs are also French.” - -“Certainly. French handkerchiefs are the best in the world.” - -He compressed his lips and looked at her. - -“And that is a French hat,” he went on. - -“Good heavens!” cried the girl. “One would think I was passing the -customs at New York. Certainly it is French. So is my gown--so are my -stockings--so is my underwear. For what else does an American woman -come abroad?” - -He looked at her shoes. She saw his glance and understood it. - -“No; my shoes are American. The French do not know how to make shoes.” - -“But the slippers are French.” - -“Which slippers?” - -“The ones in your husband’s bag.” - -She turned laughingly to Stewart. - -“Have you been carrying a pair of my slippers all around Europe, -Tommy?” she asked. “How did that happen?” - -“I don’t know. I packed in rather a hurry,” answered Stewart, -sheepishly. - -“Where is the remainder of your baggage, madame?” asked the officer. - -“At Brussels--at least, I hope so. I sent it there direct from Spa.” - -“Why did you do that?” - -“In order to avoid the examination at the frontier.” - -“Why did not you yourself go direct to Brussels?” - -“I wished to see my husband. I had not seen him for almost a month,” -and she cast Stewart a fond smile. - -“Have you been recently married?” - -“We have been married four years,” the girl informed him, with dignity. - -Stewart started to give some additional information about the family, -but restrained himself. - -The inspector looked at them both keenly for a moment, scratching his -bearded chin reflectively. Then he took a rapid turn up and down the -shed, his brow furrowed in thought. - -“I shall have to ask you both to disrobe,” he said, at last, and as -Stewart started to his feet in hot protest, he added, quickly, “I have -a woman who will disrobe Madame.” - -“But this is an outrage!” protested Stewart, his face crimson. “This -lady is my wife--I won’t stand by and see her insulted. I warn you -that you are making a serious mistake.” - -“She shall not be insulted. Besides, it is necessary.” - -“I don’t see it.” - -“That is for me to decide,” said the other bluntly, and he put his -whistle to his lips and blew two blasts. - -A door at the farther end of the shed opened and a woman entered. She -was a matronly creature with a kind face, and she smiled encouragingly -at the shrinking girl. - -“Frau Ritter,” said the officer in German, “you will take this lady -into the office and disrobe her. Bring her clothing to me here--all of -it.” - -Again Stewart started to protest, but the officer silenced him with a -gesture. - -“It is useless to attempt resistance,” he said, sharply. “I must do my -duty--by force if necessary. It will be much wiser to obey quietly.” - -The girl rose to her feet, evidently reassured by the benevolent -appearance of the woman. - -“Do not worry, Tommy,” she said. “It will be all right. It is of no use -to argue with these people. There is nothing to do but submit.” - -“So it seems,” Stewart muttered, and watched her until she disappeared -through the door. - -“Now, sir,” said the officer, sharply, “your clothes.” - -Crimson with anger and humiliation, Stewart handed them over piece by -piece, saw pockets turned out, linings loosened here and there, the -heels of his shoes examined, his fountain-pen unscrewed and emptied -of its ink. At last he stood naked under the flaring light, feeling -helpless as a baby. - -“Well, I hope you are satisfied,” he said, vindictively. - -With a curt nod, the officer handed him back his underwear. - -“I will keep these for the moment,” he said, indicating the little pile -of things taken from the pockets. “You may dress. _Your_ clothes, at -least, are American!” - -As he spoke, the woman entered from the farther door, with a bundle of -clothing in her arms. Stewart turned hastily away, struggling into his -trousers as rapidly as he could, and cursing the careless immodesty -of these people. Sullenly he laced his shoes, and put on his collar, -noting wrathfully that it was soiled. He kept his back to the man at -the table--he felt that it would be indecent to watch him scrutinizing -those intimate articles of apparel. - -“You have examined her hair?” he heard the man ask. - -“Yes, Excellency.” - -“Very well; you may take these back.” - -Not until he heard the door close behind her did Stewart turn around. -The officer was lighting a cigarette. The careless unconcern of the act -added new fuel to the American’s wrath. - -“Perhaps you will tell me the meaning of all this?” he demanded. “Why -should my wife and I be compelled to submit to these indignities?” - -“We are looking for a spy,” replied the other imperturbably, and -addressed himself to an examination of the things he had taken from -Stewart’s pockets--his penknife, his watch, the contents of his purse, -the papers in his pocket-book. He even placed a meditative finger for -an instant on the two tiny metal clips which had come from the Cook -ticket. But to reconstruct their use was evidently too great a task -even for a German police agent, for he passed on almost at once to -something else. “Very good,” he said at last, pushed the pile toward -its owner, and opened the passport, which he had laid to one side. - -“That passport will tell you that I am not a spy,” said Stewart, -putting his things angrily back into his pockets. “That, it seems to -me, should be sufficient.” - -“As far as you are concerned, it is entirely sufficient,” said the -other. “One can see at a glance that you are an American. But the -appearance of Madame is distinctly French.” - -“Americans are of every race,” Stewart pointed out. “I have seen many -who look far more German than you do.” - -“That is true; but it so happens that the spy we are looking for is a -woman. I cannot tell you more, except that it is imperative she does -not escape.” - -“And you suspect my wife?” Stewart demanded. “But that is absurd!” - -He was proud of the fact that he had managed to maintain unaltered his -expression of virtuous indignation, for a sudden chill had run down his -spine at the other’s careless words. Evidently the situation was far -more dangerous than he had suspected! Then he was conscious that his -hands were trembling slightly, and thrust them quickly into his pockets. - -“The fact that she joined you at Aachen seemed most suspicious,” the -inspector pointed out. “I do not remember that you mentioned her during -your conversation with the ladies in the train.” - -“Certainly not. Why should I have mentioned her?” - -“There was perhaps no reason for doing so,” the inspector admitted. -“Nevertheless, it seemed to us unusual that she should have come -back from Spa to Aachen to meet you, when she might, so much more -conveniently, have gone direct to Brussels and awaited you there.” - -“She has explained why we made that arrangement.” - -“Yes,” and through half-closed eyes he watched the smoke from his -cigarette circle upwards toward the lamp. “Conjugal affection--most -admirable, I am sure! It is unfortunate that Madame’s appearance should -answer so closely to that of the woman for whom we are searching. It -was also unfortunate that you should have met at the Kölner Hof. That -hotel has not a good reputation--it is frequented by too many French -whose business is not quite clear to us. How did it happen that you -went there?” - -“Why,” retorted Stewart hotly, glad of the chance to return one of -the many blows which had been rained upon him, “one of your own men -recommended it.” - -“One of my own men? I do not understand,” and the officer looked at him -curiously. - -“At least one of the police. He came to me at the Hotel Continental -at Cologne to examine my passport. He asked me where I was going from -Cologne, and I told him to Aix-la-Chapelle. He asked at which hotel I -was going to stay, and I said I did not know. He said he would like to -have that information for his report, and added that the Kölner Hof was -near the station and very clean and comfortable. I certainly found it -so.” - -The officer was listening with peculiar intentness. - -“Why were you not at the station to meet your wife?” he asked. - -“I did not know when she would arrive; I was told that the trains were -all running irregularly,” answered Stewart, prouder of his ability to -lie well and quickly than he had ever been of anything else in his life. - -“But how did she know at which hotel to find you?” inquired the -officer, and negligently flipped the ash from his cigarette. - -Stewart distinctly felt his heart turn over as he saw the abyss at -his feet. How would she have known? How _could_ she have known? What -would he have done if he had really had a wife waiting at Spa? These -questions flashed through his head like lightning. - -“Why, I telegraphed her, of course,” he said; “and to make assurance -doubly sure, I sent her a postcard.” And then his heart fell again, for -he realized that the police had only to wire to Cologne to prove that -no such message had been filed there. - -But the officer tossed away his cigarette with a little gesture of -satisfaction. - -“It was well you took the latter precaution, Mr. Stewart,” he said, -and Stewart detected a subtle change in his tone--it was less cold, -more friendly. “The wires were closed last night to any but official -business, and your message could not possibly have got through. I am -surprised that it was accepted.” - -“I gave it to the porter at the hotel,” Stewart explained. “Perhaps it -wasn’t accepted, and he just kept the money.” - -“That may be. But your postcard got through, as you no doubt know. -It evidently caught the night mail and was delivered to Madame this -morning.” - -“Really,” stammered Stewart, wondering desperately if this was another -trap, “I didn’t know--I didn’t think to ask----” - -“Luckily Madame brought it with her in her hand-bag,” explained the -other. “It offers a convincing confirmation of your story--the more -convincing perhaps since you seem surprised that she preserved it. Ah, -here she is now,” and he arose as the door opened and the girl came in. -“Will you not sit down, madame?” he went on, courteously. “I pray that -both of you will accept my sincere apologies for the inconvenience I -have caused you. Believe me, it was one of war’s necessities.” - -The girl glanced at the speaker curiously, his tone was so warm, so -full of friendship; then she glanced at Stewart---- - -And Stewart, catching that glance, was suddenly conscious that his -mouth was open and his eyes staring and his whole attitude that of -a man struck dumb by astonishment. Hastily he bent over to retie a -shoestring. But really, he told himself, he could not be blamed for -being disconcerted--anybody would be disconcerted to be told suddenly -that his most desperate lie was true! But how could it be true? How -could there be any such postcard as the German had described? Was it -just another trap? - -“We understand, of course, that you were merely doing your duty,” the -girl’s voice was saying; “what seemed unfair was that we should be the -victims. Do I understand that--that you no longer suspect us?” - -“Absolutely not; and I apologize for my suspicions.” - -“Then we are at liberty to proceed?” - -“You cannot in any event proceed to-night. I will pass you in the -morning. And I hope you will not think that any discourtesy was -intended to you as Americans. Germany is most anxious to retain the -good-will of America. It will mean much to us in this struggle.” - -“Most Americans are rather sentimental over Alsace-Lorraine,” said -Stewart, who had recovered his composure, and he fished for a cigar and -offered one to the officer, who accepted it with a bow of thanks. - -“That is because they do not understand,” said the other, quickly. -“Alsace and Lorraine belong of right to Germany. Of that there can be -no question.” - -“But haven’t you been rather harsh with them?” - -“We have not been harsh enough. Had we done our duty, we would have -stamped out without mercy the treason which is still rampant in -many parts of those provinces. Instead, we have hesitated, we have -temporized--and now, too late, we realize our mistake. The spy for whom -we are searching at this moment comes from Strassburg.” - -Stewart started at the words; but the girl threw back her head and -burst into delighted laughter. - -“So you took us for spies!” she cried. “What a tale to tell, Tommy, -when we get home!” - -“There is but one spy, madame,” said the officer; “a woman young and -beautiful like yourself--accomplished, distinguished, a great linguist, -a fine musician, of good family, and moving in the highest society -in Alsace. She was on terms of intimacy with many of our officers; -they did not hesitate to talk freely to her. Some of them, fascinated -by her wit and beauty and wishing to prove their own importance, -told her things which they had no right to tell. More than that, at -the last moment she succeeded in getting possession for a time of -certain confidential documents. But she had gone too far--she was -suspected--she fled--and she has not yet been captured. But she cannot -escape--we cannot permit her to escape. We know that she is still -somewhere in Germany, and we have made it impossible for her to pass -the frontier. A person who knows her is to be stationed at every post, -and no woman will be permitted to pass until he has seen her. The man -to be stationed here will arrive from Strassburg in an hour. As a final -precaution, madame,” he added, smiling, “and because my orders are -most precise and stringent, I shall ask you and your husband to remain -here at Herbesthal until morning. As I have said, you could not, in any -event, go on to-night, for the frontier is closed. In the morning, I -will ask my man from Strassburg to look at you, and will then provide -you with a safe-conduct, and see that every possible facility is given -you to get safely across the frontier.” - -“Thank you,” she said; “you are most kind. That is why you are keeping -all those people shut up in the station?” - -“Yes, madame. They cannot pass until my man has seen them.” - -“But you are not searching them?” - -“No; with most of them, the detention is a mere matter of obeying -orders--one can tell their nationality at a glance. But to look at you, -madame, I should never have supposed you to be an American--I should -have supposed you to be French.” - -“My grandmother was French,” explained the girl, composedly, “and I -am said to resemble her very closely. I must also warn you that my -sympathies are French.” - -The officer shrugged his shoulders with a smile. - -“That is a great misfortune. Perhaps when you see how our army fights, -we may claim some of your sympathy--or, at least, your admiration.” - -“It will fight well, then?” - -“It will fight so well--it will prove so irresistible--that our General -Staff has been able to prepare in advance the schedule for the entire -campaign. This is the first of August. On the fifth we shall capture -Lille, on the ninth we shall cross the Marne, and on the eleventh we -shall enter Paris. On the evening of the twelfth, the Emperor will dine -the General Staff at the Ritz.” - -Stewart stared in astonishment, not knowing whether to laugh or to be -impressed. But there was no shadow of a smile on the bearded face of -the speaker. - -“You are not in earnest!” Stewart protested. - -“Thoroughly in earnest. We know where we shall be at every hour of -every day. There are at present living in France many Germans who are -reservists in our army. Not one of these has been required to return to -Germany. On the contrary, each of them has been instructed to report at -a point near his place of residence at a certain hour of a certain day, -where he will find his regiment awaiting him. For example, all German -reservists living at Lille, or in the neighborhood, will report at -noon of Wednesday next in the Place de la République in front of the -prefecture, where the German administration will have been installed -during the morning.” - -Stewart opened his lips to say something, but no words came. He felt -intimidated and overborne. - -But it was not at Stewart the officer was looking so triumphantly, it -was at the girl. Perhaps he also, yielding to a subtle fascination, was -telling things he had no right to tell in order to prove his importance! - -The girl returned his gaze with a look of astonishment and admiration. - -“How wonderful!” she breathed. “And it is really true?” - -“True in every detail, madame.” - -“But this Lille of which you have spoken--is it a fortress?” - -“A great fortress, madame.” - -“Will it not resist?” - -“Not for long--perhaps not at all. If it does resist, it will fall like -a house of cards. The whole world will be astonished, madame, when it -learns the details of that action. We have a great surprise in store -for our enemies!” - -Stewart, glancing at his companion, noted with alarm the flash of -excitement in her eyes. Would she push her questioning too far--would -she be indiscreet; but the next instant he was reassured. - -“It is most fascinating,--this puzzle!” she laughed. “I shall watch the -papers for the fall of Lille. But I am very ignorant--I do not even -know where Lille is.” - -“It is in the northwest corner of France, madame, just south of the -Belgian frontier.” - -The girl looked at him perplexedly. - -“But how can you reach it,” she asked, slowly, “without crossing -Belgium?” - -“We cannot reach it without crossing Belgium.” - -From the expression of her face, she might have been a child shyly -interrogating an indulgent senior. - -“I know I am stupid,” she faltered, “but it seems to me I have read -somewhere--perhaps in Baedeker--that all the Powers had agreed that -Belgium should always be a neutral country.” - -“So they did--Germany as well as the others. But such agreements are -mere scraps of paper. The first blast of war blows them away. France -has built along her eastern border a great chain of forts which are -almost impregnable. Therefore it is necessary for us to strike her from -the north through Belgium. Regretfully, but none the less firmly, we -have warned Belgium to stand aside.” - -“Will she stand aside?” - -The officer shrugged his shoulders. - -“She must, or risk annihilation. She will not dare oppose us. If she -does, we shall crush her into the dust. She will belong to us, and we -will take her. Moreover, we shall not repeat the mistake we made in -Alsace-Lorraine. There will be no treason in Belgium!” - -Stewart felt a little shiver of disgust sweep over him. So this was the -German attitude--treaties, solemn agreements, these were merely “scraps -of paper” not worth a second thought; a small nation had no rights -worth considering, since it lacked the power to defend them. Should it -try to do so, it would “risk annihilation!” - -He did not feel that he could trust himself to talk any longer, and -rose suddenly to his feet. - -“What are we going to do to-night?” he asked. “Not sit here in this -shed, surely!” - -“Certainly not,” and the officer rose too. “I have secured a lodging -for you with the woman who searched Madame. You will find it clean and -comfortable, though by no means luxurious.” - -“That is very kind of you,” said Stewart, with a memory of the rabble -he had seen crowded into the waiting-room. And then he looked at his -luggage. “I hope it isn’t far,” he added. “I’ve carried those bags -about a thousand miles to-day.” - -“It is but a step--but I will have a man carry your bags. Here is your -passport, sir, and again permit me to assure you of my regret. You -also, madame!” and he bowed ceremoniously above her fingers. - -Three minutes later, Stewart and his companion were walking down the -platform beside the pleasant-faced woman, who babbled away amiably -in German, while a porter followed with the bags. As they passed the -station, they could see that it was still jammed with a motley crowd, -while a guard of soldiers thrown around it prevented anyone leaving or -entering. - -“How fortunate that we have escaped that!” said Stewart. “Even at the -price of being searched!” - -“This way, sir,” said the woman, in German, and motioned off into the -darkness to the right. - -They made their way across a net-work of tracks, which seemed to -Stewart strangely complicated and extensive for a small frontier -station, and then emerged into a narrow, crooked street, bordered by -mean little houses. In front of one of these the woman stopped and -unlocked the door with an enormous key. The porter set the bags inside, -received his tip, and withdrew, while their hostess struck a match and -lighted a candle, disclosing a narrow hall running from the front door -back through the house. - -“You will sleep here, sir,” she said, and opened a door to the left. - -They stepped through, in obedience to her gesture, and found themselves -in a fair-sized room, poorly furnished and a little musty from disuse, -but evidently clean. Their hostess hastened to open the window and to -light another candle. Then she brought in Stewart’s bags. - -“You will find water there,” and she pointed to the pitcher on the -wash-stand. “I cannot give you hot water to-night--there is no fire. -Will these towels be sufficient? Yes? Is there anything else? No? Then -good-night, sir, and you also, my lady.” - -“Good-night,” they answered; and for a moment after the door closed, -stood staring at it as though hypnotized. - -Then the girl stepped to the window and pulled together the curtains of -white cotton. As she turned back into the room, Stewart saw that her -face was livid. - -His eyes asked the question which he did not dare speak aloud. - -She drew him back into the corner and put her lips close against his -ear. - -“There is a guard outside,” she whispered. “We must be very careful. We -are prisoners still.” - -As Stewart stood staring, she took off her hat and tossed it on a chair. - -“How tired I am!” she said, yawning heavily, and turning back to the -window, she began to take down her hair. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -PRESTO! CHANGE! - - -THE vision of that dark hair rippling down as she drew out pin after -pin held Stewart entranced. And the curve of her uplifted arms was also -a thing to be remembered! But what was it she proposed to do? Surely---- - -“If you are going to wash, you would better do it, Tommy,” she said, -calmly. “I shall be wanting to in a minute.” - -Mechanically, Stewart slipped out of his coat, undid his tie, took off -his collar, pulled up his sleeves, and fell to. He was obsessed by a -feeling of unreality which even the cold water did not dissipate. It -couldn’t be true--all this---- - -“I wish you would hurry, Tommy,” said a voice behind him. “I am waiting -for you to unhook my bodice.” - -Stewart started round as though stung by an adder. His companion’s hair -fell in beautiful dark waves about her shoulders, and he could see that -her bodice was loosened. - -“There are two hooks I cannot reach,” she explained, in the most -matter-of-fact tone. “I should think you would know that by this time!” - -“Oh, so it’s _that_ bodice!” said Stewart, and dried his hands -vigorously, resolved to play the game to the end, whatever it might be. -“All right,” and as she turned her back toward him, he began gingerly -searching for the hooks. - -“Come a little this way,” she said; “you can see better,” and, glancing -up, Stewart suddenly understood. - -They were standing so that their shadows fell upon the curtain. The -comedy was being played for the benefit of the guard in the street -outside. - -The discovery that it _was_ a comedy gave him back all his aplomb, and -he found the hooks and disengaged them with a dexterity which no real -husband could have improved upon. - -“There,” he said; “though why any woman should wear a gown so fashioned -that she can neither dress nor undress herself passes my comprehension. -Why not put the hooks in front?” - -“And spoil the effect? Impossible! The hooks must be in the back,” and -still standing before the window, she slowly drew her bodice off. - -Stewart had seen the arms of many women, but never a pair so rounded -and graceful and beautiful as those at this moment disclosed to him. -Admirable too was the way in which the head was set upon the lovely -neck, and the way the neck itself merged into the shoulders--the -masterpiece of a great artist, so he told himself. - -“I wonder if there is a shutter to that window?” she asked, suddenly, -starting round toward it. “If there is, you would better close -it. Somebody might pass--besides, I do not care to sleep on the -ground-floor of a strange house in a strange town, with an open window -overlooking the street!” - -“I’ll see,” said Stewart, and pulling back the curtains, stuck out his -head. “Yes--there’s a shutter--a heavy wooden one.” He pulled it shut -and pushed its bolt into place. “There; now you’re safe!” - -She motioned him quickly to lower the window, and this he did as -noiselessly as possible. - -“Was there anyone outside?” she asked, in a low tone. - -He shook his head. The narrow street upon which the window opened had -seemed quite deserted--but the shadows were very deep. - -“I wish you would open the bags,” she said, in her natural voice. “I -shall have to improvise a nightdress of some sort.” - -Although he knew quite well that the words had been uttered for foreign -consumption, as it were, Stewart found that his fingers were trembling -as he undid the straps and threw back the lids, for he was quite unable -to guess what would be the end of this strange adventure or to what -desperate straits they might be driven by the pressure of circumstance. - -“There you are,” he said, and sat down and watched her. - -She knelt on the floor beside the bags and turned over their contents -thoughtfully, laying to one side a soft outing shirt, a traveling cap, -a lounging coat, a pipe and pouch of tobacco, a handful of cigars, a -pair of trousers, a belt, three handkerchiefs, a pair of scissors. She -paused for a long time over a pair of Stewart’s shoes, but finally put -them back with a shake of the head. - -“No,” said Stewart, “I agree with you. Shoes are not necessary to a -sleeping costume. But then neither is a pipe.” - -She laughed. - -“You will find that the pipe is very necessary,” she said, and rising -briskly, stepped to the wash-stand and gave face and hands and arms -a scrubbing so vigorous that she emerged, as it seemed to Stewart, -more radiant than ever. Then she glanced into the pitcher with an -exclamation of dismay. “There! I have used all the water! I wonder if -our landlady has gone to bed?” - -Catching up the pitcher, she crossed rapidly to the door and opened it. -There was no one there, and Stewart, following with the candle, saw -that the hall was empty. They stood for a moment listening, but not a -sound disturbed the stillness of the house. - -The girl motioned him back into the room and closed the door softly. -Then, replacing the pitcher gently, she caught up a pile of Stewart’s -socks and stuffed them tightly under the door. Finally she set a chair -snugly against it--for there was no lock--and turned to Stewart with a -little sigh of relief. - -“There,” she said in a low tone; “no one can see our light nor overhear -us, if we are careful. Perhaps they really do not suspect us--but we -must take no chances. What hour have you?” - -Stewart glanced at his watch. - -“It is almost midnight.” - -“There is no time to lose. We must make our plans. Sit here beside me,” -and she sat down in one corner against the wall. “We must not waste our -candle,” she added. “Bring it with you, and we will blow it out until -we need it again.” - -Stewart sat down beside her, placed the candle on the floor and leaned -forward and blew it out. - -For a moment they sat so, quite still, then Stewart felt a hand touch -his. He seized it and held it close. - -“I am very unhappy, my friend,” she said, softly, “to have involved you -in all this.” - -“Why, I am having the time of my life!” Stewart protested. - -“If I had foreseen what was to happen,” she went on, “I should never -have asked you to assist me. I would have found some other way.” - -“The deuce you would! Then I’m glad you didn’t foresee it.” - -“It is good of you to say so; but you must not involve yourself -further.” - -“What do you mean by that?” - -“I am in great danger. It is absolutely necessary that I escape. I -cannot remain till morning. I cannot face that inspection. I should be -denounced.” - -“Yes,” agreed Stewart; “that’s clear enough.” - -“Well, I will escape alone. When the police come for us, they will find -only you.” - -“And will probably back me against a wall and shoot me out of hand.” - -“Oh, no; they will be rough and angry, but they will not dare to harm -you. They know that you are an American--they cannot possibly suspect -you of being a spy. You can prove the truth of all your statements.” - -“Not quite all,” Stewart corrected. - -“Of your statements, at least, so far as they concern yourself.” - -“Yes--but I will have considerable difficulty explaining my connection -with you.” - -“Oh, no,” said the girl, in a low voice; “that can be easily explained.” - -“How?” - -“You will say,” she answered, her voice lower still, “that you met me -at the Kölner Hof, that I made advances, that you found me attractive, -and that I readily agreed to accompany you to Paris. You can say that -it was I who suggested altering your passport--that you saw no harm in -it--and that you knew absolutely nothing about me except that I was -a--a loose woman.” - -Stewart’s lips were trembling so that it was a moment before he could -control his voice. - -“And do you really think I would say that, little comrade?” he asked, -hoarsely. “Do you really think anything on earth could compel me to -say that!” - -He heard the quick intake of her breath; then she raised his hand to -her cheek and he felt the hot tears upon it. - -“Don’t you understand,” he went on earnestly, “that we are in this -together to the end--the very end? I know I’m not of much use, but I am -not such a coward as you seem to think me, and----” - -She stopped him with a quick pressure of the fingers. - -“Don’t!” she breathed. “You are cruel!” - -“Not half so cruel as you were a moment ago,” he retorted. - -“Forgive me, my friend,” she pleaded, and moved a little nearer. “I did -not know--I am but a girl--I thought perhaps you would wish to be rid -of me.” - -“I don’t want ever to be rid of you,” began Stewart, brokenly, drawing -her closer. “I don’t want ever----” - -She yielded for an instant to his arm; for the fraction of an instant -her head was upon his breast; then she drew herself away, and silenced -him with a tap upon the lips. - -“Not now!” she said, and her voice, too, was hoarse. “All we must -think of now is to escape. Afterwards, perhaps----” - -“I shall hold you to that!” said Stewart, and released her. - -But again for an instant she bent close. - -“You are a good man!” she whispered. - -“Oh, no!” Stewart protested, though he was shaken by the words. “No -better than the average!” - -And then he suddenly found himself unable to go on, and there was a -moment’s silence. When he spoke again, he had regained his self-control. - -“Have you a plan?” he asked. - -“Yes,” she said, and drew a quick breath, as of one shaking away some -weakness. “The first part is that you should sit quite still until I -tell you to light the candle.” - -“But what----” - -“A good soldier does not ask questions.” - -“All right, general,” said Stewart, and settled back against the wall, -completely, ineffably happy. Never before, he told himself, had he -known what happiness was; never before had the mere joy of living -surged through his veins as it was doing now. Little comrade! But what -was she doing? - -He could hear her moving softly about the room; he could hear the -rustle of what he took to be the bed-clothes; then the bed creaked as -she sat down upon it. What was she doing? Why should she work in the -dark, alone, without asking him to help? Was it because he could not -help--was of so little use---- - -“You may light the candle now, my friend,” she said, in a low voice. - -Stewart had a match ready--had had it ready for long minutes!--and in a -trice the wick was alight and the flame shot up clear and steady. - -After one glance, he sprang in amazement to his feet, for there before -him stood a youth--the handsomest he had ever seen--Peter Pan come to -earth again!--his hand at the visor of his traveling cap in mock salute. - -“Well!” said Stewart, after a moment of amazed and delighted silence. -“I believe you are a witch! Let me look at you!” and he caught up the -candle and held it above his head. - -The face upturned to his flamed crimson at the wonder and admiration in -his eyes, but the dimple was sparkling at the corner of her mouth as -she turned obediently before him and stepped slowly across the room. -There is at the heart of every woman, however virginal and innocent, a -subtle delight in knowing that men find her beautiful, and there could -be no question of what Stewart thought at this moment. - -At last she came to a stop facing him. - -“Well?” she asked. “Will I do?” - -“Will you do?” Stewart echoed, and Meredith’s phrase recurred to -him--“an imp in porcelain”--how perfectly it described her! “You are -entirely, absolutely, impeccably--oh, I haven’t adjectives enough! Only -I wish I had a hundred candles instead of one!” - -“But the clothes,” she said, and looked doubtfully down at them. “Do I -look like a boy?” - -“Not in the least!” he answered, promptly. - -Her face fell. - -“But then----” - -“Perhaps it is just because I know you’re not one,” he reassured her. -“Let me see if I can improve matters. The trousers are too large, -especially about the waist. They seem in danger of--hum!” and indeed -she was clutching them desperately with one hand. “We will make another -hole in that belt about three inches back,” and he got out his knife -and suited the action to the word. “There--that’s better--you can let -go of them now! And we’ll turn up the legs about four inches--no, -we’d better cut them off.” He set the candle on the floor, picked -up the scissors, and carefully trimmed each leg. “But those feet are -ridiculous,” he added, severely. “No real boy ever had feet like that!” - -She stared down at them ruefully. - -“They will seem larger when I get them full of mud,” she pointed out. -“I thought of putting on a pair of your shoes, but gave it up, for I am -afraid I could not travel very far in them. Fortunately these are very -strong!” - -He sniffed skeptically, but had to agree with her that his shoes were -impossible. - -“There is one thing more,” and she lifted her cap and let her tucked-up -hair fall about her shoulders. “This must be cut off.” - -“Oh, no,” protested Stewart, drawing back in horror. “That would be -desecration--why, it’s the most beautiful hair in the world!” - -“Nonsense! In any case, it will grow again.” - -“Why not just tie it up under your cap?” - -But she shook her head. - -“No--it must come off. I might lose the cap--you see it is too -large--and my hair would betray us. Cut it off, my friend--be quick.” - -She was right, of course, and Stewart, with a heavy heart, snipped -away the long tresses. Then he trimmed the hair as well as he was -able--which was very badly indeed. Finally he parted it rakishly on one -side--and only by a supreme effort restrained himself from taking her -in his arms and kissing her. - -“Really,” he said, “you’re so ridiculously lovely that I’m in great -danger of violating our treaty. I warn you it is extremely dangerous to -look at me like that!” - -She lowered her eyes instantly, but she could not restrain the dimple. -Luckily, in the shadow, Stewart did not see it. - -“We must make my clothing into a bundle,” she said, sedately. “I may -need it again. Besides, these people must not suspect that I have gone -away disguised like this. That will give us a great advantage. Yes, -gather up the hair and we will take it too--it would betray us. Put the -cigars in your pocket. I will take the pipe and tobacco.” - -“Do you expect to smoke? I warn you that that pipe is a seasoned one!” - -“I may risk a puff or two. I have been told there is no passport like a -pipe of tobacco. No--do not shut the bags. Leave them open as though we -had fled hurriedly. And,” she added, crimsoning a little, “I think it -would be well to disarrange the bed.” - -Stewart flung back the covers and rolled upon it, while his companion -cast a last look about the room. Then she picked up her little bag and -took out the purse and the two letters. - -“Which pocket of a man’s clothes is safest?” she asked. - -“The inside coat pocket. There are two inside pockets in the coat you -have on. One of them has a flap which buttons down. Nothing could get -out of it.” - -She took the coins from the purse, dropped them into the pocket, and -replaced the purse in the bag. Then she started to place the letters -in the pocket, but hesitated, looking at him searchingly, her lips -compressed. - -“My friend,” she said, coming suddenly close to him and speaking in -the merest breath, “I am going to trust you with a great secret. The -information I carry is in these letters--apparently so innocent. If -anything should happen to me----” - -“Nothing is going to happen to you,” broke in Stewart, roughly. “That -is what I am for!” - -“I know--and yet something may. If anything should, promise me that you -will take these letters from my pocket, and by every means in your -power, seek to place them in the hands of General Joffre.” - -“General Joffre?” repeated Stewart. “Who is he?” - -“He is the French commander-in-chief.” - -“But what chance would I have of reaching him? I should merely be -laughed at if I asked to see him!” - -“Not if you asked in the right way,” and again she hesitated. Then she -pressed still closer. “Listen--I have no right to tell you what I am -about to tell you, and yet I must. Do you remember at Aix, I looked at -you like this?” and she caught her lower lip for an instant between the -thumb and little finger of her left hand. - -“Yes, I remember; and you burst into tears immediately afterward.” - -“That was because you did not understand. If, in answer, you had -passed your left hand across your eyes, I should have said, in French, -‘Have we not met before?’ and if you had replied, ‘In Berlin, on the -twenty-second,’ I should have known that you were one of ours. Those -passwords will take you to General Joffre himself.” - -“Let us repeat them,” Stewart suggested. In a moment he knew them -thoroughly. “And _that’s_ all right!” he said. - -“You consent, then?” she asked, eagerly. - -“To assist you in every way possible--yes.” - -“To leave me, if I am not able to go on; to take the letters and press -on alone,” she insisted, her eyes shining. “Promise me, my friend!” - -“I shall have to be governed by circumstances,” said Stewart, -cautiously. “If that seems the best thing to do--why, I’ll do it, of -course. But I warn you that this enterprise would soon go to pieces if -it had no better wits than mine back of it. Why, in the few minutes -they were searching you back there at the station, I walked straight -into a trap--and with my eyes wide open, too--at the very moment when I -was proudly thinking what a clever fellow I was!” - -“What was the trap?” she asked, quickly. - -“I was talking to that officer, and babbled out the story of how I came -to go to the Kölner Hof, and he seemed surprised that a member of the -police should have recommended it--which seems strange to me, too,” he -added, “now that I think of it. Then he asked me suddenly how you knew -I was there.” - -“Yes, yes; and what did you say?” - -“I didn’t say anything for a minute--I felt as though I were falling -out of a airship. But after I had fallen about a mile, I managed to -say that I had sent you a telegram and also a postcard.” - -“How lucky!” breathed the girl. “How shrewd of you!” - -“Shrewd? Was it? But that shock was nothing to the jolt I got the next -minute when he told me that you had brought the postcard along in your -bag! It was a good thing you came in just then, or he would have seen -by the way I sat there gaping at him that the whole story was a lie!” - -“I should have told you of the postcard,” she said, with a gesture -of annoyance. “It is often just some such tiny oversight which -wrecks a whole plan. One tries to foresee everything--to provide for -everything--and then some little, little detail goes wrong, and the -whole structure comes tumbling down. It was chance that saved us--but -in affairs of this sort, nothing must be left to chance! If we had -failed, it would have been my fault!” - -“But how could there have been a postcard?” demanded Stewart. “I should -like to see it.” - -Smiling, yet with a certain look of anxiety, she stepped to her bag, -took out the postcard, and handed it to him. On one side was a picture -of the cathedral at Cologne; on the other, the address and the message: - - Cologne, July 31, 1914. - Dear Mary-- - - Do not forget that it is to-morrow, Saturday, you are to meet me at - Aix-la-Chapelle, from where we will go on to Brussels together, as we - have planned. If I should fail to meet you at the train, you will find - me at a hotel called the Kölner Hof, not far from the station. - - With much love, - BRADFORD STEWART. - -Stewart read this remarkable message with astonished eyes, then, -holding the card close to the candle, he stared at it in bewilderment. - -“But it is my handwriting!” he protested. “At least, a fairly good -imitation of it--and the signature is mine to a dot.” - -“Your signature was all the writer had,” she explained. “Your -handwriting had to be inferred from that.” - -“Where did you get my signature? Oh, from the blank I filled up at Aix, -I suppose. But no,” and he looked at the card again, “the postmark -shows that it was mailed at Cologne last night.” - -“The postmark is a fabrication.” - -“Then it was from the blank at Aix?” - -“No,” she said, and hesitated, an anxiety in her face he did not -understand. - -“Then where _did_ you get it?” he persisted. “Why shouldn’t you tell -me?” - -“I will tell you,” she answered, but her voice was almost inaudible. -“It is right that you should know. You gave the signature to the man -who examined your passport on the terrace of the Hotel Continental at -Cologne, and who recommended you to the Kölner Hof. He also was one of -ours.” - -Stewart was looking at her steadily. - -“Then in that case,” he said, and his face was gray and stern, “it was -I, and no one else, you expected to meet at the Kölner Hof.” - -“Yes,” she answered with trembling lips, but meeting his gaze -unwaveringly. - -“And all that followed--the tears, the dismay--was make-believe?” - -“Yes. I cannot lie to you, my friend.” - -Stewart passed an unsteady hand before his eyes. It seemed that -something had suddenly burst within him--some dream, some vision---- - -“So I was deliberately used,” he began, hoarsely; but she stopped him, -her hand upon his arm. - -“Do not speak in that tone,” she pleaded, her face wrung with -anguish. “Do not look at me like that--I did not know--I had never -seen you--it was not my plan. We were face to face with failure--we -were desperate--there seemed no other way.” She stopped, shuddering -slightly, and drew away from him. “At least, you will say good-by,” she -said, softly. - -Dazedly Stewart looked at her--at her eyes dark with sadness, at her -face suddenly so white---- - -She was standing near the window, her hand upon the curtain. - -“Good-by, my friend,” she repeated. “You have been very good to me!” - -For an instant longer, Stewart stood staring--then he sprang at her, -seized her---- - -“Do you mean that you are going to leave me?” he demanded, roughly. - -“Surely that is what you wish!” - -“What I wish? No, no! What do I care--what does it matter!” The words -were pouring incoherently from his trembling lips. “I understand--you -were desperate--you didn’t know me; even if you had, it would make no -difference. Don’t you understand--nothing can make any difference now!” - -She shivered a little; then she drew away, looking at him. - -“You mean,” she stammered; “you mean that you still--that you still----” - -“Little comrade!” he said, and held out his arms. - -She lifted her eyes to his--wavered toward him---- - -“Halt!” cried a voice outside the window, and an instant later there -came a heavy hammering on the street door. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE FRONTIER - - -THE knocking seemed to shake the house, so violent it was, so -insistent; and Stewart, petrified, stood staring numbly. But his -companion was quicker than he. In an instant she had run to the light -and blown it out. Then she was back at his side. - -“The moment they are in the house,” she said, “raise the window as -silently as you can and unbolt the shutter.” - -And then she was gone again, and he could hear her moving about near -the door. - -Again the knocking came, louder than before. It could mean only one -thing, Stewart told himself--their ruse had been discovered--a party of -soldiers had come to arrest them---- - -He drew a quick breath. What then? He closed his eyes dizzily--what had -she said? “A file of soldiers in front, a wall behind!” But that should -never be! They must kill him first! And then he sickened as he realized -how puny he was, how utterly powerless to protect her---- - -He heard shuffling footsteps approach along the hall, and a glimmer -of light showed beneath the door. For an instant Stewart stared at it -uncomprehending--then he smiled to himself. The girl, quicker witted -than he, had pulled away the things that had been stuffed there. - -“Who is it?” called the voice of their landlady. - -“It is I, Frau Ritter,” answered the voice of the police agent. “Open -quickly.” - -A key rattled in a lock, the door was opened, and the party stepped -inside. - -Stewart, at the window, raised the sash and pulled back the bolt. He -could hear the confused murmur of voices--men’s voices---- - -Then he felt a warm hand in his and lips at his ear. - -“It is the person from Strassburg,” she breathed. “He has been brought -here for the night. There is no danger. Bolt the shutter again--but -softly.” - -She was gone again, and Stewart, with a deep breath that was almost a -sob, thrust home the bolt. The voices were clearer now--or perhaps it -was the singing of his blood that was stilled--and he could hear their -words. - -“You will give this gentleman a room,” said the secret agent. - -“Yes, Excellency.” - -“How are your other guests?” - -“I have heard nothing from them, Excellency, since they retired.” - -Suddenly Stewart felt his hat lifted from his head and a hand rumpling -his hair. - -“Take off your coat,” whispered a voice. “Open the door a little and -demand less noise. Say that I am asleep!” - -It was a call to battle, and Stewart felt his nerves stiffen. Without -a word he threw off his coat and tore off his collar. Then he moved -away the chair from before the door, opened it, and put one eye to the -crack. There were five people in the hall--the woman, the secret agent, -two soldiers, and a man in civilian attire. - -“What the deuce is the matter out there?” he demanded. - -It did his heart good to see how they jumped at the sound of his voice. - -“Your pardon, sir,” said the officer, stepping toward him. “I hope we -have not disturbed you.” - -“Disturbed me? Why, I thought you were knocking the house down!” - -“Frau Ritter is a heavy sleeper,” the other explained with a smile. -“You will present my apologies to Madame.” - -“My wife is so weary that even this has not awakened her, but I -hope----” - -“What is it, Tommy?” asked a sleepy voice from the darkness behind him. -“To whom are you talking out there?” - -“Your pardon, madame,” said the officer, raising his voice, and -doubtless finding a certain piquancy in the situation. “You shall -not be disturbed again--I promise it,” and he signed for his men to -withdraw. “Good-night, sir.” - -“Good-night!” answered Stewart, and shut the door. - -He was so shaken with mirth that he scarcely heard the outer door -close. Then he staggered to the bed and collapsed upon it. - -“Oh, little comrade!” he gasped. “Little comrade!” and he buried his -head in the clothes to choke back the hysterical shouts of laughter -which rose in his throat. - -“Hush! Hush!” she warned him, her hand on his shoulder. “Get your coat -and hat. Be quick!” - -The search for those articles of attire sobered him. He had never -before realized how large a small room may become in the dark! His coat -he found in one corner; his hat miles away in another. His collar and -tie seemed to have disappeared utterly, and he was about to abandon -them to their fate, when his hand came into contact with them under -the bed. He felt utterly exhausted, and sat on the floor panting for -breath. Then somebody stumbled against him. - -“Where have you been?” her voice demanded impatiently. “What have you -been doing?” - -“I have been around the world,” said Stewart. “And I explored it -thoroughly.” - -Her hand found his shoulder and shook it violently. - -“Is this a time for jesting? Come!” - -Stewart got heavily to his feet. - -“Really,” he protested, “I wasn’t jesting----” - -“Hush!” she cautioned, and suddenly Stewart saw her silhouetted against -the window and knew that it was open. Then he saw her peer cautiously -out, swing one leg over the sill, and let herself down outside. - -“Careful!” she whispered. - -In a moment he was standing beside her in the narrow street. She caught -his hand and led him away close in the shadow of the wall. - -The night air and the movement revived him somewhat, and by a -desperate effort of will he managed to walk without stumbling; but -he was still deadly tired. He knew that he was suffering from the -reaction from the manifold adventures and excitements of the day, more -especially the reaction from despair to hope of the last half hour, and -he tried his best to shake it off, marveling at the endurance of this -slender girl, who had borne so much more than he. - -She went straight on along the narrow street, close in the shadow of -the houses, pausing now and then to listen to some distant sound, and -once hastily drawing him deep into the shadow of a doorway as a patrol -passed along a cross-street. - -Then the houses came to an end, and Stewart saw that they were upon -a white road running straight away between level fields. Overhead -the bright stars shone as calmly and peacefully as though there were -no such thing as war in the whole universe, and looking up at them, -Stewart felt himself tranquilized and strengthened. - -“Now what?” he asked. “I warn you that I shall go to sleep on my feet -before long!” - -“We must not stop until we are across the frontier. It cannot be -farther than half a mile.” - -Half a mile seemed an eternity to Stewart at that moment; besides, -which way should they go? He gave voice to the question, after a -helpless look around, for he had completely lost his bearings. - -“Yonder is the Great Bear,” said the girl, looking up to where that -beautiful constellation stretched brilliantly across the sky. “What is -your word for it--the Ladle, is it not?” - -“The Dipper,” Stewart corrected, reflecting that this was the first -time she had been at loss for a word. - -“Yes--the Dipper. It will help us to find our way. All I know of -astronomy is that a line drawn through the two stars of the bowl points -to the North Star. So that insignificant little star up yonder must be -the North Star. Now, what is the old formula--if one stands with one’s -face to the north----” - -“Your right hand will be toward the east and your left toward the -west,” prompted Stewart. - -“So the frontier is to our left. Come.” - -She released his hand, leaped the ditch at the side of the road, and -set off westward across a rough field. Stewart stumbled heavily after -her; but presently his extreme exhaustion passed, and was followed -by a sort of nervous exhilaration which enabled him easily to keep -up with her. They climbed a wall, struggled through a strip of -woodland--Stewart had never before realized how difficult it is to -go through woods at night!--passed close to a house where a barking -dog sent panic terror through them, and came at last to a road running -westward, toward Belgium and safety. Along this they hastened as -rapidly as they could. - -“We must be past the frontier,” said Stewart, half an hour later. “We -have come at least two miles.” - -“Let us be sure,” gasped the girl. “Let us take no chance!” and she -pressed on. - -Stewart reflected uneasily that they had encountered no outposts, -and surely there would be outposts at the frontier to maintain its -neutrality and intercept stragglers; but perhaps that would be only on -the main-traveled roads; or perhaps the outposts were not yet in place; -or perhaps they might run into one at any moment. He looked forward -apprehensively, but the road lay white and empty under the stars. - -Suddenly the girl stumbled and nearly fell. His arm was about her in -an instant. He could feel how her body drooped against him in utter -weariness. She had reached the end of her strength. - -“Come,” he said; “we must rest,” and he led her unresisting to the side -of the road. - -They sat down close together with their backs against the wall, and her -head for an instant fell upon his shoulder. By a supreme effort, she -roused herself. - -“We cannot stay here!” she protested. - -“No,” Stewart agreed. “Do you think you can climb this wall? We may -find cover on the other side.” - -“Of course I can,” and she tried to rise, but Stewart had to assist -her. “I do not know what is the matter,” she panted, as she clung to -him. “I can scarcely stand!” - -“It’s the reaction,” said Stewart. “It was bound to come, sooner or -later. I had my attack back there on the road. Now I am going to lift -you on top of the wall.” - -She threw one leg over it and sat astride. - -“Oh, I have dropped the bundle,” she said. - -“Have you been carrying it all this time?” Stewart demanded. - -“Why, of course. It weighs nothing.” - -Stewart, groping angrily along the base of the wall, found it, tucked -it under his arm, scrambled over, and lifted her down. - -“Now, forward!” he said. - -At the second step, they were in a field of grain as high as their -waists. They could feel it brushing against them, twining about their -ankles; they could glimpse its yellow expanse stretching away into the -night. - -“Splendid!” cried Stewart. “There could be no better cover!” and he -led her forward into it. “Now,” he added, at the end of five minutes, -“stand where you are till I get things ready for you,” and with his -knife he cut down great handfuls of the grain and piled them upon the -ground. “There’s your bed,” he said, placing the bundle of clothing at -one end of it; “and there’s your pillow.” - -She sat down with a sigh of relief. - -“Oh, how heavenly!” - -“You can go to sleep without fear. No one can discover us here, unless -they stumble right over us. Good-night, little comrade.” - -“But you?” - -“Oh, I am going to sleep, too. I’ll make myself a bed just over here.” - -“Good-night, my friend!” she said, softly, and Stewart, looking down at -her, catching the starry sheen of her uplifted eyes, felt a wild desire -to fling himself beside her, to take her in his arms---- - -Resolutely he turned away and piled his own bed at a little distance. -It would have been safer, perhaps, had they slept side by side; but -there was about her something delicate and virginal which kept him at a -distance--and yet held him too, bound him powerfully, led him captive. - -He was filled with the thought of her, as he lay gazing up into the -spangled heavens--her beauty, her fire, her indomitable youth, her -clear-eyed innocence which left him reverent and trembling. What was -her story? Where were her people that they should permit her to take -such desperate risks? Why had this great mission been confided to -her--to a girl, young, inexperienced? And yet, the choice had evidently -been a wise one. She had proved herself worthy of the trust. No one -could have been quicker-witted, more ready of resource. - -Well, the worst of it was over. They were safe out of Germany. It was -only a question now of reaching a farmhouse, of hiring a wagon, of -driving to the nearest station---- - -He stirred uneasily. That would mean good-by. But why should he go to -Brussels? Why not turn south with her to France? - -Sleep came to him as he was asking himself this question for the -twentieth time. - -It was full day when he awoke. He looked about for a full minute at -the yellow grain, heavy-headed and ready for the harvest, before he -remembered where he was. Then he rubbed his eyes and looked again--the -wheat-field, certainly--that was all right; but what was that insistent -murmur which filled his ears, which never ceased? He sat hastily erect -and started to his feet--then as hastily dropped to his knees again and -peered cautiously above the grain. - -Along the road, as far in either direction as the eye could see, passed -a mighty multitude, marching steadily westward. Stewart’s heart beat -faster as he ran his eyes over that great host--thousands and tens of -thousands, clad in greenish-gray, each with his rifle and blanket-roll, -his full equipment complete to the smallest detail--the German army -setting forth to war! Oh, wonderful, astounding, stupendous!--a myriad -of men, moving as one man, obeying one man’s bidding, marching out to -kill and to be killed. - -And marching willingly, even eagerly. The bright morning, the sense -of high adventure, the exhilaration of marching elbow to elbow with a -thousand comrades--yes, and love of country, the thought that they were -fighting for their Fatherland--all these uplifted the heart and made -the eye sparkle. Forgotten for the moment were poignant farewells, the -tears of women and of children. The round of daily duties, the quiet -of the fireside, the circle of familiar faces--all that had receded far -into the past. A new life had begun, a larger and more glorious life. -They felt that they were men going forward to men’s work; they were -drinking deep of a cup brimming with the joy of supreme experience! - -There were jests and loud laughter; there were snatches of song; and -presently a thousand voices were shouting what sounded to Stewart -like a mighty hymn--shouting it in slow and solemn unison, marked by -the tramp, tramp of their feet. Not until he caught the refrain did -he know what it was--“_Deutschland, Deutschland, über alles!_”--the -German battle-song, fit expression of the firm conviction that the -Fatherland was first, was dearest, must be over all! And as he looked -and listened, he felt his own heart thrill responsively, and a new -definition of patriotism grouped itself in his mind. - -Then suddenly he remembered his companion, and, parting the wheat, -he crawled hastily through into the little amphitheater where he had -made her bed. She was still asleep, her head pillowed on the bundle of -clothing, one arm above her eyes, shielding them from the light. He sat -softly down beside her, his heart very tender. She had been so near -exhaustion; he must not awaken her---- - -A blare of bugles shrilled from the road, and from far off rose a roar -of cheering, sweeping nearer and nearer. - -The girl stirred, turned uneasily, opened her eyes, stared up at him -for a moment, and then sat hastily erect. - -“What is it?” she asked. - -“The German army is advancing.” - -“Yes--but the cheering?” - -“I don’t know.” - -Side by side, they peered out above the grain. A heavy motor-car was -advancing rapidly from the east along the road, the troops drawing -aside to let it pass, and cheering--cheering, as though mad. - -Inside the car were three men, but the one who acknowledged the salutes -of the officers as he passed was a tall, slender young fellow in a -long, gray coat. His face was radiant, and he saluted and saluted, and -once or twice rose to his feet and pointed westward. - -“The Crown Prince!” said the girl, and watched in heavy silence until -the motor passed from sight and the host took up its steady march -again. “Ah, well, he at least has realized his ambition--to lead an -army against France!” - -“It seems to be a devoted army,” Stewart remarked. “I never heard such -cheering.” - -“It is a splendid army,” and the girl swept her eyes back and forth -over the marching host. “France will have no easy task--but she is -fighting for her life, and she will win!” - -“I hope so,” Stewart agreed; but his heart misgave him as he looked at -these marching men, sweeping on endlessly, irresistibly, in a torrent -which seemed powerful enough to engulf everything in its path. - -He had never before seen an army, even a small one, and this mighty -host unnerved and intimidated him. It was so full of vigor, so -self-confident, so evidently certain of victory! It was so sturdy, so -erect, so proud! There was about it an electric sense of power; it -almost strutted as it marched! - -“There is one thing certain,” he said, at last, “and that is that our -adventures are not yet over. With our flight discovered, and Germans -in front of us and behind us and probably on either side of us, our -position is still decidedly awkward. I suppose their outposts are -somewhere ahead.” - -“Yes, I suppose so,” she agreed. “Along the Meuse, perhaps.” - -“And I am most awfully hungry. Aren’t you?” - -“Yes, I am.” - -“I have heard that whole wheat makes a delicious breakfast dish,” said -Stewart, who felt unaccountably down-hearted and was determined not to -show it. “Shall we try some?” - -She nodded, smiling, then turned back to watch the Germans, as though -fascinated by them. Stewart broke off a dozen heads of yellow grain, -rubbed them out between his hands, blew away the chaff, and poured the -fat kernels into her outstretched palm. Then he rubbed out a mouthful -for himself. - -“But that they should invade Belgium!” she said, half to herself. “Did -you hear what that man said last night--that a treaty was only a scrap -of paper--that if Belgium resisted, she would be crushed?” - -“Yes,” nodded Stewart, “and it disgusted me!” - -“But of course France has expected it--she has prepared for it!” went -on the girl, perhaps to silence her own misgivings. “She will not be -taken by surprise!” - -“You don’t think, then, that the Kaiser will dine in Paris on the -twelfth?” - -“Nonsense--that was only an empty boast!” - -“Well, I hope so,” said Stewart. “And wherever he dines, I hope that -he has something more appetizing than whole wheat _au naturel_. I move -we look for a house and try to get some real food that we can put our -teeth into. Also something to drink.” - -“Yes, we must be getting forward,” she agreed. - -Together they peered out again above the grain. The massed column was -still passing, shimmering along the dusty road like a mighty green-gray -serpent. - -“Isn’t there any end to these fellows?” Stewart asked. “We must have -seen about a million!” - -“Oh, no; this is but a single division--and there are at least a -hundred divisions in the German army! No doubt there is another -division on each of the roads leading into Belgium. We shall have to -keep away from the roads. Let us work our way back through the grain to -that strip of woodland. No,” she added, as Stewart stooped to pick up -the bundle of clothing, “we must leave that. If we should happen to be -stopped, it would betray us. What are you doing?” - -Without replying, Stewart opened the bundle, thoughtfully selected a -strand of the beautiful hair inside it and placed the lock carefully in -a flapped compartment of his pocket-book. Then he re-tied the bundle -and threw over it some of the severed stalks. - -“It seems a shame to leave it,” he said. “That is a beautiful gown--and -the hair! Think of those barbarians opening the bundle and finding that -lovely hair!” - -The girl, who had been watching him with brilliant eyes, laughed a -little and caught his hand. - -“How foolish! Come along! I think I shall let you keep that lock of -hair!” she added, thoughtfully. - -Stewart looked at her quickly and saw that the dimple was visible. - -“Thank you!” he said. “Of course I should have asked. Forgive me!” - -She gave him a flashing little smile, then, bending low, hurried -forward through the grain. Beyond the field lay a stretch of woodland, -and presently they heard the sound of running water, and came to a -brook flowing gently over a clean and rocky bed. - -With a cry of delight, the girl dropped to her knees beside it, bent -far over and drank deep; then threw off her coat, pushed her sleeves -above her elbows, and laved hands and face in the cool water. - -“How fortunate my hair is short!” she said, contemplating her -reflection. “Otherwise it would be a perfect tangle. I make a very nice -boy, do you not think so?” - -“An adorable boy!” agreed Stewart, heartily. - -She glanced up at him. - -“Thank you! But are you not going to wash?” - -“Not until you have finished. You are such a radiant beauty, that it -would be a sin to miss an instant of you. My clothes are even more -becoming to you than your own!” - -She glanced down over her slender figure, so fine, so delicately -rounded, then sprang quickly to her feet and snatched up the coat. - -“I will reconnoiter our position while you make your toilet,” she said, -and slipped out of sight among the trees. - -Ten minutes later, Stewart found her seated on a little knoll at the -edge of the wood, looking out across the country. - -“There is a house over yonder,” she said, nodding to where the corner -of a gable showed among the trees. “But it may be dangerous to approach -it.” - -“We can’t starve,” he pointed out. “And we seem to be lucky. Suppose I -go on ahead?” - -“No; we will go together,” and she sprang to her feet. - -The way led over a strip of rocky ground, used evidently as a pasture, -but there were no cattle grazing on it; then along a narrow lane -between low stone walls. Presently they reached the house, which seemed -to be the home of a small farmer, for it stood at the back of a yard -with stables and sheds grouped about it. The gate was open and there -was no sign of life within. Stewart started to enter, but suddenly -stopped and looked at his companion. - -“There is something wrong here,” he said, almost in a whisper. “I feel -it.” - -“So do I,” said the girl, and stared about at the deserted space, -shivering slightly. Then she looked upward into the clear sky. “It was -as if a cloud had come between me and the sun,” she added. - -“Perhaps it is just that everything seems so deserted,” said Stewart, -and stepped through the gate. - -“No doubt the people fled when they saw the Germans,” she suggested; -“or perhaps it was just a rumor that frightened them away.” - -Stewart looked about him. It was not only people that were missing from -this farmyard, he told himself; there should have been pigs in the sty, -chickens scratching in the straw, pigeons on the roof, a cat on the -door-step. - -“We must have food,” he said, and went forward resolutely to the door, -which stood ajar. - -There was something vaguely sinister in the position of the door, -half-open and half-closed, but after an instant’s hesitation, he -knocked loudly. A minute passed, and another, and there was no -response. Nerving himself as though for a mighty effort, he pushed the -door open and looked into the room beyond. - -It was evidently the living-room and dining-room combined, and it was -in the wildest disorder. Chairs were overturned, a table was lying on -its side with one leg broken, dishes lay smashed upon the floor. - -Summoning all his resolution, Stewart stepped inside. What frightful -thing had happened here? From the chairs and the dishes, it looked -as if the family had been surprised at breakfast. But where was the -family? Who had surprised them? What had---- - -And then his heart leaped sickeningly as his eyes fell upon a huddled -figure lying in one corner, close against the wall. It was the body of -a woman, her clothing disordered, a long, gleaming bread-knife clutched -tightly in one hand; and as Stewart bent above her, he saw that her -head had been beaten in. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -FORTUNE FROWNS - - -ONE look at that disfigured countenance imprinted it indelibly on -Stewart’s memory--the blue eyes staring horribly upward from under the -shattered forehead, the hair matted with blood, the sprawling body, -the gleaming knife caught up in what moment of desperation! Shaking -with horror, he seized his companion’s hand and led her away out of -the desecrated house, out of the silent yard, out into the narrow lane -where they could breathe freely. - -“The Uhlans have passed this way,” said the girl, staring up and down -the road. - -“But,” stammered Stewart, wiping his wet forehead, “but I don’t -understand. Germany is a civilized nation--war is no longer the brutal -thing it once was.” - -“War is always brutal, I fear,” said the girl, sadly; “and of course, -among a million men, there are certain to be some--like that! I am no -longer hungry. Let us press on.” - -Stewart, nodding, followed along beside her, across fields, over little -streams, up and down stretches of rocky hillside, always westward. But -he saw nothing; his mind was full of other things--of the gray-clad -thousands singing as they marched; of the radiant face of the Crown -Prince; of that poor murdered woman, who had risen happily this Sunday -morning, glad of a day of rest, and looked up to see strange faces at -the door---- - -And this was war. A thousand other women would suffer the same fate; -thousands and thousands more would be thrown stripped and defenseless -on the world, to live or die as chance might will; a hundred thousand -children would be fatherless; a hundred thousand girls, now ripening -into womanhood, would be denied their rightful destiny of marriage and -children of their own---- - -Stewart shook the thought away. The picture his imagination painted was -too horrible; it could never come true--not all the emperors on earth -could make it come true! - -He looked about him at the mellow landscape. Nowhere was there a sign -of life. The yellow wheat stood ripe for the harvest. The pastures -stretched lush and green--and empty. Here and there above the trees -he caught a glimpse of farmhouse chimneys, but no reassuring -smoke floated above them. A peaceful land, truly, so he told -himself--peaceful as death! - -Gradually the country grew rougher and more broken, and ahead of them -they could see steep and rocky hillsides, cleft by deep valleys and -covered by a thick growth of pine. - -“We must find a road,” said Stewart at last; “we can’t climb up and -down those hills. And we must find out where we are. There is a certain -risk, but we must take it. It is foolish to stumble forward blindly.” - -“You are right,” his companion agreed, and when presently, far below -them at the bottom of a valley, they saw a white road winding, they -made their way down to it. Almost at once they came to a house, in -whose door stood a buxom, fair-haired woman, with a child clinging to -her skirts. - -The woman watched them curiously as they approached, and her face -seemed to Stewart distinctly friendly. - -“Good-morning,” he said, stopping before the door-step and lifting his -hat--an unaccustomed salutation at which the woman stared. “We seem to -have lost our way. Can you tell us----” - -The woman shook her head. - -“My brother and I have lost our way,” said his companion, in rapid -French. “We have been tramping the hills all morning. How far is it to -the nearest village?” - -“The nearest village is Battice,” answered the woman in the same -language. “It is three kilometers from here.” - -“Has it a railway station?” - -“But certainly. How is it you do not know?” - -“We come from the other direction.” - -“From Germany?” - -“Yes,” answered the girl, after an instant’s scrutiny of the woman’s -face. - -“Then you are fugitives? Ah, do not fear to tell me,” she added, as the -girl hesitated. “I have no love for the Germans. I have lived near them -too long!” - -There could be no doubting the sincerity of the words, nor the grimace -of disgust which accompanied them. - -“Yes,” assented the girl, “we are fugitives. We are trying to get to -Liège. Have the Germans been this way?” - -“No; I have seen nothing of them, but I have heard that a great army -has passed along the road through Verviers.” - -“Where is your man?” - -“He has joined the army, as have all the men in this neighborhood.” - -“The German army?” - -“Oh, no; the Belgian army. It is doing what it can to hold back the -Germans.” - -The girl’s face lighted with enthusiasm. - -“Oh, how splendid!” she cried. “How splendid for your brave little -country to defy the invader! Bravo, Belgium!” - -The woman smiled at her enthusiasm, but shook her head doubtfully. - -“I do not know,” she said, simply. “I do not understand these things. -I only know that my man has gone, and that I must harvest our grain -and cut our winter wood by myself. But will you not enter and rest -yourselves?” - -“Thank you. And we are very hungry. We have money to pay for food, if -you can let us have some.” - -“Certainly, certainly,” and the good wife bustled before them into the -house. - -An hour later, rested, refreshed, with a supply of sandwiches in their -pockets, and armed with a rough map drawn from the directions of their -hostess, they were ready to set out westward again. She was of the -opinion that they could pass safely through Battice, which was off the -main road of the German advance, and that they might even secure there -a vehicle of some sort to take them onward. The trains, she understood, -were no longer running. Finally they thanked her for the twentieth time -and bade her good-by. She wished them Godspeed, and stood watching them -from the door until they disappeared from view. - -They pushed forward briskly, and presently, huddled in the valley below -them, caught sight of the gabled roofs of the village. A bell was -ringing vigorously, and they could see the people--women and children -for the most part--gathering in toward the little church, crowned -by its gilded cross. Evidently nothing had occurred to disturb the -serenity of Battice. - -Reassured, the two were about to push on down the road, when suddenly, -topping the opposite slope, they saw a squadron of horsemen, perhaps -fifty strong. They were clad in greenish-gray, and each of them bore -upright at his right elbow a long lance. - -“Uhlans!” cried the girl, and the fugitives stopped short, watching -with bated breath. - -The troop swung down the road toward the village at a sharp trot, and -presently Stewart could distinguish their queer, flat-topped helmets, -reminding him of the mortar-board of his university days. Right at -the edge of the village, in the shadow of some trees, the horsemen -drew rein and waited until the bell ceased ringing and the last of the -congregation had entered the church; then, at the word of command, they -touched spur to flank and swept through the empty street. - -A boy saw them first and raised a shout of alarm; then a woman, -hurrying toward the church, heard the clatter of hoofs, cast one glance -behind her, and ran on, screaming wildly. The screams penetrated the -church, and in a moment the congregation came pouring out, only to find -themselves hemmed in by a semicircle of lowered lances. - -The lieutenant shouted a command, and four of his men threw themselves -from the saddle and disappeared into the church. They were back in a -moment, dragging between them a white-haired priest clad in stole and -surplice, and a rosy-faced old man, who, even in this trying situation, -managed to retain his dignity. - -The two were placed before the officer, and a short conference -followed, with the townspeople pressing anxiously around, listening -to every word. Suddenly there was an outburst of protest and despair, -which the priest quieted with a motion of his hand, and the conference -was resumed. - -“What is it the fellow wants?” asked Stewart. - -“Money and supplies, I suppose.” - -“Money and supplies? But that’s robbery!” - -“Oh, no; it is a part of the plan of the German General Staff. How -many times have I heard Prussian officers boast that a war would cost -Germany nothing--that her enemies would be made to bear the whole -burden! It has all been arranged--the indemnity which each village, -even the smallest, must pay--the amount of supplies which each must -furnish, the ransom which will be assessed on each individual. This -lieutenant of Uhlans is merely carrying out his instructions!” - -“Who is the old man?” - -“The burgomaster, doubtless. He and the priest are always the most -influential men in a village.” - -The conference was waxing warmer, the lieutenant was talking in a loud -voice, and once he shook his fist menacingly; again there was a wail of -protest from the crowd--women were wringing their hands---- - -“He is demanding more than the village can supply,” remarked the girl. -“That is not surprising,” she added, with a bitter smile. “They will -always demand more than can be supplied. But come; we must be getting -on.” - -Stewart would have liked to see the end of the drama, but he followed -his companion over the wall at the side of the road, and then around -the village and along the rough hillside. Suddenly from the houses -below arose a hideous tumult--shouts, curses, the smashing of -glass--and in a moment, a flood of people, wailing, screaming, shaking -their fists in the air, burst from the town and swept along the road in -the direction of Herve. - -“They would better have given all that was demanded,” said the girl, -looking down at them. “Now they will be made to serve as an example to -other villages--they will lose everything--even their houses--see!” - -Following the direction of her pointing finger, Stewart saw a black -cloud of smoke bulging up from one end of the village. - -“But surely,” he gasped, “they’re not burning it! They wouldn’t dare do -that!” - -“Why not?” - -“Isn’t looting prohibited by the rules of war?” - -“Certainly--looting and the destruction of property of non-combatants.” - -“Well, then----” - -But he stopped, staring helplessly. The cloud of smoke grew in volume, -and below it could be seen red tongues of flame. There before him was -the hideous reality--and he suddenly realized how futile it was to make -laws for anything so essentially lawless as war, or to expect niceties -of conduct from men thrown back into a state of barbarism. - -“What do the rules of war matter to a nation which considers treaties -mere scraps of paper?” asked the girl, in a hard voice. “Their very -presence here in Belgium is a violation of the rules of war. Besides, -it is the German theory that war should be ruthless--that the enemy -must be intimidated, ravaged, despoiled in every possible way. They say -that the more merciless it is, the briefer it will be. It is possible -that they are not altogether wrong.” - -“True,” muttered Stewart. “But it is a heartless theory.” - -“War is a heartless thing,” commented his companion, turning away. “It -is best not to think too much about it. Come--we must be going on.” - -They pushed forward again, keeping the road, with its rabble of -frenzied fugitives, at their right. It was a wild and beautiful -country, and under other circumstances, Stewart would have gazed in -admiring wonder at its rugged cliffs, its deep precipitous valleys, -its thickly-wooded hillsides; but now these appeared to him only as so -many obstacles between him and safety. - -At last the valley opened out, and below them they saw the clustered -roofs of another village, which could only be Herve. Around it were -broad pastures and fields of yellow grain, and suddenly the girl caught -Stewart by the arm. - -“Look!” she said, and pointed to the field lying nearest them. - -A number of old men, women, and children were cutting the grain, -tying it into sheaves, and piling the sheaves into stacks, under the -supervision of four men. Those four men were clothed in greenish-gray -and carried rifles in their hands! The invaders were stripping the -grain from the fields in order to feed their army! - -As he contemplated this scene, Stewart felt, mixed with his horror -and detestation, a sort of unwilling admiration. Evidently, as his -companion had said, when Germany made war, she made war. She was -ruthlessly thorough. She allowed no sentiment, no feeling of pity, no -weakening compassion, to interfere between her and her goal. She went -to war with but one purpose: to win; and she was determined to win, no -matter what the cost! Stewart shivered at the thought. Whether she won -or lost, how awful that cost must be! - -The fugitives went on again at last, working their way around the -village, keeping always in the shelter of the woods along the -hillsides, and after a weary journey, came out on the other side above -the line of the railroad. A sentry, with fixed bayonet, stood guard -over a solitary engine; except for him, the road seemed quite deserted. -For half a mile they toiled along over the rough hillside above it -without seeing anyone else. - -“We can’t keep this up,” said Stewart, flinging himself upon the -ground. “We shall have to take to the road if we are to make any -progress. Do you think we’d better risk it?” - -“Let us watch it for a while,” the girl suggested, so they sat and -watched it and munched their sandwiches, and talked in broken snatches. -Ten minutes passed, but no one came in sight. - -“It seems quite safe,” she said at last, and together they made their -way down to it. - -“The next village is Fléron,” said Stewart, consulting his rough map. -“It is apparently about four miles from here. Liège is about ten miles -further. Can we make it to-night?” - -“We must!” said the girl, fiercely. “Come!” - -The road descended steadily along the valley of a pretty river, closed -in on either side by densely-wooded hills. Here and there among the -trees, they caught glimpses of white villas; below them, along the -river, there was an occasional cluster of houses; but they saw few -people. Either the inhabitants of this land had fled before the enemy, -or were keeping carefully indoors out of his way. - -Once the fugitives had an alarm, for a hand-car, manned by a squad of -German soldiers, came spinning past; but fortunately Stewart heard it -singing along the rails in time to pull his companion into a clump of -underbrush. A little later, along the highway by the river, they saw a -patrol of Uhlans riding, and then they came to Fléron and took to the -hills to pass around it. Here, too, clouds of black smoke hung heavy -above certain of the houses, which, for some reason, had been made the -marks of German reprisals; and once, above the trees to their right, -they saw a column of smoke drifting upward, marking the destruction of -some isolated dwelling. - -The sun was sinking toward the west by the time they again reached -the railroad, and they were both desperately weary; but neither had -any thought of rest. The shadows deepened rapidly among the hills, -but the darkness was welcome, for it meant added safety. By the time -they reached Bois de Breux, night had come in earnest, so they made -only a short detour, and were soon back on the railroad again, with -scarcely five miles to go. For an hour longer they plodded on through -the darkness, snatching a few minutes’ rest once or twice; too weary to -talk, or to look to right or left. - -Then, as they turned a bend in the road, they drew back in alarm; for -just ahead of them, close beside the track, a bright fire was burning, -lighting up the black entrance of a tunnel, before which stood a sentry -leaning on his rifle. Five or six other soldiers, wearing flat fatigue -caps, were lolling about the fire, smoking and talking in low tones. - -Stewart surveyed them curiously. They were big, good-humored-looking -fellows, fathers of families doubtless--honest men with kindly hearts. -It seemed absurd to suppose that such men as these would loot villages -and burn houses and outrage women; it seemed absurd that anyone should -fear them or hide from them. Stewart, with a feeling that all this -threat of war was a chimera, had an impulse to go forward boldly and -join them beside the fire. He was sure they would welcome him, make a -place for him---- - -“_Wer da?_” called, sharply, a voice behind him, and he spun around to -find himself facing a leveled rifle, behind which he could see dimly -the face of a man wearing a spiked helmet--a patrol, no doubt, who had -seen them as they stood carelessly outlined against the fire, and who -had crept upon them unheard. - -“We are friends,” Stewart answered, hastily. - -The soldier motioned them forward to the fire. The men there had caught -up their rifles at the sound of the challenge, and stood peering -anxiously out into the darkness. But when the two captives came within -the circle of light cast by the fire, they stacked their guns and sat -down again. Evidently they saw nothing threatening in the appearance of -either Stewart or his companion. - -Their captor added his gun to the stack and motioned them to sit down. -Then he doffed his heavy helmet with evident relief and hung it on -his rifle, got out a soft cap like the others’, and finally sat down -opposite his prisoners and looked at them closely. - -“What are you doing here?” he demanded in German. - -“We are trying to get through to Brussels,” answered Stewart, in the -best German he could muster. “I have not much German. Do you speak -English?” - -“No. Are you English?” And the blue eyes glinted with an unfriendly -light which Stewart was at a loss to understand. - -“We are Americans,” and Stewart saw with relief that the man’s face -softened perceptibly. On the chance that, if the soldier could not -speak English, neither could he read it, he impressively produced his -passport. “Here is our safe-conduct from our Secretary of State,” he -said. “You will see that it is sealed with the seal of the United -States. My brother and I were passed at Herbesthal, but could find no -conveyance and started to walk. We lost our way, but stumbled upon the -railroad some miles back and decided to follow it until we came to a -village. How far away is the nearest village?” - -“I do not know,” said the man, curtly; but he took the passport and -stared at it curiously. Then he passed it around the circle, and it -finally came back to its owner, who placed it in his pocket. - -“You find it correct?” Stewart inquired. - -“I know nothing about it. You must wait until our officer arrives.” - -Stewart felt a sickening sensation at his heart, but he managed to -smile. - -“He will not be long, I hope,” he said. “We are very tired and hungry.” - -“He will not be long,” answered the other, shortly, and got out a long -pipe, but Stewart stopped him with a gesture. - -“Try one of these,” he said, quickly, and brought out his handful of -cigars and passed them around. - -The men grinned their thanks, and were soon puffing away with evident -enjoyment. But to Stewart the single cigar he had kept for himself -seemed strangely savorless. He glanced at his companion. She was -sitting hunched up, her arms about her knees, staring thoughtfully at -the fire. - -“This man says we must wait here until their officer arrives,” he -explained in English. “My brother does not understand German,” he added -to the men. - -“How stupid!” said the girl. “I am so tired and stiff!” - -“It is no use to argue with them, I suppose?” - -“No. They will refuse to decide anything for themselves. They rely -wholly upon their officers.” - -She rose wearily, stretched herself, stamped her foot as if it were -asleep, and then sat down again and closed her eyes. She looked very -young and fragile, and was shivering from head to foot. - -“My brother is not strong,” said Stewart to the attentive group. “I -fear all this hardship and exposure will be more than he can bear.” - -One of the men, with a gesture of sympathy, rose, unrolled his blanket, -and spread it on the bank behind the fire. - -“Let the young man lie down there,” he said. - -“Oh, thank you!” cried Stewart. “Come, Tommy,” he added, touching the -girl on the arm. “Suppose you lie down till the officer comes.” - -She opened her eyes, saw the blanket, nodded sleepily, and, still -shivering, followed Stewart to it, lay down, permitted him to roll her -in it, and apparently dropped off to sleep on the instant. Stewart -returned to the circle about the fire, nodding his satisfaction. They -all smiled, as men do who have performed a kind action. - -But Stewart, though doing his best to keep a placid countenance, was -far from easy in his mind. One thing was certain--they must escape -before the officer arrived. He, no doubt, would be able both to read -and speak English, and the passport would betray them at once. For -without question, a warning had been flashed from headquarters to every -patrol to arrest the holder of that passport, and to send him and his -companion, under close guard, back to Herbesthal. But how to escape! - -Stewart glanced carefully about him, cursing the carelessness that had -brought them into this trap, the imbecility which had held them staring -at this outpost, instead of taking instantly to the woods, as they -should have done. They deserved to be captured! Nevertheless---- - -The sentry was pacing slowly back and forth at the tunnel entrance, -fifteen yards away; the other men were lolling about the fire, -half-asleep. It would be possible, doubtless, to bolt into the darkness -before they could grab their rifles, so there was only the sentry to -fear, and the danger from him would not be very great. But it would be -necessary to keep to the track for some distance, because, where it -dropped into the tunnel, its sides were precipices impossible to scale -in the darkness. The danger, then, lay in the fact that the men might -have time to snatch up their rifles and empty them along the track -before the fugitives would be able to leave it. But it was a danger -which must be faced--there was no other way. Once in the woods, they -would be safe. - -Stewart, musing over the situation with eyes half-closed, recalled dim -memories of daring escapes from Indians and outlaws, described in -detail in the blood-and-thunder reading of his youth. There was always -one ruse which never failed--just as the pursuers were about to fire, -the fugitive would fling himself flat on his face, and the bullets -would fly harmlessly over him; then he would spring to his feet and go -safely on his way. Stewart smiled to remember how religiously he had -believed in that stratagem, and how he had determined to practice it, -if ever need arose! He had never contemplated the possibility of having -to flee from a squad of men armed with magazine rifles, capable of -firing twenty-five shots a minute! - -Then he shook these thoughts away; there was no time to be lost. He -must warn his companion, for they must make the dash at the same -instant. He glanced toward where she lay in the shadow of the cliff, -and saw that she was turning restlessly from side to side, as though -fevered. With real anxiety, he hastened to her, knelt beside her, and -placed his hand gently on her forehead. At the touch, she opened her -eyes and stared dazedly up at him. - -“Ask for some water,” she said, weakly; and then, in the same tone, “we -must flee at the moment they salute their officer.” - -Stewart turned to the soldiers, who were listening with inquiring faces. - -“My brother is feverish,” he explained. “He asks for a drink of water.” - -One of the men was instantly on his feet, unscrewing his canteen and -holding it to the eager lips while Stewart supported his comrade’s -head. She drank eagerly and then dropped back with a sigh of -satisfaction, and closed her eyes. - -“He will go to sleep now,” said Stewart. “Thank you,” and he himself -took a drink from the proffered flask. - -He was surprised to find how cool and fresh the water tasted, and when -he looked at the flask more closely, he saw that it was made like a -Thermos bottle, with outer and inner shells. He handed it back to its -owner with a nod of admiration. - -“That is very clever,” he said. “Everything seems to have been thought -of.” - -“Yes, everything,” agreed the other. “No army is equipped like ours. I -am told that the French are in rags.” - -“I don’t know,” said Stewart, cautiously, “I have never seen them.” - -“And their army is not organized; we shall be in Paris before they can -mobilize. It will be 1870 over again. The war will be ended in two or -three months. It has been promised us that we shall be home again for -Christmas without fail.” - -“I hope you will,” Stewart agreed; and there was a moment’s silence. -“How much longer shall we have to wait?” he asked, at last. - -“Our officer should be here at any moment.” - -“It is absolutely necessary that we wait for him?” - -“Yes, absolutely.” - -“We are very hungry,” Stewart explained. - -The soldier pondered for a moment, and then rose to his feet. - -“I think I can give you food,” he said. “It is permitted to give food, -is it not?” he asked his comrades; and when they nodded, he opened his -knapsack and took out a package of hard, square biscuits and a thick -roll of sausage. He cut the sausage into generous slices, while Stewart -watched with watering mouth, placed a slice on each of the biscuits, -and passed them over. - -“Splendid!” cried Stewart. “I don’t know how to thank you. But at least -I can pay you,” and he dove into his pocket and produced a ten-mark -piece--his last. The soldier shook his head. “It is for the whole -squad,” added Stewart, persuasively. “You will be needing tobacco some -day, and this will come in handy!” - -The soldier smiled, took the little coin, and placed it carefully in -his pocket. - -“You are right about the tobacco,” he said. “I thank you.” - -He sat down again before the fire, while Stewart hastened to his -companion and dropped to his knees beside her. - -“See what I’ve got!” he cried. “Food!” - -She opened her eyes, struggled to a sitting posture, and held out an -eager hand. A moment later, they were both munching the sausage and -biscuits as though they had never tasted anything so delicious--as, -indeed, they never had! - -“Oh, how good that was!” she said, when the last crumb was swallowed, -and she waved her thanks to the watching group about the fire. -“Remember,” she added, in a lower tone, as she sank back upon her -elbow, “the instant----” - -She stopped, staring toward the tunnel, one hand grasping the blanket. - -Stewart, following her look, saw the sentry stiffen, turn on his heel, -and hold his rifle rigidly in front of him, as a tall figure, clad in -a long gray coat and carrying an electric torch, stepped out of the -darkness of the tunnel. At the same instant, the men about the fire -sprang to their feet. - -“Now!” cried the girl, and threw back the blanket. - -In an instant, hand in hand, they had glided into the darkness. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE NIGHT ATTACK - - -A SAVAGE voice behind them shouted, “Halt!” and then a bullet sang -past and a rifle went off with a noise like a cannon--or so it seemed -to Stewart; then another and another. It was the sentry, of course, -pumping bullets after them. Stewart’s flesh crept at the thought that -any instant might bring a volley, which would sweep the track with a -storm of lead. If he could only look back, if he only knew---- - -Suddenly the girl pulled him to the right, and he saw there was a cleft -in the steep bank. Even as they sprang into it, the volley came, and -then a second and a third, and then the sound of shouting voices and -running feet. - -Savagely the fugitives fought their way upward, over rocks, through -briars--scratched, torn, bleeding, panting for breath. Even in the -daytime it would have been a desperate scramble; now it soon became a -sort of horrid nightmare, which might end at any instant at the bottom -of a cliff. More than once Stewart told himself that he could not go -on, that his heart would burst if he took another step--and yet he -_did_ go on, up and up, close behind his comrade, who seemed borne on -invisible wings. - -At last she stopped and pressed close against him. He could feel how -her heart was thumping. - -“Wait!” she panted. “Listen!” - -Not a sound broke the stillness of the wood. - -“I think we are safe,” she said. “Let us rest a while.” - -They sat down, side by side, on a great rock. Gradually their gasping -breath slackened and the pounding of their hearts grew quieter. - -“I have lost my cap,” she said, at last. “A branch snatched it off and -I did not dare to stop.” - -Stewart put his hand to his head and found that his hat also was gone. -Until that instant he had not missed it. - -“I feel as if I had been flayed,” he said. “Those briars were downright -savage. It was lucky we didn’t break a leg--or stop a bullet.” - -“We must not run such risks again. We must keep clear of roads--the -Germans seem to be everywhere. Let us keep on until we reach the crest -of this hill, and then we can rest till daylight.” - -“All right,” agreed Stewart. “Where thou goest, I will go. But please -remember I don’t travel on angelic wings as you do, but on very human -legs! And they are very tired!” - -“So are mine!” she laughed. “But we cannot remain here, can we?” - -“No,” said Stewart, “I suppose not,” and he arose and followed her. - -The ground grew less rough as they proceeded, and at last they came -to the end of the wood. Overhead, a full moon was sinking toward the -west--a moon which lighted every rock and crevice of the rolling meadow -before them, and which seemed to them, after the darkness of the woods -and the valleys, as brilliant as the sun. - -“We must be nearly at the top,” said the girl. “These hills almost all -have meadows on their summits where the peasants pasture their flocks.” - -And so it proved, for beyond the meadow was another narrow strip of -woodland, and as they came to its farther edge, the fugitives stopped -with a gasp of astonishment. - -Below them stretched a broad valley, and as far as the eye could reach, -it was dotted with flaring fires. - -“The German army!” said the girl, and the two stood staring. - -Evidently a countless host lay camped below them, but no sound reached -them, save the occasional rumble of a train along some distant track. -The Kaiser’s legions were sleeping until the dawn should give the -signal for the advance--an advance which would be as the sweep of an -avalanche, hideous, irresistible, remorseless, crushing everything in -its path. - -“Oh, look, look!” cried the girl, and caught him by the arm. - -To the west, seemingly quite near, a flash of flame gleamed against the -sky, then another and another and another, and in a moment a savage -rumble as of distant thunder drifted to their ears. - -“What is it?” asked Stewart, staring at the ever-increasing bursts of -flame. “Not a battle, surely!” - -“It is the forts at Liège!” cried the girl, hoarsely. “The Germans are -attacking them, and they resist! Oh, brave little Belgium!” - -The firing grew more furious, and then a battery of searchlights began -to play over the hillside before the nearest fort, and they could -dimly see its outline on the hilltop--strangely like a dreadnaught, -with its wireless mast and its armored turrets vomiting flame. Above -it, from time to time, a shell from the German batteries burst like a -greenish-white rocket, but it was evident that the assailants had not -yet got their guns up in any number. - -Then, suddenly, amid the thunder of the cannon, there surged a -vicious undercurrent of sound which Stewart knew must be the reports -of machine-guns, or perhaps of rifles; and all along the slope below -the fort innumerable little flashes stabbed upward toward the summit. -Surely infantry would never attack such a position, Stewart told -himself; and then he held his breath, for, full in the glare of the -searchlights, he could see what seemed to be a tidal wave sweeping up -the hill. - -A very fury of firing came from the fort, yet still the wave swept on. -As it neared the fort, what seemed to be another wave swept down to -meet it. The firing slackened, almost stopped, and Stewart, his blood -pounding in his temples, knew that the struggle was hand to hand, -breast to breast. It lasted but a minute; then the attacking tide -flowed back down the hill, and again the machine-guns of the fort took -up that deadly chorus. - -“They have been driven back!” gasped the girl. “Thank God! the Germans -have been driven back!” - -How many, Stewart wondered, were lying out there dead on the hillside? -How many homes had been rendered fatherless in those few desperate -moments? And this was but the first of a thousand such charges--the -first of a thousand such moments! There, before his eyes, men had -killed each other--for what? The men in the forts were defending -their Fatherland from invasion--they were fighting for liberty and -independence. That was understandable--it was even admirable. But -those others--the men in the spiked helmets--what were they fighting -for? To destroy liberty? To wrest independence from a proud little -people? Surely no man of honor would fight for that! No, it must be -for something else--for some ideal--for some ardent sense of duty, -strangely twisted, perhaps, but none the less fierce and urgent! - -Again the big guns in the armored turrets were bellowing forth their -wrath; and then the searchlights stabbed suddenly up into the sky, -sweeping this way and that. - -“They fear an airship attack!” breathed the girl, and she and Stewart -stood staring up into the night. - -Shells from the German guns began again to burst about the fort, but -its own guns were silent, and it lay there crouching as if in terror. -Only its searchlights swept back and forth. - -Suddenly a gun spoke--they could see the flash of its discharge, -seemingly straight up into the air; then a second and a third; and -then the searchlights caught the great bulk of a Zeppelin and held it -clearly outlined as it swept across the sky. There was a furious burst -of firing, but the ship sped on unharmed, passed beyond the range of -the searchlights, blotted out the setting moon for an instant, and was -gone. - -“It did not dare pass over the fort,” said the girl. “It was flying too -low. Perhaps it will come back at a greater altitude. I have seen them -at the maneuvers in Alsace--frightful things, moving like the wind.” - -This way and that the searchlights swept in great arcs across the -heavens, in frenzied search for this monster of the air; but it did not -return. Perhaps it had been damaged by the gunfire--or perhaps, Stewart -told himself with a shiver, it was speeding on toward Paris, to rain -terror from the August sky! - -Gradually the firing ceased; but the more distant forts were using -their searchlights, too. Seeing them all aroused and vigilant, the -Germans did not attack again; their surprise had failed; now they must -wait for their heavy guns. - -“Well,” asked Stewart, at last, “what now?” - -“I think it would be well to stay here till morning--then we can see -how the army is placed and how best to get past it. It is evident we -cannot go on to-night.” - -“I’m deadly tired,” said Stewart, looking about him into the darkness, -“but I should like a softer bed than the bare ground.” - -“Let us go to the edge of this meadow,” the girl suggested. “Perhaps we -shall find another field of grain.” - -But luck was against them. Beyond the meadow the woods began again. - -“The meadow is better than the woods,” said Stewart. “At least it has -some grass on it--the woods have nothing but rocks!” - -“Let us stay in the shelter of the hedge. Then, if a patrol happens -into the field before we are awake, it will not see us. Perhaps they -will attempt a pursuit in the morning. They will guess that we have -headed for the west.” - -“I don’t think there’s much danger--it would be like hunting for a -needle in a haystack--in a dozen haystacks! But won’t you be cold?” - -“Oh, no,” she protested, quickly; “the night is quite warm. Good-night, -my friend.” - -“Good-night,” Stewart answered, and withdrew a few steps and made -himself as comfortable as he could. - -There were irritating bumps in the ground which seemed to come exactly -in the wrong place; but he finally adjusted himself, and lay and looked -up at the stars, and wondered what the morrow would bring forth. He was -growing a little weary of the adventure. He was growing weary of the -restraint which the situation imposed upon him. He was aching to take -this girl in his arms and hold her close, and whisper three words--just -three!--into her rosy ear--but to do that now, to do it until they were -in safety, until she had no further need of him, would be a cowardly -thing--a cowardly thing--a cowardly---- - -He was awakened by a touch on the arm, and opened his eyes to find the -sun high in the heavens and his comrade looking down at him with face -almost equally radiant. - -“I did not like to wake you,” she said, “but it is getting late.” - -Stewart sat up and rubbed his eyes and looked at her again. Her hair -was neatly combed, her face was fresh and shining, her hands showed -some ugly scratches but were scrupulously clean. Even her clothing, -though torn here and there, had evidently been carefully brushed. - -“What astounds me,” said Stewart, deliberately, “is how you do it. You -spend the first half of the night scrambling over rocks and through -briars, and the second half sleeping on the bare ground, and you emerge -in the morning as fresh and radiant as though you had just stepped from -your boudoir. I wish I knew the secret.” - -“Come and I will show you,” she said, laughing gayly, and she led him -away into the wood. - -Presently he heard the sound of falling water, and his guide brought -him triumphantly to a brook gurgling over mossy rocks, at whose foot -was a shallow basin. - -“There is my boudoir,” she said. “The secret of beauty is in the bath. -I will reconnoiter the neighborhood while you try it for yourself.” - -Stewart flung off his clothes, splashed joyously into the cold, clear -water, and had perhaps the most delicious bath of his life. There -was no soap, to be sure, but much may be done by persistent rubbing; -and there were no towels, but the warm wind of the morning made them -almost unnecessary. He got back into his clothes again with a sense of -astonishing well-being--except for a most persistent gnawing at his -stomach. - -“I wonder where we shall breakfast to-day?” he mused as he laced his -shoes. “Nowhere, most probably! Oh, well, if that dear girl can stand -it, I oughtn’t to complain!” - -And he fell to thinking of her, of her slim grace, of the curve of her -red lips---- - -“Confound it!” he said. “I can’t stand it much longer. Friendship is -all very well, and the big brother act may do for a while--but I can’t -keep it up forever, and what’s more, I won’t!” - -And then he heard her calling, in the clear, high voice he had grown to -love. - -“All right!” he shouted. “Come along!” - -Presently she appeared between the trees, and he watched her with -beating heart--so straight, so supple, so perfect in every line. - -“Did the magic work?” she inquired, gayly. - -“Partly; but it takes more than water to remove a two-days’ growth of -beard,” and Stewart ran a rueful finger over his stubbly chin. “But can -it be only two days since you burst into my room at the Kölner Hof, and -threw your arms around my neck and kissed me!” - -“Please do not speak of it!” she pleaded, with crimson cheeks. “It was -not an easy thing for a girl to do; but that spy was watching--so I -nerved myself, and----” - -“You did it very well, indeed,” he said, reminiscently. “And to think -that not once since then----” - -“Once was quite enough.” - -“Oh, I don’t blame you; I know I’m not an attractive object. People -will be taking us for beauty and the beast.” - -“Neither the one nor the other!” she corrected. - -“Well, I take back the beast; but not the beauty! You are the loveliest -thing I ever saw,” he added, huskily. “The very loveliest!” - -She looked down at him for an instant, and her eyes were very tender; -then she looked hastily away. - -“There were to be no compliments until we were out of Germany,” she -reminded him. - -“We are out of Germany,” he said, and got slowly to his feet, his eyes -on fire. - -“No, no,” she protested, backing hastily away from him. “This is German -ground--let me show you!” and she ran before him out into the meadow. -“Look down yonder!” - -Looking down, Stewart saw the mighty army which had been mustered to -crush France. - -As far as the eye could reach, and from side to side of the broad -valley, it stretched--masses of men and horses and wagons and -artillery--masses and masses--thousands upon thousands--mile upon mile. -A broad highway ran along either side of the river, and along each road -a compact host moved steadily westward toward Liège. - -Suddenly from the west came the thunder of heavy guns, and Stewart -knew that the attack had commenced again. Again men were being driven -forward to death, as they would be driven day after day, until the end, -whatever that might be. And whatever it was, not a single dead man -could be brought to life; not a single maimed man made whole; not a -single dollar of the treasure which was being poured out like a flood -could be recovered. It was all lost, wasted, worse than wasted, since -it was being used to destroy, not to create! Incredible--impossible--it -could not be! Even with that mighty army beneath his eyes, Stewart told -himself for the hundredth time that it could not be! - -The voice of his comrade broke in upon his thoughts. - -“We must work our way westward along the hills until we come to the -Meuse,” she said. “This is the valley of the Vesdre, which flows into -the Meuse, so we have only to follow it.” - -“Can’t you prevail upon your fairy godmother to provide breakfast -first?” asked Stewart. “I’m sure you have only to wish for it, and the -table would appear laden with an iced melon, bacon and eggs, crisp -rolls, yellow butter, and a pot of coffee--I think I can smell the -coffee!” He closed his eyes and sniffed. “How perfect it would be to -sit right here and eat that breakfast and watch the Germans! Oh, well,” -he added, as she turned away, “if not here, then somewhere else. Wait! -Isn’t that a house over yonder?” - -It was indeed a tiny house whose gable just showed among the trees, -and they made their way cautiously toward it. It stood at the side of -a small garden, with two or three outbuildings about it, and it was -shielded on one side by an orchard. No smoke rose from the chimney, nor -was there any sign of life. - -And then Stewart, who had been crouching behind the hedge beside his -companion, looking at all this, rose suddenly to his feet and started -forward. - -“Come on,” he cried; “the Germans haven’t been this way--there’s -a chicken,” and he pointed to where a plump hen was scratching -industriously under the hedge. - -“Here is another sign,” said the girl, as they crossed the garden, and -pointed to the ground. “The potatoes and turnips have not been dug.” - -“It must be here we’re going to have that breakfast!” cried Stewart, -and knocked triumphantly at the door. - -There was no response and he knocked again. Then he tried the door, but -it was locked. There was another door at the rear of the house, but -it also was locked. There were also three windows, but they were all -tightly closed with wooden shutters. - -“We’ve got to have something to eat, that’s certain,” said Stewart, -doggedly. “We shall have to break in,” and he looked about for a weapon -with which to attack the door. - -“No, no,” protested the girl, quickly. “That would be too like the -Uhlans! Let us see if there is not some other way!” - -“What other way can there be?” - -“Perhaps there is none,” she answered; “and if there is not, we will go -on our way, and leave this house undamaged. You too seem to have been -poisoned by this virus of war!” - -“I only know I’m starving!” said Stewart. “If I’ve been poisoned by -anything, it’s by the virus of appetite!” - -“If you were in your own country, and found yourself hungry, would -you break into the first house you came to in order to get food?” she -demanded. “Certainly not--you would do without food before you would do -that. Is it not so?” - -“Yes,” said Stewart, in a low tone. “That is so. You are right.” - -“Perhaps I can find something,” she said, more gently. “At least I -will try. Remain here for a moment,” and she hurried away toward the -outbuildings. - -Stewart stared out into the road and reflected how easy--how inevitable -almost--it was to become a robber among thieves, a murderer among -cut-throats. And he understood how it happens that in war even the -kindliest man may become blood-thirsty, even the most honest a looter -of defenseless homes. - -“See what I have found!” cried a voice, and he turned to see the girl -running toward him with hands outstretched. In each hand she held three -eggs. - -“Very well for a beginning,” he commented. “Now for the melon, the -bacon, the rolls, the butter, and the coffee!” - -“I fear that those must wait,” she said. “Here is your breakfast,” and -she handed him three of the eggs. - -Stewart looked at them rather blankly. - -“Thanks!” he said. “But I don’t quite see----” - -“Then watch!” - -Sitting down on the door-step, she cracked one of her eggs gently, -picked away the loosened bit of shell at its end, and put the egg to -her lips. - -“Oh!” he said. “So _that’s_ it!” and sitting down beside her, he -followed her example. - -He had heard of sucking eggs, but he had never before tried it, and he -found it rather difficult and not particularly pleasant. But the first -egg undoubtedly did assuage the pangs of hunger; the second assuaged -them still more, and the third quite extinguished them. In fact, he -felt a little surfeited. - -“Now,” she said, “for the dessert.” - -“Dessert!” protested Stewart. “Is there dessert? Why didn’t you tell -me? I never heard of dessert for breakfast, and I’m afraid I haven’t -room for it!” - -“It will keep!” she assured him, and leading him around the larger -of the outbuildings, she showed him a tree hanging thick with ruddy -apples. “There are our supplies for the campaign!” she announced. - -“My compliments!” he said. “You would make a great general.” - -They ate one or two apples and then filled their pockets. From one of -hers, the girl drew a pipe and pouch of tobacco. - -“Would you not like to smoke?” she asked. “I have been told that a pipe -is a great comfort in times of stress!” - -And Stewart, calling down blessings upon her head, filled up. Never had -tobacco tasted so good, never had that old pipe seemed so sweet, as -when he blew out the first puff upon the morning air. - -“Salvation Yeo was right,” he said. “As a hungry man’s food, a sad -man’s cordial, a chilly man’s fire, there’s nothing like it under the -canopy of heaven! I only wish you could enjoy it too!” - -“I can enjoy your enjoyment!” she laughed as they set happily off -together. - -At the corner of the wood, Stewart turned for a last look at the house. - -“How glad I am I didn’t break in!” he said. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -AN ARMY IN ACTION - - -THE sound of cannonading grew fiercer and fiercer, as they advanced, -and the undertone of rifle fire more perceptible. It was evident that -the Germans were rapidly getting more and more guns into action, and -that the infantry attack was also being hotly pressed. Below them -in the valley, they caught glimpses from time to time, as the trees -opened out a little, of the gray-clad host marching steadily forward, -as though to overwhelm the forts by sheer weight of numbers; and then, -as they came out above a rocky bluff, they saw a new sight--an earnest -that the Belgians were fighting to some purpose. - -In a level field beside the road a long tent had been pitched, and -above it floated the flag of the Red Cross. Toward it, along the road, -came slowly a seemingly endless line of motor ambulances. Each of them -in turn stopped opposite the tent, and white-clad assistants lifted -out the stretchers, each with its huddled occupant, and carried them -quickly, yet very carefully, inside the tent. In a moment the bearers -were back again, pushed the empty stretchers into place, and the -ambulance turned and sped swiftly back toward the battlefield. Here, -too, it was evident that there was admirable and smoothly-working -system--a system which alleviated, so far as it was possible to do so, -the horror and the suffering of battle. - -Stewart could close his eyes and see what was going on inside that -tent. He could see the stripping away of the clothing, the hasty -examination, the sterilization of the wound, and then, if an operation -was necessary, the quick preparation, the application of the ether-cone -and the swift, unerring flash of the surgeon’s knife. - -“That’s where I should be,” he said, half to himself, “I might be of -some use there!” And then he turned his eyes eastward along the road. -“Great heavens! Look at that gun.” - -Along the road below them came a monstrous cannon, mounted on a low, -broad-wheeled truck, and drawn by a mighty tractor. It was of a girth -so huge, of a weight evidently so tremendous, that it seemed impossible -it could be handled at all, and yet it rolled along as smoothly as -though it were the merest toy. Above it stretched the heavy crane -which would swing it into the air and place it gently on the trunnions -of its carriage. Drawn by another tractor, the carriage itself came -close behind--more huge, more impressive if possible, than the gun -itself. Its tremendous wheels were encircled with heavy blocks of -steel, linked together and undulating along the road for all the -world like a monster caterpillar; its massive trail seemed forged to -withstand the shock of an earthquake. - -“So that is the surprise!” murmured the girl beneath her breath. - -And she was right. This was the surprise which had been kept so -carefully concealed--the Krupp contribution to the war--the largest -field howitzer ever built, hurling a missile so powerful that neither -steel nor stone nor armored concrete could stand against it. - -In awed silence, the two fugitives watched this mighty engine of -destruction pass along the road to its appointed task. Behind it came -a motor truck carrying its crew, and then a long train of ammunition -carts filled with what looked like wicker baskets--but within each of -those baskets lay a shell weighing a thousand pounds! And as it passed, -the troops, opening to right and left, cheered it wildly, for to them -it meant more than victory--it meant that they would, perhaps, be -spared the desperate charge with its almost certain death. - -Scarcely had the first gone by, when a second gun came rolling along -the road, followed by its crew and its ammunition-train; and then a -third appeared, seemingly more formidable than either of the others. - -“These Germans are certainly a wonderful people,” said Stewart, -following the three monsters with his eyes as they dwindled away -westward along the road. “They may be vain and arrogant and -self-confident; apparently they haven’t much regard for the rights of -others. But they are thorough. We must give them credit for that! They -are prepared for everything.” - -“Yes,” agreed his companion; “for everything except one thing.” - -“And that?” - -“The spirit of a people who love liberty. Neither cannon nor armies can -conquer that! The German Staff believed that Belgium would stand aside -in fear.” - -“Surely you don’t expect Belgium to win?” - -“Oh, no! But every day she holds the German army here is a battle won -for France. Oh, France will honor Belgium now! See--the army has been -stopped. It is no longer advancing!” - -What was happening to the westward they could not see, or even guess, -but it was true that the helmeted host had ceased its march, had broken -ranks, and was stacking arms and throwing off its accouterments in the -fields along the road. The halt was to be for some time, it seemed, for -everywhere camp-kitchens were being hauled into place, fires started, -food unloaded. - -“Come on! come on!” urged the girl. “We must reach the Meuse before -this tide rolls across it.” - -They pressed forward again along the wooded hillside. Twice they had -to cross deep valleys which ran back into the mountain, and once they -had a narrow escape from a cavalry patrol which came cantering past so -close upon their heels that they had barely time to throw themselves -into the underbrush. They could see, too, that even in the hills -caution was necessary, for raiding parties had evidently struck up into -them, as was proved by an occasional column of smoke rising from a -burning house. Once they came upon an old peasant with a face wrinkled -like a withered apple, sitting staring down at the German host, so -preoccupied that he did not even raise his eyes as they passed. And at -last they came out above the broad plain where the Vesdre flows into -the Meuse. - -Liège, with its towers and terraced streets, was concealed from them by -a bend in the river and by a bold bluff which thrust out toward it from -the east--a bluff crowned by a turreted fortress--perhaps the same they -had seen the night before--which was vomiting flame and iron down into -the valley. - -The trees and bushes which clothed its sides concealed the infantry -which was doubtless lying there, but in the valley just below them -they could see a battery of heavy guns thundering against the Belgian -fort. So rapidly were they served that the roar of their discharge was -almost continuous, while high above it rose the scream of the shells -as they hurtled toward their mark. There was something fascinating in -the precise, calculated movement of the gunners--one crouching on the -trail, one seated on either side of the breech, four others passing up -the shells from the caisson close at hand. Their officer was watching -the effect of the fire through a field-glass, and speaking a word of -direction now and then. - -Their fire was evidently taking effect, for it was this battery which -the gunners in the fort were trying to silence--trying blindly, for -the German guns were masked by a high hedge and a strip of orchard, -and only a tenuous, quickly-vanishing wisp of white smoke marked the -discharge. So the Belgian gunners dropped their shells hither and yon, -hoping that chance might send one of them home. - -They did not find the battery, but they found other marks--a beautiful -white villa, on the first slope of the hillside, was torn asunder like -a house of cards and a moment later was in flames; a squad of cavalry, -riding gayly back from a reconnoissance down the river, was violently -scattered; a peasant family, father and mother and three children, -hastening along the road to a place of safety, was instantly blotted -out. - -It was evident now that the Meuse was the barrier which had stopped the -army. Far up toward Liège were the ruins of a bridge, and no doubt all -the others had been blown up by the Belgians. - -Down by the river bank a large force of engineers were working like mad -to throw a pontoon across the swift current. The material had already -been brought up--heavy, flat-bottomed boats, carried on wagons drawn -by motor-tractors, great beams and planks, boxes of bolts--everything, -in a word, needed to build this bridge just here at a point which had -no doubt been selected long in advance! The bridge shot out into the -river with a speed which seemed to Stewart almost miraculous. Boat -after boat was towed into place and anchored firmly; great beams were -bolted into position, each of them fitting exactly; and then the heavy -planks were laid with the precision and rapidity of a machine. Indeed, -Stewart told himself, it was really a machine that he was watching--a -machine of flesh and blood, wonderfully trained for just such feats as -this. - -“Look! look!” cried the girl, and Stewart, following her pointing -finger, saw an aëroplane sweeping toward them from the direction of the -city. Evidently the defenders of the fort, weary of firing blindly at a -battery they could not see, were sending a scout to uncover it. - -The aëroplane flew very high at first--so high that the two men in it -appeared the merest specks, but almost at once two high-angle guns were -banging away at it, though the shells fell far short. Gradually it -circled lower and lower, as if quite unconscious of the marksmen in the -valley, and as it swept past the hill, Stewart glimpsed the men quite -plainly--one with his hands upon the levers, the other, with a pair of -glasses to his eyes, eagerly scanning the ground beneath. - -And then Stewart, happening to glance toward the horizon, was held -enthralled by a new spectacle. High over the hills to the east flew -a mammoth shape, straight toward the fort. Its defenders saw their -danger instantly, and hastily elevating some of their guns, greeted -the Zeppelin with a salvo. But it came straight on with incredible -speed, and as it passed above the fort, a terrific explosion shook the -mountain to its base. Stewart, staring with bated breath, told himself -that that was the end, that not one stone of that great fortress -remained upon another; but an instant later, another volley sent after -the fleeing airship told that the fort still stood--that the bomb had -missed its mark. - -The aëroplane scouts, their vision shadowed by the broad wings of their -machine, had not seen the Zeppelin until the explosion brought them -sharp round toward it. Then, with a sudden upward swoop, they leaped -forward in pursuit. But nothing could overtake that monster,--it was -speeding too fast, it was already far away, and in a moment disappeared -over the hills to the west. So, after a moment’s breathless flight, the -biplane turned, circled slowly above the fort, and dropped down toward -the town behind it. - -Five minutes later, a high-powered shell burst squarely in the midst of -the German battery, disabling two of the guns. At once the horses were -driven up and the remaining guns whirled away to a new emplacement, -while a passing motor ambulance was stopped to pick up the wounded. - -Stewart, who had been watching all this with something of the feelings -of a spectator at some tremendous panorama, was suddenly conscious -of a mighty stream of men approaching the river from the head of the -valley. A regiment of cavalry rode in front, their long lances giving -them an appearance indescribably picturesque; behind them came column -after column of infantry, moving like clock-work, their gray uniforms -blending so perfectly with the background that it was difficult to tell -where the columns began or where they ended. Their passage reminded -Stewart of the quiver of heat above a sultry landscape--a vibration of -the air scarcely perceptible. - -All the columns were converging on the river, and looking toward it, -Stewart saw that the bridge was almost done. As the last planks were -laid, a squadron of Uhlans, which had been held in readiness, dashed -across, and deploying fanshape, advanced to reconnoiter the country on -the other side. - -“That looks like invasion in earnest!” said Stewart. - -The girl nodded without replying, her eyes on the advancing columns. -The cavalry was the first to reach the bridge, and filed rapidly across -to reënforce their comrades; then the infantry pressed forward in solid -column. Stewart could see how the boats settled deep in the water under -the tremendous weight. - -High above all other sounds, came the hideous shriek of a great shell, -which flew over the bridge and exploded in the water a hundred yards -below it. A minute later, there came another shriek, but this time the -shell fell slightly short. But the third shell--the third shell! - -Surely, Stewart told himself, the bridge will be cleared; that -close-packed column will not be exposed to a risk so awful. But -it pressed on, without a pause, without a break. What must be the -soldiers’ thoughts, as they waited for the third shell! - -Again that high, hideous, blood-curdling shriek split through the air, -and the next instant a shell exploded squarely in the middle of the -bridge. Stewart had a moment’s vision of a tangle of shattered bodies, -then he saw that the bridge was gone and the river filled with drowning -men, weighed down by their heavy accouterments. He could hear their -shrill cries of terror as they struggled in the current; then the cries -ceased as the river swept most of them away. Only a very few managed to -reach the bank. - -Stewart hid his face in his trembling hands. It was too hideous! It -could not be! He could not bear it--the world would not bear it, if it -knew! - -A sharp cry from his companion told him that the awful drama was not -yet played to an end. She was pointing beyond the river, where the -cavalry and the small body of infantry which had got across seemed -thrown into sudden confusion. Horses reared and fell, men dropped from -their saddles. The infantry threw themselves forward upon their faces; -and then to Stewart’s ears came the sharp rattle of musketry. - -“The Belgians are attacking them!” cried the girl. “They are driving -them back!” - -But that cavalry, so superbly trained, that infantry, so expertly -officered, were not to be driven back without a struggle. The Uhlans -formed into line and swept forward, with lances couched, over the -ridge beyond the river and out of sight, in a furious charge. But the -Belgians must have stood firm, for at the end of a few moments, the -troopers straggled back again, sadly diminished in numbers, and rode -rapidly away down the river, leaving the infantry to its fate. - -Meanwhile, on the eastern bank of the river, a battery of quick-firers -had already been swung into position, and was singing its deadly tune -to hold the Belgians back. Already the men of that little company on -the farther side had found a sort of refuge behind a line of hummocks. -Already some heavier guns were being hurried into position to defend -the bridge which the engineers began at once to rebuild farther down -the stream, where it would be better masked from the fort’s attack. - -Evidently the Belgians did not intend to enter that deadly zone of -fire, and the fight settled down to a dogged, long-distance one. - -“We cannot get across here,” said the girl at last. “We shall have to -work our way downstream until we are past the Germans. If we can join -the Belgians, we are safe.” - -But to get past the Germans proved a far greater task than they had -anticipated. There seemed to be no end to the gray-clad legions. -Brigade after brigade packed the stretch of level ground along the -river, while the road was crowded with an astounding tangle of -transport wagons, cook wagons, armored motors, artillery, tractors, -ambulances, and automobiles of every sort, evidently seized by the -army in its advance. - -As he looked at them, Stewart could not but wonder how on earth they -had ever been assembled here, and, still more, how they were ever -going to be got away again. Also, he thought, how easily might they -be cut to pieces by a few batteries of machine-guns posted on that -ridge across the river! Looking across, he saw that the army chiefs -had foreseen that danger and guarded against it, for a strong body of -cavalry had been thrown across the river to screen the advance, while -along the bank, behind hasty but well-built intrenchments, long lines -of artillery had been massed to repel any attack from that direction. - -But no attack came. The little Belgian army evidently had its hands -full elsewhere, and was very busy indeed, as the roar of firing both -up and down the river testified. And then, as the fugitives walked on -along the hillside, they saw that one avenue of advance would soon -be open, for a company of engineers, heavily guarded by cavalry and -quick-firers, was repairing a bridge whose central span had been blown -up by the Belgians as they retreated. - -The bridge had connected two little villages, that on the east bank -dominated by a beautiful white château placed at the edge of a cliff. -Of the villages little remained but smoking ruins, and a flag above -the château showed that it had been converted into a staff headquarters. - -Where was the owner of the château, Stewart wondered, looking up at it. -Where were the women who had sat and gossiped on its terrace? Where -were all the people who had lived in those two villages? Wandering -somewhere to the westward, homeless and destitute, every one of -them--haggard women and hungry children and tottering old men, whose -quiet world had turned suddenly to chaos. - -“Well,” he said, at last, “it looks as if we shall have to wait until -these fellows clear out. We can’t get across the river as long as there -is a line like that before it.” - -“Perhaps when they begin to advance, they will leave a break in the -line somewhere,” his companion suggested. “Or perhaps we can slip -across in the darkness. Let us wait and see.” - -So they sat down behind the screen of a clump of bushes, and munched -their apples, while they watched the scene below. Stewart even ventured -to light his pipe again. - -A flotilla of boats of every shape and size, commandeered, no doubt, -all up and down the river, plied busily back and forth, augmenting the -troops on the other side as rapidly as possible; and again Stewart -marveled at the absolute order and system preserved in this operation, -which might so easily have become confused. There was no crowding, no -overloading, no hurrying, but everywhere a calm and efficient celerity. -A certain number of men entered each of the boats,--leading their -horses by the bridle, if they were cavalry,--and the boats pushed off. -Reluctant horses were touched with a whip, but most of them stepped -down into the water quietly and without hesitation, showing that they -had been drilled no less than their masters, and swam strongly along -beside the boat. On the other shore, the disembarkation was conducted -in the same unhurried fashion, and the boat swung back into the stream -again for another load. - -But a great army cannot be conveyed across a river in small boats, and -it was not until mid-afternoon, when the repairs on the bridge were -finished, that the real forward movement began. From that moment it -swept forward like a flood--first the remainder of the cavalry, then -the long batteries of quick-firers, then regiment after regiment of -infantry, each regiment accompanied by its transport. Looking down at -the tangle of wagons and guns and motors, Stewart saw that it was not -really a tangle, but an ordered arrangement, which unrolled itself -smoothly and without friction. - -The advance was slow, but it was unceasing, and by nightfall at least -fifteen thousand men had crossed the river. Still the host encamped -along it seemed as great as ever. As one detachment crossed, another -came up from somewhere in the rear to take its place. Stewart’s brain -reeled as he gazed down at them and tried to estimate their number; -and this was only one small corner of the Kaiser’s army. For leagues -and leagues to north and south it was pressing forward; no doubt along -the whole frontier similar hosts were massed for the invasion. It was -gigantic, incredible--that word was in his thoughts more frequently -than any other. He could not believe his own eyes; his brain refused to -credit the evidence of his senses. - -Each unit of this great array, each company, each squad, seemed to -live its own life and to be sufficient unto itself. Stewart could -see the company cooks preparing the evening meal; the heavy, wheeled -camp-stoves were fired up, great kettles of soup were set bubbling, -broad loaves of dark bread were cut into thick slices; and finally, at -a bugle call, the men fell into line, white-enameled cups in hand, and -received their rations. It seemed to Stewart that he could smell the -appetizing odor of that thick soup--an odor of onions and potatoes and -turnips. - -“Doesn’t it make you ravenous?” he asked. “Wouldn’t you like to have -some real solid food to set your teeth into? Raw eggs and apples--ugh!” - -“Yes, it does,” said the girl, who had been contemplating the scene -with dreamy eyes, scarcely speaking all the afternoon. “The French -still wear the uniform of 1870,” she added, half to herself; “a long -bulky blue coat and red trousers.” - -“Visible a mile away--while these fellows melt into the ground at a -hundred yards! If Germany wins, it will be through forethought!” - -“But she cannot win!” protested the girl, fiercely. “She must not win!” - -“Well, all I can say is that France has a big job ahead!” - -“France will not stand alone! Already she has Russia as an ally; -Belgium is doing what it can; Servia has a well-tried army. Nor are -those all! England will soon find that she cannot afford to stand -aside, and if there is need, other nations will come in--Portugal, -Rumania, even Italy!” - -Stewart shook his head, skeptically. - -“I don’t know,” he said, slowly. “I know nothing about world-politics, -but I don’t believe any nation will come in that doesn’t have to!” - -“That is it--all of them will find that they have to, for Prussian -triumph means slavery for all Europe--for the Germans most of all. It -is for them as much as for herself that France is fighting--for human -rights everywhere--for the poor people who till the fields, and toil in -the factories, and sweat in the mines! And civilization must fight with -her against this barbarian state ruled by the upturned mustache and -mailed fist, believing that might makes right and that she can do no -wrong! That is why you and I are fighting on France’s side!” - -“If nobody fights any harder than I----” - -She stopped him with a hand upon his arm. - -“Ah, but you are fighting well! One can fight in other ways than with a -rifle--one can fight with one’s brains.” - -“It is your brains, not mine, which have done the fighting in this -campaign,” Stewart pointed out. - -“Where should I have been but for you? Dead, most probably, my message -lost, my life-work shattered!” - -He placed his hand quietly over hers and held it fast. - -“Let us be clear, then,” he said. “It is not for freedom, or for any -abstract ideal I am fighting. It is for you--for your friendship, for -your----” - -“No, it is for France,” she broke in. “I am not worth fighting -for--I am but one girl among many millions. And if we win--if we get -through----” - -She paused, gazing out through the gathering darkness with starry eyes. - -“Yes--if we get through,” he prompted. - -“It will mean more to France than many regiments!” and she struck the -pocket which contained the letters. “Ah, we must get through--we must -not fail!” - -She rose suddenly and stretched her arms high above her head. - -“Dear God, you will not let us fail!” she cried. Then she turned and -held out a hand to him. “Come,” she said, quietly; “if we are to get -across, it must be before the moon rises.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE PASSAGE OF THE MEUSE - - -THE mist of early evening had settled over the river and wiped away -every vestige of the army, save the flaring lights of the camp-kitchens -and the white lamps of the motors; but the creaking of wheels, the -pounding of engines, and the regular tramp of countless feet told that -the advance had not slackened for an instant. - -On the uplands there was still a little light, and Stewart and his -companion picked their way cautiously down through a belt of woodland, -across a rough field, and over a wall, beyond which they found an -uneven path, made evidently by a vanished herd as it went back and -forth to its pasture. They advanced slowly and silently, every sense on -the alert, but seemingly no pickets had been posted on this side, from -which there was no reason to fear an attack, and they were soon down -amid the mist, at the edge of the encampment. - -Here, however, there were sentries--a close line of them; the fugitives -could see them dimly outlined against the fires, and could hear their -occasional interchange of challenges. - -“It is impossible to get through here,” whispered the girl. “Let us go -on until we are below the bridge. Perhaps we shall find a gap there.” - -So, hand in hand lest they become separated in the darkness, they -worked their way cautiously downstream, just out of sight of the line -of sentries. - -“Wait!” whispered Stewart, suddenly. “What is that ahead?” - -Something tall and black and vaguely menacing loomed above them into -the night. - -“The church tower!” breathed the girl, after a moment. “See--there are -ruins all about it--it is the village they burned.” - -They hesitated. Should they enter it, or try to go around? There was -something sinister and threatening about these roofless, blackened -walls which had once been homes; but to go around meant climbing -cliffs, meant breathless scrambling--above all, meant loss of time. - -“We must risk it,” said the girl, at last. “We can come back if the -place is guarded.” - -Their hands instinctively tightened their clasp as they stole forward -into the shadow of the houses, along what had once been a street, but -was now littered and blocked with fallen walls and débris of every -kind, some of it still smouldering. Everywhere there was the stench of -half-burned wood, and another stench, more penetrating, more nauseating. - -Stewart was staring uneasily about him, telling himself that that -stench could not possibly be what it seemed, when his companion’s hand -squeezed his and dragged him quickly aside against a wall. - -“Down, down!” she breathed, and they cowered together behind a mass of -fallen masonry. - -Then Stewart peered out, cautiously. Yes, there was someone coming. -Far down the street ahead of them a tiny light flashed, disappeared, -flashed again, and disappeared. - -Crowding close together, they buried themselves deeper in the ruins and -waited. - -At last they could hear steps--slow, cautious steps, full of fear--and -the light appeared again, dancing from side to side. It seemed to be a -small lantern, carefully shaded, so that only a narrow beam of light -escaped; and that beam was sent dancing from side to side along the -street, in dark corners, under fallen doorways. - -Suddenly it stopped, and Stewart’s heart leaped sickeningly as he saw -that the beam rested on a face--a white face, staring up with sightless -eyes. - -The light approached, hung above it--a living hand caught up the dead -one, on which there was the gleam of gold, a knife flashed---- - -And then, from the darkness almost beside them, four darts of flame -stabbed toward the kneeling figure, and the ruins rocked with a great -explosion. - -When Stewart opened his eyes again, he saw a squad of soldiers, each -armed with an electric torch, standing about the body of the robber -of the dead, while their sergeant emptied his pockets. There were -rings--one still encircling a severed finger--money, a watch, trinkets -of every sort, some of them quite worthless. - -The man was in uniform, and the sergeant, ripping open coat and shirt, -drew out the little identifying tag of metal which hung about his -neck, broke it from its string, and thrust it into his pocket. Then he -gathered the booty into his handkerchief, tied the ends together with a -satisfied grunt, and gave a gruff command. The lights vanished and the -squad stumbled ahead into the darkness. - -There was a moment’s silence. Stewart’s nerves were quivering so that -he could scarcely control them--he could feel his mouth twitching, and -put his hand up to stop it. - -“We can’t go on,” he muttered. “We must go back. This is too -horrible--it is unbearable!” - -Together they stole tremblingly out of the ruin, along the littered -street, past the church tower, across the road, over the wall, back -into the clean fields. There they flung themselves down gaspingly, side -by side. - -How sweet the smell of the warm earth, after the stench of the looted -town! How calm and lovely the stars. - -Stewart, staring up at them, felt a great serenity descend upon him. -After all, what did it matter to the universe--this trivial disturbance -upon this tiny planet? Men might kill each other, nations disappear; -but the stars would swing on in their courses, the constellations go -their predestined ways. Of what significance was man in the great -scheme of things? How absurd the pomp of kings and kaisers, how -grotesque their assumption of greatness! - -A stifled sob startled him. He groped quickly for his comrade, and -found her lying prone, her face buried in her arms. He drew her close -and held her as he might have held a child. After all, she was scarcely -more than that--a child, delicate and sensitive. As a child might, she -pillowed her head upon his breast and lay there sobbing softly. - -But the sobs ceased presently; he could feel how she struggled for -self-control; and at last she turned in his arms and lay staring up at -the heavens. - -“That’s right,” he said. “Look up at the stars! That helps!” and it -seemed to him, in spite of the tramp of feet and the rattle of wheels -and curses of savage drivers, that they were alone together in the -midst of things, and that nothing else mattered. - -“How sublime they are!” she whispered. “How they calm and strengthen -one! They seem to understand!” She turned her face and looked at -him. “You too have understood!” she said, very softly; then gently -disengaged his arms and sat erect. - -“Do you know,” said Stewart, slowly, “what we saw back there has -revived my faith in human nature--and it needed reviving! Those men -must have seen that that scoundrel was a soldier like themselves, yet -they didn’t hesitate to shoot. Justice still lives, then; a sense of -decency can survive, even in an army. I had begun to doubt it, and I am -glad to know that I was wrong.” - -“The tenderest, noblest gentleman I ever knew,” she answered, softly, -“was a soldier.” - -“Yes,” Stewart agreed; “I have known one or two like that.” - -War was not wholly bad, then. Its fierce flame blasted, blackened, -tortured--but it also refined. It had its brutal lusts--but it had also -its high heroisms! - -The girl at his side stirred suddenly. - -“We must be going,” she said. - -“You’re sure you are all right again?” - -“Yes,” and she rose quickly. “We must go back the way we came.” - -They set out again along the edge of the army, stumbling across rough -fields, crouching behind hedges, turning aside to avoid a lighted house -where some officers were making merry. For perhaps a mile they pressed -on, with a line of sentries always at their right, outlined against the -gleam of scattered lights. Then, quite suddenly, there were no more -lights, and they knew that they had reached the limit of the encampment. - -Had they also reached the limit of the line of sentries? There was no -way to make sure; but they crept forward to the wall along the highway -and peered cautiously over. The road seemed empty. They crossed it as -swiftly and silently as shadows, and in a moment were safe behind the -wall on the other side. - -Beyond it lay the yard of an iron foundry, with great piles of -castings scattered about and a tall building looming at their left. In -front of it they caught the gleam of a sentry’s rifle, so they bore -away to the right until they reached the line of the railway running -close along the river bank. There were sentries here, too, but they -were stationed far apart and were apparently half-asleep, and the -fugitives had no difficulty in slipping between them. A moment later, -they had scrambled down a steep bank and stood at the edge of the river. - -“And now,” whispered Stewart, “to get over.” - -He looked out across the water, flowing strong and deep, mysterious and -impressive in the darkness, powerful, unhurried, alert--as if grimly -conscious of its task, and rejoicing in it; for this stream which was -holding the Germans back had its origin away southward in the heart of -France. He could not see the other bank, but he knew that it was at -least two hundred yards away. - -“If we could find a boat!” he added. “We saw plenty of them this -afternoon.” - -“We dare not use a boat,” the girl objected. “We should be seen and -fired upon.” - -“Do you mean to swim?” Stewart demanded. - -“Be more careful!” she cautioned. “Someone may hear us,” and she drew -him down into the shadow of the bank. “Unfortunately, I cannot swim, -but no doubt you can.” - -“I’m not what would be called an expert, but I think I could swim -across this river. However, I absolutely refuse to try to take you -over. It would be too great a risk.” - -“If we had a plank or log, I could hold to it while you pushed it -along. If you grew tired, you could rest and drift for a time.” - -Stewart considered the plan. It seemed feasible. A drifting plank would -attract no attention from the shore--the river was full of débris from -the operations around Liège--and, whether they got across or not, there -would be no danger of either of them drowning. And they ought to get -over, for it would be no great task to work a plank across the stream. - -“Yes, I think I could do that,” he said at last. “Let us see if we can -find a plank.” - -There was nothing of the sort along the shore, though they searched it -for some distance; but opposite the foundry they came upon a pile of -the square wooden sand-boxes in which castings are made. Stewart, when -he saw them, chuckled with satisfaction. - -“Just the thing!” he said. “Providence is certainly on our side -to-night!” - -“I hope so!” breathed the girl, and between them they carried one of -the boxes down to the edge of the water. - -Then, after a moment’s hesitation, Stewart sat down and began to take -off his shoes. - -“We shall have to get rid of our clothing,” he said, in the most -matter-of-fact tone he could muster. “There is nothing heavier than -clothes when they get water-soaked. Besides, we’ve got to keep them dry -if we can. If we don’t, we shall nearly freeze to death after we leave -the water--and they’ll betray us a mile off!” - -The girl stood for a moment staring out across the river. Then she sat -down with her back to him. - -“You are quite right,” she agreed, quietly, and bent above her shoes. - -“We’ll turn the box upside down and put our clothes upon it,” went on -Stewart, cheerfully. “They will keep dry there. The water isn’t very -cold, probably, but we shall be mighty glad to have some dry things to -get into once we are out of it.” - -She did not reply, and Stewart went rapidly on with his undressing. -When that was finished, he rolled his trousers, shoes and underclothing -into a compact bundle inside his coat, and tied the sleeves together. - -“Now I’m going to launch the raft,” he said. “Roll your clothes up -inside your coat, so that nothing white will show, and wade out to me -as soon as you are ready.” - -“Very well,” she answered, in a low tone. - -With his bundle under one arm, Stewart turned the box over and dragged -it into the water. He had been shivering in the night air, but the -water was agreeably warm. Placing his bundle upon the top of the box, -he pushed it before him out into the stream, and was soon breast-deep. -Then, holding the box against the current, he waited. - -Minute after minute passed, but she did not come. He could not see the -shore, but he strained his eyes toward it, wondering if he should go -back, if anything had happened. So quiet and unquestioning had been -her acceptance of his plan that he did not suspect the struggle waging -there on the bank between girlish modesty and grim necessity. - -But, at last, from the mist along the shore, a white figure emerged, -dim and ghostlike in the darkness, and he heard a gentle splashing -as she came toward him through the water. He raised his arm, to make -certain that she saw him, then turned his head away. - -Near and nearer came the splashing; then the box rocked gently as she -placed her clothing on it. - -“All right?” he asked, softly. - -“Yes,” she answered. - -He turned to find her looking up at him from the level of the stream, -which came just beneath her chin. The light of the stars reflected -on the water crowned her with a misty halo, and again he read in her -face that sweet and tremulous appeal for respect and understanding -which had so moved him once before. It moved him far more deeply now; -but he managed to bite back the words which leaped to his lips and to -speak almost casually--as though situations such as this were the most -ordinary in the world. - -“Have you got a firm grip of the handle?” - -“Yes.” - -He assured himself that both bundles of clothing were secure. - -“All ready, then,” he said. “Just hold on and let your body float out -in the water. Don’t hold your head too high, and if you feel your hands -slipping call me at once. I don’t want to lose you, little comrade!” - -“I will remember,” she promised, smiling gratefully up at him. - -“Then here we go,” and he pushed the box slowly out into the stream. - -In a moment the water was at his chin. - -“All right?” he asked again. - -“Yes.” - -He took another step forward, the current caught him and lifted him -off his feet, and he began to swim easily and slowly. He was not sure -of his strength, it was a long time since he had done any serious -swimming, and he knew that he must husband himself. Then, too, the -current was stronger than it had seemed from the shore, and he found -that he could make head against it but slowly, for the box was of an -awkward shape and the girl’s body trailing behind it so much dead -weight. - -“Slow but sure,” he said, reassuringly, resting a moment. “You’re quite -all right?” - -“Yes. You must not worry about me.” - -He glanced back at the shore, where the lights of the camp shone dimly -through the mist. - -“We’re going to drift right past the camp,” he said; “but they can’t -see us, and it will make our landing safer if we come out below the -troops. It would be rather embarrassing, wouldn’t it, if we found a -patrol waiting for us on the bank? Now for another swim!” - -He pushed ahead until he found himself beginning to tire, then stopped -and looked around. - -“There’s the bridge!” he said, suddenly. - -And, sure enough, just ahead, they could see its dim shape spanning the -stream. A cold fear gripped Stewart’s heart. Suppose they should be -swept against one of the abutments! - -“Take tight hold with both hands,” he commanded. “Don’t let go, -whatever happens!” - -He swung himself round to the front of the box and tried to pierce the -gloom ahead. The center of the stream would be clear, he told himself, -and they must be nearly in the center. Then he heard the confused tread -of many feet, the current seemed to quicken, and he glanced up to see -that they were almost beneath the bridge. Yes, the stream ahead was -clear; but what were those lights down along the water? - -And then he saw that a boat was moored there, and that a squad of men -were strengthening the supports with which the engineers had hastily -repaired the shattered abutment. - -With frenzied energy, he pulled the box around so that his companion’s -head was hidden behind it; then, with only his nose out, he floated -silently on. They would not see him, he told himself; they were too -busily at work. Even if they did, they could make nothing of this rough -shape drifting down the river. - -Nevertheless, as they swept within the circle of light cast by the -flaring torches, Stewart, taking a deep breath, let himself sink below -the surface; and not until the blood was singing in his ears did he -come up again. - -They had passed! They were safe! He drew a deep breath. Then he peered -around the box. - -“Are you there? Are you all right?” - -“Yes,” came the soft answer. “Never tell me again that you are not a -fighter!” - -“Compliments are barred until we are safe in Belgium!” he reminded her -gayly. “But it’s clear sailing now!” - -He struck out again, pushing diagonally forward toward the bank which -he could not see, but which could not be far away. This was not going -to prove such a desperate adventure, after all. The worst was over, -for, once on land, far below the German troops, they had only to push -forward to find themselves among friends. - -Then his heart stood still as a shrill scream rent the night--a woman’s -scream of deadly horror--and he jerked his head around to find that his -comrade was no longer there. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -THE LAST DASH - - -NEVER will Stewart forget the stark horror of that instant; never -afterward did he think of it without a shudder. It was one of those -instants--fortunately few--which stamp themselves indelibly upon the -brain, which penetrate the spirit, which leave a mark not to be effaced. - -It was the flash of her white arm, as she sank for the second time, -that saved her. Instinctively Stewart clutched at it, seized it, -regained the box at a vigorous stroke, threw one arm across a handle, -and raised her head above the water. - -Her face was white as death, her eyes were closed, she hung a dead -weight upon his arm--and yet, Stewart told himself, she could not -have drowned in so short a time. She had been under water only a few -seconds. Perhaps she had been wounded--but he had heard no shot. His -teeth chattered as he looked at her, she lay so still, so deathlike. - -And then he remembered that shrill scream of utter horror. Why had she -screamed? What was it had wrung from her that terrible cry? Had some -awful thing touched her, seized her, tried to drag her down? - -Shivering with fear, Stewart looked out across the water. Was there -something lurking in those depths--some horror--some unthinkable -monster---- - -He shook himself impatiently; he must not give way to his nerves. -Holding her face back, he splashed some water into it, gently at first, -then more violently. She was not dead--she had only fainted. A touch on -her temple assured him that her heart was beating. - -He must have been unconsciously paddling against the current, for -something touched him gently on the shoulder--a piece of driftwood, -perhaps; and then he was suddenly conscious that it was not -driftwood--that it was soft, hairy---- - -He spun around, to find himself staring down into a pair of unseeing -eyes, set in a face so puffed and leprous as to be scarcely human. - -How he repressed the yell of terror that rose in his throat he never -knew; but he _did_ repress it somehow, and creeping with horror, pushed -the box quickly to one side. But the bloated body, caught in the swirl -of his wake, turned and followed, with an appearance of malignant -purpose which sent a chill up Stewart’s spine. Kicking frenziedly, he -held the box back against the current, and for an instant fancied that -his hideous pursuer was holding back also. But, after what seemed like -a moment’s hesitation, it drifted on down the stream and vanished in -the darkness. - -For a moment longer, Stewart stared after it, half-expecting it to -reappear and bear down upon him. Then, with an anguished breath of -relief, he stopped swimming and looked down at the face upon his arm. -So that was the horror which had beset her. She had felt it nuzzling -against her, had turned as he had done! No wonder she had screamed! - -He felt her bosom rise and fall with a quick gasp; then her eyes opened -and gazed up at him. For an instant they gazed vacantly and wildly, -then a flood of crimson swept from chin to brow, and she struggled to -free herself from his encircling arm. - -“Easy now!” Stewart protested. “Are you sure you’re all right? Are you -sure you’re strong enough to hold on?” - -“Yes, yes!” she panted. “Let me go!” - -He guided her fingers to the handles, assured himself that she grasped -them firmly, then released her and swam to his old position on the -other side of the box. For a moment they floated on in silence. - -“How foolish of me!” she said, at last, in a choking voice. “I suppose -you saved my life!” - -“Oh, I just grabbed you by the arm and held on to you till you came to.” - -“Did I scream?” - -“I should rather think so! Scared me nearly to death!” - -“I could not help it! I was frightened. It was--it was----” - -“I know,” said Stewart, quickly. “I saw it. Don’t think about it--it -has gone on downstream.” - -“It--it seemed to be following me!” she gasped. - -“Yes--I had the same feeling; but it’s away ahead of us now. Now, if -you’re all right, we’ll work in toward the bank--it can’t be far off. -Hullo! What’s that?” - -A shadowy shape emerged from the darkness along the eastern shore, and -they caught the rattle of oars in row-locks. - -“They heard you scream,” whispered Stewart. “They’ve sent out a patrol -to investigate,” and with all his strength he pushed on toward the -farther bank. - -Suddenly a shaft of light shot from the bow of the boat out across the -water, sweeping up and down, dwelling upon this piece of driftwood and -upon that. With a gasp of apprehension, Stewart swung the box around so -that it screened them from the searchlight, and kept on swimming with -all his strength. - -“If they spot those bundles,” he panted, “they’ll be down upon us like -a load of brick! Ah!” - -The light was upon them. Above their heads the bundles of clothing -stood out as if silhouetted against the midday sky. Stewart cursed -his folly in placing them there; surely wet clothes were preferable -to capture! He should not have taken the risk--he should have put the -clothing inside the box and let it take its chance. But it was too late -now. In another moment---- - -The light swept on. - -From sheer reaction, Stewart’s body dropped limply for an instant -through the water, and then rebounded as from an electric shock. - -“I can touch bottom!” he said, hoarsely. “We’ll get there yet. Hold -fast!” - -Setting his teeth, digging his toes into the mud, he dragged the box -toward the shore with all his strength. In a moment, the water was -only to his shoulders--to his chest--he could see that his comrade was -wading, too. - -He stopped, peering anxiously ahead. There was no light anywhere along -the shore, and no sound broke the stillness. - -“It seems all right,” he whispered. “I will go ahead and make sure. If -it is safe, you will hear me whistle. Keep behind the box, for fear -that searchlight will sweep this way again, and when I whistle, come -straight out. You understand?” - -“Yes.” - -“Good-by, then, for a moment, little comrade!” - -“Good-by.” - -With one look deep into her eyes, he snatched up the bundle containing -his clothing, and crouching as low in the water as he could, set off -cautiously toward the shore. There was a narrow strip of gravel just -ahead, and behind that a belt of darkness which, he told himself, was a -wood. He could see no sign of any sentry. - -As he turned at the water’s edge, he noticed a growing band of light -over the hills to the east, and knew that the moon was rising. There -was no time to lose! He whistled softly and began hastily to dress. - -Low as the whistle was, it reached the boat--or perhaps it was mere -chance that brought the searchlight sweeping round just as the girl -rose in the water and started toward the shore. The light swept past -her, swept back again, and stopped full upon the flying figure, as slim -and graceful as Diana’s. - -There was a hoarse shout from the boat, and the splash of straining -oars; and then Stewart was dashing forward into the water, was by her -side, had caught her hand and was dragging her toward the bank. - -“Go on! Go on!” he cried, and paused to pick up his shoes, for the -sharp gravel warned him, that, with unprotected feet, flight would be -impossible. His coat lay beside them and he grabbed that too. Then -he was up again and after her, across the cruel stones of the shore, -toward the darkness of the wood and safety--one yard--two yards---- - -And always the searchlight beat upon them mercilessly. - -There came a roar of rifles from the river, a flash of flame, the -whistle of bullets about his ears. - -And then they were in the wood and he had her by the hand. - -“Not hurt?” he gasped. - -“No, no!” - -“Thank heaven! We are safe for a moment. Get on some -clothes--especially your shoes. We can’t run barefooted!” - -He was fumbling with his own shoes as he spoke--managed to thrust his -bruised feet into them--stuffed his socks into the pocket of his coat -and slipped into it. - -“Ready?” he asked. - -“In a moment!” - -And then he felt her hand in his. - -“Which way?” - -He glanced back through the trees. The boat was at the bank; its -occupants were leaping out, rifles in hand; the searchlight swept up -and down. - -“This way, I think!” and he guided her diagonally to the right. “Go -carefully! The less noise we make the better. But as long as those -fellows keep on shooting, they can’t hear us.” - -Away they went, stumbling, scrambling, bending low to escape the -overhanging branches, saving each other from some ugly falls--up a long -incline covered by an open wood, across a little glade, over a wall, -through another strip of woodland, into a road, over another wall--and -then Stewart gave a gasp of relief, for they were in a field of grain. - -“We shall be safe here,” he said, as they plunged into it. “I will -watch, while you finish dressing,” and he faced back toward the way -they had come. - -The full moon was sailing high above the eastern hills, and he could -see distinctly the wall they had just crossed, with the white road -behind it, and beyond that the dense shadow of the wood. It was on the -strip of road he kept his eyes, but no living creature crossed it, and -at last he felt a touch upon his arm. - -“My turn now!” the girl whispered. - -Stewart sat down upon the ground, wiped the mud from his feet, shook -the gravel from his shoes, drew on his socks and laced his shoes -properly. As he started to get up, he felt a sudden sharp twinge in his -shoulder. - -“What is it?” asked the girl, quickly, for an exclamation of pain had -burst from him before he could choke it back. - -“Nothing at all!” he said, and rose, gingerly. “I touched a raw place, -where a briar scratched me. I seem to be composed largely of raw -places--especially as to my feet. How are yours?” - -“One of them hurts a little--not enough to mention.” - -“You’re sure you can walk?” - -“Certainly--or run, if need be.” - -“Then we had better push on a little farther. The Germans are still too -close for comfort. Keep your back to the moon--I’ll act as rear-guard.” - -For a moment she looked up questioningly into his face. - -“You are sure you are not hurt?” she asked. - -“Perfectly sure.” - -“I was afraid you had been shot--I saw how you placed yourself between -me and the river!” - -“The merest accident,” he assured her. “Besides, those fellows couldn’t -shoot!” - -She gazed up at him yet a moment, her lips quivering; then she turned -and started westward through the field. - -Falling in behind, Stewart explored his wounded shoulder cautiously -with his fingers. He could feel that his shirt was wet with blood, -but the stabbing pain had been succeeded by a sharp stinging which -convinced him that it was only a flesh-wound. Folding his shirt back, -he found it at last, high in the shoulder above the collar-bone. - -“That was lucky!” he told himself, as he pressed his handkerchief over -it, rebuttoned his shirt, and pushed on after his comrade. “Half an -inch lower and the bone would have been smashed!” - -Away to the south, they could hear the thunder of the Liège forts, and -Stewart, aching from his own slight injury, thought with a shudder -of the poor fellows who had to face that deadly fire. No doubt it -was to this fresh attack the troops had been marched which they had -seen crossing the river. It was improbable that the invaders would -risk pushing westward until the forts were reduced; and so, when the -fugitives came presently to a road which ran northwestwardly, they -ventured to follow it. - -“We would better hide somewhere and rest till daylight,” Stewart -suggested, at last. “We have had a hard day.” - -He himself was nearly spent with fatigue and hunger, and his shoulder -was stiff and sore. - -“Very well,” the girl agreed. “I too am very tired. Where shall we go?” - -Stewart stopped and looked about him. - -On one side of the road was a level pasture affording no shelter; on -the other side, a rolling field mounted to a strip of woodland. - -“At the edge of those trees would be the best place,” he decided, and -the girl agreed with a nod. - -Laboriously they clambered over the wall beside the road and set off -toward this refuge. The field was very rough and seemed interminable, -and more than once Stewart thought that he must drop where he stood; -but they reached the wood at last and threw themselves down beneath the -first clump of undergrowth. - -Stewart was asleep almost before he touched the ground; but the girl -lay for a long time with eyes open, staring up into the night. Then, -very softly, she crawled to Stewart’s side, raised herself on one elbow -and looked down into his face. - -It was not at all the face of the man she had met at the Kölner Hof -two days before. It was thinner and paler; there were dark circles of -exhaustion under the eyes; a stubbly beard covered the haggard cheeks, -across one of which was an ugly scratch. Yet the girl seemed to find it -beautiful. Her eyes filled with tears as she gazed at it; she brushed -back a lock of hair that had fallen over the forehead, and bent as -though to press a kiss there--but stopped, with a quick shake of the -head, and drew away. - -“Not yet!” she whispered. “Not yet!” and crawling a little way apart, -she lay down again among the bushes. - - * * * * * - -Again Stewart awoke with the sun in his eyes, and after a moment’s -confused blinking, he looked around to find himself alone. - -The dull pain in his shoulder as he sat up reminded him of his wound. -Crawling a little distance back among the bushes, he slipped out of -his coat. His shirt was soaked with blood half-way down the right -side--a good sign, Stewart told himself. He knew how great a show a -little blood can make, and he was glad that the wound had bled freely. -He unbuttoned his shirt and gingerly pulled it back from the shoulder, -for the blood had dried in places and stuck fast; then he removed the -folded handkerchief, and the wound lay revealed. - -He could just see it by twisting his head around, and he regarded it -with satisfaction, for, as he had thought, it was not much more than -a scratch. A bullet had grazed the shoulder-bone, plowed through the -muscle and sped on its way, leaving behind, as the only sign of its -passage, a tiny black mark. - -“You are wounded!” cried a strangled voice, and in an instant his -comrade was on her knees beside him, her face pale, her lips working. -“And you did not tell me! Oh, cruel, cruel!” - -There was that in the voice, in the eyes, in the trembling lips which -sent Stewart’s heart leaping into his throat. But, by a mighty effort, -he kept his arms from around her. - -“Nonsense!” he said, as lightly as he could. “That’s not a wound--it is -just a scratch. This one across my cheek hurts a blamed sight worse! If -I could only wash it----” - -“There is a little stream back yonder,” she said, and sprang to her -feet. “Come! Or perhaps you cannot walk!” and she put her arms around -him to help him up. - -He rose with a laugh. - -“Really,” he protested, “I don’t see how a scratch on the shoulder -could affect my legs!” - -But she refused to make a jest of it. - -“The blood--it frightens me. Are you very weak?” she asked, anxiously, -holding tight to him, as though he might collapse at any instant. - -“If I am,” said Stewart, “it is from want of food, not from loss of -blood. I haven’t lost a spoonful. Ah, here’s the brook!” - -He knelt beside it, while she washed the blood from his handkerchief -and tenderly bathed the injured shoulder. Stewart watched her with -fast-beating heart. Surely she cared; surely there was more than -friendly concern in that white face, in those quivering lips. Well, -very soon now, he could put it to the touch. He trembled at the -thought: would he win or lose? - -“Am I hurting you?” she asked, anxiously, for she had felt him quiver. - -“Not a bit--the cool water feels delightful. You see it is only a -scratch,” he added, when the clotted blood had been cleared away. “It -will be quite well in two or three days. I shan’t even have a scar! I -think it might have left a scar! What’s the use of being wounded, if -one hasn’t a scar to show for it? And I shall probably never be under -fire again!” - -She smiled wanly, and a little color crept back into her face. - -“How you frightened me!” she said. “I came through the bushes and saw -you sitting there, all covered with blood! You might have told me--it -was foolish to lie there all night without binding it up. Suppose you -had bled to death!” and she wrung out the handkerchief, shook it out -in the breeze until it was nearly dry, and bound it tightly over the -wound. “How does that feel?” - -“It feels splendid! Really it does,” he added, seeing that she regarded -him doubtfully. “If I feel the least little twinge of pain, I will -notify you instantly. I give you my word!” - -They sat for a moment silent, gazing into each other’s eyes. It was the -girl who stirred first. - -“I will go to the edge of the wood and reconnoiter,” she said, rising a -little unsteadily, “while you wash your hands and face. Or shall I stay -and help?” - -“No,” said Stewart, “thank you. I think I am still able to wash my own -face--that is, if you think it’s any use to wash it!” and he ran his -fingers along his stubbly jaws. “Do you think you will like me with a -beard?” - -“With a beard or without one, it is all the same!” she answered, -softly, and slipped quickly away among the trees, leaving Stewart to -make what he could of this cryptic utterance. - -Despite his gnawing hunger, despite his stiff shoulder and sore -muscles, he was very, very happy as he bent above the clear water and -drank deep, and bathed hands and face. How good it was to be alive! How -good it was to be just here this glorious morning! With no man on earth -would he have changed places! - -He did not linger over his toilet. Every moment away from his comrade -was a moment lost. He found her sitting at the edge of the wood, gazing -down across the valley, her hair stirring slightly in the breeze, her -whole being radiant with youth. He looked at her for a moment, and then -he looked down at himself. - -“What a scarecrow I am,” he said, and ruefully contemplated a long -tear in his coat--merely the largest of half a dozen. “And I lost my -collar in that dash last night--I left it on the bank, and didn’t dare -stop to look for it. Even if we met the Germans now, there would be no -danger--they would take us for tramps!” - -“I know I look like a scarecrow,” she laughed; “but you might have -spared telling me!” - -“You!” cried Stewart. “A scarecrow! Oh, no; you would attract the -birds. They would find you adorable!” - -His eyes added that not alone to the birds was she adorable. - -She cast one glance at him--a luminous glance, shy yet glad; abashed -yet rejoicing. Then she turned away. - -“There is a village over yonder,” she said. “We can get something to -eat there, and find out where we are. Listen! What is that?” - -Away to the south a dull rumbling shook the horizon--a mighty shock as -of an earthquake. - -“The Germans have got their siege-guns into position,” he said. “They -are attacking Liège again.” - -Yes, there could be no doubt of it; murder and desolation were stalking -across the country to the south. But nothing could be more peaceful -than the fields which stretched before them. - -“There is no danger here,” said Stewart, and led the way down across -the rough pasture to the road. - -As he mounted the wall, moved by some strange uneasiness, he stopped to -look back toward the east; but the road stretched white and empty until -it plunged into a strip of woodland a mile away. - -Somehow he was not reassured. With that strange uneasiness still -weighing on him, a sense of oppression as of an approaching storm, he -sprang down beside the girl, and they set off westward side by side. At -first they could not see the village, which was hid by a spur of rising -ground; then, at a turn of the road, they found it close in front of -them. - -But the road was blocked with fallen trees, strung with barbed -wire--and what was that queer embankment of fresh, yellow earth which -stretched to right and left? - -“The Belgians!” cried the girl. “Come! We are safe at last!” and she -started to run forward. - -But only for an instant. As though that cry of hers was an awaited -signal, there came a crash of musketry from the wooded ridge to the -right, and an answering crash from the crest of the embankment; and -Stewart saw that light and speeding figure spin half round, crumple in -upon itself, and drop limply to the road. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -DISASTER - - -HE was beside her in an instant, his arm around her, raising her. He -scarcely heard the guns; he scarcely heard the whistle of the bullets; -he knew only, as he knelt there in the road, that his little comrade -had been stricken down. - -Where was she wounded? - -Not in the head, thank God! Not in the throat, so white and delicate. -The breast, perhaps, and with trembling fingers he tore aside the coat. - -She opened her eyes and looked dazedly up at him. - -“_Qu’y a-t-il?_” she murmured. Then her vision cleared. “What is the -matter?” she asked in a stronger voice. - -“You’ve been hit,” he panted. “Do you feel pain?” - -She closed her eyes for an instant. - -“No,” she answered; “but my left leg is numb, as if----” - -“Pray heaven it is only in the leg! I must get you somewhere out of -this.” He raised his head to look around, and was suddenly conscious of -the banging guns. “Damn these lunatics! Oh, damn them!” - -The ridges on either side were rimmed with fire. He cast a glance -behind him and his heart stood still, for a troop of cavalry was -deploying into the road. Forward, then, to the village, since that was -the only way. - -He stooped to lift her. - -“I may hurt you a little,” he said. - -“What are you going to do?” - -“I’m going to carry you to the village. Here, wave your handkerchief -to show them that we are friends,” and he drew it from her pocket and -thrust it into her hand. “Now, your arm about my neck.” - -She obeyed mutely; then, as he straightened up, she saw, over his -shoulder, the cavalry forming for the charge. - -“No, no!” she cried. “Put me down. Here are the letters! See, I am -placing them in your pocket! Now, put me down and save yourself!” - -He was picking his way forward over the barbed wire. He dared not lift -his eyes from the road even for a glance at her. - -“Be still!” he commanded. “Don’t struggle so! I will not put you down! -Wave the handkerchief!” - -“There is cavalry down yonder,” she protested, wildly. “It will charge -in a moment!” - -“I know it! That’s one reason I will not put you down!” - -He was past the wire; he could look at her for an instant--into her -eyes, so close to his; deep into her eyes, dark with fear and pain. - -“Another reason is,” he said, deliberately, “that I love you! I am -telling you now because I want you to know, if this should be the end! -I love you, love you, love you!” - -He was forced to look away from her, for there were fallen trees in -front, but he felt the arm around his neck tighten. - -And then he bent his head and kissed her. - -“Like that!” he said, hoarsely. “Only a thousand times more than -that--a million times more than that!” - -She pulled herself up until her cheek was pressed to his; and her eyes -were like twin stars. - -“And I!” she whispered. “A million times more than that. Oh, my prince, -my lover!” - -Stewart’s veins ran fire, His fatigue dropped from him. He trod on air. -He threw back his head proudly, for he felt himself invincible. He was -contemptuous of fate--it could not harm him now! - -“And yet you wanted me to put you down!” he mocked. - -She snuggled against him, warm and womanly; she gave herself to him. - -“Oh, hold me close!” she seemed to say. “Hold me close, close! I am -yours now!” - -“Wave the handkerchief!” he added. “We’re getting near the barricade. -Life is too sweet to end just yet!” - -She smiled up into his eyes, and waved the handkerchief at arm’s length -above their heads. Stewart, glancing up, saw a row of faces crowned by -queer black shakos peering curiously down from the top of the barricade. - -“They have seen us!” he said. “They’re not firing! They understand that -we are friends! Courage, little comrade!” - -“I am not afraid,” she smiled. “And I love that name--little comrade!” - -“Here are the last entanglements--and then we’re through. What is that -cavalry doing?” - -She gave a little cry as she looked back along the road. At the same -instant, Stewart heard the thunder of galloping hoofs. - -“They are coming!” she screamed. “Oh, put me down! Put me down!” - -“Not I!” gasped Stewart between his teeth, and glanced over his -shoulder. - -The Uhlans were charging in solid mass, their lances couched. - -There was just one chance of escape--Stewart saw it instantly. Holding -the girl close, he leaped into the ditch beside the road and threw -himself flat against the ground, shielding her with his body. - -In an instant the thunder of the charge was upon him. Then, high above -the rattle of guns, rose the shouts of men, the screams of horses, -the savage shock of the encounter. Something rolled upon him,--lay -quivering against him--a wounded man--a dead one, perhaps--in any -event, he told himself, grimly, so much added protection. Pray heaven -that a maddened horse did not tramp them down! - -The tumult died, the firing slackened. What was that? A burst of -cheering? - -Stewart ventured to raise his head and look about him; then, with a -gasp, he threw off the weight, caught up his companion and staggered -to his feet. Yes; it was a body which had fallen upon him. It rolled -slowly over on its back as he arose, and he saw a ghastly wound between -the eyes. - -“They have been repulsed!” he panted. “Wave the handkerchief!” With -his heart straining in his throat, he clambered out of the ditch and -staggered on. “Don’t look!” he added, for the road was strewn with -horrors. “Don’t look!” - -She gazed up at him, smiling calmly. - -“I shall look only at you, my lover!” she said, softly, and Stewart -tightened his grip and held her close! - -There was the barricade, with cheering men atop it, exposing themselves -with utter recklessness to the bullets which still whistled from right -and left. Stewart felt his knees trembling. Could he reach it? Could -he lift his foot over this entanglement? Could he possibly step across -this body? - -Suddenly he felt his burden lifted from him and a strong arm thrown -about his shoulders. - -“Friends!” he gasped. “We’re friends!” - -Then he heard the girl’s clear voice speaking in rapid French, and -men’s voices answering eagerly. The mist cleared a little from before -his eyes, and he found that the arm about his shoulders belonged to -a stocky Belgian soldier who was leading him past one end of the -barricade, close behind another who bore the girl in his arms. - -At the other side an officer stopped them. - -“Who are you?” he asked in French. “From where do you come?” - -“We are friends,” said the girl. “We have fled from Germany. We have -both been wounded.” - -“Yes,” said Stewart, and showed his blood-stained shirt. “Mine is only -a scratch, but my comrade needs attention.” - -A sudden shout from the top of the barricade told that the Uhlans were -re-forming. - -“You must look out for yourselves,” said the officer. “I will hear your -story later,” and he bounded back to his place beside his men. - -The soldier who was carrying the girl dropped her abruptly into -Stewart’s arms and followed his captain. In an instant the firing -recommenced. - -Stewart looked wildly about him. He was in a village street, with -close-built houses on either side. - -“I must find a wagon,” he gasped, “or something----” - -His breath failed him, but he staggered on. The mist was before his -eyes again, his tongue seemed dry and swollen. - -Suddenly the arm about his neck relaxed, the head fell back---- - -He cast one haggard glance down into the white face, then turned -through the nearest doorway. - -Perhaps she was wounded more seriously than he had thought--perhaps she -had not told him. He must see--he must make sure---- - -He found himself in a tiled passage, opening into a low-ceilinged room -lighted by a single window. For an instant, in the semi-darkness, he -stared blindly; then he saw a low settle against the farther wall, and -upon this he gently laid his burden. - -Before he could catch himself, he had fallen heavily to the floor, and -lay there for a moment, too weak to rise. But the weakness passed. With -set teeth, he pulled himself to his knees, got out his knife, found, -with his fingers, the stain of blood above the wound in the leg, and -quickly ripped away the cloth. - -The bullet had passed through the thickness of the thigh, leaving a -tiny puncture. With a sob of thankfulness, he realized that the wound -was not dangerous. Blood was still oozing slowly from it--it must be -washed and dressed. - -He found a pail of water in the kitchen, snatched a sheet from a bed -in another room, and set to work. The familiar labor steadied him, -the mists cleared, his muscles again obeyed his will, the sense of -exhaustion passed. - -“It is only a scratch!” whispered a voice, and he turned sharply to -find her smiling up at him. “It is just a scratch like yours!” - -“It is much more than a scratch!” he said, sternly. “You must lie -still, or you will start the bleeding.” - -“Tyrant!” she retorted, and then she raised her head and looked to see -what he was doing. “Oh! is it there?” she said, in surprise. “I didn’t -feel it there.” - -“Where did you feel it?” Stewart demanded. “Not in the body? Tell me -the truth!” - -“It seemed to me to be somewhere below the knee. But how savage you -are!” - -“I’m savage because you are hurt. I can’t stand it to see you suffer!” -and with lips compressed, he bandaged the wound with some strips torn -from the sheet. Then he ran his fingers down over the calf, and brought -them away stained with blood. He caught up his knife and ripped the -cloth clear down. - -“Really,” she protested, “I shall not have any clothing left, if you -keep on like that! I do not see how I am going to appear in public as -it is!” - -He grimly washed the blood away without replying. On either side of the -calf, he found a tiny black spot where the second bullet had passed -through. - -“These German bullets seem to be about the size of peas,” he remarked, -as he bandaged the leg; then he raised his head and listened, as the -firing outside rose to a furious crescendo. “They’re at it again!” he -added. “We must be getting out of this!” - -She reached up, caught him by the coat, and drew him down to her. - -“Listen,” she said. “The letters are in your pocket. Should we be -separated----” - -“We will not be separated,” he broke in, impatiently. “Do you suppose I -would permit anything to separate us now?” - -“I know, dear one,” she said, softly. “But if we should be, you -will carry the letters to General Joffre? Oh, do not hesitate!” she -cried. “Promise me! They mean so much to me--my life’s work--all my -ambitions--all my hopes----” - -“Very well,” he said. “I promise.” - -“You have not forgotten the sign and the formula?” - -“No.” - -She passed an arm about his neck and drew him still closer. - -“Kiss me!” she whispered. - -And Stewart, shaken, transported, deliriously happy, pressed his lips -to hers in a long, close, passionate embrace. - -At last she drew her arm away. - -“I am very tired,” she whispered, smiling dreamily up at him; “and -very, very happy. I do not believe I can go on, dear one.” - -“I will get a wagon of some kind--a hand-cart, if nothing better. There -must be ambulances somewhere about----” - -He paused, listening, for the firing at the barricade had started -furiously again. - -“I will be back in a moment,” he said, and ran to the street door and -looked out. As he did so, a wounded soldier hobbled past, using his -rifle as a crutch. - -“How goes it?” Stewart inquired, in French. - -“We hold them off,” answered the soldier, smiling cheerfully, though -his face was drawn with pain. - -“Will they break through?” - -“No. Our reënforcements are coming up,” and the little soldier hobbled -away down the street. - -“I should have asked him where the ambulances are,” thought Stewart. He -glanced again toward the barricade. The firing had slackened; evidently -the assailants had again been repulsed. Yes, there was time, and he -darted down the street after the limping soldier. He was at his side in -a moment. “Where are the ambulances?” he asked. - -The soldier, turning to reply, glanced back along the street and his -face went livid. - -“Ah, good God!” he groaned. “Look yonder!” - -And, looking, Stewart beheld a gray-green flood pouring over the -barricade, beheld the flash of reddened bayonets, beheld the little -band of Belgians swept backward. - -With a cry of anguish, he sprang back along the street, but in an -instant the tide was upon him. He fought against it furiously, -striking, cursing, praying---- - -And suddenly he found himself face to face with the Belgian officer, -blood-stained, demoniac, shouting encouragement to his men. His eyes -flashed with amazement when he saw Stewart. - -“Go back! Go back!” he shouted. - -“My comrade is back there!” panted Stewart, and tried to pass. - -But the officer caught his arm. - -“Madman!” he cried. “It is death to go that way!” - -“What is that to me?” retorted Stewart, and wrenched his arm away. - -The officer watched him for an instant, then turned away with a shrug. -After all, he reflected, it was none of his affair; his task was to -hold the Germans back, and he threw himself into it. - -“Steady, men!” he shouted. “Steady! Our reserves are coming!” - -And his men cheered and held a firm front, though it cost them dear--so -firm and steady that Stewart found he could not get past it, but -was carried back foot by foot, too exhausted to resist, entangled -hopelessly in the retreat. The Germans pressed forward, filling the -street from side to side, compact, irresistible. - -And then the Belgians heard behind them the gallop of horses, the -roll of heavy wheels, and their captain, glancing back, saw that a -quick-firer had swung into position in the middle of the street. - -“Steady, men!” he shouted. “We have them now! Steady till I give the -word!” He glanced back again and caught the gun-captain’s nod. “Now! To -the side and back!” he screamed. - -The men, with a savage cheer, sprang to right and left, into doorways, -close against the walls, and the gun, with a purr of delight, let loose -its lightnings into the advancing horde. - -Stewart, who had been swept aside with the others without -understanding what was happening, gasping, rubbing his eyes, staring -down the street, saw the gray line suddenly stop and crumple up. Then, -with a savage yell, it dashed forward and stopped again. He saw an -officer raise his sword to urge them on, then fall crashing to the -street; he saw that instant of indecision which is fatal to any charge; -and then stark terror ran through the ranks, and they turned to flee. - -But the pressure from the rear cut off escape in that direction, and -the human flood burst into the houses on either side, swept through -them, out across the fields, and away. And steadily the little gun -purred on, as though reveling in its awful work, until the street was -clear. - -But the Germans, though they had suffered terribly, were not yet -routed. A remnant of them held together behind the houses at the end of -the street, and still others took up a position behind the barricade -and swept the street with their rifles. - -The little officer bit his lip in perplexity as he looked about at -his company, so sadly reduced in numbers. Should he try to retake the -barricade with a rush, or should he wait for reënforcements? He loved -his men--surely, they had more than played their part. Then his eye was -caught by a bent figure which dodged from doorway to doorway. - -“That madman again!” he muttered, and watched, expecting every instant -to see him fall. - -For Stewart had not waited for the captain’s decision. Almost before -the Germans turned to flee, he was creeping low along the wall, -taking advantage of such shelter as there was. The whistle of the -machine-gun’s bullets filled the street. One nipped him across the -wrist, another grazed his arm, and then, as the Germans rallied, he saw -ahead of him the vicious flashes of their rifles. - -He was not afraid; indeed, he was strangely calm. He was quite -certain that he would not be killed--others might fall, but not he. -Others--yes, here they were; dozens, scores, piled from wall to wall. -For here was where the machine-gun had caught the German advance and -smote it down. They lay piled one upon another, young men, all of them; -some lying with arms flung wide, staring blindly up at the sky; a few -moaning feebly, knowing only that they suffered; two or three trying -to pull themselves from beneath the heap of dead; one coward burrowing -deeper into it! He could hear the thud, thud of the bullets from either -end of the street as they struck the mass of bodies, dead and wounded -alike, until there were no longer any wounded; until even the coward -lay still! - -Sick and dizzy, he pushed on. Was this the house? The door stood open -and he stepped inside and looked around. No, this was not it. - -The next one, perhaps--all these houses looked alike from the street. -As he reached the door, a swirl of acrid smoke beat into his face. He -looked out quickly. The barricade was obscured by smoke; dense masses -rolled out of the houses on either side. The Germans had fired the -village! - -Into the next house Stewart staggered--vainly; and into the next. He -could hear the crackling of the flames; the smoke grew thicker---- - -Into the next! - -He knew it the instant he crossed the threshold; yes, this was the -entry, this was the room, there was the settle---- - -He stopped, staring, gasping---- - -The settle was empty. - -Slowly he stepped forward, gazing about him. Yes, there was the -bucket of water on the floor, just as he had left it; there were the -blood-stained rags; there was the torn sheet. - -But the settle was empty. - -He threw himself beside it and ran his hands over it, to be sure that -his eyes were not deceiving him. - -No; the settle was empty. - -He ran into the next room and the next. He ran all through the house -calling, “Comrade! Little comrade!” - -But there was no reply. The rooms were empty, one and all. - -Half-suffocated, palsied with despair, he reeled back to the room where -he had left her, and stared about it. Could he be mistaken? No; there -was the bucket, the bandages---- - -But what was that dark stain in the middle of the white, sanded floor. -He drew close and looked at it. It was blood. - -Still staring, he backed away. Blood--whose blood? Not hers! Not his -little comrade’s! - -And suddenly his strength fell from him; he staggered, dropped to his -knees---- - -This was the end, then--this was the end. There on the settle was where -she had lain; it was there she had drawn him down for that last caress; -and the letters,--ah, they would never be delivered now! But at least -he could die there, with his head where hers had been. - -Blinded, choking, he dragged himself forward--here was the place! - -“Little comrade!” he murmured. “Little comrade!” - -And he fell forward across the settle, his face buried in his arms. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -A TRUST FULFILLED - - -WHEN Stewart opened his eyes again it was to find himself looking up -into a good-humored face, which he did not at first recognize. It was -brown and dirty, there was a three-days’ growth of beard upon cheeks -and chin, and a deep red scratch across the forehead, but the eyes were -bright and the lips smiling, as of a man superior to every fortune--and -then he recognized the little Belgian captain whose troops had defended -the village. - -Instantly memory surged back upon him--memory bitter and painful. He -raised his head and looked about him. He was lying under a clump of -trees not far from the bank of a little stream, along which a company -of Belgian soldiers were busy throwing up intrenchments. - -“Ah, so you are better!” said the captain, in his clipped French, his -eyes beaming with satisfaction. “That is good! A little more of that -smoke, and it would have been all over with you!” and he gestured -toward the eastern horizon, above which hung a black and threatening -cloud. - -Stewart pulled himself to a sitting posture and stared for a moment at -the cloud as it billowed in the wind. Then he passed his hand before -his eyes and stared again. And suddenly all his strength seemed to go -from him and he lay quietly down again. - -“So bad as that!” said the officer, sympathetically, struck by the -whiteness of his face. “And I have nothing to give you--not a swallow -of wine--not a sip!” - -“It will pass,” said Stewart, hoarsely. “I shall be all right -presently. But I do not understand French very well. Do you speak -English?” - -“A lit-tle,” answered the other, and spoke thereafter in a mixture of -French and English, which Stewart found intelligible, but which need -not be indicated here. - -“Will you tell me what happened?” Stewart asked, at last. - -“Ah, we drove them out!” cried the captain, his face gleaming. “My men -behaved splendidly--they are brave boys, as you yourself saw. We made -it--how you say?--too hot for the Germans; but we could not remain. -They were pushing up in force on every side, and they had set fire to -the place. So we took up our wounded and fell back. At the last moment, -I happen to remember that I had seen you dodging along the street in -face of the German fire, so I look for you in this house and in that. -At last I find you in a room full of smoke, lying across a bench, -and I bring you away. Now we wait for another attack. It will come -soon--our scouts have seen the Germans preparing to advance. Then we -fight as long as we can and kill as many as we can, and then give back -to a new position. That, over and over again, will be our part in this -war--to hold them until France has time to strike. But I pity my poor -country,” and his face grew dark. “There will be little left of her -when those barbarians have finished. They are astounded that we fight, -that we dare oppose them; they are maddened that we hold them back, for -time means everything to them. They revenge themselves by burning our -villages and killing defenseless people. Ah, well, they shall pay! Tell -me, my friend,” he added, in another tone, “why did you risk death in -that reckless fashion? Why did you kneel beside that bench?” - -“It was there I left my comrade,” Stewart answered, brokenly, his face -convulsed. “She was wounded--she could not walk--I was too exhausted -to carry her--I went to look for a cart--for an ambulance--I had -scarcely taken a step, when the Germans swept over the barricade and -into the town. When I got back to the house where I had left her, she -was not there.” - -“Ah,” said the other, looking down at Stewart, thoughtfully. “It was a -woman, then?” - -“Yes.” - -“Your wife?” - -“She had promised to become my wife,” and Stewart looked at the other, -steadily. - -“You are an American, are you not?” - -“Yes--I have my passport.” - -“And Madame--was she also an American?” - -“No--she was a Frenchwoman. She was shot twice in the leg as we ran -toward your barricade--seriously--it was quite impossible for her to -walk. But when I got back to the house, she was not there. What had -happened to her?” - -His companion gazed out over the meadows and shook his head. - -“You looked in the other rooms?” he asked. - -“Everywhere--all through the house--she was not there! Ah, and I -remember now,” he added, struggling to a sitting posture, his face -more livid, if possible, than it had been before. “There was a great -bloodstain on the floor that was not there when I left her. How could -it have got there? I cannot understand!” - -Again the officer shook his head, his eyes still on the billowing smoke. - -“It is very strange,” he murmured. - -“I must go back!” cried Stewart. “I must search for her!” and he tried -to rise. - -The other put out a hand to stop him, but drew it back, seeing it -unnecessary. - -“Impossible!” he said. “You see, you cannot even stand!” - -“I have had nothing to eat since yesterday,” Stewart explained. “Then -only some eggs and apples. If I could get some food----” - -He broke off, his chin quivering helplessly, as he realized his -weakness. He was very near to tears. - -“Even if you could walk,” the other pointed out, “even if you were -quite strong, it would still be impossible. The Germans have burned the -village; they are now on this side of it. If Madame is still alive, she -is safe. Barbarians as they are, they would not kill a wounded woman!” - -“Oh, you don’t know!” groaned Stewart. “You don’t know! They would kill -her without compunction!” and weakness and hunger and despair were too -much for him. He threw himself forward on his face, shaken by great -sobs. - -The little officer sat quite still, his face very sad. There was no -glory about war--that was merely a fiction to hold soldiers to their -work; it was all horrible, detestable, inhuman. He had seen brave men -killed, torn, mutilated; he had seen inoffensive people driven from -their homes and left to starve; he had seen women weeping for their -husbands and children for their fathers; he had seen terror stalk -across the quiet countryside--famine, want, despair---- - -The paroxysm passed, and Stewart gradually regained his self-control. - -“You will, of course, do as you think best,” said his companion, at -last; “but I could perhaps be of help if I knew more. How do you come -to be in these rags? Why was Madame dressed as a man? Why should the -Germans kill her? These are things that I should like to know--but you -will tell me as much or as little as you please.” - -Before he was well aware of it, so hungry was he for comfort, Stewart -found himself embarked upon the story. It flowed from his lips so -rapidly, so brokenly, as poignant memory stabbed through him, that more -than once his listener stopped him and asked him to repeat. For the -rest, he sat staring out at the burning village, his eyes bright, his -hands clenched. - -And when the story was over, he arose, faced the east, and saluted -stiffly. - -“_Madame!_” he said--and so paid her the highest tribute in a soldier’s -power. - -Then he sat down again, and there was a moment’s silence. - -“What you have told me,” he said, slowly, at last, “moves me beyond -words! Believe me, I would advance this instant, I would risk my whole -command, if I thought there was the slightest chance of rescuing that -intrepid and glorious woman. But there is no chance. That village is -held by at least a regiment.” - -“What could have happened?” asked Stewart, again. “Where could she have -gone?” - -“I cannot imagine. I can only hope that she is safe. Most probably she -has been taken prisoner. Even in that case, there is little danger that -she will ever be recognized.” - -“But why should they take prisoner a wounded civilian?” Stewart -persisted. “I cannot understand it--unless----” - -His voice died in his throat. - -“Unless what?” asked the officer, turning on him quickly. “What is it -you fear?” - -“Unless she _was_ recognized!” cried Stewart, hoarsely. - -But the other shook his head. - -“If she had been recognized--which is most improbable--she would not -have been taken prisoner at all. She would have been shot where she -lay.” - -And then again that dark stain upon the floor flashed before Stewart’s -eyes. Perhaps that had really happened. Perhaps that blood was hers! - -“It is the suspense!” he groaned. “The damnable suspense!” - -“I know,” said the other, gently. “It is always the missing who cause -the deepest anguish. One can only wait and hope and pray! That is all -that you can do--that and one other thing.” - -“What other thing?” Stewart demanded. - -“She intrusted you with a mission, did she not?” asked the little -captain, gently. “Living or dead, she would be glad to know that you -fulfilled it, for it was very dear to her. You still have the letters?” - -Stewart thrust his hand into his pocket and brought them forth. - -“You are right,” he said, and rose unsteadily. “Where will I find -General Joffre?” - -The other had risen, too, and was supporting him with a strong hand. - -“That I do not know,” he answered; “somewhere along the French -frontier, no doubt, mustering his forces.” - -Stewart looked about him uncertainly. - -“If I were only stronger,” he began. - -“Wait,” the little officer broke in. “I think I have it--I am expecting -instructions from our headquarters at St. Trond--they should arrive -at any moment--and I can send you back in the car which brings them. -At headquarters they will be able to tell you something definite, and -perhaps to help you.” He glanced anxiously toward the east and then -cast an appraising eye over the intrenchments his troops had dug. “We -can hold them back for a time,” he added, “but we need reënforcements -badly. Ah, there comes the car!” - -A powerful gray motor spun down the road from the west, kicking up a -great cloud of dust, and in a moment the little captain had received -his instructions. He tore the envelope open and read its contents -eagerly. Then he turned to his men, his face shining. - -“The Sixty-third will be here in half an hour!” he shouted. “We will -give those fellows a hot dose this time!” - -His men cheered the news with waving shakos, then, with a glance -eastward, fell to work again on their trenches, which would have to -be extended to accommodate the reënforcements. Their captain stepped -close to the side of the purring car, made his report to an officer -who sat beside the driver, and then the two carried on for a moment a -low-toned conversation. More than once they glanced at Stewart, and the -conversation ended with a sharp nod from the officer in the car. The -other came hurrying back. - -“It is all right,” he said. “You will be at St. Trond in half an hour,” -and he helped him to mount into the tonneau. - -For an instant Stewart stood there, staring back at the cloud of smoke -above the burning village; then he dropped into the seat and turned to -say good-by to the gallant fellow who had proved so true a friend. - -The little soldier was standing with heels together, head thrown back, -hand at the visor of his cap. - -“_Monsieur!_” he said, simply, as his eyes met Stewart’s, and then the -car started. - -Stewart looked back through a mist of tears, and waved his hand to that -martial little figure, so hopeful and indomitable. Should he ever see -that gallant friend again? Chance was all against it. An hour hence, -he might be lying in the road, a bullet through his heart; if not an -hour hence, then to-morrow or next day. And before this war was over, -how many others would be lying so, arms flung wide, eyes staring at the -sky--just as those young Germans had lain back yonder! - -He thrust such thoughts away. They were too bitter, too terrible. But -as his vision cleared, he saw on every hand the evidence of war’s -desolation. - -The road was thronged with fugitives--old men, women, and -children--fleeing westward away from their ruined homes, away from the -plague which was devastating their land. Their faces were vacant with -despair, or wet with silent tears. For whither could they flee? Where -could they hope for food and shelter? How could their journey end, save -at the goal of death? - -The car threaded its way slowly among these heart-broken people, -passed through silent and deserted villages, by fields of grain that -would never be harvested, along quiet streams which would soon be red -with blood; and at last it came to St. Trond, and stopped before the -town-hall, from whose beautiful old belfry floated the Belgian flag. - -“If you will wait here, sir,” said the officer, and jumped to the -pavement and hurried up the steps. - -So Stewart waited, an object of much curiosity to the passing crowd. -Other cars dashed up from time to time, officers jumped out with -reports, jumped in again with orders and dashed away. Plainly, Belgium -was not dismayed even in face of this great invasion. She was fighting -coolly, intelligently, with her whole strength. - -And then an officer came down the steps, sprang to the footboard of the -machine, and looked at Stewart. - -“I am told you have a message,” he said. - -“Yes.” - -“I am a member of the French staff. Can you deliver it to me?” - -“I was told to deliver it only to General Joffre.” - -“Ah! in that case----” - -The officer caught his lower lip between the thumb and little finger of -his left hand, as if in perplexity. So naturally was it done that for -an instant Stewart did not recognize the sign; then, hastily, he passed -his left hand across his eyes. - -The officer looked at him keenly. - -“Have we not met before?” he asked. - -“In Berlin; on the twenty-second,” Stewart answered. - -The officer’s face cleared, and he stepped over the door into the -tonneau. - -“I am at your service, sir,” he said. “First you must rest a little, -and have some clean clothes, and a bath and food. I can see that you -have had a hard time. Then we will set out.” - -An hour later, more comfortable in body than it had seemed possible -he could ever be again, Stewart lay back among the deep cushions of a -high-powered car, which whizzed southward along a pleasant road. He -did not know his destination. He had not inquired, and indeed he did -not care. But had he known Belgium, he would have recognized Landen -and Ramillies; he would have known that those high white cliffs ahead -bordered the Meuse; he would have seen that this pinnacled town they -were approaching was Namur. - -The car was stopped at the city gate by a sentry, and taken to the -town-hall, where the chauffeur’s papers were examined and verified. -Then they were off again, across the placid river and straight -southward, close beside its western bank. Stewart had never seen a more -beautiful country. The other shore was closed in by towering rugged -cliffs, with a white villa here and there squeezed in between wall -and water or perched on a high ledge. Sometimes the cliffs gave back -to make room for a tiny, red-roofed village; again they were riven by -great fissures or pitted with yawning chasms. - -Evening came, and still the car sped southward. There were no evidences -here of war. As the calm stars came out one by one, Stewart could have -fancied that it was all a dream, but for that dull agony of the spirit -which he felt would never leave him--and for that strand of lustrous -hair which now lay warm above his heart--and which, alas! was all he -had of her! - -Yes--there were the two letters which rustled under his fingers as -he thrust them into his pocket. He had looked at them more than once -during the afternoon, delighting to handle them because they had been -hers, imagining that he could detect on them the faint aroma of her -presence. He had turned them over and over, had slipped out the sheets -of closely-written paper, and read them through and through, hoping for -some clew to the identity of the woman he had lost. It was an added -anguish that he did not even know her name! - -The letters did not help him. They contained nothing but innocent, -careless, light-hearted, impersonal gossip, written apparently by -one young woman to another. “My dear cousin,” they were addressed, -and Stewart could have wept at the irony which denied him even her -first name. They were in English--excellent English--a little stiff, -perhaps--just such English as she had spoken--and the envelopes bore -the superscription, “Mrs. Bradford Stewart, Spa, Belgium.” But so far -as he could see they had nothing to do with her--they were just a part -of the elaborate plot in which he had been entangled. - -But what secret could they contain? A code? If so, it was very perfect, -for nothing could be more simple, more direct, more unaffected than -the letters themselves. A swift doubt swept over him. Perhaps, once -in the presence of the general, he would find that he had played the -fool--that there was nothing in these letters. - -And yet a woman had risked her life for them. Face to face with death, -she had made him swear to deliver them. Well, he would keep his oath! - -He was still very tired, and at last he lay back among the cushions and -closed his eyes and tried to sleep. - -“_Halte là!_” cried a sharp voice. - -The brakes squeaked and groaned as they were jammed down. Stewart, -shaken from his nap, sat up and looked about him. Ahead gleamed the -lights of a town; he could hear a train rumbling past along the river -bank, - -There was a moment’s colloquy between the chauffeur and a man in -uniform; a paper was examined by the light of an electric torch; then -the man stepped to one side and the car started slowly ahead. - -The rumbling train came to a stop, and Stewart, rubbing his -eyes, saw a regiment of soldiers leaping from it down to a long, -brilliantly-lighted platform. They wore red trousers and long blue -coats folded back in front--and with a shock, Stewart realized that -they were French--that these were the men who were soon to face -those gray-clad legions back yonder. Then, above the entrance to the -station, its name flashed into view,--“Givet.” They had passed the -frontier--they were in France. - -The car rolled on, crossed the river by a long bridge, and finally -came to a stop before a great, barn-like building, every window of -which blazed with light, and where streams of officers were constantly -arriving and departing. - -At once a sentry leaped upon the footboard; again the chauffeur -produced his paper, and an officer was summoned, who glanced at it, and -immediately stepped back and threw open the door of the tonneau. - -“This way, sir, if you please,” he said to Stewart. - -As the latter rose heavily, stiff with long sitting, the officer held -out his arm and helped him to alight. - -“You are very tired, is it not so?” he asked, and still supporting him, -led the way up the steps, along a hall, and into a long room where many -persons were sitting on benches against the walls or slowly walking up -and down. “You will wait here,” added his guide. “It will not be long,” -and he hurried away. - -Stewart dropped upon a bench and looked about him. There were a few -women in the room--and he wondered at their presence there--but most of -its occupants were men, some in uniform, others in civilian dress of -the most diverse kinds, of all grades of society. Stewart was struck at -once by the fact that they were all silent, exchanging not a word, not -even a glance. Each kept his eyes to himself as if it were a point of -honor so to do. - -Suddenly Stewart understood. These were agents of the secret service, -waiting to report to their chief or to be assigned to some difficult -and dangerous task. One by one they were summoned, disappeared through -the door, and did not return. - -At last it was to Stewart the messenger came. - -“This way, sir,” he said. - -Stewart followed him out into the hall, through a door guarded by two -sentries, and into a little room beyond a deep ante-chamber, where a -white-haired man sat before a great table covered with papers. The -messenger stood aside for Stewart to pass, then went swiftly out and -closed the door. - -The man at the table examined his visitor with a long and penetrating -glance, his face cold, impassive, expressionless. - -“You are not one of ours,” he said, at last, in English. - -“No, I am an American.” - -“So I perceived. And yet you have a message?” - -“Yes.” - -“How came you by it?” - -“It was intrusted to me by one of your agents who joined me at -Aix-la-Chapelle.” - -A sudden flame of excitement blazed into the cold eyes. - -“May I ask your name?” - -“Bradford Stewart.” - -The man snatched up a memorandum from the desk and glanced at it. Then -he sprang to his feet. - -“Your pardon, Mr. Stewart,” he said. “I did not catch your name--or, if -I did, my brain did not supply the connection, as it should have done. -My only excuse is that I have so many things to think of. Pray sit -down,” and he drew up a chair. “Where is the person who joined you at -Aix?” - -“I fear that she is dead,” answered Stewart, in a low voice. - -“Dead!” echoed the other, visibly and deeply moved. “Dead! But no, that -cannot be!” He passed his hand feverishly before his eyes. “I will hear -your story presently--first, the message. It is a written one?” - -“Yes, in the form of two letters.” - -“May I see them?” - -Stewart hesitated. - -“I promised to deliver them only to General Joffre,” he explained. - -“I understand. But the general is very busy. I must see the letters for -a moment before I ask him for an audience.” - -Without a word, Stewart passed them over. He saw the flush of -excitement with which the other looked at them; he saw how his hand -trembled as he drew out the sheets, glanced at them, thrust them -hastily back, and touched a button on his desk. - -Instantly the door opened and the messenger appeared. - -“Inquire of General Joffre if he can see me for a moment on a matter of -the first importance,” said the man. The messenger bowed and withdrew. -“Yes, of the first importance,” he added, turning to Stewart, with -shining eyes. “Here are the letters--I will not deprive you, sir, of -the pleasure of yourself placing them in our general’s hands. And it is -to him you shall tell your story.” - -The door opened and the messenger appeared. - -“The general will be pleased to receive Monsieur at once,” he said, and -stood aside for them to pass. - -At the end of the hall was a large room crowded with officers. Beyond -this was a smaller room where six men, each with his secretary, sat -around a long table. At its head sat a plump little man, with white -hair and bristling white mustache, which contrasted strongly with a -face darkened and reddened by exposure to wind and rain, and lighted by -a pair of eyes incredibly bright. - -He was busy with a memorandum, but looked up as Stewart and his -companion entered. - -“Well, Fernande?” he said; but Stewart did not know till afterward -that the man at his side was the famous head of the French Intelligence -Department, the eyes and ears of the French army--captain of an army of -his own, every member of which went daily in peril of a dreadful death. - -“General,” said Fernande, in a voice whose trembling earnestness caused -every man present suddenly to raise his head, “I have the pleasure of -introducing to you an American, Mr. Bradford Stewart, who, at great -peril to himself, has brought you a message which I believe to be of -the first importance.” - -General Joffre bowed. - -“I am pleased to meet Mr. Stewart,” he said. “What is this message?” - -“It is in these letters, sir,” said Stewart, and placed the envelopes -in his hand. - -The general glanced at them, then slowly drew out the enclosures. - -“We shall need a candle,” said Fernande; “also a flat dish of water.” - -One of the secretaries hastened away to get them. He was back in -a moment, and Fernande, having lighted the candle, took from his -waistcoat pocket a tiny phial of blue liquid, and dropped three drops -into the dish. - -“Now we are ready, gentlemen,” he said. “You are about to witness a -most interesting experiment.” - -He picked up one of the sheets, dipped it into the water, then held it -close to the flame of the candle. - -Stewart, watching curiously, saw a multitude of red lines leap out upon -the sheet--lines which zig-zagged this way and that, apparently without -meaning. - -But to the others in the room they seemed anything but meaningless. As -sheet followed sheet, the whole staff crowded around the head of the -table, snatching them up, holding them to the light, bending close to -decipher minute writing. Their eyes were shining with excitement, their -hands were trembling; they spoke in broken words, in bits of sentences. - -“The enceinte----” - -“Oh, a new bastion here at the left----” - -“I thought so----” - -“Three emplacements----” - -“But this wall is simply a mask--it would present no difficulties----” - -“This position could be flanked----” - -It was the general himself who spoke the final word. - -“This is the weak spot,” he pointed out, his finger upon the last sheet -of all. Then he turned to Stewart, his eyes gleaming. “Monsieur,” he -said, “I will not conceal from you that these papers are, as Fernande -guessed, of the very first importance. Will you tell us how they came -into your possession?” - -And Stewart, as briefly as might be, told the story--the meeting at -Aix, the arrest at Herbesthal, the flight over the hills, the passage -of the Meuse, the attack on the village--his voice faltering at the end -despite his effort to control it. - -At first, the staff had kept on with its examination of the plans, but -first one and then another laid them down and listened. - -For a moment after he had finished, they sat silent, regarding him. -Then General Joffre rose slowly to his feet, and the members of his -staff rose with him. - -“Monsieur,” he said, “I shall not attempt to tell you how your words -have moved me; but on behalf of France I thank you; on her behalf I -give you the highest honor which it is in her power to bestow.” His -hand went to his buttonhole and detached a tiny red ribbon. In a moment -he had affixed it to Stewart’s coat. “The Legion, monsieur!” he said, -and he stepped back and saluted. - -Stewart, a mist of tears before his eyes, his throat suddenly -contracted, looked down at the decoration, gleaming on his lapel like a -spot of blood. - -“It is too much,” he protested, brokenly. “I do not deserve----” - -“It is the proudest order in the world, monsieur,” broke in the -general, “but it is not too much. You have done for France a greater -thing than you perhaps imagine. Some day you will know. Not soon, I -fear,” and his face hardened. “We have other work to do before we can -make use of these sheets of paper. You saw the German army?” - -“Yes, sir; a part of it.” - -“It is well equipped?” - -“It seemed to me irresistible,” said Stewart. “I had never imagined -such swarms of men, such tremendous cannon----” - -“We have heard something of those cannon,” broke in the general. “Are -they really so tremendous?” - -“I know nothing about cannon,” answered Stewart; “but----” and he -described as well as he could the three monsters he had seen rolling -along the road toward Liège. - -His hearers listened closely, asked a question or two---- - -“I thank you again,” said the general, at last. “What you tell us is -most interesting. Is there anything else that I can do for you? If -there is, I pray you to command me.” - -Stewart felt himself shaken by a sudden convulsive trembling. - -“If I could get some news,” he murmured, brokenly, “of--of my little -comrade.” - -General Joffre shot him a quick glance. His face softened, grew tender -with comprehension. - -“Fernande,” he said. - -Fernande bowed. - -“Everything possible shall be done, my general,” he said. “I promise -it. We shall not be long without tidings.” - -“Thank you,” said Stewart. “That is all, I think.” - -“And you?” - -“I? Oh, what does it matter!” And then he turned, fired by a sudden -remembrance of a great white tent, of loaded ambulances. “Yes--there is -something I might do. I am a surgeon. Will France accept my services?” - -“She is honored to do so,” said the general, quickly. “I will see that -it is done. Until to-morrow--I will expect you,” and he held out his -hand, while the staff came to a stiff salute. - -“Until to-morrow,” repeated Stewart, and followed Fernande to the door. - -As he passed out, he glanced behind him. The members of the staff -were bending above those red-lined sheets, their faces shining with -eagerness---- - -The officers in the outer room, catching sight of the red ribbon, -saluted as he passed. The sentry in the hall came stiffly to attention. - -But Stewart’s heart was bitter. Honor! Glory! What were they worth to -him alone and desolate---- - -“Monsieur!” It was Fernande’s voice, low, vibrant with sympathy. “You -will pardon me for what I am about to say--but I think I understand. It -was not alone for France you did this thing--it was for that ‘little -comrade,’ as you have called her, so brave, so loyal, so indomitable -that my heart is at her feet. Is it not so?” - -He came a step nearer and laid a tender hand on Stewart’s arm. - -“Do not despair, I beg of you, my friend. She is not dead--it is -impossible that she should be dead! Fate could not be so cruel. -With her you shared a few glorious days of peril, of trial, and of -ecstasy--then you were whirled apart. But only for a time. Somewhere, -sometime, you will find her again, awaiting you. I know it! I feel it!” - -But it was no longer Fernande that Stewart heard--it was another voice, -subtle, delicate, out of the unknown---- - -His bosom lifted with a deep, convulsive breath. - -“You are right!” he whispered. “I, too, feel it! -Sometime--somewhere----” - -And his trembling fingers sought that tress of lustrous hair, warm -above his heart. - - * * * * * - -Far away to the east, a sentry in the gray uniform of the German army -paced slowly back and forth before a great white house looking across -a terraced garden down upon the Meuse. Three days before, it had been -the beautiful and carefully-ordered home of a wealthy Belgian; now it -reeked with the odor of ether and iodine. In the spacious dining-room -an operating-table had been installed, and a sterilizing apparatus -simmered in one corner. Along its halls and in every room rows of white -cots were ranged--and each cot had its bandaged occupant. - -On the terrace overlooking the river, two surgeons, thoroughly weary -after a hard day, sat smoking and talking in low tones. Within, a -white-clad nurse stole from cot to cot, assuring herself that all was -as well as might be. - -In a tiny room on the upper floor, a single cot had been placed. As the -nurse stopped at its open door and held aloft her night-lamp, her eyes -caught the gleam of other eyes, and she stepped quickly forward. - -“What is it?” she asked, softly. “Why are you not asleep? You are not -in pain?” - -The patient--a mere lad he seemed of not more than seventeen--smiled -and shook his head. - -“I do not know German,” he said in French. - -The nurse placed her cool hand upon the patient’s brow to assure -herself that there was no access of fever. - -“I speak French a little,” she said, painfully, in that language. And -then she hesitated. “Tell me, Fräulein,” she went on, after a moment, -“how you came to be wounded. We have wondered much.” - -“My brother and I were trying to get through your lines to Brussels -where our mother is,” the patient answered, readily, still smiling. -“I slipped on a suit of my brother’s clothes, thinking to make better -progress. But we were too late. We were caught between two fires when -your men stormed that village.” - -Despite the smile, there was a shimmer of anxiety in the eyes she -turned upon the nurse. It was a poor story; she realized that it would -not bear scrutiny, that it would break down at the first question; but, -fevered and racked with pain, she had been able to devise no better one. - -The nurse, at least, accepted it unquestioningly. - -“Ach, how terrible!” she commented. “And your brother--what of him?” - -“When I was wounded, he carried me into a house, and then hastened away -to took for a cart or wagon in which to place me. Before he could get -back, your men had taken the village.” - -“Then he is safe at least!” - -“Yes, I am sure of it.” - -“But he must think you dead! He will not know that you were saved! Ach, -what anguish must be his!” - -“Yes, he will suffer,” agreed the wounded girl, in a low tone. - -The eyes of the tender-hearted German woman were misty as she gazed -down at her patient and sought for some word of comfort. - -“But think of his joy when he finds that you are not dead!” she urged. -“To-morrow you shall give me his address and I will write. He will come -for you, no doubt, as soon as he can.” - -“Yes, I am sure of that also!” - -There was a subtle timbre in the voice that caught the nurse’s ear, and -she looked down again into the luminous eyes. - -“You do not seem to mind your misfortune,” she said. “You seem even -happy!” - -The eyes which gazed up at her were softly, wonderfully brilliant. A -deeper color crept into the pale cheeks. - -“I _am_ happy,” said the girl, almost in a whisper. “Very, very happy!” - -The nurse paused a moment longer, strangely thrilled. Then her training -asserted itself. - -“You must not excite yourself,” she cautioned. “You must go to sleep. -Good-night.” - -“Good-night!” came the murmured answer. “I will try to sleep.” - -But for long and long she lay staring up into the darkness, glowing -with the precious memory of a man’s strong arms about her, his ardent -lips on hers. - -“He is safe,” her soul assured her. “He will seek you up and down the -world until he finds you. You shall lie again upon his breast; you -shall hear his heart beating ... sometime ... somewhere----” - -And with a long sigh of contentment, she closed her eyes and slept. - - - - -_TWO NOTEWORTHY DETECTIVE STORIES_ - -By BURTON E. STEVENSON - - -THE MARATHON MYSTERY - -With five scenes in color by ELIOT KEEN - -6th printing. $1.50 - -An absorbing story of New York and Long Island to-day. - - _N. Y. Sun_: “Distinctly an interesting story--one of the sort that - the reader will not lay down before he goes to bed.” - - _N. Y. Post_: “By comparison with the work of Anna Katherine Green ... - it is exceptionally clever ... told interestingly and well.” - - _N. Y. Tribune_: “THE HOLLADAY CASE was a capital story of crime and - mystery. In THE MARATHON MYSTERY the author is in even firmer command - of the trick. He is skilful in keeping his reader in suspense, and - every element in it is cunningly adjusted to preserving the mystery - inviolate until the end.” - - _Boston Transcript_: “The excellence of its style, Mr. Stevenson - apparently knowing well the dramatic effect of fluency and brevity, - and the rationality of avoiding false clues and attempts unduly to - mystify his readers.” - - _Boston Herald_: “This is something more than an ordinary detective - story. It thrills you and holds your attention to the end. But beside - all this the characters are really well drawn and your interest in - the plot is enhanced by interest in the people who play their parts - therein.” - - -THE HOLLADAY CASE - -With frontispiece by ELIOT KEEN - -7th printing. $1.25 - -A modern mystery of New York and Etretat. - - _N. Y. Tribune_: “Professor Dicey recently said, ‘If you like a - detective story take care you read a good detective story.’ This is - a good detective story, and it is the better because the part of the - hero is not filled by a member of the profession.... The reader will - not want to put the book down until he has reached the last page, Most - ingeniously constructed and well written into the bargain.” - - - HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY - PUBLISHERS NEW YORK - - - - -THE HOME BOOK OF VERSE - -_American and English_ (1580-1912) - - Compiled by BURTON E. STEVENSON. Collects the best short poetry of - the English language--not only the poetry everybody says is good, but - also the verses that everybody reads. (3742 pages; India paper, 1 - vol., 8vo, complete author, title and first line indices, $7.50 net; - carriage 40 cents extra.) - -The most comprehensive and representative collection of American and -English poetry ever published, including 3,120 unabridged poems from -some 1,100 authors. - -It brings together in one volume the best short poetry of the English -language from the time of Spencer, with especial attention to American -verse. - -The copyright deadline has been passed, and some three hundred recent -authors are included, very few of whom appear in any other general -anthology, such as Lionel Johnson, Noyes, Housman, Mrs. Meynell, Yeats, -Dobson, Lang, Watson, Wilde, Francis Thompson, Gilder, Le Gallienne, -Van Dyke, Woodberry, Riley, etc., etc. - -The poems as arranged by subject, and the classification is unusually -close and searching. Some of the most comprehensive sections are: -Children’s rhymes (300 pages); love poems (800 pages); nature poetry -(400 pages); humorous verse (500 pages); patriotic and historical poems -(600 pages); reflective and descriptive poetry (400 pages). No other -collection contains so many popular favorites and fugitive verses. - - -DELIGHTFUL POCKET ANTHOLOGIES - -The following books are uniform, with full gilt flexible covers and -pictured cover linings. 16mo. Each, cloth, $1.50; leather $2.50. - - -=THE GARLAND OF CHILDHOOD= - -A little book for all lovers of children. Compiled by Percy Wither. - - -=THE VISTA OF ENGLISH VERSE= - -Compiled by Henry S. Pancoast. From Spencer to Kipling. - - -=LETTERS THAT LIVE= - -Compiled by Laura E. Lockwood and Amy R. Kelly. Some 150 letters. - - -=POEMS FOR TRAVELLERS= - -(About “The Continent”) - -Compiled by Miss Mary R. J. DuBois. - - -=THE OPEN ROAD= - -A little book for wayfarers. Compiled by E. V. Lucas. - - -=THE FRIENDLY TOWN= - -A little book for the urbane, compiled by E. V. Lucas. - - -=THE POETIC OLD-WORLD= - -Compiled by Miss L. H. Humphrey. Covers Europe, including Spain, -Belgium and the British Isles. - - -=THE POETIC NEW-WORLD= - -Compiled by Miss Humphrey. - - - HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY - 34 WEST 33RD STREET NEW YORK - - - - -_By CONINGSBY DAWSON_ - - -=The Garden Without Walls= - -The story of the adventures in love of the hero till his thirtieth year -is as fascinating as are the three heroines. His Puritan stock is in -constant conflict with his Pagan imagination. Ninth printing. $1.35 net. - - “Never did hero find himself the adored of three more enchanting - heroines. A book which will deserve the popularity it is certain to - achieve.”--_The Independent._ - - “Mr. Dawson has dared splendidly to write, in a glorious abandon, a - story all interwoven with a glow of romance almost medieval in its - pagan color, yet wholly modern in its import.”--_Samuel Abbott_, in - _The Boston Herald_. - - “All vivid with the color of life; a novel to compel not only absorbed - attention, but long remembrance.”--_The Boston Transcript._ - - “The most enjoyable first novel since De Morgan’s ‘Joseph - Vance.’”--_J. B. Kerfoot_, in _Life_. - - -=The Raft= - -A story of high gallantry, which teaches that even modern life is an -affair of courageous chivalry. The story is crowded with over thirty -significant characters, some whimsical, some tender, some fanciful; all -are poignantly real with their contrasting ideals and purposes. - -“The Raft” is a panorama of everyday, available romance. Just ready. -$1.35 net. - - -=Florence on a Certain Night= (and Other Poems) - -12mo. $1.25 net. - - “The work of a true lyric poet who ‘utters his own soul.’”--_Literary - Digest._ - - “The preeminent quality in all Mr. Dawson’s verse is the union of - delicacy and strength. A generation which has all but forgotten the - meaning of the phrase ‘to keep himself unspotted from the world’ has - great need of this sort of poetry.”--_Providence Journal._ - - - HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY - PUBLISHERS NEW YORK - - - - -BOOKS BY BEULAH MARIE DIX - - -=MOTHER’S SON. A Novel= - -The story of the redemption of a spendthrift German “toy soldier,” -exiled to America, The heroine is the author’s “Betty-Bide-at-Home” -grown up and become a successful playwright. There is considerable -humor. The scenes are mostly Boston and vicinity and New York. Just -published. ($1.35 net.) - - _Boston Transcript_: “Straightforward and swiftly the story moves - from its happy beginning to its happy ending.... The heroine, that - delightful ‘Betty-Bide-at-Home’ ... that delicious femininity that - makes her to appealing ... a charming romance.... Through the story - of his redemption shines the glory of youth, its courage, its high - optimism, its unconquerable faith in itself ... fine as is the novel - technically, it is even finer in its silent insistence upon an ideal - of love and of marriage.” - - -=THE FIGHTING BLADE. A Romance= - -The hero, a quiet, boyish German soldier serving Cromwell, loves a -little tomboy Royalist heiress. 3rd printing. ($1.30 net.) - - _New York Tribune_: “Lovers of this kind of fiction will find here all - they can desire, and it is all of excellent quality.” - - _New York Times_: “The freshness of youth and of life and of the joy - of living.” - - _Chicago Inter-Ocean_: “The best historical romance the man who writes - these lines has read in half a dozen years.” - - -=ALLISON’S LAD, and Other Martial Interludes= - -Including “The Hundredth Trick,” “The Weakest Link,” “The Snare and the -Fowler,” “The Captain of the Gate,” “The Dark of the Dawn.” One-act -war plays; all the characters are men, and amateurs have acted them -successfully. - - _Boston Transcript_: “Her technical mastery is great, but her - spiritual mastery is greater. For this book lives in memory.... - Noble passion holding the balance between life and death is the - motif sharply outlined and vigorously portrayed. In each interlude - the author has seized upon a vital situation and has massed all her - forces.” - - -_FOR YOUNG FOLKS_ - - -=FRIENDS IN THE END= - -A tale of conflict between young folks one summer in New Hampshire. -Illustrated. ($1.25 net.) - - _Living Age_: “Far above the average juvenile.... A vivid narrative, - interesting with the intensity of a country land rights feud.... The - people are clearly drawn ... a true atmosphere.” - - -=BETTY-BIDE-AT-HOME= - -Betty gave up college to help her family, but learned several things, -including authorship, at home. 3rd printing ($1.25 net.) - - _Churchman_: “Among the season’s books for girls it easily takes first - place.” - - - HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY - PUBLISHERS NEW YORK - - - - -A FEW RECENT PLAYS BY AMERICANS - - -=Beulah M. Dix’s ACROSS THE BORDER= - -A play against war, showing in four scenes, two “beyond the border” of -life, the adventures of a highly likable young Lieutenant. He goes on -a desperate mission, finds The Place of Quiet and The Dream Girl, as -well as The Place of Winds, where he learns the real nature of War, -and finally in a field hospital tries to deliver his message. With 2 -illustrations. 80 cents net. - - _New York Tribune_: “One of the few pleas for peace that touch both - the heart and the intelligence.... Its remarkable blending of stark - realism with extravagant fancy strikes home.... It is well nigh - impossible to rid one’s mind of its stirring effect.” - - _New York Times_: “Impressive, elaborate and ambitious.... A voice - raised in the theater against the monstrous horror and infamy of - war.... The Junior Lieutenant has in him just a touch of ‘The - Brushwood Boy.’” - -Of the author’s “ALLISON’S LAD” and other one-act plays of various wars -($1.35 net), _The Transcript_ said, “The technical mastery of Miss Dix -is great, but her spiritual mastery is greater. For this book lives in -the memory.” - - -=Percival L. Wilde’s DAWN and Other One-Act Plays= - -“Short, sharp and decisive” episodes of contemporary life. Notable for -force, interest and at times humor. $1.20 net. - -DAWN, a tense episode in the hut of a brutal miner, with a supernatural -climax. THE NOBLE LORD, a comedy about a lady, who angled with herself -as bait. THE TRAITOR is discovered by a ruse of a British commanding -officer. A HOUSE OF CARDS, about a closed door, and what was on the -other side--tragic. PLAYING WITH FIRE, a comedy about the devotion of -a boy and girl. THE FINGER OF GOD points the way to an ex-criminal by -means of a girl he had never seen before. - - -=Lily A. Long’s RADISSON: _The Voyageur_= - -A highly picturesque play in four acts and in verse. The central -figures are Radisson the redoubtable voyageur who explored the Upper -Mississippi, his brother-in-law Groseilliers, Owera the daughter of an -Indian chief, and various other Indians. The daring resource of the two -white men in the face of imminent peril, the pathetic love of Owera, -and above all, the vivid pictures of Indian life, the women grinding -corn, the council, dances, feasting and famine are notable features, -and over it all is a somewhat unusual feeling for the moods of nature -which closely follow those of the people involved. $1.00 net. - - - HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY - PUBLISHERS NEW YORK - - - - -“_THE CHEERIEST, HAPPIEST BOOKS_” - -By JULIE M. LIPPMANN - - -=Martha By-the-Day= - -Thirteenth printing. $1.00 net. - -The story of a big, kindly Irish char-woman, a marvel of physical -strength and shrewd humor, who takes under her wing a well-born but -friendless girl whom she finds alone and helpless in New York. - - “No sweeter humor has been written into a book.”--_Hartford Courant._ - - “Cheeriest, most warm-hearted and humorous character since Mrs. - Wiggs.”--_Living Age._ - - “Half an hour with ‘Martha’ puts one on better terms with the - world.”--_Washington_ (D. C.) _Star_. - - -=Making Over Martha= - -Fifth printing. $1.20 net. - -This story follows “Martha” and her family to the country, where she -again finds a love affair on her hands. - - “Fresh, wholesome, entertaining.”--_Churchman._ - - “‘Martha’ is not of the stuff to die.”--_Bellman._ - - “‘Martha’ brings hard sense and good humor.”--_New York Sun._ - - -=Martha and Cupid= - -Tells how “Martha” came to choose “Sam Slosson” for her husband, -how she spent the fund for her wedding outfit, how she solved the -“mother-in-law” and other “problems” in her family life. Just ready. -$1.00 net. - - - HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY - PUBLISHERS NEW YORK - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - -On page 15, Pease has been changed to Please. - -On page 19, pocketbook has been changed to pocket-book. - -On page 47, ratthaus has been changed to rathaus. - -On page 109, post-card has been changed to postcard. - -On page 139, traveling-cap has been changed to traveling cap. - -On page 173, farm-house has been changed to farmhouse. - -On page 212, doorstep has been changed to door-step. - -On page 220, river-bank has been changed to river bank. - -On page 238, church-tower has been changed to church tower. - -All other spelling, hyphenation and non-English dialogue and phrases - have been retained as typeset - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE COMRADE *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Little comrade</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Burton Egbert Stevenson</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: November 3, 2022 [eBook #69289]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: D A Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by Cornell University Digital Collections)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE COMRADE ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter hide" style="width: 35%"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Cover" /> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h1>LITTLE COMRADE</h1></div> - -<p class="center no-indent"><i>A TALE of the GREAT WAR</i></p> - -<p class="center no-indent">BY</p> - -<p class="center no-indent">BURTON E. STEVENSON</p> - -<p class="center no-indent p6b"><small>Author of “The Marathon Mystery,” “The Destroyer,” etc.</small></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 75px;"> -<img src="images/i_title.jpg" width="75" alt="Publishers Logo" -title="" /></div> - -<p class="center no-indent p6"><span class="smaller">NEW YORK</span><br /> -HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY<br /> -1915</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="center no-indent"><span class="smcap">Copyright</span>, 1914,<br /> -BY<br /> -BURTON E. STEVENSON<br /> -<br /> -<span class="smcap">Copyright</span>, 1915,<br /> -BY<br /> -HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY<br /> -<br /> -<i>Published March, 1915</i><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -THE QUINN & BODEN CO. PRESS<br /> -RAHWAY, N. J.</p></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3" summary="CONTENTS"> - -<tr><td class="tdc" colspan="3">CONTENTS</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdcs"><small>CHAPTER</small></td> -<td class="tdl"> </td> -<td class="tdcs"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">I.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Thirty-first of July</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">II.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The First Rumblings</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_18">18</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">III.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">“State of War”</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_38">38</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">IV.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Mystery of the Satin Slippers</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_52">52</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="tdtr">V.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">One Way to Acquire a Wife</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_59">59</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">VI.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Snare</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_80">80</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">VII.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">In the Trap</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_102">102</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">VIII.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Presto! Change!</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_130">130</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">IX.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Frontier</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_151">151</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">X.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Fortune Frowns</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_172">172</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">XI.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Night Attack</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_196">196</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">XII.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">An Army in Action</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_214">214</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">XIII.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Passage of the Meuse</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_234">234</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">XIV.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Last Dash</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_249">249</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">XV.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Disaster</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_267">267</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdtr">XVI.</td> -<td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Trust Fulfilled</span></td> -<td class="tdbr"><a href="#Page_285">285</a></td></tr> -</table></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="ph1" id="LITTLE_COMRADE">LITTLE COMRADE</p></div> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE THIRTY-FIRST OF JULY</span></h2> - -<p class="no-indent">“<span class="smcap">Let</span> us have coffee on the terrace,” Bloem suggested, -and, as his companion nodded, lifted a finger -to the waiter and gave the order.</p> - -<p>Both were a little sad, for this was their last -meal together. Though they had known each other -less than a fortnight, they had become fast friends. -They had been thrown together by chance at the -surgical congress at Vienna, where Bloem, finding -the American’s German lame and halting, had constituted -himself a sort of interpreter, and Stewart -had reciprocated by polishing away some of the -roughnesses and Teutonic involutions of Bloem’s -formal English.</p> - -<p>When the congress ended, they had journeyed -back together in leisurely fashion through Germany, -spending a day in medieval Nuremberg, another in -odorous Würzburg, and a third in mountain-shadowed -Heidelberg, where Bloem had sought out -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</span>some of his old comrades and initiated his American -friend into the mysteries of an evening session in -the Hirschgasse. Then they had turned northward -to Mayence, and so down the terraced Rhine to -Cologne. Here they were to part, Bloem to return to -his work at Elberfeld, Stewart for a week or two in -Brussels and Paris, and then home to America.</p> - -<p>Bloem’s train was to leave in an hour, and it was -the consciousness of this that kept them silent until -their waiter came to tell them that their coffee was -served. As they followed him through the hall, a -tall man in the uniform of a captain of infantry -entered from the street. His eyes brightened as he -caught sight of Bloem.</p> - -<p>“<i>Ach</i>, Hermann!” he cried.</p> - -<p>Bloem, turning, stopped an instant for a burlesque -salute, then threw himself into the other’s arms. -A moment later, he was dragging him forward to -introduce him to Stewart.</p> - -<p>“My cousin,” he cried, “Ritter Bloem, a soldier -as you see—a great fire-eater! Cousin, this is my -friend, Dr. Bradford Stewart, whom I had the good -fortune to meet at Vienna.”</p> - -<p>“I am pleased to know you, sir,” said the captain, -shaking hands and speaking excellent English.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</span></p> - -<p>“You must join us,” Bloem interposed. “We are -just going to have coffee on the terrace. Come,” and -he caught the other by the arm.</p> - -<p>But the captain shook his head.</p> - -<p>“No, I cannot come,” he said; “really I cannot, -much as I should like to do so. Dr. Stewart,” he -added, a little hesitatingly, “I trust you will not -think me discourteous if I take my cousin aside for -a moment.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly not,” Stewart assured him.</p> - -<p>“I will join you on the terrace,” said Bloem, and -Stewart, nodding good-by to the captain, followed -the waiter, who had stood by during this exchange -of greetings, and now led the way to a little table -at one corner of the broad balcony looking out over -the square.</p> - -<p>“Shall I pour the coffee, sir?” he asked, as Stewart -sat down.</p> - -<p>“No; I will wait for my companion,” and, as -the waiter bowed and stepped back, Stewart leaned -forward with a deep breath of admiration.</p> - -<p>Below him lay the green level of the Domhof, its -close-clipped trees outlined stiffly against the lights -behind them. Beyond rose the choir of the great -cathedral, with its fretted pinnacles, and flying buttresses,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</span> -and towering roof. By day, he had found -its exterior somewhat cold and bare and formal, -lacking somehow the subtle spirit of true Gothic; -but nothing could be more beautiful than it was -now, shimmering in the moonlight, bathed in luminous -shadow, lace-like and mysterious.</p> - -<p>He was still absorbed in this fairy vision when -Bloem rejoined him. Even in the half-light of the -terrace, Stewart could see that he was deeply moved. -His face, usually glowing with healthy color, -was almost haggard; his eyes seemed dull and -sunken.</p> - -<p>“No bad news, I hope?” Stewart asked.</p> - -<p>Without answering him, Bloem signaled the -waiter to pour the coffee, and sat watching him in -silence.</p> - -<p>“That will do,” he said in German; “we will -ring if we have need of you.” Then, as the waiter -withdrew, he glanced nervously about the terrace. -It was deserted save for a noisy group around a -table at the farther end. “There is very bad news, -my friend,” he added, almost in a whisper. “There -is going to be—war!”</p> - -<p>Stewart stared for an instant, astonished at the -gravity of his tone. Then he nodded comprehendingly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</span></p> - -<p>“Yes,” he said; “I had not thought of it; but I -suppose a war between Austria and Servia <i>will</i> affect -Germany more or less. Only I was hoping the -Powers would interfere and stop it.”</p> - -<p>“It seems it cannot be stopped,” said Bloem, -gloomily. “Russia is mobilizing to assist Servia. -Austria is Germany’s ally, and so Germany must -come to her aid. Unless Russia stops her mobilization, -we shall declare war against her. Our army -has already been called to the colors.”</p> - -<p>Stewart breathed a little deeper.</p> - -<p>“But perhaps Russia will desist when she realizes -her danger,” he suggested. “She must know -she is no match for Germany.”</p> - -<p>“She does know it,” Bloem agreed; “but she -also knows that she will not fight alone. It is not -against Russia we are mobilizing—it is against -France.”</p> - -<p>“Against France?” echoed the other. “But -surely——”</p> - -<p>“Do not speak so loud, I beg of you,” Bloem -cautioned. “What I am telling you is not yet generally -known—perhaps the dreadful thing we fear -will not happen, after all. But France is Russia’s -ally—she will be eager for war—for forty years she -has been preparing for this moment.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</span></p> - -<p>“Yes,” agreed Stewart, smiling, “I have heard -of ‘<i>la revanche</i>’; I have seen the mourning wreaths -on the Strassburg monument. I confess,” he added, -“that I sympathize with France’s dream of regaining -her lost provinces. So do most Americans. We -are a sentimental people.”</p> - -<p>“I, too, sympathize with that dream,” said Bloem, -quickly, “or at least I understand it. So do many -Germans. We have come to realize that the seizure -of Alsace and Lorraine, however justified by history, -was in effect a terrible mistake. We should have -been generous in our hour of triumph—that way -lay a chance of friendship with a people whose pride -remained unbroken by disaster. Instead, we chose -to heap insults upon a conquered foe, and we have -reaped a merited reward of detestation. Ironically -enough, those provinces which cost us so much have -been to us a source of weakness, not of strength. -We have had to fortify them, to police them, to -hold them in stern repression. Even yet, they must -be treated as conquered ground. You do not know—you -cannot realize—what that means!” He -stared out gloomily into the night. “I have served -there,” he added, hoarsely.</p> - -<p>There was something in his tone which sent a -shiver across Stewart’s scalp, as though he had -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</span>found himself suddenly at the brink of a horrible -abyss into which he dared not turn his eyes. He -fancied he could see in his companion’s somber face -the stirring of ghastly memories, of tragic experience——</p> - -<p>“But since France has not yet declared war,” he -said at last, “surely you will wait——”</p> - -<p>“Ah, my friend,” Bloem broke in, “we cannot -afford to wait. We must strike quickly and with all -our strength. There is no secret as to Germany’s -plan—France must be crushed under a mighty blow -before she can defend herself; after that it will be -Russia’s turn.”</p> - -<p>“And after that?”</p> - -<p>“After that? After that, we shall seize more -provinces and exact more huge indemnities—and -add just so much to our legacy of fear and hatred! -We are bound to a wheel from which we cannot -escape.”</p> - -<p>Stewart looked dazedly out over the lighted -square.</p> - -<p>“I can’t understand it,” he said, at last. “I don’t -understand how such things can be. They aren’t -possible. They’re too terrible to be true. This is a -civilized world—such things can never happen—humanity -won’t endure it!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</span></p> - -<p>Bloem passed a trembling hand before his eyes, as -a man awaking from a horrid dream.</p> - -<p>“Let us hope so, at least,” he said. “But I am -afraid; I shake with fear! Europe is topheavy -under the burden of her awful armaments; now, or -at some future time, she must come tumbling down; -she must—she must—” he paused, searching for a -word—“she must crumble. Perhaps that time has -come.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe it,” Stewart protested, stoutly. -“Some day she will realize the insane folly of this -armament, and it will cease.”</p> - -<p>“I wish I could believe so,” said Bloem, sadly; -“but you do not know, my friend, how we here in -Germany, for example, are weighed down by militarism. -You do not know the arrogance, the ignorance, -the narrow-mindedness of the military caste. -They do nothing for Germany—they add nothing to -her art, her science, or her literature—they add nothing -to her wealth—they destroy rather than build -up—and yet it is they who rule Germany. We are a -pacific people, we love our homes and a quiet life; -we are not a military people, and yet every man in -Germany must march to war when the word is -given. We ourselves have no voice in the matter. -We have only to obey.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</span></p> - -<p>“Obey whom?” asked Stewart.</p> - -<p>“The Emperor,” answered Bloem, bitterly. -“With all our progress, my friend, with all our -development in science and industry, with all our -literature and art, with all our philosophy, we still -live in a medieval State, ruled by a king who believes -himself divinely appointed, who can do no wrong, -and who, in time of war at least, has absolute power -over us. And the final decision as to war or peace -is wholly in his hands. Understand I do not complain -of the Emperor; he has done great things for -Germany; he has often cast his influence for peace. -But he is surrounded by aristocrats intent only on -maintaining their privileges, who are terrified by -the growth of democratic ideas; who believe that the -only way to checkmate democracy is by a great war. -It is they who preach the doctrine of blood and iron; -who hold that Cæsar is sacrosanct. The Emperor -struggles against them; but some day they will prove -too strong for him. Besides, he himself believes in -blood and iron; he hates democracy as bitterly as -anyone, for it denies the divine right of kings!” -He stopped suddenly, his finger to his ear. -“Listen!” he said.</p> - -<p>Down the street, from the direction of the river, -came a low, continuous murmur, as of the wind -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</span>among the leaves of a forest; then, as it grew -clearer, it resolved itself into the tramp, tramp of -iron-shod feet. Bloem leaned far forward staring -into the darkness; and suddenly, at the corner, three -mounted officers appeared; then a line of soldiers -wheeled into view; then another and another and -another, moving as one man. The head of the -column crossed the square, passed behind the church -and disappeared, but still the tide poured on with -slow and regular undulation, dim, mysterious, and -threatening. At last the rear of the column came -into view, passed, disappeared; the clatter of iron on -stone softened to a shuffle, to a murmur, died away.</p> - -<p>With a long breath, Bloem sat erect and passed his -handkerchief across his shining forehead.</p> - -<p>“There is one battalion,” he said; “one unit -composed of a thousand lesser units—each unit a -man with a soul like yours and mine; with hopes and -ambitions; with women to love him; and now -marching to death, perhaps, in the ranks yonder -without in the least knowing why. There are four -million such units in the army the Emperor can -call into the field. I am one of them—I shall march -like the rest!”</p> - -<p>“You!”</p> - -<p>“Yes—I am a private in the Elberfeld battalion.” -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</span>He spread out his delicate, sensitive, surgeon’s hands -and looked at them. “I was at one time a sergeant,” -he added, “but my discipline did not satisfy -my lieutenant and I was reduced to the ranks.”</p> - -<p>Stewart also stared at those beautiful hands, so -expressive, so expert. How vividly they typified -the waste of war!</p> - -<p>“But it’s absurd,” he protested, “that a man like -you—highly-trained, highly-educated, a specialist—should -be made to shoulder a rifle. In the ranks, you -are worth no more than the most ignorant peasant.”</p> - -<p>“Not so much,” corrected Bloem. “Our ideal -soldier is one whose obedience is instant and unquestioning.”</p> - -<p>“But why are you not placed where you would be -most efficient—in the hospital corps, perhaps?”</p> - -<p>“There are enough old and middle-aged surgeons -for that duty. Young men must fight! Besides, I -am suspected of having too many ideas!”</p> - -<p>He sat for a moment longer staring down at his -hands—staring too, perhaps, at his career so ruthlessly -shattered—then he shook himself together and -glanced across at his companion with a wry little -smile.</p> - -<p>“You will think me a great croaker!” he said. -“It was the first shock—the thought of everything -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</span>going to pieces. In a day or two, I shall be marching -as light-heartedly as all the others—knowing -only that I am fighting the enemies of my country—and -wishing to know no more!”</p> - -<p>But Stewart did not answer the smile. Confused -thoughts were flying through his head—thoughts -which he struggled to compose into some order or -sequence.</p> - -<p>Bloem looked at him for a moment, and his smile -grew more ironic.</p> - -<p>“I can guess what is in your mind,” he said. -“You are wondering why we march at all—why we -offer ourselves as cannon-fodder, if we do not wish -to do so. You are thinking of defiances, of revolutions. -But there will never be a revolution in Germany—not -in this generation.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I was thinking something like that,” -Stewart agreed. “Why will there be no revolution?”</p> - -<p>“Because we are too thoroughly drilled in the -habit of obedience. That habit is grooved deep into -our brains. Were any of us so rash as to start a -revolution, the government could stop it with a -single word.”</p> - -<p>“A single word?”</p> - -<p>“Yes—‘<i>verboten</i>’!” retorted Bloem, with a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</span>short laugh. Then he pushed back his chair and -rose abruptly. “I must say good-by. My orders -are awaiting me at Elberfeld.”</p> - -<p>Stewart rose too, his face still mazed with incredulity.</p> - -<p>“You really mean——”</p> - -<p>“I mean,” Bloem broke in, “that to-morrow I -go to my depot, hang about my neck the metal tag -stamped with my number, put on my uniform and -shoulder my rifle. I cease to be an individual—I become -a soldier. Good-by, my friend,” he added, his -voice softening. “Think of me sometimes, in that -far-off, sublime America of yours. One thing more—do -not linger in Germany—things will be very -different here under martial law. Get home as -quickly as you can; and, in the midst of your peace -and happiness, pity us poor blind worms who are -forced to slay each other!”</p> - -<p>“But I will go with you to the station,” Stewart -protested.</p> - -<p>“No, no,” said Bloem; “you must not do that. -I am to meet my cousin. Good-by. <i>Lebe wohl!</i>”</p> - -<p>“Good-by—and good luck!” and Stewart wrung -the hand thrust into his. “You have been most -kind to me.”</p> - -<p>Bloem answered only with a little shake of the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</span>head; then turned resolutely and hastened from -the terrace.</p> - -<p>Stewart sank back into his seat more moved than -he would have believed possible by this parting from -a man whom, a fortnight before, he had not known -at all. Poor Bloem! To what fate was he being -hurried! A cultured man graded down to the level -of the hind; a gentleman set to the task of slaughter; -a democrat driven to fight in defense of the divine -right of kings! But could such a fight succeed? -Was any power strong enough to drag back the -hands of time——</p> - -<p>And then Stewart started violently, for someone -had touched him on the shoulder. He looked up to -find standing over him a tall man in dark blue uniform -and wearing a spiked helmet.</p> - -<p>“Your pardon, sir,” said the man in careful English; -“I am an agent of the police. I must ask -you certain questions.”</p> - -<p>“Very well,” agreed Stewart with a smile. “Go -ahead—I have nothing to conceal. But won’t you -sit down?”</p> - -<p>“I thank you,” and the policeman sat down heavily. -“You are, I believe, an American.”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Have you a passport?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</span></p> - -<p>“Yes—I was foolish enough to get one before I -left home. All my friends laughed at me and told -me I was wasting a dollar!”</p> - -<p>“I should like to see it.”</p> - -<p>Stewart put his hand into an inner pocket, drew -out the crackling parchment and passed it over. -The other took it, unfolded it, glanced at the red -seal and at the date, then read the very vague description -of its owner, and finally drew out a notebook.</p> - -<p>“Please sign your name here,” he said, and indicated -a blank page.</p> - -<p>Stewart wrote his name, and the officer compared -it with the signature at the bottom of the passport. -Then he nodded, folded it up, and handed it back -across the table.</p> - -<p>“It is quite regular,” he said. “For what time -have you been in Germany?”</p> - -<p>“About two weeks. I attended the surgical congress -at Vienna.”</p> - -<p>“You are a surgeon by profession?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“You are now on your way home?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“When will you leave Germany?”</p> - -<p>“I am going from here to Aix-la-Chapelle in the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</span>morning, and expect to leave there for Brussels to-morrow -afternoon or Sunday morning at the latest.”</p> - -<p>The officer noted these details in his book.</p> - -<p>“At what hotel will you stay in Aachen?” he -asked.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. Is there a good one near the -station?”</p> - -<p>“The Kölner Hof is near the station. It is not -large, but it is very good. It is starred by -Baedeker.”</p> - -<p>“Then I will go there,” said Stewart.</p> - -<p>“Very good,” and the officer wrote, “Kölner -Hof, Aachen,” after Stewart’s name, closed his notebook -and slipped it into his pocket. “You understand, -sir, that it is our duty to keep watch over all -strangers, as much for their own protection as for -any other reason.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” assented Stewart, “I understand. I have -heard that there is some danger of war.”</p> - -<p>“Of that I know nothing,” said the other coldly, -and rose quickly to his feet. “I bid you good-night, -sir.”</p> - -<p>“Good-night,” responded Stewart, and watched -the upright figure until it disappeared.</p> - -<p>Then, lighting a fresh cigar, he gazed out at the -great cathedral, nebulous and dream-like in the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</span>darkness, and tried to picture to himself what such -a war would mean as Bloem had spoken of. With -men by the million dragged into the vast armies, -who would harvest Europe’s grain, who would work -in her factories, who would conduct her business? -Above all, who would feed the women and children?</p> - -<p>And where would the money come from—the -millions needed daily to keep such armies in the -field? Where could it come from, save from the -sweat of inoffensive people, who must be starved -and robbed and ground into the earth until the last -penny was wrung from them? Along the line of -battle, thousands would meet swift death, and thousands -more would struggle back to life through the -torments of hell, to find themselves maimed and -useless. But how trivial their sufferings beside -the slow, hopeless, year-long martyrdom of the -countless thousands who would never see a battle, -who would know little of the war—who would -know only that never thereafter was there food -enough, warmth enough——</p> - -<p>Stewart started from his reverie to find the waiter -putting out the lights. Shivering as with a sudden -chill, he hastily sought his room.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE FIRST RUMBLINGS</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">As</span> Stewart ate his breakfast next morning, he -smiled at his absurd fears of the night before. In -the clear light of day, Bloem’s talk of war seemed -mere foolishness. War! Nonsense! Europe would -never be guilty of such folly—a deliberate plunge -to ruin.</p> - -<p>Besides, there were no evidences of war; the life -of the city was moving in its accustomed round, so -far as Stewart could see; and there was vast reassurance -in the quiet and orderly service of the -breakfast-room. No doubt the Powers had bethought -themselves, had interfered, had stopped the -war between Austria and Servia, had ceased mobilization—in -a word, had saved Europe from an -explosion which would have shaken her from end -to end.</p> - -<p>But when Stewart asked for his bill, the proprietor, -instead of intrusting it as usual to the head-waiter, -presented it in person.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</span></p> - -<p>“If Herr Stewart would pay in gold, it would be -a great favor,” he said.</p> - -<p>Like all Americans, Stewart, unaccustomed to -gold and finding its weight burdensome, carried -banknotes whenever it was possible to do so. -Emptying his pockets now, he found, besides a miscellaneous -lot of silver and nickel and copper, a -single small gold coin, value ten marks.</p> - -<p>“But I have plenty of paper,” he said, and, producing -his pocket-book, spread five notes for a hundred -marks each before him on the table. “What’s -the matter with it?”</p> - -<p>“There is nothing at all the matter with it, sir,” -the little fat German hastened to assure him; “only, -just at present, there is a preference for gold. I -would advise that you get gold for these notes, if -possible.”</p> - -<p>“I have a Cook’s letter of credit,” said Stewart. -“They would give me gold. Where is Cook’s office -here?”</p> - -<p>“It is but a step up the street, sir,” answered the -other eagerly. “Come, I will show you,” and, -hastening to the door, he pointed out the office at -the end of a row of buildings jutting out toward -the cathedral.</p> - -<p>Stewart, the banknotes in his hand, hastened -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</span>thither, and found quite a crowd of people drawing -money on traveler’s checks and letters of credit. -He noticed that they were all being paid in gold. -They, too, it seemed, had heard rumors of war, had -been advised to get gold; but most of them treated -the rumors as a joke and were heeding the -advice only because they needed gold to pay their -bills.</p> - -<p>Even if there was war, they told each other, it -could not affect them. At most, it would only add -a spice of excitement and adventure to the remainder -of their European tour; what they most feared was -that they would not be permitted to see any of the -fighting! A few of the more timid shamefacedly -confessed that they were getting ready to turn homeward, -but by far the greater number proclaimed the -fact that they had made up their minds not to alter -their plans in any detail. So much Stewart gathered -as he stood in line waiting his turn; then he -was in front of the cashier’s window.</p> - -<p>The cashier looked rather dubious when Stewart -laid the banknotes down and asked for gold.</p> - -<p>“I am carrying one of your letters of credit,” -Stewart explained, and produced it. “I got these -notes on it at Heidelberg just the other day. Now -it seems they’re no good.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</span></p> - -<p>“They are perfectly good,” the cashier assured -him; “but some of the tradespeople, who are always -suspicious and ready to take alarm, are demanding -gold. How long will you be in Germany?”</p> - -<p>“I go to Belgium to-night or to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>“Then you can use French gold,” said the cashier, -with visible relief. “Will one hundred marks in -German gold carry you through? Yes? I think I -can arrange it on that basis;” and when Stewart assented, -counted out five twenty-mark pieces and -twenty-four twenty-franc pieces. “I think you are -wise to leave Germany as soon as possible,” he -added, in a low tone, as Stewart gathered up this -money and bestowed it about his person. “We do -not wish to alarm anyone, and we are not offering -advice, but if war comes, Germany will not be a -pleasant place for strangers.”</p> - -<p>“Is it really coming?” Stewart asked. “Is there -any news?”</p> - -<p>“There is nothing definite—just a feeling in the -air—but I believe that it is coming,” and he turned -to the next in line.</p> - -<p>Stewart hastened back to the hotel, where his landlord -received with reiterated thanks the thirty marks -needed to settle the bill. When that transaction -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</span>was ended, he glanced nervously about the empty -office, and then leaned close.</p> - -<p>“You leave this morning, do you not, sir?” he -asked, in a tone cautiously lowered.</p> - -<p>“Yes; I am going to Aix-la-Chapelle.”</p> - -<p>“Take my advice, sir,” said the landlord earnestly, -“and do not stop there. Go straight on to -Brussels.”</p> - -<p>“But why?” asked Stewart. “Everybody is advising -me to get out of Germany. What danger can -there be?”</p> - -<p>“No danger, perhaps, but very great annoyance. -It is rumored that the Emperor has already signed -the proclamation declaring Germany in a state of -war. It may be posted at any moment.”</p> - -<p>“Suppose it is—what then? What difference can -that make to me—or to any American?”</p> - -<p>“I see you do not know what those words mean,” -said the little landlord, leaning still closer and speaking -with twitching lips. “When Germany is in a -state of war, all civil authority ceases; the military -authority is everywhere supreme. The state takes -charge of all railroads, and no private persons will -be permitted on them until the troops have been -mobilized, which will take at least a week; even -after that, the trains will run only when the military -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</span>authorities think proper, and never past the frontier. -The telegraphs are taken and will send no private -messages; no person may enter or leave the country -until his identity is clearly established; every stranger -in the country will be placed under arrest, if -there is any reason to suspect him. All motor -vehicles are seized, all horses, all stores of food. -Business stops, because almost all the men must go -to the army. I must close my hotel because there -will be no men left to work for me. Even if the men -were left, there would be no custom when travel -ceases. Every shop will be closed which cannot be -managed by women; every factory will shut, unless -its product is needed by the army. Your letter of -credit will be worthless, because there will be no -way in which our bankers can get gold from America. -No—at that time, Germany will be no place for -strangers.”</p> - -<p>Stewart listened incredulously, for all this sounded -like the wildest extravagance. He could not believe -that business and industry would fall to pieces like -that—it was too firmly founded, too strongly built.</p> - -<p>“What I have said is true, sir, believe me,” said -the little man, earnestly, seeing his skeptical countenance. -“One thing more—have you a passport?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said Stewart, and tapped his pocket.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</span></p> - -<p>“That is good. That will save you trouble at the -frontier. Ah, here is your baggage. Good-by, sir, -and a safe voyage to your most fortunate country.”</p> - -<p>A brawny porter shouldered the two suit-cases -which held Stewart’s belongings, and the latter followed -him along the hall to the door. As he stepped -out upon the terrace, he saw drawn up there about -twenty men—some with the black coats of waiters, -some with the white caps of cooks, some with the -green aprons of porters—while a bearded man in a -spiked helmet was checking off their names in a -little book. At the sound of Stewart’s footsteps, he -turned and cast upon him the cold, impersonal -glance of German officialdom. Then he looked at -the porter.</p> - -<p>“You will return as quickly as possible,” he said -gruffly in German to the latter, and returned to his -checking.</p> - -<p>As they crossed the Domhof and skirted the rear -of the cathedral, Stewart noticed that many of the -shops were locked and shuttered, and that the street -seemed strangely deserted. Only as they neared the -station did the crowd increase. It was evident that -many tourists, warned, perhaps, as Stewart had -been, had made up their minds to get out of Germany; -but the train drawn up beside the platform -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</span>was a long one, and there was room for everybody. -It was a good-humored crowd, rather inclined to -laugh at its own fears and to protest that this journey -was entirely in accordance with a pre-arranged -schedule; but it grew quieter and quieter as moment -after moment passed and the train did not start.</p> - -<p>That a German train should not start precisely -on time was certainly unusual; that it should wait -for twenty minutes beyond that time was staggering. -But the station-master, pacing solemnly up -and down the platform, paid no heed to the inquiries -addressed to him, and the guards answered only by -a shake of the head which might mean anything. -Then, quite suddenly, above the noises of the station, -menacing and insistent came the low, ceaseless -shuffle of approaching feet.</p> - -<p>A moment later the head of an infantry column -appeared at the station entrance. It halted there, -and an officer, in a long, gray cape that fell to his -ankles, strode toward the station-master, who hastened -to meet him. There was a moment’s conference, -and then the station-master, saluting for the -tenth time, turned to the expectant guards.</p> - -<p>“Clear the train!” he shouted in stentorian German, -and the guards sprang eagerly to obey.</p> - -<p>The scene which followed is quite indescribable. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</span>All the Germans in the train hastened to get off, as -did everybody else who understood what was demanded -and knew anything of the methods of -militarism. But many did not understand; a few -who did made the mistake of standing upon what -they conceived to be their rights and refusing to be -separated from their luggage—and all alike, men, -women, and children, were yanked from their seats -and deposited upon the platform. Some were deposited -upon their feet—but not many. Women -screamed as rough and seemingly hostile hands were -laid upon them; men, red and inarticulate with -anger, attempted ineffectually to resist. In a moment -one and all found themselves shut off by a -line of police which had suddenly appeared from -nowhere and drawn up before the train.</p> - -<p>Then a whistle sounded and the soldiers began -to file into the carriages in the most systematic -manner. Twenty-four men entered each compartment—ten -sitting down and fourteen standing up or -sitting upon the others’ laps. Each coach, therefore, -held one hundred and forty-four; and the battalion -of seven hundred and twenty men exactly filled five -coaches—just as the General Staff had long ago figured -that it should.</p> - -<p>Stewart, after watching this marvel of organization<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</span> -for a moment, realized that, if any carriages -were empty, it would be the ones at the end of the -train, and quietly made his way thither. At last, in -the rear coach, he came to a compartment in which -sat one man, evidently a German, with a melancholy, -bearded face. Before the door stood a guard watching -the battalion entrain.</p> - -<p>“May one get aboard?” Stewart inquired, in his -best German.</p> - -<p>The guard held up his hand for an instant; then -the gold-braided station-master shouted a sentence -which Stewart could not distinguish; but the guard -dropped his hand and nodded.</p> - -<p>Looking back, the American saw a wild mob -charging down the platform toward him, and hastily -swung himself aboard. As he dropped into his seat, -he could hear the shrieks and oaths of the mêlée outside, -and the next moment, a party of breathless and -disheveled women were storming the door. They -were panting, exhausted, inarticulate with rage and -chagrin; they fell in, rolled in, stumbled in, until the -compartment was jammed.</p> - -<p>Stewart, swept from his seat at the first impact, -but rallying and doing what he could to bring order -out of chaos, could not but admire the manner in -which his bearded fellow-passenger clung immovably<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</span> -to his seat until the last woman was aboard, -and then reached quickly out, slammed shut the -door, and held it shut, despite the entreaties of the -lost souls who drifted despairingly past along the -platform, seemingly blind, deaf, and totally uninterested -in what was passing around him.</p> - -<p>Then Stewart looked at the women. Nine were -crowded into the seats; eight were standing; all were -red and perspiring; and most of them had plainly -lost their tempers. Stewart was perspiring himself, -and he got out his handkerchief and mopped his -forehead; then he ventured to speak.</p> - -<p>“Well,” he said; “so this is war! I have always -heard it was warm work!”</p> - -<p>Most of the women merely glared at him and -went on adjusting their clothing, and fastening up -their hair, and straightening their hats; but one, a -buxom woman of forty-eight or fifty, who was -crowded next to him, and who had evidently suffered -more than her share of the general misfortune, -turned sharply.</p> - -<p>“Are you an American?” she demanded.</p> - -<p>“I am, madam.”</p> - -<p>“And you stand by and see your countrywomen -treated in this perfectly outrageous fashion?”</p> - -<p>“My dear madam,” protested Stewart, “what -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</span>could one man—even an American—do against a -thousand?”</p> - -<p>“You could at least——”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense, mother,” broke in another voice, and -Stewart turned to see that it was a slim, pale girl -of perhaps twenty-two who spoke. “The gentleman -is quite right. Besides, I thought it rather good -fun.”</p> - -<p>“Good fun!” snapped her mother. “Good fun -to be jerked about and trampled on and insulted! -And where is our baggage? Will we ever see it -again?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, the baggage is safe enough,” Stewart assured -her. “The troops will detrain somewhere -this side the frontier, and we can all take our old -seats.”</p> - -<p>“But why should they travel by this train? Why -should they not take another train? Why should -they——”</p> - -<p>“Are we all here?” broke in an anxious voice. -“Is anyone missing?”</p> - -<p>There was a moment’s counting, then a general -sigh of relief. The number was found correct.</p> - -<p>From somewhere up the line a whistle sounded, -and the state of the engine-driver’s nerves could be -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</span>inferred from the jerk with which he started—quite -an American jerk. All the women who were standing, -screamed and clutched at each other and swayed -back and forth as if wrestling. Stewart found himself -wrestling with the buxom woman.</p> - -<p>“I cannot stand!” she declared. “It is outrageous -that I should have to stand!” and she fixed -glittering eyes upon the bearded stranger. “No -American would remain seated while a woman of -my age was standing!”</p> - -<p>But the bearded stranger gazed blandly out of the -window at the passing landscape.</p> - -<p>There was a moment’s silence, during which -everyone looked at the heartless culprit. Stewart -had an uneasy feeling that, if he were to do his duty -as an American, he would grab the offender by the -collar and hurl him through the window. Then -the woman next to the stranger bumped resolutely -into him, pressed him into the corner, and disclosed -a few inches of the seat.</p> - -<p>“Sit here, Mrs. Field,” she said. “We can all -squeeze up a little.”</p> - -<p>The pressure was tremendous when Mrs. Field -sat down; but the carriage was strongly built and -the sides held. The slender girl came and stood by -Stewart.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</span></p> - -<p>“What’s it all about?” she asked. “Has there -been a riot or something?”</p> - -<p>“There is going to be a most awful riot,” answered -Stewart, “unless all signs fail. Germany is -mobilizing her troops to attack France.”</p> - -<p>“To attack France! How outrageous! It’s that -Kaiser Wilhelm, I suppose! Well, I hope France -will simply clean him up!”</p> - -<p>“So do I!” cried her mother. “The Germans -are not gentlemen. They do not know how to treat -women!”</p> - -<p>“‘<i>Kochen, Kirche und Kinder!</i>’” quoted somebody, -in a high voice.</p> - -<p>“But see here,” protested Stewart, with a glance -at the bearded stranger, who was still staring steadily -out of the window, “if I were you, I’d wait till I -was out of Germany before saying so. It would be -safer!”</p> - -<p>“Safer!” echoed an elderly woman with a high -nose. “I should like to see them harm an American!”</p> - -<p>Stewart turned away to the window with a gesture -of despair, and caught the laughing eyes of the -girl who stood beside him.</p> - -<p>“Don’t blame them too much,” she said. -“They’re not themselves. Usually they are all quite -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</span>polite and well-behaved; but now they are perfectly -savage. And I don’t blame them. I didn’t mind so -much, because I’m slim and long-legged and not -very dignified; but if I were a stout, elderly woman, -rather proud of my appearance, I would bitterly -resent being yanked out of a seat and violently propelled -across a platform by a bearded ruffian with -dirty hands. Wouldn’t you?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” agreed Stewart, laughing; “I should -probably kick and bite and behave in a most undignified -manner.”</p> - -<p>The girl leaned closer.</p> - -<p>“Some of them did!” she murmured.</p> - -<p>Stewart laughed again and looked at her with -fresh interest. It was something to find a woman -who could preserve her sense of humor under such -circumstances.</p> - -<p>“You have been doing the continent?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes, seventeen of us; all from Philadelphia.”</p> - -<p>“And you’ve had a good time, of course?”</p> - -<p>“We’d have had a better if we had brought a man -along. I never realized before how valuable men -are. Women aren’t fitted by nature to wrestle with -time-tables and cabbies and hotel-bills and head-waiters. -This trip has taught me to respect men -more than I have ever done.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</span></p> - -<p>“Then it hasn’t been wasted. But you say you’re -from Philadelphia. I know some people in Philadelphia—the -Courtlandt Bryces are sort of cousins -of mine.”</p> - -<p>But the girl shook her head.</p> - -<p>“That sort of thing happens only in novels,” she -said. “But there is no reason I shouldn’t tell you -my name, if you want to know it. It is Millicent -Field, and its possessor is very undistinguished—just -a school-teacher—not at all in the same social -circle as the Courtlandt Bryces.”</p> - -<p>Stewart colored a little.</p> - -<p>“My name is Bradford Stewart,” he said, “and -I also am very undistinguished—just a surgeon on -the staff at Johns Hopkins. Did you get to -Vienna?”</p> - -<p>“No; that was too far for us.”</p> - -<p>“There was a clinic there; I saw some wonderful -things. These German surgeons certainly know -their business.”</p> - -<p>Miss Field made a little grimace.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps,” she admitted. “But do you know the -impression of Germany that I am taking home with -me? It is that Germany is a country run solely in -the interests of the male half of creation. Women -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</span>are tolerated only because they are necessary in the -scheme of things.”</p> - -<p>Stewart laughed.</p> - -<p>“There was a book published a year or two ago,” -he said, “called ‘Germany and the Germans.’ Perhaps -you read it?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“I remember it for one remark. Its author says -that Germany is the only country on earth where the -men’s hands are better kept than the women’s.”</p> - -<p>Miss Field clapped her hands in delight.</p> - -<p>“Delicious!” she cried. “Splendid! And it is -true,” she added, more seriously. “Did you see -the women cleaning the streets in Munich?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“And harvesting the grain, and spreading manure, -and carrying great burdens—doing all the -dirty work and the heavy work. What are the men -doing, I should like to know?”</p> - -<p>“Madam,” spoke up the bearded stranger by -the window, in a deep voice which made everybody -jump, “I will tell you what the men are doing—they -are in the army, preparing themselves for the -defense of their fatherland. Do you think it is of -choice they leave the harvesting and street-cleaning -and carrying of burdens to their mothers and wives -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</span>and sisters? No; it is because for them is reserved -a greater task—the task of confronting the revengeful -hate of France, the envious hate of England, the -cruel hate of Russia. That is their task to-day, -madam, and they accept it with light hearts, confident -of victory!”</p> - -<p>There was a moment’s silence. Mrs. Field was -the first to find her voice.</p> - -<p>“All the same,” she said, “that does not justify -the use of cows as draft animals!”</p> - -<p>The German stared at her an instant in astonishment, -then turned away to the window with a gesture -of contempt, as of one who refuses to argue -with lunatics, and paid no further heed to the -Americans.</p> - -<p>With them, the conversation turned from war, -which none of them really believed would come, to -home, for which they were all longing. Home, -Stewart told himself, means everything to middle-aged -women of fixed habits. It was astonishing -that they should tear themselves away from it, even -for a tour of Europe, for to them travel meant -martyrdom. Home! How their eyes brightened -as they spoke the word! They were going through -to Brussels, then to Ostend, after a look at Ghent -and Bruges, and so to England and their boat.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</span></p> - -<p>“I intend to spend the afternoon at Aix-la-Chapelle,” -said Stewart, “and go on to Brussels -to-night or in the morning. Perhaps I shall see -you there.”</p> - -<p>Miss Field mentioned the hotel at which the -party would stop.</p> - -<p>“What is there at Aix-la-Chapelle?” she asked. -“I suppose I ought to know, but I don’t.”</p> - -<p>“There’s a cathedral, with the tomb of Charlemagne, -and his throne, and a lot of other relics. I -was always impressed by Charlemagne. He was the -real thing in the way of emperors.”</p> - -<p>“I should like to see his tomb,” said Miss Field. -“Why can’t we stop at Aix-la-Chapelle, mother?”</p> - -<p>But Mrs. Field shook her head.</p> - -<p>“We will get out of Germany as quickly as we -can,” she said, and the other members of the party -nodded their hearty agreement.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the train rolled steadily on through a -beautiful and peaceful country, where war seemed -incredible and undreamed of. White villas dotted -the thickly-wooded hillsides; quaint villages huddled -in the valleys. And finally the train crossed a -long viaduct and rumbled into the station at Aix-la-Chapelle.</p> - -<p>The platform was deserted, save for a few guards -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</span>and porters. Stewart opened the door and was -about to step out, when a guard waved him violently -back. Looking forward, he saw that the -soldiers were detraining.</p> - -<p>“Good!” he said. “You can get your old seats -again!” and, catching the eye of the guard, gave -him a nod which promised a liberal tip.</p> - -<p>That worthy understood it perfectly, and the -moment the last soldier was on the platform, he -beckoned to Stewart and his party, assisted them to -find their old compartments, ejected a peasant who -had taken refuge in one of them, assured the ladies -that they would have no further inconvenience, and -summoned a porter to take charge of Stewart’s suit-cases. -In short, he did everything he could to earn -the shining three-mark piece which Stewart slipped -into his hand.</p> - -<p>And then, after receiving the thanks of the ladies -and promising to look them up in Brussels, Stewart -followed his porter across the platform to the entrance.</p> - -<p>Millicent Field looked after him a little wistfully.</p> - -<p>“How easy it is for a man to do things!” she -remarked to nobody in particular. “Never speak to -me again of woman suffrage!”</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III<br /> -<span class="smaller">“STATE OF WAR”</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">Stewart</span>, following his porter, was engulfed in the -human tide which had been beating clamorously -against the gates, and which surged forward across -the platform as soon as they were opened. There -were tourists of all nations, alarmed by the threat -of war, and there were also many people who, to -Stewart at least, appeared to be Germans; and all of -them were running toward the train, looking neither -to the right nor left, dragging along as much luggage -as they could carry.</p> - -<p>As he stepped aside for a moment out of the way -of this torrent, Stewart found himself beside the -bearded stranger who had waxed eloquent in defense -of Germany. He was watching the crowd with a -look at once mocking and sardonic, as a spider might -watch a fly struggling vainly to escape from the -web. He glanced at Stewart, then turned away -without any sign of recognition.</p> - -<p>“Where do you go, sir?” the porter asked, when -they were safely through the gates.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</span></p> - -<p>“To the Kölner Hof.”</p> - -<p>“It is but a step,” said the porter, and he unhooked -his belt, passed it through the handles of the -suit-cases, hooked it together again and lifted it to -his shoulder. “This way, sir, if you please.”</p> - -<p>The Kölner Hof proved to be a modest inn just -around the corner, where Stewart was received most -cordially by the plump, high-colored landlady. -Lunch would be ready in a few minutes; meanwhile, -if the gentleman would follow the waiter, -he would be shown to a room where he could remove -the traces of his journey. But first would the gentleman -fill in the blank required by the police?</p> - -<p>So Stewart filled in the blank, which demanded his -name, his nationality, his age, his business, his home -address, the place from which he had come to Aix-la-Chapelle -and the place to which he would go on -leaving it, handed it back to the smiling landlady, -and followed an ugly, hang-dog waiter up the stair.</p> - -<p>The room into which he was shown was a very -pleasant one, scrupulously clean, and as he made his -toilet, Stewart reflected how much more of comfort -and how much warmer welcome was often to be had -at the small inns than at the big ones, and mentally -thanked the officer of police who had recommended -this one. He found he had further reason for gratitude<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</span> -when he sat down to lunch, served on a little -table set in one corner of a shady court—the best -lunch he had eaten for a long time, as he told the -landlady when she came out presently, knitting in -hand, and sat down near him. She could speak a -little English, it appeared, and a little French, and -these, with Stewart’s little German, afforded a medium -of communication limping, it is true, but sufficient.</p> - -<p>She received the compliments of her guest with -the dignity of one who knew them to be deserved.</p> - -<p>“I do what I can to please my patrons,” she said; -“and indeed I have had no cause to complain, for -the season has been very good. But this war—it -will ruin us innkeepers—there will be no more -travelers. Already, I hear, Spa, Ostend, Carlsbad, -Baden—such places as those—are deserted just -when the season should be at its best. What do you -think of it—this war?”</p> - -<p>“Most probably it is just another scare,” said -Stewart. “War seems scarcely possible in these -days—it is too cruel, too absurd. An agreement -will be reached.”</p> - -<p>“I am sure I hope so, sir; but it looks very bad. -For three days now our troops have been passing -through Aachen toward the frontier.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</span></p> - -<p>“How far away is the frontier?”</p> - -<p>“About ten miles. The customhouse is at Herbesthal.”</p> - -<p>“Ten miles!” echoed Stewart in surprise. “The -frontier of France?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no—the frontier of Belgium.”</p> - -<p>“But why should they concentrate along the Belgian -frontier?” Stewart demanded.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps they fear an attack from that direction. -Or perhaps,” she added, calmly, “they are preparing -to seize Belgium. I have often heard it said -that Belgium should belong to Germany.”</p> - -<p>“But look here,” protested Stewart, hotly, “Germany -can’t seize a country just because it happens -to be smaller and weaker than she is!”</p> - -<p>“Can’t she?” inquired the landlady, seemingly -astonished at his indignation. “Why is that?”</p> - -<p>Her eyes were shining strangely as she lowered -them to her knitting; and there was a moment’s -silence, broken only by the rapid clicking of her -needles. For Stewart found himself unable to answer -her question. Ever since history began, big -countries had been seizing smaller ones, and great -powers crushing weaker ones. If Austria might -seize Bosnia and Italy Tripoli, why might not Germany -seize Belgium? And he suddenly realized -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</span>that, in spite of protests and denials and hypocrisies, -between nation and nation the law of the jungle was, -even yet, often the only law!</p> - -<p>“At any rate,” pursued the landlady, at last, “I -have heard that great intrenchments are being built -all along there, and that supplies for a million men -have been assembled. There has been talk of war -many times before, and nothing has come of it; -but there have never been such preparations as -these.”</p> - -<p>“Let us hope it is only the Kaiser rattling his -sword again—a little louder than usual. I confess,” -he added more soberly, “that as an American I -haven’t much sympathy with Prussian militarism. -I have sometimes thought that a war which would -put an end to it once for all would be a good thing.”</p> - -<p>The woman shot him a glance surprisingly quick -and piercing.</p> - -<p>“That is also the opinion of many here in Germany,” -she said in a low voice; “but it is an opinion -which cannot be uttered.” She checked herself -quickly as the ugly waiter approached. “How long -will the gentleman remain in Aachen?” she asked, -in another tone.</p> - -<p>“I am going on to Brussels this evening. There -is a train at six o’clock, is there not?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</span></p> - -<p>“At six o’clock, yes, sir. It will be well for the -gentleman to have a light dinner before his departure. -The train may be delayed—and the journey -to Brussels is of seven hours.”</p> - -<p>“Very well,” agreed Stewart, rising. “I will be -back about five. How does one get to the cathedral?”</p> - -<p>“Turn to your right, sir, as you leave the hotel. -The first street is the Franzstrasse. It will lead you -straight to the church.”</p> - -<p>Stewart thanked her and set off. The Franzstrasse -proved to be a wide thoroughfare, bordered -by handsome shops, but many of them were closed -and the street itself was almost deserted. It opened -upon a narrower street, at the end of which Stewart -could see the lofty choir of the minster.</p> - -<p>Presently he became aware of a chorus of high-pitched -voices, which grew more and more distinct -as he advanced. It sounded like a lot of women in -violent altercation, and then in a moment he saw -what it was, for he came out upon an open square -covered with market-stalls, and so crowded that one -could scarcely get across it. Plainly the frugal -wives of Aachen were laying in supplies against the -time when all food would grow scarce and dear, and -from the din of high-pitched bargaining it was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</span>evident that the crafty market-people had already -begun to advance their prices.</p> - -<p>Stewart paused for a while to contemplate this -scene, far more violent and war-like than any he -had yet witnessed; then, edging around the crowd, -he arrived at the cathedral, the most irregular and -eccentric that he had ever seen—a towering Gothic -choir attached to an octagonal Byzantine nave. But -that nave is very impressive, as Stewart found when -he stepped inside it; and then, on a block of stone -in its pavement, he saw the words, “Carlo Magno,” -and knew that he was at the tomb of the great Emperor.</p> - -<p>It is perhaps not really the tomb, but for emotional -purposes it answers very well, and there can -be no question about the marble throne and other -relics which Stewart presently inspected, under the -guidance of a black-clad verger. Then, as there -was a service in progress in the choir, he sat down, -at the verger’s suggestion, to wait till it was -over.</p> - -<p>In a small chapel at his right, a group of candles -glowed before an altar dedicated to the Virgin, and -here, on the low benches, many women knelt in -prayer. More and more slipped in quietly—young -women, old women, some shabby, some well-clad—until<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</span> -the benches were full; and after that the newcomers -knelt on the stone pavement and besought the -Mother of Christ to guard their sons and husbands -and sweethearts, summoned to fight the battles of -the Emperor. Looking at them—at their bowed -heads, their drawn faces, their shrinking figures—Stewart -realized for the first time how terrible is -the burden which war lays on women. To bear -sons, to rear them—only to see them march away -when the dreadful summons came; to bid good-by -to husband or to lover, crushing back the tears, -masking the stricken heart; and then to wait, day -after dreary day, in agony at every rumor, at every -knock, at every passing footstep, with no refuge -save in prayer——</p> - -<p>But such thoughts were too painful. To distract -them, he got out his Baedeker and turned its pages -absently until he came to Aachen. First the railway -stations—there were four, it seemed; then the hotels—the -Grand Monarque, the Nuellens, the Hôtel de -l’Empereur, the du Nord—strange that so many of -them should be French, in name at least!—the -Monopol, the Imperial Crown—but where was the -Kölner Hof? He ran through the list again more -carefully—no, it was not there. And yet that police-officer -at Cologne had asserted not only that it was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</span>in Baedeker, but that it was honored with a star! -Perhaps in the German edition——</p> - -<p>A touch on the arm apprised him that the verger -was ready to take him through the choir, where the -service was ended, and Stewart slipped his book back -into his pocket and followed him. It is a lovely -choir, soaring toward the heavens in airy beauty, but -Stewart had no eyes for it. He found suddenly that -he wanted to get away. He was vaguely uneasy. -The memory of those kneeling women weighed him -down. For the first time he really believed that war -might come.</p> - -<p>So he tipped the verger and left the church and -came out into the streets again, to find them emptier -than ever. Nearly all the shops were closed; -there was no vehicle of any kind; there were scarcely -any people. And then, as he turned the corner into -the wide square in front of the town-hall, he saw -where at least some of the people were, for a great -crowd had gathered there—a crowd of women and -children and old men—while from the steps before -the entrance an official in gold-laced uniform and -cocked hat was delivering a harangue.</p> - -<p>At first, Stewart could catch only a word here and -there, but as he edged closer, he found that the -speech was a eulogy of the Kaiser—of his high wisdom,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</span> -his supreme greatness, his passionate love for -his people. The Kaiser had not sought war, he had -strained every nerve for peace; but the jealous enemies -who ringed Germany round, who looked with -envy upon her greatness and dreamed only of destroying -her, would not give her peace. So, with -firm heart and abiding trust in God, the Emperor -had donned his shining armor and unsheathed his -sword, confident that Germany would emerge from -the struggle greater and stronger than ever.</p> - -<p>Then the speaker read the Emperor’s address, and -reminded his hearers that all they possessed, even -to their lives and the lives of their loved ones, belonged -to their Fatherland, to be yielded ungrudgingly -when need arose. He cautioned them that the -military power was now supreme, not to be questioned. -It would brook no resistance nor interference. -Disobedience would be severely dealt with. -It was for each of them to go quietly about his -affairs, trusting in the Emperor’s wisdom, and to -pray for victory.</p> - -<p>There were some scattered cheers, but the crowd -for the most part stood in dazed silence and watched -two men put up beside the entrance to the rathaus -the proclamation which declared Germany in a state -of war. Down the furrowed cheeks of many of the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</span>older people the hot tears poured in streams, perhaps -at remembrance of the horrors and suffering of Germany’s -last war with France, and some partial realization -that far greater horrors and suffering were -to come. Then by twos and threes they drifted -away to their homes, talking in bated undertone, or -shuffling silently along, staring straight before them. -In every face were fear and grief and a sullen questioning -of fate.</p> - -<p>Why had this horror been decreed for them? -What had they done that this terrible burden should -be laid upon them? What could war bring any one -of them but sorrow and privation? Was there no -way of escape? Had they no voice in their own -destiny? These were the questions which surged -through Stewart’s mind as he slowly crossed the -square and made his way along the silent streets -back toward his hotel. At almost every corner a -red poster stared at him—a poster bearing the Prussian -eagle and the Kaiser’s name. “The sword has -been thrust into our hands,” the Kaiser wrote. “We -must defend our Fatherland and our homes against -the assaults of our enemies. Forward with God, -who will be with us, as He was with our fathers!”</p> - -<p>Sad as he had never been before, Stewart walked -on. Something was desperately wrong somewhere; -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</span>this people did not want war—most probably even -the Kaiser did not want war. Yet war had come; -the fate of Europe was trembling in the balance; -millions of men were being driven to a detested -task. Caught up in mighty armies by a force there -was no resisting, they were marching blindly to -kill and be killed——</p> - -<p>A sudden outbreak of angry voices in the street -ahead startled Stewart from his thoughts. A section -of soldiers was halted before a house at whose door -a violent controversy was in progress between their -sergeant and a wrinkled old woman.</p> - -<p>“I tell you we must have him,” the sergeant -shouted, as though for the twentieth time.</p> - -<p>“And I tell you his wife is dying,” shrieked the -woman. “He has permission from his captain.”</p> - -<p>“I know nothing about that. My orders are to -gather in all stragglers.”</p> - -<p>“It is only a question of a few hours.”</p> - -<p>“He must come now,” repeated the sergeant, -doggedly. “Those are the orders. If he disobeys -them—if I am compelled to use force—he will be -treated as a deserter. Will you tell him, or must I -send my men in to get him?”</p> - -<p>The sunken eyes flamed with rage, the wrinkled -face was contorted with hate—but only for an instant.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</span> -The flame died; old age, despair, the habit -of obedience, reasserted themselves. A tear trickled -down the cheek—a tear of helplessness and resignation.</p> - -<p>“I will tell him, sir,” she said, and disappeared -indoors.</p> - -<p>The sergeant turned back to his men, cursing horribly -to himself. Suddenly he spat upon the pavement -in disgust.</p> - -<p>“A devil’s job!” he muttered, and took a short -turn up and down, without looking at his men. In -a moment the old woman reappeared in the door. -“Well, mother?” he demanded, gruffly.</p> - -<p>“I have told him. He will be here at once.”</p> - -<p>As she spoke, a fair-haired youth of perhaps -twenty appeared on the threshold and saluted. His -eyes were red with weeping, but he held himself -proudly erect.</p> - -<p>“Hermann Gronau?” asked the sergeant.</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Fall in!”</p> - -<p>With a shriek of anguish, the woman threw her -arms about him and strained him close.</p> - -<p>“My boy!” she moaned. “My youngest one—my -baby—they are taking you also!”</p> - -<p>“I shall be back, mother, never fear,” he said, and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</span>loosened her arms gently. “You will write me -when—when it is over.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” she promised, and he took his place in the -ranks.</p> - -<p>“March!” cried the sergeant, and the section -tramped away with Gronau in its midst. At the -corner, he turned and waved his hand in farewell to -the old woman. For a moment longer she stood -clutching at the door and staring at the place where -he had vanished, then turned slowly back into the -house.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE MYSTERY OF THE SATIN SLIPPERS</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">Stewart</span>, awakening from the contemplation of this -poignant drama—one of thousands such enacting -at that moment all over Europe—realized that he -was lingering unduly and hastened his steps. At the -end of five minutes, he was again in the wide Franzstrasse, -and, turning the last corner, saw his landlady -standing at her door, looking anxiously up and -down the street.</p> - -<p>Her face brightened with relief when she saw him—a -relief so evidently deep and genuine that Stewart -was a little puzzled by it.</p> - -<p>“But I am glad to see you!” she cried as he -came up, her face wreathed in smiles. “I was -imagining the most horrible things. I feared I -know not what! But you are safe, it seems.”</p> - -<p>“Quite safe. In fact, I was never in any danger.”</p> - -<p>“I was foolish, no doubt, to have fear. But in -times like these, one never knows what may happen.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</span></p> - -<p>“True enough,” Stewart agreed. “Still, an -American with a passport in his pocket ought to be -safe anywhere.”</p> - -<p>“Ah; you have a passport—that is good. That -will simplify matters. The police have been here -to question you. They will return presently.”</p> - -<p>“The police?”</p> - -<p>“There have been some spies captured, it seems. -And there are many who are trying to leave the -country. So everyone is suspected. You are not -German-born, I hope? If you were, I fear not even -your passport would be of use.”</p> - -<p>They had walked back together along the hall as -they talked, and now stopped at the foot of the -stair. The landlady seemed very nervous—as was -perhaps natural amid the alarms of war. She -scarcely listened to his assurance that he was American -by birth. Little beads of perspiration stood out -across her forehead——</p> - -<p>“The police visited your room,” she rattled -on. “You will perhaps find your baggage disarranged.”</p> - -<p>Stewart smiled wryly.</p> - -<p>“So it seems they really suspect me?”</p> - -<p>“They suspect everyone,” the landlady repeated.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</span></p> - -<p>She was standing with her back toward the door, -and Stewart wondered why she should watch his -face so closely.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, over her shoulder, he saw the ugly -waiter with the hang-dog air approaching along -the hall.</p> - -<p>“Such anxiety is quite natural,” said the landlady -rapidly in German, raising her voice a little. -“I can understand it. But it is not remarkable that -you should have missed her—the trains are so irregular. -I will send her to you the moment she -arrives. Ah, Hans,” she added, turning at the sound -of the waiter’s footsteps, “so you are back at last! -You will take up some hot water to the gentleman -at once. And now you will excuse me, sir; I have -the dinner to attend to,” and she hurried away, -carrying the waiter with her.</p> - -<p>Stewart stood for an instant staring after her; -then he turned and mounted slowly to his room. -But what had the woman meant? Why should he -be anxious? Who was it he had missed? “I will -send her to you the moment she arrives.” No—she -could not have said that—it was impossible that she -should have said that. He must have misunderstood; -his German was very second-rate, and she had -spoken rapidly. But what <i>had</i> she said?</p> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</span></p> -<p>He was still pondering this problem, when a -knock at the door told him that the hot water had -arrived. As he opened the door, the landlady’s voice -came shrilly up the stair.</p> - -<p>“Hans!” she called. “There is something wrong -with the stove. Hasten! Hasten!”</p> - -<p>Stewart took the can which was thrust hastily -into his hand, turned back into the room, and proceeded -to make a leisurely toilet. If the landlady -had not told him, he would never have suspected -that his baggage had been searched by the police, -for everything seemed to be where he had left it. -But then he was a hasty and careless packer, by no -means precise——</p> - -<p>That vague feeling of uneasiness which had -shaken him in the church swept over him again, -stronger than before; there was something wrong -somewhere; the meshes of an invisible net seemed -closing about him. More than once he caught himself -standing quite still, in an attitude of profound -meditation, though he was not conscious that he had -really been thinking of anything. Evidently the -events of the day had shaken him more deeply -than he had realized.</p> - -<p>“Come, old man,” he said at last, “this won’t -do. Pull yourself together.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</span></p> - -<p>And then a sudden vivid memory rose before him -of those praying women, of that wrinkled mother -gazing despairingly after her youngest born as he -was marched away perhaps forever, of the set faces -of the crowd shuffling silently homeward——</p> - -<p>He had been absently turning over the contents -of one of his bags, searching for a necktie, when -he found himself staring at a pair of satin ball-slippers, -into each of which was stuffed a blue silk -stocking. For quite a minute he stared, doubting -his own senses; then he picked up one of the slippers -and looked at it.</p> - -<p>It was a tiny affair, very delicate and beautiful—a -real jewel in footwear, such as Stewart, with -his limited feminine experience, had never seen before. -Indeed, he might have doubted that they were -intended for actual service, but for the slight discoloration -inside the heel, which proved that these -had been worn more than once. Very deliberately -he drew out the stocking, also a jewel in its way, of a -texture so diaphanous as to be almost cobweblike. -Then he picked up the other slipper and held them -side by side. Yes, they were mates——</p> - -<p>“But where on earth could I have picked them -up?” he asked himself. “In what strange fit of -absent-mindedness could I have packed them with -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</span>my things? But I couldn’t have picked them up—I -never saw them before——”</p> - -<p>He sat down suddenly, a slipper in either hand. -They must have come from somewhere—they could -not have concealed themselves among his things. -If he had not placed them there, then someone else -had. But who? And for what purpose? The -police? His landlady had said that they had -searched his luggage; but what possible object could -they have had for increasing it by two satin slippers -and a pair of stockings? Such an action was -farcical—French-farcical!—but he could not be incriminated -in such a way. He had no wife to be -made jealous! And even if he had——</p> - -<p>“This is the last straw!” he muttered to himself. -“Either the world has gone mad, or I -have.”</p> - -<p>Moving as in a dream, he placed the slippers side -by side upon the floor, contemplated them for a moment -longer, and then proceeded slowly with his -dressing. He found an unaccustomed difficulty in -putting his buttons in his cuffs, and then he remembered -that it was a tie he had been looking for when -he found the slippers. The slippers! He turned -and glanced at them. Yes—they were still there—they -had not vanished. Very coquettish they -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</span>appeared, standing there side by side, as though -waiting for their owner.</p> - -<p>And suddenly Stewart smiled a crooked smile.</p> - -<p>“Only one thing is necessary to complete this -pantomime,” he told himself, “and that is that the -Princess should suddenly appear and claim them. -Well, I’m willing! A woman with a foot like -that——”</p> - -<p>There was a knock at the door.</p> - -<p>“In a moment!” he called.</p> - -<p>“But it is I!” cried a woman’s voice in English—a -sweet, high-pitched voice, quivering with excitement. -“It is I!” and the door was flung open -with a crash.</p> - -<p>A woman rushed toward him—he saw vaguely her -vivid face, her shining eyes; behind her, more -vaguely still, he saw the staring eyes of the hang-dog -waiter. Then she was upon him.</p> - -<p>“At last!” she cried, and flung her arms about -him and kissed him on the lips—kissed him closely, -passionately, as he had never been kissed before.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V<br /> -<span class="smaller">ONE WAY TO ACQUIRE A WIFE</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">Stewart</span>, standing petrified, collar in hand, thrilling -with the warmth of that caress, was conscious -that his free arm had dropped about the woman’s -waist, and that she was cuddling to him, patting -him excitedly on the cheek and smiling up into his -eyes. Then, over her shoulder, he caught a glimpse -of the sardonic smile on the ugly face of the waiter -as he withdrew and closed the door.</p> - -<p>“But how glad I am!” the woman rattled on, at -the top of her voice. “And what a journey! I am -covered with dirt! I shall need gallons of water!”</p> - -<p>She walked rapidly to the door, opened it, and -looked out. Then she closed and locked it, and, -to his amazement, caught up one of his handkerchiefs -and hung it over the knob so that it masked -the keyhole.</p> - -<p>“They will not suspect,” she said, in a lower -tone, noticing his look. “They will suppose it is -to conceal our marital endearments! Now we can -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</span>talk. But we will keep to English, if you do not -mind. Someone might pass. Is everything arranged? -Is the passport in order?”</p> - -<p>Her eyes were shining with excitement, her lips -were trembling. As he still stood staring, she came -close to him and shook his arm.</p> - -<p>“Can it be that you do not know English?” she -demanded. “But that would be too stupid! You -understand English, do you not?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, madam,” stammered Stewart. “At least, -I have always thought so.”</p> - -<p>“Then why do you not answer? Is anything -wrong? You look as though you did not expect -me.”</p> - -<p>“Madam,” answered Stewart, gravely, “will -you kindly pinch me on the arm—here in the tender -part? I have been told that is a test.”</p> - -<p>She nipped him with a violence that made him -jump.</p> - -<p>“Do not tell me that you are drunk!” she hissed, -viciously. “That would be too much! Drunk at -such a moment!”</p> - -<p>But Stewart had begun to pull himself together.</p> - -<p>“No, madam, I am not drunk,” he assured her; -“and your pinch convinces me that I am not dreaming.” -He rubbed his arm thoughtfully. “There -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</span>remains only one hypothesis—that I have suddenly -gone mad. And yet I have never heard of any -madness in my family, nor until this moment detected -any symptoms in myself.”</p> - -<p>“Is this a time for fooling?” she snapped. “Tell -me at once——”</p> - -<p>“There is, of course, another hypothesis,” went -on Stewart, calmly, “and that is that it is you who -are mad——”</p> - -<p>“Were you not expecting me?” she repeated.</p> - -<p>Stewart’s eyes fell upon the satin slippers, and he -smiled.</p> - -<p>“Why, certainly I was expecting you,” he answered. -“I was just saying to myself that the only -thing lacking in this fairy-tale was the beautiful -Cinderella—and presto; there you were!”</p> - -<p>She looked at him wildly, her eyes dark with fear. -Suddenly she caught her lower lip between the thumb -and little finger of her left hand, and stood a moment -expectantly, holding it so and staring up at him. -Then, as he stared back uncomprehendingly, she -dropped into a chair and burst into a flood of -tears.</p> - -<p>Now a pretty woman in tears is, as everyone -knows, a sight to melt a heart of stone, especially if -that heart be masculine. This woman was extremely -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</span>pretty, and Stewart’s heart was very masculine, with -nothing granitic about it.</p> - -<p>“Oh, come,” he protested, “it can’t be so bad as -that! Let us sit down and talk this thing out quietly. -Evidently there is a mistake somewhere.”</p> - -<p>“Then you did not expect me?” she demanded, -mopping her eyes.</p> - -<p>“Expect you? No—except as the fulfillment of -a fairy-tale.”</p> - -<p>“You do not know who I am?”</p> - -<p>“I haven’t the slightest idea.”</p> - -<p>“Nor why I am here?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“<i>Ah, ciel!</i>” she breathed, “then I am lost!” and -she turned so pale that Stewart thought she was -going to faint.</p> - -<p>“Lost!” he protested. “In what way lost? -What do you mean?”</p> - -<p>By a mighty effort she fought back the faintness -and regained a little of her self-control.</p> - -<p>“At this hotel,” she explained, in a hoarse voice, -“I was to have met a man who was to accompany -me across the frontier. He had a passport for both -of us—for himself and for his wife.”</p> - -<p>“You were to pass as his wife?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</span></p> - -<p>“But you did not know the man?”</p> - -<p>“Evidently—or I should not have——”</p> - -<p>She stopped, her face crimson with embarrassment.</p> - -<p>“H-m!” said Stewart, reflecting that he, at least, -had no reason to regret the mistake. “Perhaps this -unknown is in some other room.”</p> - -<p>“No; you are the only person in the hotel.”</p> - -<p>“Evidently, then, he has not arrived.”</p> - -<p>“Evidently,” she assented, and stared moodily at -the floor, twisting her handkerchief in nervous, -trembling hands.</p> - -<p>Stewart rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he looked -at her. She seemed not more than twenty, and she -was almost startlingly beautiful, with that peculiar -lustrous duskiness of skin more common among the -Latin races than with us. Slightly built, she yet -gave the impression of having in reserve unusual -nervous energy, which would brace her to meet any -crisis.</p> - -<p>But what was she doing here? Why should she -be driven to leave Germany as the wife of a man -whom she had never seen? Or was it all a lie—was -she merely an adventuress seeking a fresh -victim?</p> - -<p>Stewart looked at her again, then he put that -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</span>thought away, definitely and forever. He had had -enough experience of women, as surgeon in a public -clinic, to tell innocence from vice; and he knew that -it was innocence he was facing now.</p> - -<p>“You say you can’t leave Germany without a -passport?” he asked at last.</p> - -<p>“No one can leave Germany without a passport.” -She sat up suddenly and looked at him, a new -light in her eyes. “Is it possible,” she demanded, -with trembling lips, “can it be possible that you -possess a passport?”</p> - -<p>“Why, yes,” said Stewart, “I have a passport. -Unfortunately, it is for myself alone. Never having -had a wife——”</p> - -<p>But she was standing before him, her hands outstretched, -tremulous with eagerness.</p> - -<p>“Let me see it!” she cried. “Oh, let me see it!”</p> - -<p>He got it out, gave it to her, and watched her as -she unfolded it. Here was a woman, he told himself, -such as he had never met before—a woman of -verve, of fire——</p> - -<p>She was looking up at him with flaming eyes.</p> - -<p>“Mr. Stewart,” she said, in a low voice, “you -can save me, if you will.”</p> - -<p>“Save you?” echoed Stewart. “But how?”</p> - -<p>She held the open passport toward him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</span></p> - -<p>“See, here, just below your name, there is a -blank space covered with little parallel lines. If -you will permit me to write in that space the words -‘accompanied by his wife,’ I am saved. The passport -will then be for both of us.”</p> - -<p>“Or would be,” agreed Stewart, dryly, “if you -were my wife. As it happens, you are not!”</p> - -<p>“It is such a little thing I ask of you,” she -pleaded. “We go to the station together—we take -our seats in the train—at the frontier you show your -passport. An hour later we shall be at Liège, and -there our ways will part; but you will have done -a noble action.”</p> - -<p>There was witchery in her eyes, in her voice. -Stewart felt himself slipping—slipping; but he -caught himself in time.</p> - -<p>“I am afraid,” he said, gently, “that you will -have to tell me first what it is all about.”</p> - -<p>“I can tell you in a word,” she answered, drawing -very near to him, and speaking almost in a -whisper. “I am a Frenchwoman.”</p> - -<p>“But surely,” Stewart protested, “the Germans -will not prevent your return to France! Why -should they do that?”</p> - -<p>“It is not a question of returning, but of escaping. -I am an Alsatian. I was born at Strassburg.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</span></p> - -<p>“Oh,” said Stewart, remembering the tone in -which Bloem had spoken of Alsace-Lorraine and -beginning vaguely to understand. “An Alsatian.”</p> - -<p>“Yes; but only Alsatians understand the meaning -of that word. To be an Alsatian is to be a slave, -is to be the victim of insult, oppression, tyranny past -all belief. My father was murdered by the Germans; -my two brothers have been dragged away into -the German army and sent to fight the Russians, -since Germany knows well that no Alsatian corps -would fight the French! Oh, how we have prayed -and prayed for this war of restitution—the war -which will give us back to France!”</p> - -<p>“Yes; I hope it will,” agreed Stewart, heartily.</p> - -<p>“Of a certainty you do!” she said, eagerly. “All -Americans do. Not one have I ever known who -took the German side. How could they? How could -any American be on the side of despotism? Oh, -impossible! America is on our side! And you, as -an American, will assist me to escape my enemies.”</p> - -<p>“Your enemies?”</p> - -<p>“I will not deceive you,” she said, earnestly. “I -trust you. I have lived all my life at Strassburg and -at Metz, those two outposts against France—those -two great fortresses of cities which the Germans -have done their utmost to make impregnable, but -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</span>which are not impregnable if attacked in a certain -way. They have their weak spot, just as every -fortress has. I have dissembled, I have lied—I -have pretended to admire the gold-laced pigs—I have -permitted them to kiss my hand—I have listened to -their confidences, their hopes and fears—I have even -joined in their toast ‘The Day!’ Always, always -have I kept my eyes and ears open. Bit by bit, have -I gathered what I sought—a hint here, a hint there ... I -must get to France, my friend, and you must -help me! Surely you will be glad to strike a blow -at these braggart Prussians! It is not for myself -I ask it—though, if I am taken, there will be -for me only one brief moment, facing a file of -soldiers; I ask it for France—for your sister -Republic!”</p> - -<p>If it had been for France alone, Stewart might -still have hesitated; but as he gazed down into that -eloquent face, wrung with desperate anxiety, he -seemed to see, as in a vision, a file of soldiers in -spiked helmets facing a wall where stood a lovely -girl, her eyes flaming, her head flung back, smiling -contemptuously at the leveled rifles; he saw again -the flickering candles at the Virgin’s feet——</p> - -<p>“Very well,” he said, abruptly— almost harshly. -“I consent.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</span></p> - -<p>Before he could draw back, she had flung herself -on her knees before him, had caught his hand, and -was covering it with tears and kisses.</p> - -<p>“Come, come, my dear,” he said. “That won’t -do!” And he bent over her and raised her to her -feet.</p> - -<p>She was shaken with great sobs, and as she turned -her streaming eyes up to him, her lips moving as if in -prayer, Stewart saw how young she was, how lonely, -how beautiful, how greatly in need of help. She -had been fighting for her country with all her -strength, with every resource, desperately, every -nerve a-strain—and victory had been too much for -her. But in a moment she had back her self-control.</p> - -<p>“There, it is finished!” she said, smiling through -her tears. “But the joy of your words was almost -too great. I shall not behave like that again. And -I shall not try to thank you. I think you understand—I -cannot thank you—there are no words -great enough.”</p> - -<p>Stewart nodded, smilingly.</p> - -<p>“Yes; I understand,” he said.</p> - -<p>“We have many things to do,” she went on, -rapidly, passing her handkerchief across her eyes -with the gesture of one who puts sentiment aside. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</span>“First, the passport,” and she caught it up from -the chair on which she had laid it.</p> - -<p>“I would point out to you,” said Stewart, “that -there may be a certain danger in adding the words -you mentioned.”</p> - -<p>“But it is precisely for those words this blank -space has been left.”</p> - -<p>“That may be true; but unless your handwriting -is identical with that on the rest of the passport, and -the ink the same, the first person who looks at it -will detect the forgery.”</p> - -<p>“Trust me,” she said, and drawing a chair to the -table, laid the passport before her and studied it -carefully. From the little bag she had carried on -her arm, she took a fountain-pen. She tested it on -her finger-nail, and then, easily and rapidly, wrote -“accompanied by his wife” across the blank space -below Stewart’s name.</p> - -<p>Stewart, staring down over her shoulder, was -astonished by the cleverness of the forgery. It was -perfect.</p> - -<p>“There,” she added, “let it lie for five minutes -and no one on earth can tell that those words were -not written at the same time and by the same hand -as all the others.”</p> - -<p>A sudden doubt shook her hearer. Where had she -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</span>learned to forge like that? Perhaps, after all——</p> - -<p>She read his thought in his eyes.</p> - -<p>“To imitate handwriting is something which -every member of the secret service must learn to -do. This, on your passport, is a formal hand very -easily imitated. But I must rid myself of this -pen.”</p> - -<p>She glanced quickly about the room, went to -the open fireplace and threw the pen above the bricks -which closed it off from the flue. Then she came -back, motioned him to sit down, and drew a chair -very close to his.</p> - -<p>“Now we have certain details to arrange,” she -said. “Your name is Bradford Stewart?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Have you a sobriquet?”</p> - -<p>“A what?”</p> - -<p>“A name of familiarity,” she explained, “used -only by your family or your friends.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, a nickname! Well,” he admitted, unwillingly, -“my father always called me Tommy.”</p> - -<p>“Tommy! Excellent! I shall call you Tommy!”</p> - -<p>“But I detest Tommy,” he objected.</p> - -<p>“No matter!” she said, peremptorily. “It will -have to do. What is your profession?”</p> - -<p>“I am a surgeon.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</span></p> - -<p>“Where do you live in America?”</p> - -<p>“At Baltimore, in the State of Maryland.”</p> - -<p>“Where have you been in Europe?”</p> - -<p>“To a clinical congress at Vienna, and then back -through Germany.”</p> - -<p>“Perfect! It could not be better! Now, listen -most carefully. The name of your wife is Mary. -You have been married four years.”</p> - -<p>“Any children?” asked Stewart.</p> - -<p>“Please be serious!” she protested, but from the -sparkle in her eye Stewart saw that she was not -offended.</p> - -<p>“I should have liked a boy of three and a girl of -two,” he explained. “But no matter—go ahead.”</p> - -<p>“While you went to Vienna to attend your horrible -clinic and learn new ways of cutting up human -bodies, your wife remained at Spa, because of a -slight nervous affection——”</p> - -<p>“From which,” said Stewart, “I am happy to see -that she has entirely recovered.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” she agreed; “she is quite well again. Spa -is in Belgium, so the Germans cannot disprove the -story. We arranged to meet here and to go on to -Brussels together. Do you understand?”</p> - -<p>“Perfectly,” said Stewart, who was thoroughly -enjoying himself. “By the way, Mary,” he added, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</span>“no doubt it was your shoes and stockings I found -in my grip awhile ago,” and he pointed to where the -slippers stood side by side.</p> - -<p>His companion stared at them for an instant in -amazement, then burst into a peal of laughter.</p> - -<p>“How ridiculous! But yes—they were intended -for mine.”</p> - -<p>“How did they get into my luggage?”</p> - -<p>“The woman who manages this inn placed them -there. She is one of us.”</p> - -<p>“But what on earth for?”</p> - -<p>“So that the police might find them when they -searched your bags.”</p> - -<p>“Why should they search my bags?”</p> - -<p>“There is a certain suspicion attaching to this -place. It is impossible altogether to avoid it—so -it is necessary to be very careful. The landlady -thought that the discovery of the slippers might, in a -measure, prepare the police for the arrival of your -wife.”</p> - -<p>“Then she knew you were coming?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly—since last night.”</p> - -<p>“And when the man who was to meet you did not -arrive, she decided that I would do?”</p> - -<p>“I suppose so.”</p> - -<p>“But how did she know I had a passport?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</span></p> - -<p>“Perhaps you told her.”</p> - -<p>Yes, Stewart reflected, he had told her, and yet -he was not altogether satisfied. When had he told -her? Surely it was not until he returned from his -tour of the town; then there was not time——</p> - -<p>“Here is your passport,” said his companion, -abruptly breaking in upon his thoughts. “Fold it -up and place it in your pocket. And do not find it -too readily when the police ask for it. You must -seem not to know exactly where it is. Also pack -your belongings. Yes, you would better include the -slippers. Meanwhile I shall try to make myself a -little presentable,” and she opened the tiny bag from -which she had produced the pen.</p> - -<p>“It seems to me,” said Stewart, as he proceeded -to obey, “that one pair of slippers and one pair of -stockings is rather scanty baggage for a lady who -has been at Spa for a month.”</p> - -<p>“My baggage went direct from Spa to Brussels,” -she answered from before the mirror, “in order to -avoid the customs examination at the frontier. -Have you any other questions?”</p> - -<p>“Only the big one as to who you really are, and -where I’m going to see you again after you have delivered -your report—and all that.”</p> - -<p>His back was toward her as he bent over his bags, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</span>and he did not see the quick glance she cast at -him.</p> - -<p>“It is impossible to discuss that now,” she said, -hastily. “And I would warn you that the servant, -Hans, is a spy. Be very careful before him—be -careful always, until we are safe across the frontier. -There will be spies everywhere—a false word, a -false movement, and all may be lost. Are you -ready?”</p> - -<p>Stewart, rising from buckling the last strap, found -himself confronting the most adorable girl he had -ever seen. Every trace of the journey had disappeared. -Her cheeks were glowing, her eyes were -shining, and when she smiled, Stewart noticed a -dimple set diagonally at the corner of her mouth—a -dimple evidently placed just there to invite and -challenge kisses.</p> - -<p>The admiration which flamed into his eyes was -perhaps a trifle too ardent, for, looking at him -steadily, she took a quick step toward him.</p> - -<p>“We are going to be good friends, are we not?” -she asked. “Good comrades?”</p> - -<p>And Stewart, looking down at her, understood. -She was pleading for respect; she was telling him -that she trusted him; she was reminding him of the -defenselessness of her girlhood, driven by hard -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</span>necessity into this strange adventure. And, understanding, -he reached out and caught her hand.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” he agreed. “Good comrades. Just -that!”</p> - -<p>She gave his fingers a swift pressure.</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” she said. “Now we must go -down. Dinner will be waiting. Fortunately the -train is very late.”</p> - -<p>Stewart, glancing at his watch, saw that it was almost -six o’clock.</p> - -<p>“You are sure it is late?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes; at least an hour. We will send someone to -inquire. Remember what I have told you about the -waiter—about everyone. Not for an instant must -we drop the mask, even though we may think ourselves -unobserved. You will remember?”</p> - -<p>“I will try to,” Stewart promised. “But don’t -be disappointed if you find me a poor actor. I am -not in your class at all. However, if you’ll give me -the cue, I think I can follow it.”</p> - -<p>“I know you can. Come,” and she opened the -door, restoring him the handkerchief which she had -hung over the knob.</p> - -<p>As they went down the stair together, Stewart saw -the landlady waiting anxiously at the foot. One -glance at them, and her face became radiant.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</span></p> - -<p>“Ah, you are late!” she cried, shaking a reproving -finger. “But I expected it. I would not permit -Hans to call you. When husband and wife meet -after a long separation, they do not wish to be disturbed—not -even for dinner. This way! I have -placed the table in the court—it is much pleasanter -there when the days are so warm,” and she bustled -before them to a vine-shaded corner of the court, -where a snowy table awaited them.</p> - -<p>A moment later Hans entered with the soup. -Stewart, happening to meet his glance, read the suspicion -there.</p> - -<p>“Well,” he said, breaking off a piece of the crisp -bread, “this is almost like home, isn’t it? I can’t -tell you, Mary, how glad I am to have you back -again,” and he reached out and gave her hand a -little squeeze. “Looking so well, too. Spa was -evidently just the place for you.”</p> - -<p>“Yes—it was very pleasant and the doctor was -very kind. But I am glad to get back to you, -Tommy,” she added, gazing at him fondly. “I -could weep with joy just to look at that honest face -of yours!”</p> - -<p>Stewart felt his heart skip a beat.</p> - -<p>“You will make me conceited, if you don’t take -care, old lady!” he protested. “And surely I’ve got -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</span>enough cause for conceit already, with the most -beautiful woman in the world sitting across from -me, telling me she loves me. Don’t blame me if I -lose my head a little!”</p> - -<p>The ardor in his tone brought the color into her -cheeks.</p> - -<p>“You must not look at me like that!” she reproved. -“People will think we are on our moon of—our -honeymoon,” she corrected, hastily.</p> - -<p>“Instead of having been married four years! I -wonder how John and Sallie are getting along? -Aren’t you just crazy to see the kids!”</p> - -<p>She choked over her soup, but managed to nod -mutely. Then, as Hans removed the plates and disappeared -in the direction of the kitchen, he added in -a lower tone, “You must allow me the children. I -find I can’t be happy without them!”</p> - -<p>“Very well,” she agreed, the dimple sparkling. -“You have been so kind that it is impossible for me -to refuse you anything!”</p> - -<p>“There is one thing I can’t understand. Your -English astonishes me. Where did you learn to -speak it so perfectly?”</p> - -<p>“Ah, that is a long story! Perhaps I shall one -day tell it to you—if we ever meet again.”</p> - -<p>“We must! I demand that as my reward!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</span></p> - -<p>She held up a warning finger as steps sounded -along the passage; but it was only the landlady -bringing the wine. That good woman was exuberant—a -trifle too exuberant, as Stewart’s companion told -her with a quick glance.</p> - -<p>The dinner proceeded from course to course. -Stewart had never enjoyed a meal more thoroughly. -What meal, he asked himself, could possibly be commonplace, -shared by such a woman?</p> - -<p>The landlady presently dispatched Hans to the -station to inquire about the train, while she herself -did the serving, and the two women ventured to exchange -a few words concerning their instructions. -Stewart, listening, caught a glimpse of an intricate -system of espionage extending to the very heart of -Germany. But he asked no questions; indeed, some -instinct held him back from wishing to know more. -“Spy” is not a pretty word, nor is a spy’s work -pretty work; he refused to think of it in connection -with the lovely girl opposite him.</p> - -<p>“We shall have the police with us soon,” said the -landlady, in a low tone. “Hans will run at once to -tell them of Madame’s arrival.”</p> - -<p>“Why do you keep him?” Stewart asked.</p> - -<p>“It is by keeping him that I avert suspicion. -If there was anything wrong here, the police tell -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</span>themselves, this spy of theirs would discover it. -Knowing him to be a spy, I am on my guard. Besides, -he is very stupid. But there—I will leave -you. He may be back at any moment.”</p> - -<p>He came back just in time to serve the coffee, with -the information that their train would not arrive -until seven-thirty; then he stood watching them and -listening to their talk of home and friends and plans -for the future.</p> - -<p>Stewart began to be proud of his facility of invention, -and of his abilities as an actor. But he had -to admit that he was the merest bungler compared -with his companion. Her mental quickness dazzled -him, her high spirits were far more exhilarating than -the wine. He ended by forgetting that he was playing -a part. This woman was really his wife, they -were going on together——</p> - -<p>Suddenly Hans stirred in his corner. Heavy -steps were coming toward the court along the sanded -floor of the corridor. In a moment three men in -spiked helmets stepped out into the fading light of -the evening.</p> - -<p>“The police to speak to you, sir,” said Hans, and -Stewart, turning, found himself looking into three -faces, in which hostility and suspicion were only too -apparent.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE SNARE</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">As</span> the three men advanced to the table, Stewart -saw that each of them carried a heavy pistol in a -holster at his belt.</p> - -<p>“You speak German?” one of them asked, -gruffly.</p> - -<p>“A little. But I would prefer to speak English,” -answered Stewart.</p> - -<p>“We will speak German. What is your nationality?”</p> - -<p>“I am an American.”</p> - -<p>“Were you born in America?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Have you a passport?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Let me see it.”</p> - -<p>Stewart was about to reach into his pocket and -produce it, when he remembered his companion’s -suggestion. So he felt in one pocket after another -without result, while the Germans shifted impatiently -from foot to foot.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</span></p> - -<p>“It must be in my other coat,” he said, half to -himself, enjoying the situation immensely. “But -no; I do not remember changing it. Ah, here it is!” -and he drew it forth and handed it to the officer.</p> - -<p>The latter took it, unfolded it, and stepped out -into the court where the light was better. He read it -through carefully, compared the description point by -point with Stewart’s appearance, and then came back -to the table.</p> - -<p>“Who is this person?” he asked, and nodded -toward the girl.</p> - -<p>“She is my wife,” answered Stewart, with a -readiness which astonished himself.</p> - -<p>“She did not arrive here with you.”</p> - -<p>“No,” and he told the story of how he had left -her at Spa to recuperate from a slight nervous attack, -while he himself went on to Vienna. He -omitted no detail—even added a few, indeed, in the -fervor of creation—and with his limited German, -which his hearers regarded with evident contempt, -the story took some time to tell.</p> - -<p>The police listened attentively to every word, without -the slightest sign of impatience, but long before -it was ended, the lady in question was twisting nervously -in her seat.</p> - -<p>“What is the matter, Tommy?” she demanded, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</span>petulantly. “Are you relating to them the story of -your life?”</p> - -<p>“No,” he explained, blandly, venturing at last -to look at her, “I was just telling them how it -was that you and I had arranged to meet at this -hotel.”</p> - -<p>“Well—now tell them to go away. They are -ugly and they annoy me.”</p> - -<p>“What does she say?” asked the officer.</p> - -<p>Stewart was certain that at least one of them -knew English, so he judged it best to translate -literally.</p> - -<p>“She wants to know what is the matter,” he answered. -“She asks me to tell you to go away—that -you annoy her.”</p> - -<p>The officer smiled grimly.</p> - -<p>“She does not understand German?”</p> - -<p>“Not a word,” lied Stewart, glibly.</p> - -<p>“What is her name?”</p> - -<p>“Mary.”</p> - -<p>“Her maiden name?”</p> - -<p>“Mary Agnes Fleming,” answered Stewart, repeating -the first name that occurred to him, and -thanking his stars the next instant that the officer -could scarcely be acquainted with the lesser lights -of English fiction.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</span></p> - -<p>“Is that correct?” asked the officer, suddenly -turning upon her.</p> - -<p>Stewart’s heart gave a leap of fear; but after a -stare at the officer, she turned to her companion.</p> - -<p>“Was he speaking to me, Tommy?” she asked; -and it was only by a heroic effort that Stewart -choked back the sudden snort of laughter that rose -in his throat.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” he managed to answer; “he wants to -know your maiden name.”</p> - -<p>“Why should he wish to know that?”</p> - -<p>“I give it up; but you’d better tell him.”</p> - -<p>“My maiden name was Mary Agnes Fleming,” -she said, looking at the officer with evident disapprobation. -“Though what concern it is of yours I -cannot see.”</p> - -<p>“What does she say?” demanded the officer, and -again Stewart translated literally.</p> - -<p>The officer stood staring intently at both of them, -till the lady, with a flash of indignation, turned her -back.</p> - -<p>“Really, Tommy,” she said, over her shoulder, -“if you do not at once get rid of this brute, I shall -never speak to you again!”</p> - -<p>“He is a policeman, dear,” Stewart explained, -“and imagines that he is doing his duty. I suppose<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</span> -they <i>do</i> have to be careful in war-time. We -must be patient.”</p> - -<p>“I will look at her passport,” said the German, -suddenly, and held out his hand.</p> - -<p>“My passport is for both of us,” Stewart explained. -“Those words ‘accompanied by his wife,’ -make it inclusive.”</p> - -<p>The officer went out into the light again and examined -the words with minute attention.</p> - -<p>“I find no description of her,” he said, coming -back.</p> - -<p>“There is none,” assented Stewart, impatiently; -“but there is a description of me, as you see. The -passport adds that I am accompanied by my wife. -I tell you that this lady is my wife. That is sufficient.”</p> - -<p>The officer glanced at his companions uncertainly. -Then he slowly folded up the passport and handed it -back.</p> - -<p>“When do you depart from Aachen?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“By the first train for Brussels. I am told that -it will arrive in about half an hour.”</p> - -<p>“Very well,” said the other. “I regret if I have -seemed insistent, but the fact that the lady did not -arrive with you appeared to us singular. I will -report your explanation to my chief,” and he turned -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</span>on his heel and stalked away, followed by his men.</p> - -<p>Stewart drew a deep breath.</p> - -<p>“Well,” he began, when he was stopped by a -sharp tap from his companion’s foot.</p> - -<p>“Such impudence!” she cried. “I was astonished -at your patience, Tommy! You, an American, -letting a Prussian policeman intimidate you like that! -I am ashamed of you!”</p> - -<p>Glancing around, Stewart saw the hang-dog Hans -hovering in the doorway.</p> - -<p>“He was a big policeman, my dear,” he explained, -laughing. “I shouldn’t have had much -of a chance with him, to say nothing of his two -men. If we want to get to Brussels, the safest plan -is to answer calmly all the questions the German -police can think of. But it is time for us to be going. -There will be no reserved seats on this train!”</p> - -<p>“You are right,” agreed his companion; “I am -quite ready.”</p> - -<p>So he asked for the bill, paid it, sent Hans up -for the luggage, and presently they were walking -toward the station, with Hans staggering along behind.</p> - -<p>Stewart, looking down at his companion, felt -more and more elated over the adventure. He had -never passed a pleasanter evening—it had just the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</span>touch of excitement needed to give it relish. Unfortunately, -its end was near; an hour or two in a -crowded railway carriage, and—that was all!</p> - -<p>She glanced up at him and caught his eyes.</p> - -<p>“What is it, my friend?” she asked. “You appear -sad.”</p> - -<p>“I was just thinking,” answered Stewart, “that -I do not even know your name!”</p> - -<p>“Speak lower!” she said, quickly. “Or, better -still, do not say such things at all. Do not drop the -mask for an instant until we are out of Germany.”</p> - -<p>“Very well,” Stewart promised. “But once we -are across the border, I warn you that I intend to -throw the mask away, and that I shall have certain -very serious things to say to you.”</p> - -<p>“And I promise to listen patiently,” she answered, -smiling.</p> - -<p>At the entrance to the station, they were stopped -by a guard, who demanded their tickets. Stewart -was about to produce his, when his companion -touched him on the arm.</p> - -<p>“Hasten and get them, Tommy,” she said. “I -will wait here.”</p> - -<p>And Stewart, as he hurried away, trembled to -think how nearly he had blundered. For how could -he have explained to the authorities the fact that he -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</span>was traveling with a book of Cook’s circular tickets, -while his wife was buying her tickets from station -to station?</p> - -<p>There was a long line of people in front of the -ticket-office, and their progress was slow, for two -police officers stood at the head of the line and -interrogated every applicant for a ticket before they -would permit it to be given him. Stewart, as he -moved slowly forward, saw two men jerked violently -out of the line and placed under arrest; he -wondered uncomfortably if the officers had any -instructions with regard to him, but, when his turn -came, he faced them as unconcernedly as he was able. -He explained that he and his wife were going to -Brussels, showed his passport, and finally hastened -away triumphant with the two precious bits of -pasteboard. It seemed to him that the last difficulty -had been encountered and overcome, and it was only -by an effort that he kept himself from waving the -tickets in the air as he rejoined his companion. In -another moment, they were past the barrier. Hans -was permitted to enter with them, and mounted -guard over the luggage.</p> - -<p>The platform was thronged with a motley and -excited crowd, among whom were many officers in -long gray coats and trailing swords, evidently on -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</span>their way to join their commands. They were stalking -up and down, with a lofty disregard for base -civilians, talking loudly, gesticulating fiercely, and -stopping ever and anon to shake hands solemnly. -Stewart was watching them with an amusement -somewhat too apparent, for his companion suddenly -passed her arm through his.</p> - -<p>“I should like to walk a little,” she said. “I have -been sitting too long.” Then, in a lower tone, as -they started along the platform, “It would be more -wise not to look at those idiots. They would seek -a quarrel with you in an instant if they suspected -it was at them you were smiling.”</p> - -<p>“You are right,” Stewart agreed; “besides, there -is someone else whom I think much better worth -looking at! The officers seem to share my opinion,” -he added, for more than one head was turned as they -walked slowly down the platform. “I shall be -jealous in a moment!”</p> - -<p>“Do not talk nonsense! Nothing is so absurd -as for a man to make love to his wife in public!”</p> - -<p>Stewart would have liked to retort that he had, as -yet, had mighty few opportunities in private, but he -judged it best to save that remark for the other side -of the frontier.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</span></p> - -<p>“Just the same,” she rattled on, “it was good of -you to write so regularly while you were at Vienna. -I am sure your letters helped with my cure. But -you have not told me—have you secured our passage?”</p> - -<p>“I will know when we get to Brussels. Cook is -trying to get us an outside room on the <i>Adriatic</i>.”</p> - -<p>“Do we go back to England?”</p> - -<p>“Not unless we wish to. We can sail from Cherbourg.”</p> - -<p>They had reached the end of the platform, and, -as they turned, Stewart found himself face to face -with a bearded German who had been close behind -them, and who shot a sharp glance at him and -his companion before stepping aside with a muttered -apology. Not until they had passed him did -Stewart remember that he had seen the man before. -It was the surly passenger in the crowded compartment -on the journey from Cologne.</p> - -<p>His companion had not seemed to notice the fellow, -and went on talking of the voyage home and -how glad she would be to get there. Not until they -turned again at the farther end, and found the platform -for a moment clear around them, did she -relax her guard.</p> - -<p>“That man is a spy,” she whispered, quickly. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</span>“We are evidently still suspected. What sort of -railroad ticket have you?”</p> - -<p>“A book of Cook’s coupons.”</p> - -<p>“I feared as much. You must rid yourself of it—it -is quite possible that you will be searched at the -frontier. No, no,” she added, as Stewart put his -hand to his pocket. “Not here! You would be -seen—everything would be lost. I will devise a -way.”</p> - -<p>Stewart reflected with satisfaction that only a few -coupons were left in the book. But why should he -be searched? He had thought the danger over; but -he began uneasily to suspect that it was just beginning. -Well, it was too late to draw back, even -had he wished to do so; and most emphatically he -did not. He was willing to risk a good deal for -another hour of this companionship—and then there -was that explanation at the end—his reward——</p> - -<p>There was a sharp whistle down the line, and the -train from Cologne rolled slowly in.</p> - -<p>“First class,” said Stewart to Hans, as the latter -picked up the luggage; and then he realized that -they would be fortunate if they got into the train at -all. The first five carriages were crowded with soldiers; -then there were two carriages half-filled with -officers, upon whom no one ventured to intrude. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</span>The three rear carriages were already crowded with -a motley throng of excited civilians, and Stewart -had resigned himself to standing up, when Hans -shouted, “This way, sir; this way!” and started to -run as fast as the heavy suit-cases would permit.</p> - -<p>Stewart, staring after him, saw that an additional -carriage was being pushed up to be attached to the -train.</p> - -<p>“That fellow has more brains than I gave him -credit for,” he said. “Come along!”</p> - -<p>Before the car had stopped, Hans, with a disregard -of the regulations which proved how excited he -was, had wrenched open the door of the first compartment -and clambered aboard. By the time they -reached it, he had the luggage in the rack and sprang -down to the platform with a smile of triumph.</p> - -<p>“Good work!” said Stewart. “I didn’t think -you had it in you!” and he dropped a generous tip -into the waiting hand. “Come, my dear,” and he -helped his companion aboard. Hans slammed the -door shut after them, touched his cap, and hurried -away. “Well, that was luck!” Stewart added, and -dropped to the seat beside his companion. “But -look out for the deluge in another minute!”</p> - -<p>She was looking out of the window at the excited -mob sweeping along the platform.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</span></p> - -<p>“The crowd is not coming this way,” she said, -after a moment. “A line of police is holding it -back. I think this carriage is intended for the -officers.”</p> - -<p>Stewart groaned.</p> - -<p>“Then we shall have to get out! Take my advice -and don’t wait to be asked twice!”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps they will not need this corner. In any -case, we will stay until they put us out. If you are -wise, you will forget all the German you know and -flourish your passport frequently. Germans are always -impressed by a red seal!”</p> - -<p>But, strangely enough, they were not disturbed. -A number of officers approached the carriage, and, -after a glance at its inmates, passed on to the other -compartments. Stewart, putting his head out of the -window, saw that the line of police were still keeping -back the crowd.</p> - -<p>“Really,” he said, “this seems too good to be -true. It looks as if we were going to have this -compartment to ourselves.”</p> - -<p>He turned smilingly to glance at her, and the smile -remained frozen on his lips. For her face was -deathly pale, her eyes were staring, and she was -pressing her hands tight against her heart.</p> - -<p>“You’re not ill?” he asked, genuinely startled.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</span></p> -<p>“Only very tired,” she answered, controlling her -voice with evident difficulty. “I think I shall try -to rest a little,” and she settled herself more comfortably -in her corner. “The journey from Spa -quite exhausted me.” Then with her lips she formed -the words “Be careful!”</p> - -<p>“All right,” said Stewart. “Go to sleep if you -can.”</p> - -<p>She gave him a warning glance from under half-closed -lids, then laid her head back against the -cushions and closed her eyes.</p> - -<p>Stewart, after a last look along the platform, -raised the window half-way to protect his companion -from the draft, then dropped into the corner -opposite her and got out a cigar and lighted it with -studied carelessness—though he was disgusted to see -that his hand was trembling. He was tingling all -over with the sudden sense of danger—tingling as -a soldier tingles as he awaits the command to -charge.</p> - -<p>But what danger could there be? And then he -thrilled at a sudden thought. Was this compartment -intended as a trap? Had they been guided to it and -left alone here in the hope that, thrown off their -guard, they would in some way incriminate themselves? -Was there an ear glued to some hole in the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</span>partition—the ear of a spy crouching in the next -compartment?</p> - -<p>Stewart pulled his hat forward over his eyes as -though to shield them from the light. Then he -went carefully back over the sequence of events -which had led them to this compartment. It was -Hans who had brought them to it—and Hans was -a spy. It was he who had selected it, who had stood -at the door so that they would go no farther. It -was he who had slammed the door.</p> - -<p>Was the door locked? Stewart’s hand itched to -try the handle; but he did not dare. Someone was -perhaps watching as well as listening. But that -they should be permitted to enter a carriage reserved -for officers—that, on a train so crowded, they should -be undisturbed in the possession of a whole compartment—yes, -it was proof enough!</p> - -<p>The station-master’s whistle echoed shrilly along -the platform, and the train glided slowly away.</p> - -<p>Darkness had come, and as the train threaded the -silent environs of the town, Stewart wondered why -the streets seemed so gloomy. Looking again, he -understood. Only a few of the street lights were -burning. Already the economies of war had begun.</p> - -<p>The train entered a long tunnel, at whose entrance -a file of soldiers with fixed bayonets stood on guard. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</span>At regular intervals, the light from the windows -flashed upon an armed patrol. Farther on, a deep -valley was spanned by a great viaduct, and here -again there was a heavy guard. The valley widened, -and suddenly as they swept around a curve, Stewart -saw a broad plain covered with flaring lights. They -were the lights of field-kitchens; and, looking at -them, Stewart realized that a mighty army lay encamped -here, ready to be hurled against the French -frontier.</p> - -<p>And then he remembered that this was not the -French frontier, but the frontier of Belgium. Could -the landlady of the Kölner Hof have been mistaken? -To make sure, he got out his Baedeker and looked -at the map. No; the French frontier lay away to -the south. There was no way to reach it from -this point save across Belgium. It was at Belgium, -then, that the first blow was aimed—Belgium whose -neutrality and independence had been guaranteed by -all the Powers of Europe!</p> - -<p>He put the book away and sat gazing thoughtfully -out into the night. As far as the eye could -reach gleamed the fires of the mighty bivouac. The -army itself was invisible in the darkness, for the -men had not thought it worth while to put up their -shelter tents on so fine a night; but along the track, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</span>from time to time, passed a shadowy patrol; once, -as the train rolled above a road, Stewart saw that -it was packed with transport wagons.</p> - -<p>Then, suddenly, the train groaned to a stop.</p> - -<p>“The frontier!” said Stewart to himself, and -glanced at his companion, but she, to all appearance, -was sleeping peacefully. “We shall be delayed -here,” he thought, “for the troops to detrain,” and -he lowered the window and put out his head to -watch them do it.</p> - -<p>The train had stopped beside a platform, and -Stewart was astonished at its length. It stretched -away and away into the distance, seemingly without -end. And it was empty, save for a few guards.</p> - -<p>The doors behind him were thrown open and the -officers sprang out and hurried forward. From -the windows in front of him, Stewart could see -curious heads projecting; but the forward coaches -gave no sign of life. Not a door was opened; not a -soldier appeared.</p> - -<p>“Where are we? What has happened?” asked -his companion’s voice, and he turned to find her -rubbing her eyes sleepily.</p> - -<p>“We are at the frontier, I suppose,” he answered. -“No doubt we shall go on as soon as the troops -detrain.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</span></p> - -<p>“I hope they will not be long.”</p> - -<p>“They haven’t started yet, but of course—by -George!” he added, in another tone, “they aren’t -getting out! The guards are driving the people out -of the cars ahead of us!”</p> - -<p>The tumult of voices raised in angry protest drew -nearer. Stewart could see that the carriages were -being cleared, and in no gentle manner. There was -no pause for explanation or argument—just a terse -order which, if not instantly obeyed, was followed -by action. Stewart could not help smiling, for, in -that Babel of tongues, he distinguished a lot of unexpurgated -American!</p> - -<p>“There’s no use getting into a fight with them,” -he said, philosophically, as he turned back into the -compartment and lifted down his suit-cases. “We -might as well get out before we’re put out,” and he -tried to open the door.</p> - -<p>It was locked.</p> - -<p>The certainty that they were trapped turned him -a little giddy.</p> - -<p>“Who the devil could have locked this door?” he -demanded, shaking the handle savagely.</p> - -<p>“Seat yourself, Tommy,” his companion advised. -“Do not excite yourself—and have your passport -ready. Perhaps they will not put us off.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</span></p> - -<p>And then a face, crowned by the ubiquitous spiked -helmet, appeared at the window.</p> - -<p>“You will have to get out,” said the man in German, -and tried to open the door.</p> - -<p>Stewart shook his head to show that he didn’t -understand, and produced his passport.</p> - -<p>The man waved it impatiently away, and wrenched -viciously at the door, purple with rage at finding it -locked. Then he shouted savagely at someone farther -up the platform.</p> - -<p>“I have always been told that the Germans were -a phlegmatic people,” observed Stewart; “but as a -matter of fact, they blow up quicker and harder than -anybody I ever saw. Look at that fellow, -now——”</p> - -<p>But at that moment a guard came running up, -produced a key, and opened the door.</p> - -<p>“Come, get out!” said the man, with a gesture -there was no mistaking, and Stewart, picking up his -bags, stepped out upon the platform and helped his -companion to alight.</p> - -<p>“How long will we be detained here?” he asked -in English; but the man, with a contemptuous shrug, -motioned him to stand back.</p> - -<p>Looking along the platform, Stewart saw approaching -the head of an infantry column. In a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</span>moment, the soldiers were clambering into the -coaches, with the same mathematical precision he -had seen before. But there was something unfamiliar -in their appearance; and, looking more closely, -Stewart saw that their spiked helmets were covered -with gray cloth, and that not a button or bit of -gilt glittered anywhere on the gray-green field uniforms. -Wonderful forethought, he told himself. -By night these troops would be quite invisible; by -day they would be merged indistinguishably with the -brown soil of the fields, the gray trunks of trees, -the green of hedges.</p> - -<p>The train rolled slowly out of the station, and -Stewart saw that on the track beyond there was another, -also loaded with troops. In a moment, it -started westward after the first; and beyond it a -third train lay revealed.</p> - -<p>Stewart, glancing at his companion, was startled -by the whiteness of her face, the steely glitter of her -eyes.</p> - -<p>“It looks like a regular invasion,” he said. “But -let us find out what’s going to happen to us. We -can’t stand here all night. Good heavens—what is -that?”</p> - -<p>From the air above them came the sudden savage -whirr of a powerful engine, and, looking up, they -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</span>saw a giant shape sweep across the sky. It was gone -in an instant.</p> - -<p>“A Zeppelin!” said Stewart, and felt within himself -a thrill of wonder and exultation. Oh, this -would be a great war! It would be like no other -ever seen upon this earth. It would be fought in the -air, as well as on the land; in the depths of the ocean, -as well as on its surface. At last all theories were -to be put to the supreme test!</p> - -<p>“You will come with me,” said the man in the -helmet, and Stewart, with a nod, picked up his grips -again before he remembered that he was supposed -to be ignorant of German.</p> - -<p>“Did you say there was another train?” he asked. -“Shall we be able to get away?”</p> - -<p>The man shook his head and led the way along -the platform, without glancing to the right or left. -As they passed the bare little station, they saw that -it was jammed to the doors with men and women -and children, mixed in an indiscriminate mass, and -evidently most uncomfortable. But their guide led -them past it without stopping, and Stewart breathed -a sigh of relief. Anything would be better than to -be thrust into that crowd!</p> - -<p>Again he had cause to wonder at the length of that -interminable platform; but at last, near its farther -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</span>end, their guide stopped before a small, square -structure, whose use Stewart could not even guess, -and flung open the door.</p> - -<p>“You will enter here,” he said.</p> - -<p>“But look here,” Stewart protested, “we are -American citizens. You have no right——”</p> - -<p>The man signed to them to hurry. There was -something in the gesture which stopped the words on -Stewart’s lips.</p> - -<p>“Oh, damn the fool!” he growled, swallowing -hard. “Come along, my dear; there’s no use to -argue,” and, bending his head at the low door, he -stepped inside.</p> - -<p>In an instant, the door was slammed shut, and the -snap of a lock told them that they were prisoners.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII<br /> -<span class="smaller">IN THE TRAP</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">As</span> Stewart set down his bags, still swearing softly -to himself, he heard behind him the sound of a -stifled sob.</p> - -<p>“There! there!” he said. “We’ll soon be all -right!” and as he turned swiftly and reached out his -arms to grope for her, it seemed to him that she -walked right into them.</p> - -<p>“Oh, oh!” she moaned, and pressed close against -him. “What will they do to us? Why have they -placed us here?” And then he felt her lips against -his ear. “Be careful!” she whispered in the merest -breath. “There is an open window!”</p> - -<p>Stewart’s heart was thrilling. What a woman! -What an actress! Well, he would prove that he, -too, could play a part.</p> - -<p>“They will do nothing to us, dear,” he answered, -patting her shoulder. “They will not dare to harm -us! Remember, we are Americans!”</p> - -<p>“But—but why should they place us here?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</span></p> - -<p>“I don’t know—I suppose they have to be careful. -I’ll appeal to our ambassador in the morning. He’ll -soon bring them to their senses. So don’t worry!”</p> - -<p>“But it is so dark!” she complained. “And I am -so tired. Can we not seat ourselves somewhere?”</p> - -<p>“We can sit on our bags,” said Stewart. -“Wait!” In a moment he had found them and -placed them one upon the other. “There you are. -Now let us see what sort of a place we’ve come -to.”</p> - -<p>He got out his match-box and struck a light. The -first flare almost blinded him; then, holding the -match above his head, he saw they were in a brick -cubicle, about twenty feet square. There was a -single small window, without glass but heavily -barred. The place was empty, save for a pile of -barrels against one end.</p> - -<p>“It’s a store-house of some kind,” he said, and -then he sniffed sharply. “Gasoline! I’d better not -strike any more matches.”</p> - -<p>He sat down beside her and for some moments -they were silent. Almost unconsciously, his arm -found its way about her waist. She did not draw -away.</p> - -<p>“Do you suppose they will keep us here all -night?” she asked, at last.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</span></p> - -<p>“Heaven knows! They seem capable of any -folly!”</p> - -<p>And then again he felt her lips against his ear.</p> - -<p>“We must destroy your ticket,” she breathed. -“Can you find it in the dark?”</p> - -<p>“I think so.” He fumbled in an inside pocket and -drew it out. “Here it is.”</p> - -<p>Her groping hand found his and took the ticket.</p> - -<p>“Now talk to me,” she said.</p> - -<p>Stewart talked at random, wondering how she -intended to destroy the ticket. Once he fancied he -heard the sound of soft tearing; and once, when she -spoke in answer to a question, her voice seemed -strange and muffled.</p> - -<p>“It is done,” she whispered at last. “Place these -in your pocket and continue talking.”</p> - -<p>Her groping hand touched his and he found himself -grasping two minute objects whose nature he -could not guess, until, feeling them carefully, he -found them to be the small wire staples which had -held the coupons of the ticket together. He slipped -them into his waistcoat pocket; and then, as he began -to tell her about the women from Philadelphia -and the journey from Cologne, he was conscious that -she was no longer beside him. But at the end of a -moment she was back again.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</span></p> - -<p>“That girl was perfectly right,” she said. -“Women are very silly to try to travel about Europe -without a man as escort. Consider how I -should feel at this moment if I did not have -you!”</p> - -<p>But in spite of themselves, the conversation -lagged; and they finally sat silent.</p> - -<p>How strange a thing was chance, Stewart pondered. -Here was he who, until to-day, had seen his -life stretching before him ordered and prosaic, -cast suddenly into the midst of strange adventure. -Here was this girl, whom he had known for only -a few hours and yet seemed to have known for years—whom -he certainly knew better than he had ever -known any other woman There was Bloem—he -had been cast into adventure, too. Was he outside -somewhere, among all those thousands, gazing up -at the stars and wondering at Fate? And the thousands -themselves—the millions mustering at this -moment into the armies of Europe—to what tragic -adventure were they being hurried!</p> - -<p>A quick step came along the platform and stopped -at the door; there was the snap of a lock, and the -door swung open.</p> - -<p>“You will come out,” said a voice in English.</p> - -<p>Against the lights of the station, Stewart saw outlined<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</span> -the figure of a man in uniform. He rose -wearily.</p> - -<p>“Come, dear,” he said, and helped her to her -feet; “it seems we are to go somewhere else.” Then -he looked down at the heavy bags. “I can’t carry -those things all over creation,” he said; “what’s -more, I won’t.”</p> - -<p>“I will attend to that,” said the stranger, and -put a whistle to his lips and blew a shrill blast. -Two men came running up. “You will take those -bags,” he ordered. “Follow me,” he added to -Stewart.</p> - -<p>They followed him along the platform, crossed -the track to another, and came at last to a great -empty shed with a low table running along one side. -The men placed the bags upon this table and withdrew.</p> - -<p>“I shall have to search them,” said the officer. -“Are they locked?”</p> - -<p>He stood in the glare of a lamp hanging from -the rafters, and for the first time, Stewart saw his -face. The man smiled at his start of surprise.</p> - -<p>“I see you recognize me,” he said. “Yes—I was -in your compartment coming from Cologne. We -will speak of that later. Are your bags locked?”</p> - -<p>“No,” said Stewart.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</span></p> - -<p>He watched with affected listlessness as the officer -undid the straps and raised the lids. But his mind -was very busy. Had he said anything during that -ride from Cologne which he would now have reason -to regret? Had he intimated that he was unmarried? -He struggled to recall the conversation, sentence -by sentence, but could remember nothing that -was actually incriminating. And yet, in mentioning -his intended stop at Aix-la-Chapelle, he had not -added that he was to meet his wife there, and he had -made a tentative arrangement to see Miss Field -again in Brussels. The talk, in other words, had -been carried on from the angle of a bachelor with -no one to think of but himself, and not from that -of a married man with a wife to consider.</p> - -<p>It was certainly unfortunate that the man who had -happened to overhear that conversation should be -the one detailed here to examine his luggage. How -well did he know English? Was he acute enough to -catch the implications of the conversation, or would -a disregard of one’s wife seem natural to his Teutonic -mind? Stewart glanced at him covertly; and -then his attention was suddenly caught and held by -the extreme care with which the man examined the -contents of the bags.</p> - -<p>He shook out each garment, put his hand in every -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</span>pocket, examined the linings with his finger-tips, -ripped open one where he detected some unusual -thickness only to discover a strip of reënforcement, -opened and read carefully every letter and paper, -turned the Baedeker page by page to be sure that -nothing lay between them. He paused over the satin -shoes and stockings, but put them down finally without -comment. At last the bags were empty, and, taking -up his knife, he proceeded to rip open the linen -linings and look under them. Then, with equal care, -he returned each article to its place, examining it a -second time with the same intent scrutiny.</p> - -<p>All this took time, and long before it was over, -Stewart and his companion had dropped upon a -bench which ran along the wall opposite the table. -Stewart was so weary that he began to feel that -nothing mattered very much, and he could see that -the girl also was deadly tired. But at last the search -was finished and the bags closed and strapped.</p> - -<p>“I should like to see the small bag which Madame -carries on her arm,” said the officer, and, without -a word, the girl held it out to him.</p> - -<p>He examined its contents with a minuteness almost -microscopic. Nothing was too small, too unimportant, -to escape the closest attention. Stewart, -marveling at this exhibition of German thoroughness,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</span> -watched him through half-closed eyes, his heart -beating a little faster. Would he find some clew, -some evidence of treachery?</p> - -<p>There were some handkerchiefs in the bag, and -some small toilet articles; a cake of soap in a case, -a box of powder, a small purse containing some gold -and silver, a postcard, two or three letters, and -some trivial odds and ends such as every woman -carries about with her. The searcher unfolded each -of the handkerchiefs and held it against the light, -he cut the cake of soap into minute fragments; he -emptied the box of powder and ran an inquiring -finger through its contents; he turned out the purse -and looked at every coin it contained; then he sat -down and read slowly and gravely the postcard and -each of the letters and examined their postmarks, -and finally he took one of the closely-written sheets, -mounted on his chair, and held the sheet close against -the chimney of the lamp until it was smoking with -the heat, examining it with minute attention as -though he rather expected to make some interesting -discovery. As a finish to his researches, he ripped -open the lining of the bag and turned it inside -out.</p> - -<p>“Where did you buy this bag, madame?” he -asked.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</span></p> - -<p>“In Paris, a month ago.”</p> - -<p>“These handkerchiefs are also French.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly. French handkerchiefs are the best -in the world.”</p> - -<p>He compressed his lips and looked at her.</p> - -<p>“And that is a French hat,” he went on.</p> - -<p>“Good heavens!” cried the girl. “One would -think I was passing the customs at New York. Certainly -it is French. So is my gown—so are my -stockings—so is my underwear. For what else does -an American woman come abroad?”</p> - -<p>He looked at her shoes. She saw his glance and -understood it.</p> - -<p>“No; my shoes are American. The French do -not know how to make shoes.”</p> - -<p>“But the slippers are French.”</p> - -<p>“Which slippers?”</p> - -<p>“The ones in your husband’s bag.”</p> - -<p>She turned laughingly to Stewart.</p> - -<p>“Have you been carrying a pair of my slippers -all around Europe, Tommy?” she asked. “How -did that happen?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. I packed in rather a hurry,” -answered Stewart, sheepishly.</p> - -<p>“Where is the remainder of your baggage, -madame?” asked the officer.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</span></p> - -<p>“At Brussels—at least, I hope so. I sent it there -direct from Spa.”</p> - -<p>“Why did you do that?”</p> - -<p>“In order to avoid the examination at the -frontier.”</p> - -<p>“Why did not you yourself go direct to Brussels?”</p> - -<p>“I wished to see my husband. I had not seen him -for almost a month,” and she cast Stewart a fond -smile.</p> - -<p>“Have you been recently married?”</p> - -<p>“We have been married four years,” the girl informed -him, with dignity.</p> - -<p>Stewart started to give some additional information -about the family, but restrained himself.</p> - -<p>The inspector looked at them both keenly for a -moment, scratching his bearded chin reflectively. -Then he took a rapid turn up and down the shed, his -brow furrowed in thought.</p> - -<p>“I shall have to ask you both to disrobe,” he said, -at last, and as Stewart started to his feet in hot -protest, he added, quickly, “I have a woman who -will disrobe Madame.”</p> - -<p>“But this is an outrage!” protested Stewart, his -face crimson. “This lady is my wife—I won’t -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</span>stand by and see her insulted. I warn you that you -are making a serious mistake.”</p> - -<p>“She shall not be insulted. Besides, it is necessary.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t see it.”</p> - -<p>“That is for me to decide,” said the other bluntly, -and he put his whistle to his lips and blew two blasts.</p> - -<p>A door at the farther end of the shed opened and -a woman entered. She was a matronly creature with -a kind face, and she smiled encouragingly at the -shrinking girl.</p> - -<p>“Frau Ritter,” said the officer in German, “you -will take this lady into the office and disrobe her. -Bring her clothing to me here—all of it.”</p> - -<p>Again Stewart started to protest, but the officer -silenced him with a gesture.</p> - -<p>“It is useless to attempt resistance,” he said, -sharply. “I must do my duty—by force if necessary. -It will be much wiser to obey quietly.”</p> - -<p>The girl rose to her feet, evidently reassured by -the benevolent appearance of the woman.</p> - -<p>“Do not worry, Tommy,” she said. “It will be -all right. It is of no use to argue with these people. -There is nothing to do but submit.”</p> - -<p>“So it seems,” Stewart muttered, and watched -her until she disappeared through the door.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</span></p> - -<p>“Now, sir,” said the officer, sharply, “your -clothes.”</p> - -<p>Crimson with anger and humiliation, Stewart -handed them over piece by piece, saw pockets turned -out, linings loosened here and there, the heels of his -shoes examined, his fountain-pen unscrewed and -emptied of its ink. At last he stood naked under the -flaring light, feeling helpless as a baby.</p> - -<p>“Well, I hope you are satisfied,” he said, vindictively.</p> - -<p>With a curt nod, the officer handed him back his -underwear.</p> - -<p>“I will keep these for the moment,” he said, indicating -the little pile of things taken from the pockets. -“You may dress. <i>Your</i> clothes, at least, are American!”</p> - -<p>As he spoke, the woman entered from the farther -door, with a bundle of clothing in her arms. -Stewart turned hastily away, struggling into his -trousers as rapidly as he could, and cursing the -careless immodesty of these people. Sullenly he -laced his shoes, and put on his collar, noting wrathfully -that it was soiled. He kept his back to the man -at the table—he felt that it would be indecent to -watch him scrutinizing those intimate articles of -apparel.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</span></p> - -<p>“You have examined her hair?” he heard the -man ask.</p> - -<p>“Yes, Excellency.”</p> - -<p>“Very well; you may take these back.”</p> - -<p>Not until he heard the door close behind her did -Stewart turn around. The officer was lighting a -cigarette. The careless unconcern of the act added -new fuel to the American’s wrath.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps you will tell me the meaning of all -this?” he demanded. “Why should my wife and I -be compelled to submit to these indignities?”</p> - -<p>“We are looking for a spy,” replied the other -imperturbably, and addressed himself to an examination -of the things he had taken from Stewart’s -pockets—his penknife, his watch, the contents of -his purse, the papers in his pocket-book. He even -placed a meditative finger for an instant on the two -tiny metal clips which had come from the Cook -ticket. But to reconstruct their use was evidently -too great a task even for a German police agent, for -he passed on almost at once to something else. -“Very good,” he said at last, pushed the pile toward -its owner, and opened the passport, which he had laid -to one side.</p> - -<p>“That passport will tell you that I am not a spy,” -said Stewart, putting his things angrily back into his -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</span>pockets. “That, it seems to me, should be sufficient.”</p> - -<p>“As far as you are concerned, it is entirely sufficient,” -said the other. “One can see at a glance -that you are an American. But the appearance of -Madame is distinctly French.”</p> - -<p>“Americans are of every race,” Stewart pointed -out. “I have seen many who look far more German -than you do.”</p> - -<p>“That is true; but it so happens that the spy we -are looking for is a woman. I cannot tell you more, -except that it is imperative she does not escape.”</p> - -<p>“And you suspect my wife?” Stewart demanded. -“But that is absurd!”</p> - -<p>He was proud of the fact that he had managed -to maintain unaltered his expression of virtuous -indignation, for a sudden chill had run down his -spine at the other’s careless words. Evidently the -situation was far more dangerous than he had suspected! -Then he was conscious that his hands were -trembling slightly, and thrust them quickly into his -pockets.</p> - -<p>“The fact that she joined you at Aachen seemed -most suspicious,” the inspector pointed out. “I do -not remember that you mentioned her during your -conversation with the ladies in the train.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</span></p> - -<p>“Certainly not. Why should I have mentioned -her?”</p> - -<p>“There was perhaps no reason for doing so,” the -inspector admitted. “Nevertheless, it seemed to us -unusual that she should have come back from Spa to -Aachen to meet you, when she might, so much more -conveniently, have gone direct to Brussels and -awaited you there.”</p> - -<p>“She has explained why we made that arrangement.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” and through half-closed eyes he watched -the smoke from his cigarette circle upwards toward -the lamp. “Conjugal affection—most admirable, I -am sure! It is unfortunate that Madame’s appearance -should answer so closely to that of the woman -for whom we are searching. It was also unfortunate -that you should have met at the Kölner Hof. That -hotel has not a good reputation—it is frequented by -too many French whose business is not quite clear -to us. How did it happen that you went there?”</p> - -<p>“Why,” retorted Stewart hotly, glad of the -chance to return one of the many blows which had -been rained upon him, “one of your own men -recommended it.”</p> - -<p>“One of my own men? I do not understand,” -and the officer looked at him curiously.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</span></p> - -<p>“At least one of the police. He came to me at the -Hotel Continental at Cologne to examine my passport. -He asked me where I was going from Cologne, -and I told him to Aix-la-Chapelle. He asked at -which hotel I was going to stay, and I said I did -not know. He said he would like to have that information -for his report, and added that the Kölner -Hof was near the station and very clean and comfortable. -I certainly found it so.”</p> - -<p>The officer was listening with peculiar intentness.</p> - -<p>“Why were you not at the station to meet your -wife?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“I did not know when she would arrive; I was -told that the trains were all running irregularly,” -answered Stewart, prouder of his ability to lie well -and quickly than he had ever been of anything else -in his life.</p> - -<p>“But how did she know at which hotel to find -you?” inquired the officer, and negligently flipped -the ash from his cigarette.</p> - -<p>Stewart distinctly felt his heart turn over as he -saw the abyss at his feet. How would she have -known? How <i>could</i> she have known? What would -he have done if he had really had a wife waiting at -Spa? These questions flashed through his head like -lightning.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</span></p> - -<p>“Why, I telegraphed her, of course,” he said; -“and to make assurance doubly sure, I sent her a -postcard.” And then his heart fell again, for he -realized that the police had only to wire to Cologne -to prove that no such message had been filed there.</p> - -<p>But the officer tossed away his cigarette with a -little gesture of satisfaction.</p> - -<p>“It was well you took the latter precaution, Mr. -Stewart,” he said, and Stewart detected a subtle -change in his tone—it was less cold, more friendly. -“The wires were closed last night to any but official -business, and your message could not possibly have -got through. I am surprised that it was accepted.”</p> - -<p>“I gave it to the porter at the hotel,” Stewart explained. -“Perhaps it wasn’t accepted, and he just -kept the money.”</p> - -<p>“That may be. But your postcard got through, -as you no doubt know. It evidently caught the night -mail and was delivered to Madame this morning.”</p> - -<p>“Really,” stammered Stewart, wondering desperately -if this was another trap, “I didn’t know—I -didn’t think to ask——”</p> - -<p>“Luckily Madame brought it with her in her -hand-bag,” explained the other. “It offers a -convincing confirmation of your story—the more -convincing perhaps since you seem surprised that -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</span>she preserved it. Ah, here she is now,” and he -arose as the door opened and the girl came in. -“Will you not sit down, madame?” he went on, -courteously. “I pray that both of you will accept -my sincere apologies for the inconvenience I have -caused you. Believe me, it was one of war’s necessities.”</p> - -<p>The girl glanced at the speaker curiously, his tone -was so warm, so full of friendship; then she glanced -at Stewart——</p> - -<p>And Stewart, catching that glance, was suddenly -conscious that his mouth was open and his eyes staring -and his whole attitude that of a man struck -dumb by astonishment. Hastily he bent over to retie -a shoestring. But really, he told himself, he -could not be blamed for being disconcerted—anybody -would be disconcerted to be told suddenly that -his most desperate lie was true! But how could it -be true? How could there be any such postcard as -the German had described? Was it just another -trap?</p> - -<p>“We understand, of course, that you were merely -doing your duty,” the girl’s voice was saying; “what -seemed unfair was that we should be the victims. -Do I understand that—that you no longer suspect -us?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</span></p> - -<p>“Absolutely not; and I apologize for my suspicions.”</p> - -<p>“Then we are at liberty to proceed?”</p> - -<p>“You cannot in any event proceed to-night. I -will pass you in the morning. And I hope you will -not think that any discourtesy was intended to you -as Americans. Germany is most anxious to retain -the good-will of America. It will mean much to us -in this struggle.”</p> - -<p>“Most Americans are rather sentimental over -Alsace-Lorraine,” said Stewart, who had recovered -his composure, and he fished for a cigar and offered -one to the officer, who accepted it with a bow of -thanks.</p> - -<p>“That is because they do not understand,” said the -other, quickly. “Alsace and Lorraine belong of -right to Germany. Of that there can be no question.”</p> - -<p>“But haven’t you been rather harsh with them?”</p> - -<p>“We have not been harsh enough. Had we done -our duty, we would have stamped out without -mercy the treason which is still rampant in many -parts of those provinces. Instead, we have hesitated, -we have temporized—and now, too late, we -realize our mistake. The spy for whom we are -searching at this moment comes from Strassburg.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</span></p> - -<p>Stewart started at the words; but the girl -threw back her head and burst into delighted -laughter.</p> - -<p>“So you took us for spies!” she cried. “What -a tale to tell, Tommy, when we get home!”</p> - -<p>“There is but one spy, madame,” said the officer; -“a woman young and beautiful like yourself—accomplished, -distinguished, a great linguist, a fine -musician, of good family, and moving in the highest -society in Alsace. She was on terms of intimacy -with many of our officers; they did not hesitate to -talk freely to her. Some of them, fascinated by -her wit and beauty and wishing to prove their own -importance, told her things which they had no right -to tell. More than that, at the last moment she succeeded -in getting possession for a time of certain -confidential documents. But she had gone too far—she -was suspected—she fled—and she has not yet -been captured. But she cannot escape—we cannot -permit her to escape. We know that she is still -somewhere in Germany, and we have made it impossible -for her to pass the frontier. A person who -knows her is to be stationed at every post, and no -woman will be permitted to pass until he has seen -her. The man to be stationed here will arrive from -Strassburg in an hour. As a final precaution, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</span>madame,” he added, smiling, “and because my orders -are most precise and stringent, I shall ask you -and your husband to remain here at Herbesthal until -morning. As I have said, you could not, in any -event, go on to-night, for the frontier is closed. In -the morning, I will ask my man from Strassburg to -look at you, and will then provide you with a safe-conduct, -and see that every possible facility is given -you to get safely across the frontier.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” she said; “you are most kind. -That is why you are keeping all those people shut up -in the station?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, madame. They cannot pass until my man -has seen them.”</p> - -<p>“But you are not searching them?”</p> - -<p>“No; with most of them, the detention is a mere -matter of obeying orders—one can tell their nationality -at a glance. But to look at you, madame, -I should never have supposed you to be an American—I -should have supposed you to be French.”</p> - -<p>“My grandmother was French,” explained the -girl, composedly, “and I am said to resemble her -very closely. I must also warn you that my sympathies -are French.”</p> - -<p>The officer shrugged his shoulders with a smile.</p> - -<p>“That is a great misfortune. Perhaps when you -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</span>see how our army fights, we may claim some of your -sympathy—or, at least, your admiration.”</p> - -<p>“It will fight well, then?”</p> - -<p>“It will fight so well—it will prove so irresistible—that -our General Staff has been able to prepare -in advance the schedule for the entire campaign. -This is the first of August. On the fifth we -shall capture Lille, on the ninth we shall cross the -Marne, and on the eleventh we shall enter Paris. -On the evening of the twelfth, the Emperor will dine -the General Staff at the Ritz.”</p> - -<p>Stewart stared in astonishment, not knowing -whether to laugh or to be impressed. But there was -no shadow of a smile on the bearded face of the -speaker.</p> - -<p>“You are not in earnest!” Stewart protested.</p> - -<p>“Thoroughly in earnest. We know where we -shall be at every hour of every day. There are at -present living in France many Germans who are -reservists in our army. Not one of these has been -required to return to Germany. On the contrary, -each of them has been instructed to report at a point -near his place of residence at a certain hour of a -certain day, where he will find his regiment awaiting -him. For example, all German reservists living -at Lille, or in the neighborhood, will report at noon -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</span>of Wednesday next in the Place de la République in -front of the prefecture, where the German administration -will have been installed during the morning.”</p> - -<p>Stewart opened his lips to say something, but no -words came. He felt intimidated and overborne.</p> - -<p>But it was not at Stewart the officer was looking -so triumphantly, it was at the girl. Perhaps he also, -yielding to a subtle fascination, was telling things he -had no right to tell in order to prove his importance!</p> - -<p>The girl returned his gaze with a look of astonishment -and admiration.</p> - -<p>“How wonderful!” she breathed. “And it is -really true?”</p> - -<p>“True in every detail, madame.”</p> - -<p>“But this Lille of which you have spoken—is it -a fortress?”</p> - -<p>“A great fortress, madame.”</p> - -<p>“Will it not resist?”</p> - -<p>“Not for long—perhaps not at all. If it does resist, -it will fall like a house of cards. The whole -world will be astonished, madame, when it learns -the details of that action. We have a great surprise -in store for our enemies!”</p> - -<p>Stewart, glancing at his companion, noted with -alarm the flash of excitement in her eyes. Would -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</span>she push her questioning too far—would she be indiscreet; -but the next instant he was reassured.</p> - -<p>“It is most fascinating,—this puzzle!” she -laughed. “I shall watch the papers for the fall of -Lille. But I am very ignorant—I do not even know -where Lille is.”</p> - -<p>“It is in the northwest corner of France, madame, -just south of the Belgian frontier.”</p> - -<p>The girl looked at him perplexedly.</p> - -<p>“But how can you reach it,” she asked, slowly, -“without crossing Belgium?”</p> - -<p>“We cannot reach it without crossing Belgium.”</p> - -<p>From the expression of her face, she might have -been a child shyly interrogating an indulgent senior.</p> - -<p>“I know I am stupid,” she faltered, “but it seems -to me I have read somewhere—perhaps in Baedeker—that -all the Powers had agreed that Belgium -should always be a neutral country.”</p> - -<p>“So they did—Germany as well as the others. -But such agreements are mere scraps of paper. -The first blast of war blows them away. France -has built along her eastern border a great chain of -forts which are almost impregnable. Therefore it -is necessary for us to strike her from the north -through Belgium. Regretfully, but none the less -firmly, we have warned Belgium to stand aside.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</span></p> - -<p>“Will she stand aside?”</p> - -<p>The officer shrugged his shoulders.</p> - -<p>“She must, or risk annihilation. She will not -dare oppose us. If she does, we shall crush her into -the dust. She will belong to us, and we will take -her. Moreover, we shall not repeat the mistake we -made in Alsace-Lorraine. There will be no treason -in Belgium!”</p> - -<p>Stewart felt a little shiver of disgust sweep over -him. So this was the German attitude—treaties, -solemn agreements, these were merely “scraps of -paper” not worth a second thought; a small nation -had no rights worth considering, since it lacked the -power to defend them. Should it try to do so, it -would “risk annihilation!”</p> - -<p>He did not feel that he could trust himself to talk -any longer, and rose suddenly to his feet.</p> - -<p>“What are we going to do to-night?” he asked. -“Not sit here in this shed, surely!”</p> - -<p>“Certainly not,” and the officer rose too. “I -have secured a lodging for you with the woman who -searched Madame. You will find it clean and comfortable, -though by no means luxurious.”</p> - -<p>“That is very kind of you,” said Stewart, with -a memory of the rabble he had seen crowded into the -waiting-room. And then he looked at his luggage. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</span>“I hope it isn’t far,” he added. “I’ve carried those -bags about a thousand miles to-day.”</p> - -<p>“It is but a step—but I will have a man carry -your bags. Here is your passport, sir, and again -permit me to assure you of my regret. You also, -madame!” and he bowed ceremoniously above her -fingers.</p> - -<p>Three minutes later, Stewart and his companion -were walking down the platform beside the pleasant-faced -woman, who babbled away amiably in German, -while a porter followed with the bags. As -they passed the station, they could see that it was still -jammed with a motley crowd, while a guard of soldiers -thrown around it prevented anyone leaving or -entering.</p> - -<p>“How fortunate that we have escaped that!” said -Stewart. “Even at the price of being searched!”</p> - -<p>“This way, sir,” said the woman, in German, and -motioned off into the darkness to the right.</p> - -<p>They made their way across a net-work of tracks, -which seemed to Stewart strangely complicated and -extensive for a small frontier station, and then -emerged into a narrow, crooked street, bordered by -mean little houses. In front of one of these the -woman stopped and unlocked the door with an enormous -key. The porter set the bags inside, received -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</span>his tip, and withdrew, while their hostess struck a -match and lighted a candle, disclosing a narrow hall -running from the front door back through the house.</p> - -<p>“You will sleep here, sir,” she said, and opened -a door to the left.</p> - -<p>They stepped through, in obedience to her gesture, -and found themselves in a fair-sized room, poorly -furnished and a little musty from disuse, but evidently -clean. Their hostess hastened to open the -window and to light another candle. Then she -brought in Stewart’s bags.</p> - -<p>“You will find water there,” and she pointed to -the pitcher on the wash-stand. “I cannot give you -hot water to-night—there is no fire. Will these -towels be sufficient? Yes? Is there anything else? -No? Then good-night, sir, and you also, my -lady.”</p> - -<p>“Good-night,” they answered; and for a moment -after the door closed, stood staring at it as though -hypnotized.</p> - -<p>Then the girl stepped to the window and pulled -together the curtains of white cotton. As she -turned back into the room, Stewart saw that her -face was livid.</p> - -<p>His eyes asked the question which he did not dare -speak aloud.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</span></p> - -<p>She drew him back into the corner and put her -lips close against his ear.</p> - -<p>“There is a guard outside,” she whispered. “We -must be very careful. We are prisoners still.”</p> - -<p>As Stewart stood staring, she took off her hat and -tossed it on a chair.</p> - -<p>“How tired I am!” she said, yawning heavily, -and turning back to the window, she began to take -down her hair.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII<br /> -<span class="smaller">PRESTO! CHANGE!</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">The</span> vision of that dark hair rippling down as she -drew out pin after pin held Stewart entranced. And -the curve of her uplifted arms was also a thing to be -remembered! But what was it she proposed to do? -Surely——</p> - -<p>“If you are going to wash, you would better do it, -Tommy,” she said, calmly. “I shall be wanting to -in a minute.”</p> - -<p>Mechanically, Stewart slipped out of his coat, -undid his tie, took off his collar, pulled up his sleeves, -and fell to. He was obsessed by a feeling of unreality -which even the cold water did not dissipate. -It couldn’t be true—all this——</p> - -<p>“I wish you would hurry, Tommy,” said a voice -behind him. “I am waiting for you to unhook my -bodice.”</p> - -<p>Stewart started round as though stung by an -adder. His companion’s hair fell in beautiful dark -waves about her shoulders, and he could see that her -bodice was loosened.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</span></p> - -<p>“There are two hooks I cannot reach,” she explained, -in the most matter-of-fact tone. “I should -think you would know that by this time!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, so it’s <i>that</i> bodice!” said Stewart, and dried -his hands vigorously, resolved to play the game to -the end, whatever it might be. “All right,” and as -she turned her back toward him, he began gingerly -searching for the hooks.</p> - -<p>“Come a little this way,” she said; “you can see -better,” and, glancing up, Stewart suddenly understood.</p> - -<p>They were standing so that their shadows fell -upon the curtain. The comedy was being played for -the benefit of the guard in the street outside.</p> - -<p>The discovery that it <i>was</i> a comedy gave him back -all his aplomb, and he found the hooks and disengaged -them with a dexterity which no real husband -could have improved upon.</p> - -<p>“There,” he said; “though why any woman -should wear a gown so fashioned that she can neither -dress nor undress herself passes my comprehension. -Why not put the hooks in front?”</p> - -<p>“And spoil the effect? Impossible! The hooks -must be in the back,” and still standing before the -window, she slowly drew her bodice off.</p> - -<p>Stewart had seen the arms of many women, but -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</span>never a pair so rounded and graceful and beautiful -as those at this moment disclosed to him. Admirable -too was the way in which the head was -set upon the lovely neck, and the way the neck -itself merged into the shoulders—the masterpiece -of a great artist, so he told himself.</p> - -<p>“I wonder if there is a shutter to that window?” -she asked, suddenly, starting round toward it. “If -there is, you would better close it. Somebody might -pass—besides, I do not care to sleep on the ground-floor -of a strange house in a strange town, with an -open window overlooking the street!”</p> - -<p>“I’ll see,” said Stewart, and pulling back the curtains, -stuck out his head. “Yes—there’s a shutter—a -heavy wooden one.” He pulled it shut and pushed -its bolt into place. “There; now you’re safe!”</p> - -<p>She motioned him quickly to lower the window, -and this he did as noiselessly as possible.</p> - -<p>“Was there anyone outside?” she asked, in a low -tone.</p> - -<p>He shook his head. The narrow street upon -which the window opened had seemed quite deserted—but -the shadows were very deep.</p> - -<p>“I wish you would open the bags,” she said, in her -natural voice. “I shall have to improvise a nightdress -of some sort.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</span></p> - -<p>Although he knew quite well that the words had -been uttered for foreign consumption, as it were, -Stewart found that his fingers were trembling as he -undid the straps and threw back the lids, for he was -quite unable to guess what would be the end of this -strange adventure or to what desperate straits they -might be driven by the pressure of circumstance.</p> - -<p>“There you are,” he said, and sat down and -watched her.</p> - -<p>She knelt on the floor beside the bags and turned -over their contents thoughtfully, laying to one side -a soft outing shirt, a traveling cap, a lounging coat, -a pipe and pouch of tobacco, a handful of cigars, a -pair of trousers, a belt, three handkerchiefs, a pair -of scissors. She paused for a long time over a pair -of Stewart’s shoes, but finally put them back with a -shake of the head.</p> - -<p>“No,” said Stewart, “I agree with you. Shoes -are not necessary to a sleeping costume. But then -neither is a pipe.”</p> - -<p>She laughed.</p> - -<p>“You will find that the pipe is very necessary,” -she said, and rising briskly, stepped to the wash-stand -and gave face and hands and arms a scrubbing -so vigorous that she emerged, as it seemed to Stewart, -more radiant than ever. Then she glanced into -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</span>the pitcher with an exclamation of dismay. “There! -I have used all the water! I wonder if our landlady -has gone to bed?”</p> - -<p>Catching up the pitcher, she crossed rapidly to -the door and opened it. There was no one there, -and Stewart, following with the candle, saw that -the hall was empty. They stood for a moment -listening, but not a sound disturbed the stillness of -the house.</p> - -<p>The girl motioned him back into the room and -closed the door softly. Then, replacing the pitcher -gently, she caught up a pile of Stewart’s socks and -stuffed them tightly under the door. Finally she set a -chair snugly against it—for there was no lock—and -turned to Stewart with a little sigh of relief.</p> - -<p>“There,” she said in a low tone; “no one can -see our light nor overhear us, if we are careful. -Perhaps they really do not suspect us—but we must -take no chances. What hour have you?”</p> - -<p>Stewart glanced at his watch.</p> - -<p>“It is almost midnight.”</p> - -<p>“There is no time to lose. We must make our -plans. Sit here beside me,” and she sat down in -one corner against the wall. “We must not waste -our candle,” she added. “Bring it with you, and we -will blow it out until we need it again.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</span></p> - -<p>Stewart sat down beside her, placed the candle on -the floor and leaned forward and blew it out.</p> - -<p>For a moment they sat so, quite still, then Stewart -felt a hand touch his. He seized it and held it -close.</p> - -<p>“I am very unhappy, my friend,” she said, softly, -“to have involved you in all this.”</p> - -<p>“Why, I am having the time of my life!” Stewart -protested.</p> - -<p>“If I had foreseen what was to happen,” she went -on, “I should never have asked you to assist me. I -would have found some other way.”</p> - -<p>“The deuce you would! Then I’m glad you didn’t -foresee it.”</p> - -<p>“It is good of you to say so; but you must not involve -yourself further.”</p> - -<p>“What do you mean by that?”</p> - -<p>“I am in great danger. It is absolutely necessary -that I escape. I cannot remain till morning. -I cannot face that inspection. I should be denounced.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” agreed Stewart; “that’s clear enough.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I will escape alone. When the police come -for us, they will find only you.”</p> - -<p>“And will probably back me against a wall and -shoot me out of hand.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</span></p> - -<p>“Oh, no; they will be rough and angry, but they -will not dare to harm you. They know that you -are an American—they cannot possibly suspect you -of being a spy. You can prove the truth of all your -statements.”</p> - -<p>“Not quite all,” Stewart corrected.</p> - -<p>“Of your statements, at least, so far as they concern -yourself.”</p> - -<p>“Yes—but I will have considerable difficulty explaining -my connection with you.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no,” said the girl, in a low voice; “that can -be easily explained.”</p> - -<p>“How?”</p> - -<p>“You will say,” she answered, her voice lower -still, “that you met me at the Kölner Hof, that I -made advances, that you found me attractive, -and that I readily agreed to accompany you -to Paris. You can say that it was I who suggested -altering your passport—that you saw -no harm in it—and that you knew absolutely -nothing about me except that I was a—a loose -woman.”</p> - -<p>Stewart’s lips were trembling so that it was a -moment before he could control his voice.</p> - -<p>“And do you really think I would say that, little -comrade?” he asked, hoarsely. “Do you really -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</span>think anything on earth could compel me to say -that!”</p> - -<p>He heard the quick intake of her breath; then she -raised his hand to her cheek and he felt the hot tears -upon it.</p> - -<p>“Don’t you understand,” he went on earnestly, -“that we are in this together to the end—the very -end? I know I’m not of much use, but I am not such -a coward as you seem to think me, and——”</p> - -<p>She stopped him with a quick pressure of the -fingers.</p> - -<p>“Don’t!” she breathed. “You are cruel!”</p> - -<p>“Not half so cruel as you were a moment ago,” -he retorted.</p> - -<p>“Forgive me, my friend,” she pleaded, and moved -a little nearer. “I did not know—I am but a girl—I -thought perhaps you would wish to be rid of -me.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t want ever to be rid of you,” began Stewart, -brokenly, drawing her closer. “I don’t want -ever——”</p> - -<p>She yielded for an instant to his arm; for the -fraction of an instant her head was upon his breast; -then she drew herself away, and silenced him with a -tap upon the lips.</p> - -<p>“Not now!” she said, and her voice, too, was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</span>hoarse. “All we must think of now is to escape. -Afterwards, perhaps——”</p> - -<p>“I shall hold you to that!” said Stewart, and released -her.</p> - -<p>But again for an instant she bent close.</p> - -<p>“You are a good man!” she whispered.</p> - -<p>“Oh, no!” Stewart protested, though he was -shaken by the words. “No better than the average!”</p> - -<p>And then he suddenly found himself unable to go -on, and there was a moment’s silence. When he -spoke again, he had regained his self-control.</p> - -<p>“Have you a plan?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” she said, and drew a quick breath, as of -one shaking away some weakness. “The first part is -that you should sit quite still until I tell you to -light the candle.”</p> - -<p>“But what——”</p> - -<p>“A good soldier does not ask questions.”</p> - -<p>“All right, general,” said Stewart, and settled -back against the wall, completely, ineffably happy. -Never before, he told himself, had he known what -happiness was; never before had the mere joy of -living surged through his veins as it was doing now. -Little comrade! But what was she doing?</p> - -<p>He could hear her moving softly about the room; -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</span>he could hear the rustle of what he took to be the -bed-clothes; then the bed creaked as she sat down -upon it. What was she doing? Why should she -work in the dark, alone, without asking him to -help? Was it because he could not help—was of -so little use——</p> - -<p>“You may light the candle now, my friend,” she -said, in a low voice.</p> - -<p>Stewart had a match ready—had had it ready for -long minutes!—and in a trice the wick was alight -and the flame shot up clear and steady.</p> - -<p>After one glance, he sprang in amazement to his -feet, for there before him stood a youth—the handsomest -he had ever seen—Peter Pan come to earth -again!—his hand at the visor of his traveling cap -in mock salute.</p> - -<p>“Well!” said Stewart, after a moment of amazed -and delighted silence. “I believe you are a witch! -Let me look at you!” and he caught up the candle -and held it above his head.</p> - -<p>The face upturned to his flamed crimson at the -wonder and admiration in his eyes, but the dimple -was sparkling at the corner of her mouth as she -turned obediently before him and stepped slowly -across the room. There is at the heart of every -woman, however virginal and innocent, a subtle delight<span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</span> -in knowing that men find her beautiful, and -there could be no question of what Stewart thought -at this moment.</p> - -<p>At last she came to a stop facing him.</p> - -<p>“Well?” she asked. “Will I do?”</p> - -<p>“Will you do?” Stewart echoed, and Meredith’s -phrase recurred to him—“an imp in porcelain”—how -perfectly it described her! “You are entirely, -absolutely, impeccably—oh, I haven’t adjectives -enough! Only I wish I had a hundred candles instead -of one!”</p> - -<p>“But the clothes,” she said, and looked doubtfully -down at them. “Do I look like a boy?”</p> - -<p>“Not in the least!” he answered, promptly.</p> - -<p>Her face fell.</p> - -<p>“But then——”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps it is just because I know you’re not -one,” he reassured her. “Let me see if I can improve -matters. The trousers are too large, especially -about the waist. They seem in danger of—hum!” -and indeed she was clutching them desperately with -one hand. “We will make another hole in that -belt about three inches back,” and he got out his -knife and suited the action to the word. “There—that’s -better—you can let go of them now! And -we’ll turn up the legs about four inches—no, we’d -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</span>better cut them off.” He set the candle on the -floor, picked up the scissors, and carefully trimmed -each leg. “But those feet are ridiculous,” he added, -severely. “No real boy ever had feet like that!”</p> - -<p>She stared down at them ruefully.</p> - -<p>“They will seem larger when I get them full -of mud,” she pointed out. “I thought of putting -on a pair of your shoes, but gave it up, for I am -afraid I could not travel very far in them. Fortunately -these are very strong!”</p> - -<p>He sniffed skeptically, but had to agree with her -that his shoes were impossible.</p> - -<p>“There is one thing more,” and she lifted her -cap and let her tucked-up hair fall about her shoulders. -“This must be cut off.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no,” protested Stewart, drawing back in -horror. “That would be desecration—why, it’s -the most beautiful hair in the world!”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense! In any case, it will grow again.”</p> - -<p>“Why not just tie it up under your cap?”</p> - -<p>But she shook her head.</p> - -<p>“No—it must come off. I might lose the cap—you -see it is too large—and my hair would betray -us. Cut it off, my friend—be quick.”</p> - -<p>She was right, of course, and Stewart, with a -heavy heart, snipped away the long tresses. Then -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</span>he trimmed the hair as well as he was able—which -was very badly indeed. Finally he parted it rakishly -on one side—and only by a supreme effort -restrained himself from taking her in his arms and -kissing her.</p> - -<p>“Really,” he said, “you’re so ridiculously lovely -that I’m in great danger of violating our treaty. I -warn you it is extremely dangerous to look at me -like that!”</p> - -<p>She lowered her eyes instantly, but she could not -restrain the dimple. Luckily, in the shadow, Stewart -did not see it.</p> - -<p>“We must make my clothing into a bundle,” she -said, sedately. “I may need it again. Besides, -these people must not suspect that I have gone -away disguised like this. That will give us a great -advantage. Yes, gather up the hair and we -will take it too—it would betray us. Put the -cigars in your pocket. I will take the pipe and -tobacco.”</p> - -<p>“Do you expect to smoke? I warn you that that -pipe is a seasoned one!”</p> - -<p>“I may risk a puff or two. I have been told there -is no passport like a pipe of tobacco. No—do not -shut the bags. Leave them open as though we had -fled hurriedly. And,” she added, crimsoning a little, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</span>“I think it would be well to disarrange the -bed.”</p> - -<p>Stewart flung back the covers and rolled upon it, -while his companion cast a last look about the room. -Then she picked up her little bag and took out the -purse and the two letters.</p> - -<p>“Which pocket of a man’s clothes is safest?” she -asked.</p> - -<p>“The inside coat pocket. There are two inside -pockets in the coat you have on. One of them has -a flap which buttons down. Nothing could get out -of it.”</p> - -<p>She took the coins from the purse, dropped them -into the pocket, and replaced the purse in the bag. -Then she started to place the letters in the pocket, -but hesitated, looking at him searchingly, her lips -compressed.</p> - -<p>“My friend,” she said, coming suddenly close to -him and speaking in the merest breath, “I am going -to trust you with a great secret. The information -I carry is in these letters—apparently so innocent. -If anything should happen to me——”</p> - -<p>“Nothing is going to happen to you,” broke in -Stewart, roughly. “That is what I am for!”</p> - -<p>“I know—and yet something may. If anything -should, promise me that you will take these letters -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</span>from my pocket, and by every means in your power, -seek to place them in the hands of General Joffre.”</p> - -<p>“General Joffre?” repeated Stewart. “Who is -he?”</p> - -<p>“He is the French commander-in-chief.”</p> - -<p>“But what chance would I have of reaching him? -I should merely be laughed at if I asked to see him!”</p> - -<p>“Not if you asked in the right way,” and again -she hesitated. Then she pressed still closer. -“Listen—I have no right to tell you what I am -about to tell you, and yet I must. Do you remember -at Aix, I looked at you like this?” and she caught -her lower lip for an instant between the thumb and -little finger of her left hand.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I remember; and you burst into tears immediately -afterward.”</p> - -<p>“That was because you did not understand. If, -in answer, you had passed your left hand across your -eyes, I should have said, in French, ‘Have we not -met before?’ and if you had replied, ‘In Berlin, on -the twenty-second,’ I should have known that you -were one of ours. Those passwords will take you -to General Joffre himself.”</p> - -<p>“Let us repeat them,” Stewart suggested. In a -moment he knew them thoroughly. “And <i>that’s</i> all -right!” he said.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</span></p> - -<p>“You consent, then?” she asked, eagerly.</p> - -<p>“To assist you in every way possible—yes.”</p> - -<p>“To leave me, if I am not able to go on; to take -the letters and press on alone,” she insisted, her eyes -shining. “Promise me, my friend!”</p> - -<p>“I shall have to be governed by circumstances,” -said Stewart, cautiously. “If that seems the best -thing to do—why, I’ll do it, of course. But I warn -you that this enterprise would soon go to pieces if it -had no better wits than mine back of it. Why, in the -few minutes they were searching you back there at -the station, I walked straight into a trap—and with -my eyes wide open, too—at the very moment when -I was proudly thinking what a clever fellow I -was!”</p> - -<p>“What was the trap?” she asked, quickly.</p> - -<p>“I was talking to that officer, and babbled out the -story of how I came to go to the Kölner Hof, and -he seemed surprised that a member of the police -should have recommended it—which seems strange -to me, too,” he added, “now that I think of it. -Then he asked me suddenly how you knew I was -there.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes; and what did you say?”</p> - -<p>“I didn’t say anything for a minute—I felt as -though I were falling out of a airship. But after -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</span>I had fallen about a mile, I managed to say that I -had sent you a telegram and also a postcard.”</p> - -<p>“How lucky!” breathed the girl. “How shrewd -of you!”</p> - -<p>“Shrewd? Was it? But that shock was nothing -to the jolt I got the next minute when he told me -that you had brought the postcard along in your -bag! It was a good thing you came in just then, -or he would have seen by the way I sat there gaping -at him that the whole story was a lie!”</p> - -<p>“I should have told you of the postcard,” she said, -with a gesture of annoyance. “It is often just some -such tiny oversight which wrecks a whole plan. One -tries to foresee everything—to provide for everything—and -then some little, little detail goes wrong, -and the whole structure comes tumbling down. It -was chance that saved us—but in affairs of this sort, -nothing must be left to chance! If we had failed, it -would have been my fault!”</p> - -<p>“But how could there have been a postcard?” demanded -Stewart. “I should like to see it.”</p> - -<p>Smiling, yet with a certain look of anxiety, she -stepped to her bag, took out the postcard, and -handed it to him. On one side was a picture of the -cathedral at Cologne; on the other, the address and -the message:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p class="right">Cologne, July 31, 1914.</p> - -<p class="no-indent">Dear Mary—</p> - -<p>Do not forget that it is to-morrow, Saturday, you -are to meet me at Aix-la-Chapelle, from where we -will go on to Brussels together, as we have planned. -If I should fail to meet you at the train, you will find -me at a hotel called the Kölner Hof, not far from -the station.</p> - -<p class="right2">With much love,</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Bradford Stewart</span>.</p></div> - -<p>Stewart read this remarkable message with astonished -eyes, then, holding the card close to the candle, -he stared at it in bewilderment.</p> - -<p>“But it is my handwriting!” he protested. “At -least, a fairly good imitation of it—and the signature -is mine to a dot.”</p> - -<p>“Your signature was all the writer had,” she -explained. “Your handwriting had to be inferred -from that.”</p> - -<p>“Where did you get my signature? Oh, from -the blank I filled up at Aix, I suppose. But no,” -and he looked at the card again, “the postmark -shows that it was mailed at Cologne last night.”</p> - -<p>“The postmark is a fabrication.”</p> - -<p>“Then it was from the blank at Aix?”</p> - -<p>“No,” she said, and hesitated, an anxiety in her -face he did not understand.</p> - -<p>“Then where <i>did</i> you get it?” he persisted. -“Why shouldn’t you tell me?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</span></p> - -<p>“I will tell you,” she answered, but her voice was -almost inaudible. “It is right that you should -know. You gave the signature to the man who -examined your passport on the terrace of the Hotel -Continental at Cologne, and who recommended -you to the Kölner Hof. He also was one of -ours.”</p> - -<p>Stewart was looking at her steadily.</p> - -<p>“Then in that case,” he said, and his face was -gray and stern, “it was I, and no one else, you expected -to meet at the Kölner Hof.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” she answered with trembling lips, but -meeting his gaze unwaveringly.</p> - -<p>“And all that followed—the tears, the dismay—was -make-believe?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. I cannot lie to you, my friend.”</p> - -<p>Stewart passed an unsteady hand before his eyes. -It seemed that something had suddenly burst within -him—some dream, some vision——</p> - -<p>“So I was deliberately used,” he began, hoarsely; -but she stopped him, her hand upon his arm.</p> - -<p>“Do not speak in that tone,” she pleaded, her face -wrung with anguish. “Do not look at me like that—I -did not know—I had never seen you—it was not -my plan. We were face to face with failure—we -were desperate—there seemed no other way.” She -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</span>stopped, shuddering slightly, and drew away from -him. “At least, you will say good-by,” she said, -softly.</p> - -<p>Dazedly Stewart looked at her—at her eyes dark -with sadness, at her face suddenly so white——</p> - -<p>She was standing near the window, her hand -upon the curtain.</p> - -<p>“Good-by, my friend,” she repeated. “You have -been very good to me!”</p> - -<p>For an instant longer, Stewart stood staring—then -he sprang at her, seized her——</p> - -<p>“Do you mean that you are going to leave me?” -he demanded, roughly.</p> - -<p>“Surely that is what you wish!”</p> - -<p>“What I wish? No, no! What do I care—what -does it matter!” The words were pouring incoherently -from his trembling lips. “I understand—you -were desperate—you didn’t know me; even if -you had, it would make no difference. Don’t you -understand—nothing can make any difference -now!”</p> - -<p>She shivered a little; then she drew away, looking -at him.</p> - -<p>“You mean,” she stammered; “you mean that -you still—that you still——”</p> - -<p>“Little comrade!” he said, and held out his arms.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</span></p> - -<p>She lifted her eyes to his—wavered toward -him——</p> - -<p>“Halt!” cried a voice outside the window, and -an instant later there came a heavy hammering on -the street door.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE FRONTIER</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">The</span> knocking seemed to shake the house, so violent -it was, so insistent; and Stewart, petrified, stood -staring numbly. But his companion was quicker -than he. In an instant she had run to the light and -blown it out. Then she was back at his side.</p> - -<p>“The moment they are in the house,” she said, -“raise the window as silently as you can and unbolt -the shutter.”</p> - -<p>And then she was gone again, and he could hear -her moving about near the door.</p> - -<p>Again the knocking came, louder than before. It -could mean only one thing, Stewart told himself—their -ruse had been discovered—a party of soldiers -had come to arrest them——</p> - -<p>He drew a quick breath. What then? He closed -his eyes dizzily—what had she said? “A file of -soldiers in front, a wall behind!” But that should -never be! They must kill him first! And then he -sickened as he realized how puny he was, how utterly -powerless to protect her——</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</span></p> - -<p>He heard shuffling footsteps approach along the -hall, and a glimmer of light showed beneath the -door. For an instant Stewart stared at it uncomprehending—then -he smiled to himself. The girl, -quicker witted than he, had pulled away the things -that had been stuffed there.</p> - -<p>“Who is it?” called the voice of their landlady.</p> - -<p>“It is I, Frau Ritter,” answered the voice of the -police agent. “Open quickly.”</p> - -<p>A key rattled in a lock, the door was opened, and -the party stepped inside.</p> - -<p>Stewart, at the window, raised the sash and pulled -back the bolt. He could hear the confused murmur -of voices—men’s voices——</p> - -<p>Then he felt a warm hand in his and lips at his -ear.</p> - -<p>“It is the person from Strassburg,” she breathed. -“He has been brought here for the night. There is -no danger. Bolt the shutter again—but softly.”</p> - -<p>She was gone again, and Stewart, with a deep -breath that was almost a sob, thrust home the bolt. -The voices were clearer now—or perhaps it was the -singing of his blood that was stilled—and he could -hear their words.</p> - -<p>“You will give this gentleman a room,” said the -secret agent.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</span></p> - -<p>“Yes, Excellency.”</p> - -<p>“How are your other guests?”</p> - -<p>“I have heard nothing from them, Excellency, -since they retired.”</p> - -<p>Suddenly Stewart felt his hat lifted from his head -and a hand rumpling his hair.</p> - -<p>“Take off your coat,” whispered a voice. “Open -the door a little and demand less noise. Say that I -am asleep!”</p> - -<p>It was a call to battle, and Stewart felt his nerves -stiffen. Without a word he threw off his coat and -tore off his collar. Then he moved away the chair -from before the door, opened it, and put one eye to -the crack. There were five people in the hall—the -woman, the secret agent, two soldiers, and a man in -civilian attire.</p> - -<p>“What the deuce is the matter out there?” he -demanded.</p> - -<p>It did his heart good to see how they jumped at -the sound of his voice.</p> - -<p>“Your pardon, sir,” said the officer, stepping -toward him. “I hope we have not disturbed -you.”</p> - -<p>“Disturbed me? Why, I thought you were -knocking the house down!”</p> - -<p>“Frau Ritter is a heavy sleeper,” the other explained<span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</span> -with a smile. “You will present my apologies -to Madame.”</p> - -<p>“My wife is so weary that even this has not -awakened her, but I hope——”</p> - -<p>“What is it, Tommy?” asked a sleepy voice from -the darkness behind him. “To whom are you talking -out there?”</p> - -<p>“Your pardon, madame,” said the officer, raising -his voice, and doubtless finding a certain piquancy in -the situation. “You shall not be disturbed again—I -promise it,” and he signed for his men to withdraw. -“Good-night, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Good-night!” answered Stewart, and shut the -door.</p> - -<p>He was so shaken with mirth that he scarcely -heard the outer door close. Then he staggered to the -bed and collapsed upon it.</p> - -<p>“Oh, little comrade!” he gasped. “Little comrade!” -and he buried his head in the clothes to choke -back the hysterical shouts of laughter which rose in -his throat.</p> - -<p>“Hush! Hush!” she warned him, her hand on -his shoulder. “Get your coat and hat. Be quick!”</p> - -<p>The search for those articles of attire sobered him. -He had never before realized how large a small -room may become in the dark! His coat he found in -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</span>one corner; his hat miles away in another. His -collar and tie seemed to have disappeared utterly, -and he was about to abandon them to their fate, -when his hand came into contact with them under the -bed. He felt utterly exhausted, and sat on the floor -panting for breath. Then somebody stumbled -against him.</p> - -<p>“Where have you been?” her voice demanded impatiently. -“What have you been doing?”</p> - -<p>“I have been around the world,” said Stewart. -“And I explored it thoroughly.”</p> - -<p>Her hand found his shoulder and shook it violently.</p> - -<p>“Is this a time for jesting? Come!”</p> - -<p>Stewart got heavily to his feet.</p> - -<p>“Really,” he protested, “I wasn’t jesting——”</p> - -<p>“Hush!” she cautioned, and suddenly Stewart -saw her silhouetted against the window and knew -that it was open. Then he saw her peer cautiously -out, swing one leg over the sill, and let herself down -outside.</p> - -<p>“Careful!” she whispered.</p> - -<p>In a moment he was standing beside her in the -narrow street. She caught his hand and led him -away close in the shadow of the wall.</p> - -<p>The night air and the movement revived him -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</span>somewhat, and by a desperate effort of will he managed -to walk without stumbling; but he was still -deadly tired. He knew that he was suffering from -the reaction from the manifold adventures and excitements -of the day, more especially the reaction -from despair to hope of the last half hour, and he -tried his best to shake it off, marveling at the endurance -of this slender girl, who had borne so much -more than he.</p> - -<p>She went straight on along the narrow street, -close in the shadow of the houses, pausing now and -then to listen to some distant sound, and once hastily -drawing him deep into the shadow of a doorway as a -patrol passed along a cross-street.</p> - -<p>Then the houses came to an end, and Stewart -saw that they were upon a white road running -straight away between level fields. Overhead the -bright stars shone as calmly and peacefully as -though there were no such thing as war in the whole -universe, and looking up at them, Stewart felt himself -tranquilized and strengthened.</p> - -<p>“Now what?” he asked. “I warn you that I -shall go to sleep on my feet before long!”</p> - -<p>“We must not stop until we are across the -frontier. It cannot be farther than half a mile.”</p> - -<p>Half a mile seemed an eternity to Stewart at that -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</span>moment; besides, which way should they go? He -gave voice to the question, after a helpless look -around, for he had completely lost his bearings.</p> - -<p>“Yonder is the Great Bear,” said the girl, looking -up to where that beautiful constellation stretched -brilliantly across the sky. “What is your word for -it—the Ladle, is it not?”</p> - -<p>“The Dipper,” Stewart corrected, reflecting that -this was the first time she had been at loss for a -word.</p> - -<p>“Yes—the Dipper. It will help us to find our -way. All I know of astronomy is that a line drawn -through the two stars of the bowl points to the North -Star. So that insignificant little star up yonder must -be the North Star. Now, what is the old formula—if -one stands with one’s face to the north——”</p> - -<p>“Your right hand will be toward the east and -your left toward the west,” prompted Stewart.</p> - -<p>“So the frontier is to our left. Come.”</p> - -<p>She released his hand, leaped the ditch at the side -of the road, and set off westward across a rough -field. Stewart stumbled heavily after her; but presently -his extreme exhaustion passed, and was followed -by a sort of nervous exhilaration which enabled -him easily to keep up with her. They climbed -a wall, struggled through a strip of woodland—Stewart<span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</span> -had never before realized how difficult it is -to go through woods at night!—passed close to a -house where a barking dog sent panic terror through -them, and came at last to a road running westward, -toward Belgium and safety. Along this they -hastened as rapidly as they could.</p> - -<p>“We must be past the frontier,” said Stewart, -half an hour later. “We have come at least two -miles.”</p> - -<p>“Let us be sure,” gasped the girl. “Let us take -no chance!” and she pressed on.</p> - -<p>Stewart reflected uneasily that they had encountered -no outposts, and surely there would be -outposts at the frontier to maintain its neutrality and -intercept stragglers; but perhaps that would be only -on the main-traveled roads; or perhaps the outposts -were not yet in place; or perhaps they might run into -one at any moment. He looked forward apprehensively, -but the road lay white and empty under the -stars.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the girl stumbled and nearly fell. His -arm was about her in an instant. He could feel how -her body drooped against him in utter weariness. -She had reached the end of her strength.</p> - -<p>“Come,” he said; “we must rest,” and he led her -unresisting to the side of the road.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</span></p> - -<p>They sat down close together with their backs -against the wall, and her head for an instant fell -upon his shoulder. By a supreme effort, she roused -herself.</p> - -<p>“We cannot stay here!” she protested.</p> - -<p>“No,” Stewart agreed. “Do you think you can -climb this wall? We may find cover on the other -side.”</p> - -<p>“Of course I can,” and she tried to rise, but -Stewart had to assist her. “I do not know what is -the matter,” she panted, as she clung to him. “I -can scarcely stand!”</p> - -<p>“It’s the reaction,” said Stewart. “It was bound -to come, sooner or later. I had my attack back there -on the road. Now I am going to lift you on top of -the wall.”</p> - -<p>She threw one leg over it and sat astride.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I have dropped the bundle,” she said.</p> - -<p>“Have you been carrying it all this time?” -Stewart demanded.</p> - -<p>“Why, of course. It weighs nothing.”</p> - -<p>Stewart, groping angrily along the base of the -wall, found it, tucked it under his arm, scrambled -over, and lifted her down.</p> - -<p>“Now, forward!” he said.</p> - -<p>At the second step, they were in a field of grain as -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</span>high as their waists. They could feel it brushing -against them, twining about their ankles; they could -glimpse its yellow expanse stretching away into the -night.</p> - -<p>“Splendid!” cried Stewart. “There could be no -better cover!” and he led her forward into it. -“Now,” he added, at the end of five minutes, “stand -where you are till I get things ready for you,” and -with his knife he cut down great handfuls of the -grain and piled them upon the ground. “There’s -your bed,” he said, placing the bundle of clothing at -one end of it; “and there’s your pillow.”</p> - -<p>She sat down with a sigh of relief.</p> - -<p>“Oh, how heavenly!”</p> - -<p>“You can go to sleep without fear. No one can -discover us here, unless they stumble right over us. -Good-night, little comrade.”</p> - -<p>“But you?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I am going to sleep, too. I’ll make myself a -bed just over here.”</p> - -<p>“Good-night, my friend!” she said, softly, and -Stewart, looking down at her, catching the starry -sheen of her uplifted eyes, felt a wild desire to fling -himself beside her, to take her in his arms——</p> - -<p>Resolutely he turned away and piled his own bed -at a little distance. It would have been safer, perhaps,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</span> -had they slept side by side; but there was -about her something delicate and virginal which kept -him at a distance—and yet held him too, bound him -powerfully, led him captive.</p> - -<p>He was filled with the thought of her, as he lay -gazing up into the spangled heavens—her beauty, -her fire, her indomitable youth, her clear-eyed innocence -which left him reverent and trembling. What -was her story? Where were her people that they -should permit her to take such desperate risks? -Why had this great mission been confided to her—to -a girl, young, inexperienced? And yet, the choice -had evidently been a wise one. She had proved herself -worthy of the trust. No one could have been -quicker-witted, more ready of resource.</p> - -<p>Well, the worst of it was over. They were safe -out of Germany. It was only a question now of -reaching a farmhouse, of hiring a wagon, of driving -to the nearest station——</p> - -<p>He stirred uneasily. That would mean good-by. -But why should he go to Brussels? Why not turn -south with her to France?</p> - -<p>Sleep came to him as he was asking himself this -question for the twentieth time.</p> - -<p>It was full day when he awoke. He looked about -for a full minute at the yellow grain, heavy-headed -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</span>and ready for the harvest, before he remembered -where he was. Then he rubbed his eyes and looked -again—the wheat-field, certainly—that was all right; -but what was that insistent murmur which filled his -ears, which never ceased? He sat hastily erect and -started to his feet—then as hastily dropped to his -knees again and peered cautiously above the grain.</p> - -<p>Along the road, as far in either direction as the -eye could see, passed a mighty multitude, marching -steadily westward. Stewart’s heart beat faster as -he ran his eyes over that great host—thousands and -tens of thousands, clad in greenish-gray, each with -his rifle and blanket-roll, his full equipment complete -to the smallest detail—the German army setting -forth to war! Oh, wonderful, astounding, -stupendous!—a myriad of men, moving as one man, -obeying one man’s bidding, marching out to kill and -to be killed.</p> - -<p>And marching willingly, even eagerly. The -bright morning, the sense of high adventure, the exhilaration -of marching elbow to elbow with a thousand -comrades—yes, and love of country, the -thought that they were fighting for their Fatherland—all -these uplifted the heart and made the eye -sparkle. Forgotten for the moment were poignant -farewells, the tears of women and of children. The -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</span>round of daily duties, the quiet of the fireside, the -circle of familiar faces—all that had receded far -into the past. A new life had begun, a larger and -more glorious life. They felt that they were men -going forward to men’s work; they were drinking -deep of a cup brimming with the joy of supreme -experience!</p> - -<p>There were jests and loud laughter; there were -snatches of song; and presently a thousand voices -were shouting what sounded to Stewart like a -mighty hymn—shouting it in slow and solemn unison, -marked by the tramp, tramp of their feet. Not -until he caught the refrain did he know what it -was—“<i>Deutschland, Deutschland, über alles!</i>”—the -German battle-song, fit expression of the firm -conviction that the Fatherland was first, was dearest, -must be over all! And as he looked and listened, he -felt his own heart thrill responsively, and a -new definition of patriotism grouped itself in his -mind.</p> - -<p>Then suddenly he remembered his companion, -and, parting the wheat, he crawled hastily through -into the little amphitheater where he had made her -bed. She was still asleep, her head pillowed on the -bundle of clothing, one arm above her eyes, shielding -them from the light. He sat softly down beside<span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</span> -her, his heart very tender. She had been so near -exhaustion; he must not awaken her——</p> - -<p>A blare of bugles shrilled from the road, and -from far off rose a roar of cheering, sweeping nearer -and nearer.</p> - -<p>The girl stirred, turned uneasily, opened her eyes, -stared up at him for a moment, and then sat hastily -erect.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“The German army is advancing.”</p> - -<p>“Yes—but the cheering?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know.”</p> - -<p>Side by side, they peered out above the grain. A -heavy motor-car was advancing rapidly from the -east along the road, the troops drawing aside -to let it pass, and cheering—cheering, as though -mad.</p> - -<p>Inside the car were three men, but the one who acknowledged -the salutes of the officers as he passed -was a tall, slender young fellow in a long, gray -coat. His face was radiant, and he saluted and -saluted, and once or twice rose to his feet and -pointed westward.</p> - -<p>“The Crown Prince!” said the girl, and watched -in heavy silence until the motor passed from sight -and the host took up its steady march again. “Ah, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</span>well, he at least has realized his ambition—to lead an -army against France!”</p> - -<p>“It seems to be a devoted army,” Stewart remarked. -“I never heard such cheering.”</p> - -<p>“It is a splendid army,” and the girl swept her -eyes back and forth over the marching host. -“France will have no easy task—but she is fighting -for her life, and she will win!”</p> - -<p>“I hope so,” Stewart agreed; but his heart misgave -him as he looked at these marching men, -sweeping on endlessly, irresistibly, in a torrent -which seemed powerful enough to engulf everything -in its path.</p> - -<p>He had never before seen an army, even a small -one, and this mighty host unnerved and intimidated -him. It was so full of vigor, so self-confident, so -evidently certain of victory! It was so sturdy, -so erect, so proud! There was about it an -electric sense of power; it almost strutted as it -marched!</p> - -<p>“There is one thing certain,” he said, at last, -“and that is that our adventures are not yet over. -With our flight discovered, and Germans in front of -us and behind us and probably on either side of us, -our position is still decidedly awkward. I suppose -their outposts are somewhere ahead.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</span></p> -<p>“Yes, I suppose so,” she agreed. “Along the -Meuse, perhaps.”</p> - -<p>“And I am most awfully hungry. Aren’t you?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I am.”</p> - -<p>“I have heard that whole wheat makes a delicious -breakfast dish,” said Stewart, who felt unaccountably -down-hearted and was determined not to show -it. “Shall we try some?”</p> - -<p>She nodded, smiling, then turned back to watch -the Germans, as though fascinated by them. Stewart -broke off a dozen heads of yellow grain, rubbed -them out between his hands, blew away the chaff, -and poured the fat kernels into her outstretched -palm. Then he rubbed out a mouthful for himself.</p> - -<p>“But that they should invade Belgium!” she -said, half to herself. “Did you hear what that man -said last night—that a treaty was only a scrap of -paper—that if Belgium resisted, she would be -crushed?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” nodded Stewart, “and it disgusted me!”</p> - -<p>“But of course France has expected it—she has -prepared for it!” went on the girl, perhaps to silence -her own misgivings. “She will not be taken by -surprise!”</p> - -<p>“You don’t think, then, that the Kaiser will dine -in Paris on the twelfth?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</span></p> - -<p>“Nonsense—that was only an empty boast!”</p> - -<p>“Well, I hope so,” said Stewart. “And wherever -he dines, I hope that he has something more appetizing -than whole wheat <i>au naturel</i>. I move we look -for a house and try to get some real food that we -can put our teeth into. Also something to drink.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, we must be getting forward,” she agreed.</p> - -<p>Together they peered out again above the grain. -The massed column was still passing, shimmering -along the dusty road like a mighty green-gray serpent.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t there any end to these fellows?” Stewart -asked. “We must have seen about a million!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no; this is but a single division—and there -are at least a hundred divisions in the German -army! No doubt there is another division on each -of the roads leading into Belgium. We shall have -to keep away from the roads. Let us work our way -back through the grain to that strip of woodland. -No,” she added, as Stewart stooped to pick up the -bundle of clothing, “we must leave that. If we -should happen to be stopped, it would betray us. -What are you doing?”</p> - -<p>Without replying, Stewart opened the bundle, -thoughtfully selected a strand of the beautiful hair -inside it and placed the lock carefully in a flapped -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</span>compartment of his pocket-book. Then he re-tied -the bundle and threw over it some of the severed -stalks.</p> - -<p>“It seems a shame to leave it,” he said. “That -is a beautiful gown—and the hair! Think of those -barbarians opening the bundle and finding that lovely -hair!”</p> - -<p>The girl, who had been watching him with brilliant -eyes, laughed a little and caught his hand.</p> - -<p>“How foolish! Come along! I think I shall let -you keep that lock of hair!” she added, thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>Stewart looked at her quickly and saw that the -dimple was visible.</p> - -<p>“Thank you!” he said. “Of course I should -have asked. Forgive me!”</p> - -<p>She gave him a flashing little smile, then, bending -low, hurried forward through the grain. Beyond -the field lay a stretch of woodland, and presently they -heard the sound of running water, and came to a -brook flowing gently over a clean and rocky bed.</p> - -<p>With a cry of delight, the girl dropped to her -knees beside it, bent far over and drank deep; then -threw off her coat, pushed her sleeves above her -elbows, and laved hands and face in the cool water.</p> - -<p>“How fortunate my hair is short!” she said, contemplating<span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</span> -her reflection. “Otherwise it would be a -perfect tangle. I make a very nice boy, do you not -think so?”</p> - -<p>“An adorable boy!” agreed Stewart, heartily.</p> - -<p>She glanced up at him.</p> - -<p>“Thank you! But are you not going to wash?”</p> - -<p>“Not until you have finished. You are such a -radiant beauty, that it would be a sin to miss an -instant of you. My clothes are even more becoming -to you than your own!”</p> - -<p>She glanced down over her slender figure, so fine, -so delicately rounded, then sprang quickly to her feet -and snatched up the coat.</p> - -<p>“I will reconnoiter our position while you make -your toilet,” she said, and slipped out of sight among -the trees.</p> - -<p>Ten minutes later, Stewart found her seated on a -little knoll at the edge of the wood, looking out -across the country.</p> - -<p>“There is a house over yonder,” she said, nodding -to where the corner of a gable showed among -the trees. “But it may be dangerous to approach it.”</p> - -<p>“We can’t starve,” he pointed out. “And we -seem to be lucky. Suppose I go on ahead?”</p> - -<p>“No; we will go together,” and she sprang to -her feet.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</span></p> - -<p>The way led over a strip of rocky ground, used -evidently as a pasture, but there were no cattle grazing -on it; then along a narrow lane between low -stone walls. Presently they reached the house, which -seemed to be the home of a small farmer, for it -stood at the back of a yard with stables and sheds -grouped about it. The gate was open and there was -no sign of life within. Stewart started to enter, -but suddenly stopped and looked at his companion.</p> - -<p>“There is something wrong here,” he said, almost -in a whisper. “I feel it.”</p> - -<p>“So do I,” said the girl, and stared about at the -deserted space, shivering slightly. Then she looked -upward into the clear sky. “It was as if a cloud -had come between me and the sun,” she added.</p> - -<p>“Perhaps it is just that everything seems so -deserted,” said Stewart, and stepped through the -gate.</p> - -<p>“No doubt the people fled when they saw the Germans,” -she suggested; “or perhaps it was just a -rumor that frightened them away.”</p> - -<p>Stewart looked about him. It was not only people -that were missing from this farmyard, he told -himself; there should have been pigs in the sty, -chickens scratching in the straw, pigeons on the -roof, a cat on the door-step.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</span></p> - -<p>“We must have food,” he said, and went forward -resolutely to the door, which stood ajar.</p> - -<p>There was something vaguely sinister in the position -of the door, half-open and half-closed, but after -an instant’s hesitation, he knocked loudly. A minute -passed, and another, and there was no response. -Nerving himself as though for a mighty effort, he -pushed the door open and looked into the room beyond.</p> - -<p>It was evidently the living-room and dining-room -combined, and it was in the wildest disorder. Chairs -were overturned, a table was lying on its side with -one leg broken, dishes lay smashed upon the floor.</p> - -<p>Summoning all his resolution, Stewart stepped inside. -What frightful thing had happened here? -From the chairs and the dishes, it looked as if the -family had been surprised at breakfast. But where -was the family? Who had surprised them? What -had——</p> - -<p>And then his heart leaped sickeningly as his eyes -fell upon a huddled figure lying in one corner, close -against the wall. It was the body of a woman, her -clothing disordered, a long, gleaming bread-knife -clutched tightly in one hand; and as Stewart bent -above her, he saw that her head had been beaten in.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X<br /> -<span class="smaller">FORTUNE FROWNS</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">One</span> look at that disfigured countenance imprinted -it indelibly on Stewart’s memory—the blue eyes -staring horribly upward from under the shattered -forehead, the hair matted with blood, the sprawling -body, the gleaming knife caught up in what moment -of desperation! Shaking with horror, he seized his -companion’s hand and led her away out of the desecrated -house, out of the silent yard, out into the narrow -lane where they could breathe freely.</p> - -<p>“The Uhlans have passed this way,” said the -girl, staring up and down the road.</p> - -<p>“But,” stammered Stewart, wiping his wet forehead, -“but I don’t understand. Germany is a civilized -nation—war is no longer the brutal thing it -once was.”</p> - -<p>“War is always brutal, I fear,” said the girl, -sadly; “and of course, among a million men, there -are certain to be some—like that! I am no longer -hungry. Let us press on.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</span></p> - -<p>Stewart, nodding, followed along beside her, -across fields, over little streams, up and down -stretches of rocky hillside, always westward. But -he saw nothing; his mind was full of other things—of -the gray-clad thousands singing as they marched; -of the radiant face of the Crown Prince; of that -poor murdered woman, who had risen happily this -Sunday morning, glad of a day of rest, and looked -up to see strange faces at the door——</p> - -<p>And this was war. A thousand other women -would suffer the same fate; thousands and thousands -more would be thrown stripped and defenseless -on the world, to live or die as chance might -will; a hundred thousand children would be fatherless; -a hundred thousand girls, now ripening into -womanhood, would be denied their rightful destiny -of marriage and children of their own——</p> - -<p>Stewart shook the thought away. The picture his -imagination painted was too horrible; it could never -come true—not all the emperors on earth could make -it come true!</p> - -<p>He looked about him at the mellow landscape. -Nowhere was there a sign of life. The yellow wheat -stood ripe for the harvest. The pastures stretched -lush and green—and empty. Here and there above -the trees he caught a glimpse of farmhouse chimneys,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</span> -but no reassuring smoke floated above them. -A peaceful land, truly, so he told himself—peaceful -as death!</p> - -<p>Gradually the country grew rougher and more -broken, and ahead of them they could see steep and -rocky hillsides, cleft by deep valleys and covered by a -thick growth of pine.</p> - -<p>“We must find a road,” said Stewart at last; -“we can’t climb up and down those hills. And we -must find out where we are. There is a certain -risk, but we must take it. It is foolish to stumble -forward blindly.”</p> - -<p>“You are right,” his companion agreed, and when -presently, far below them at the bottom of a valley, -they saw a white road winding, they made their way -down to it. Almost at once they came to a house, in -whose door stood a buxom, fair-haired woman, with -a child clinging to her skirts.</p> - -<p>The woman watched them curiously as they approached, -and her face seemed to Stewart distinctly -friendly.</p> - -<p>“Good-morning,” he said, stopping before the -door-step and lifting his hat—an unaccustomed salutation -at which the woman stared. “We seem to -have lost our way. Can you tell us——”</p> - -<p>The woman shook her head.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</span></p> - -<p>“My brother and I have lost our way,” said his -companion, in rapid French. “We have been -tramping the hills all morning. How far is it to the -nearest village?”</p> - -<p>“The nearest village is Battice,” answered the -woman in the same language. “It is three kilometers -from here.”</p> - -<p>“Has it a railway station?”</p> - -<p>“But certainly. How is it you do not know?”</p> - -<p>“We come from the other direction.”</p> - -<p>“From Germany?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” answered the girl, after an instant’s -scrutiny of the woman’s face.</p> - -<p>“Then you are fugitives? Ah, do not fear to tell -me,” she added, as the girl hesitated. “I have no -love for the Germans. I have lived near them too -long!”</p> - -<p>There could be no doubting the sincerity of the -words, nor the grimace of disgust which accompanied -them.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” assented the girl, “we are fugitives. We -are trying to get to Liège. Have the Germans been -this way?”</p> - -<p>“No; I have seen nothing of them, but I have -heard that a great army has passed along the road -through Verviers.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</span></p> - -<p>“Where is your man?”</p> - -<p>“He has joined the army, as have all the men in -this neighborhood.”</p> - -<p>“The German army?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no; the Belgian army. It is doing what it -can to hold back the Germans.”</p> - -<p>The girl’s face lighted with enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>“Oh, how splendid!” she cried. “How splendid -for your brave little country to defy the invader! -Bravo, Belgium!”</p> - -<p>The woman smiled at her enthusiasm, but shook -her head doubtfully.</p> - -<p>“I do not know,” she said, simply. “I do not -understand these things. I only know that my man -has gone, and that I must harvest our grain and cut -our winter wood by myself. But will you not enter -and rest yourselves?”</p> - -<p>“Thank you. And we are very hungry. We -have money to pay for food, if you can let us have -some.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly, certainly,” and the good wife bustled -before them into the house.</p> - -<p>An hour later, rested, refreshed, with a supply of -sandwiches in their pockets, and armed with a rough -map drawn from the directions of their hostess, they -were ready to set out westward again. She was of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</span>the opinion that they could pass safely through Battice, -which was off the main road of the German -advance, and that they might even secure there a -vehicle of some sort to take them onward. The -trains, she understood, were no longer running. -Finally they thanked her for the twentieth time -and bade her good-by. She wished them Godspeed, -and stood watching them from the door until -they disappeared from view.</p> - -<p>They pushed forward briskly, and presently, huddled -in the valley below them, caught sight of the -gabled roofs of the village. A bell was ringing -vigorously, and they could see the people—women -and children for the most part—gathering in toward -the little church, crowned by its gilded cross. Evidently -nothing had occurred to disturb the serenity -of Battice.</p> - -<p>Reassured, the two were about to push on down -the road, when suddenly, topping the opposite slope, -they saw a squadron of horsemen, perhaps fifty -strong. They were clad in greenish-gray, and each -of them bore upright at his right elbow a long lance.</p> - -<p>“Uhlans!” cried the girl, and the fugitives -stopped short, watching with bated breath.</p> - -<p>The troop swung down the road toward the village -at a sharp trot, and presently Stewart could -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</span>distinguish their queer, flat-topped helmets, reminding -him of the mortar-board of his university days. -Right at the edge of the village, in the shadow of -some trees, the horsemen drew rein and waited until -the bell ceased ringing and the last of the congregation -had entered the church; then, at the word of -command, they touched spur to flank and swept -through the empty street.</p> - -<p>A boy saw them first and raised a shout of alarm; -then a woman, hurrying toward the church, heard -the clatter of hoofs, cast one glance behind her, and -ran on, screaming wildly. The screams penetrated -the church, and in a moment the congregation came -pouring out, only to find themselves hemmed in by -a semicircle of lowered lances.</p> - -<p>The lieutenant shouted a command, and four of -his men threw themselves from the saddle and disappeared -into the church. They were back in a moment, -dragging between them a white-haired priest -clad in stole and surplice, and a rosy-faced old man, -who, even in this trying situation, managed to -retain his dignity.</p> - -<p>The two were placed before the officer, and a short -conference followed, with the townspeople pressing -anxiously around, listening to every word. Suddenly -there was an outburst of protest and despair, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</span>which the priest quieted with a motion of his hand, -and the conference was resumed.</p> - -<p>“What is it the fellow wants?” asked Stewart.</p> - -<p>“Money and supplies, I suppose.”</p> - -<p>“Money and supplies? But that’s robbery!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no; it is a part of the plan of the German -General Staff. How many times have I heard Prussian -officers boast that a war would cost Germany -nothing—that her enemies would be made to bear the -whole burden! It has all been arranged—the indemnity -which each village, even the smallest, must -pay—the amount of supplies which each must furnish, -the ransom which will be assessed on each individual. -This lieutenant of Uhlans is merely -carrying out his instructions!”</p> - -<p>“Who is the old man?”</p> - -<p>“The burgomaster, doubtless. He and the priest -are always the most influential men in a village.”</p> - -<p>The conference was waxing warmer, the lieutenant -was talking in a loud voice, and once he shook -his fist menacingly; again there was a wail of protest -from the crowd—women were wringing their -hands——</p> - -<p>“He is demanding more than the village can supply,” -remarked the girl. “That is not surprising,” -she added, with a bitter smile. “They will always -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</span>demand more than can be supplied. But come; we -must be getting on.”</p> - -<p>Stewart would have liked to see the end of the -drama, but he followed his companion over the wall -at the side of the road, and then around the village -and along the rough hillside. Suddenly from the -houses below arose a hideous tumult—shouts, curses, -the smashing of glass—and in a moment, a flood of -people, wailing, screaming, shaking their fists in the -air, burst from the town and swept along the road in -the direction of Herve.</p> - -<p>“They would better have given all that was demanded,” -said the girl, looking down at them. -“Now they will be made to serve as an example to -other villages—they will lose everything—even their -houses—see!”</p> - -<p>Following the direction of her pointing finger, -Stewart saw a black cloud of smoke bulging up from -one end of the village.</p> - -<p>“But surely,” he gasped, “they’re not burning it! -They wouldn’t dare do that!”</p> - -<p>“Why not?”</p> - -<p>“Isn’t looting prohibited by the rules of war?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly—looting and the destruction of property -of non-combatants.”</p> - -<p>“Well, then——”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</span></p> - -<p>But he stopped, staring helplessly. The cloud of -smoke grew in volume, and below it could be seen -red tongues of flame. There before him was the -hideous reality—and he suddenly realized how futile -it was to make laws for anything so essentially -lawless as war, or to expect niceties of conduct from -men thrown back into a state of barbarism.</p> - -<p>“What do the rules of war matter to a nation -which considers treaties mere scraps of paper?” -asked the girl, in a hard voice. “Their very presence -here in Belgium is a violation of the rules of -war. Besides, it is the German theory that war -should be ruthless—that the enemy must be intimidated, -ravaged, despoiled in every possible way. -They say that the more merciless it is, the briefer -it will be. It is possible that they are not altogether -wrong.”</p> - -<p>“True,” muttered Stewart. “But it is a heartless -theory.”</p> - -<p>“War is a heartless thing,” commented his companion, -turning away. “It is best not to think too -much about it. Come—we must be going on.”</p> - -<p>They pushed forward again, keeping the road, -with its rabble of frenzied fugitives, at their right. -It was a wild and beautiful country, and under other -circumstances, Stewart would have gazed in admiring<span class="pagenum" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</span> -wonder at its rugged cliffs, its deep precipitous -valleys, its thickly-wooded hillsides; but now these -appeared to him only as so many obstacles between -him and safety.</p> - -<p>At last the valley opened out, and below them they -saw the clustered roofs of another village, which -could only be Herve. Around it were broad pastures -and fields of yellow grain, and suddenly the girl -caught Stewart by the arm.</p> - -<p>“Look!” she said, and pointed to the field lying -nearest them.</p> - -<p>A number of old men, women, and children were -cutting the grain, tying it into sheaves, and piling the -sheaves into stacks, under the supervision of four -men. Those four men were clothed in greenish-gray -and carried rifles in their hands! The invaders were -stripping the grain from the fields in order to feed -their army!</p> - -<p>As he contemplated this scene, Stewart felt, mixed -with his horror and detestation, a sort of unwilling -admiration. Evidently, as his companion had said, -when Germany made war, she made war. She was -ruthlessly thorough. She allowed no sentiment, no -feeling of pity, no weakening compassion, to interfere -between her and her goal. She went to war -with but one purpose: to win; and she was determined<span class="pagenum" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</span> -to win, no matter what the cost! Stewart -shivered at the thought. Whether she won or lost, -how awful that cost must be!</p> - -<p>The fugitives went on again at last, working their -way around the village, keeping always in the shelter -of the woods along the hillsides, and after a weary -journey, came out on the other side above the line -of the railroad. A sentry, with fixed bayonet, stood -guard over a solitary engine; except for him, the -road seemed quite deserted. For half a mile they -toiled along over the rough hillside above it without -seeing anyone else.</p> - -<p>“We can’t keep this up,” said Stewart, flinging -himself upon the ground. “We shall have to take -to the road if we are to make any progress. Do you -think we’d better risk it?”</p> - -<p>“Let us watch it for a while,” the girl suggested, -so they sat and watched it and munched their sandwiches, -and talked in broken snatches. Ten minutes -passed, but no one came in sight.</p> - -<p>“It seems quite safe,” she said at last, and together -they made their way down to it.</p> - -<p>“The next village is Fléron,” said Stewart, consulting -his rough map. “It is apparently about four -miles from here. Liège is about ten miles further. -Can we make it to-night?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</span></p> - -<p>“We must!” said the girl, fiercely. “Come!”</p> - -<p>The road descended steadily along the valley of a -pretty river, closed in on either side by densely-wooded -hills. Here and there among the trees, they -caught glimpses of white villas; below them, along -the river, there was an occasional cluster of houses; -but they saw few people. Either the inhabitants of -this land had fled before the enemy, or were keeping -carefully indoors out of his way.</p> - -<p>Once the fugitives had an alarm, for a hand-car, -manned by a squad of German soldiers, came spinning -past; but fortunately Stewart heard it singing -along the rails in time to pull his companion into a -clump of underbrush. A little later, along the highway -by the river, they saw a patrol of Uhlans riding, -and then they came to Fléron and took to the hills to -pass around it. Here, too, clouds of black smoke hung -heavy above certain of the houses, which, for some -reason, had been made the marks of German reprisals; -and once, above the trees to their right, they -saw a column of smoke drifting upward, marking -the destruction of some isolated dwelling.</p> - -<p>The sun was sinking toward the west by the time -they again reached the railroad, and they were both -desperately weary; but neither had any thought of -rest. The shadows deepened rapidly among the hills, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</span>but the darkness was welcome, for it meant added -safety. By the time they reached Bois de Breux, -night had come in earnest, so they made only a short -detour, and were soon back on the railroad again, -with scarcely five miles to go. For an hour longer -they plodded on through the darkness, snatching a -few minutes’ rest once or twice; too weary to talk, -or to look to right or left.</p> - -<p>Then, as they turned a bend in the road, they -drew back in alarm; for just ahead of them, close -beside the track, a bright fire was burning, lighting -up the black entrance of a tunnel, before which stood -a sentry leaning on his rifle. Five or six other -soldiers, wearing flat fatigue caps, were lolling about -the fire, smoking and talking in low tones.</p> - -<p>Stewart surveyed them curiously. They were big, -good-humored-looking fellows, fathers of families -doubtless—honest men with kindly hearts. It -seemed absurd to suppose that such men as these -would loot villages and burn houses and outrage -women; it seemed absurd that anyone should fear -them or hide from them. Stewart, with a feeling -that all this threat of war was a chimera, had an impulse -to go forward boldly and join them beside -the fire. He was sure they would welcome him, make -a place for him——</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</span></p> - -<p>“<i>Wer da?</i>” called, sharply, a voice behind him, -and he spun around to find himself facing a leveled -rifle, behind which he could see dimly the face of a -man wearing a spiked helmet—a patrol, no doubt, -who had seen them as they stood carelessly outlined -against the fire, and who had crept upon them unheard.</p> - -<p>“We are friends,” Stewart answered, hastily.</p> - -<p>The soldier motioned them forward to the fire. -The men there had caught up their rifles at the sound -of the challenge, and stood peering anxiously out into -the darkness. But when the two captives came within -the circle of light cast by the fire, they stacked their -guns and sat down again. Evidently they saw nothing -threatening in the appearance of either Stewart -or his companion.</p> - -<p>Their captor added his gun to the stack and motioned -them to sit down. Then he doffed his heavy -helmet with evident relief and hung it on his rifle, -got out a soft cap like the others’, and finally sat -down opposite his prisoners and looked at them -closely.</p> - -<p>“What are you doing here?” he demanded in -German.</p> - -<p>“We are trying to get through to Brussels,” answered -Stewart, in the best German he could muster. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</span>“I have not much German. Do you speak English?”</p> - -<p>“No. Are you English?” And the blue eyes -glinted with an unfriendly light which Stewart was -at a loss to understand.</p> - -<p>“We are Americans,” and Stewart saw with relief -that the man’s face softened perceptibly. On -the chance that, if the soldier could not speak English, -neither could he read it, he impressively produced -his passport. “Here is our safe-conduct from -our Secretary of State,” he said. “You will see -that it is sealed with the seal of the United States. -My brother and I were passed at Herbesthal, but -could find no conveyance and started to walk. We -lost our way, but stumbled upon the railroad some -miles back and decided to follow it until we came to -a village. How far away is the nearest village?”</p> - -<p>“I do not know,” said the man, curtly; but he -took the passport and stared at it curiously. Then -he passed it around the circle, and it finally came -back to its owner, who placed it in his pocket.</p> - -<p>“You find it correct?” Stewart inquired.</p> - -<p>“I know nothing about it. You must wait until -our officer arrives.”</p> - -<p>Stewart felt a sickening sensation at his heart, -but he managed to smile.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</span></p> - -<p>“He will not be long, I hope,” he said. “We are -very tired and hungry.”</p> - -<p>“He will not be long,” answered the other, -shortly, and got out a long pipe, but Stewart stopped -him with a gesture.</p> - -<p>“Try one of these,” he said, quickly, and brought -out his handful of cigars and passed them around.</p> - -<p>The men grinned their thanks, and were soon -puffing away with evident enjoyment. But to Stewart -the single cigar he had kept for himself seemed -strangely savorless. He glanced at his companion. -She was sitting hunched up, her arms about her -knees, staring thoughtfully at the fire.</p> - -<p>“This man says we must wait here until their -officer arrives,” he explained in English. “My -brother does not understand German,” he added to -the men.</p> - -<p>“How stupid!” said the girl. “I am so tired -and stiff!”</p> - -<p>“It is no use to argue with them, I suppose?”</p> - -<p>“No. They will refuse to decide anything for -themselves. They rely wholly upon their officers.”</p> - -<p>She rose wearily, stretched herself, stamped her -foot as if it were asleep, and then sat down again -and closed her eyes. She looked very young and -fragile, and was shivering from head to foot.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</span></p> - -<p>“My brother is not strong,” said Stewart to the -attentive group. “I fear all this hardship and exposure -will be more than he can bear.”</p> - -<p>One of the men, with a gesture of sympathy, rose, -unrolled his blanket, and spread it on the bank behind -the fire.</p> - -<p>“Let the young man lie down there,” he -said.</p> - -<p>“Oh, thank you!” cried Stewart. “Come, -Tommy,” he added, touching the girl on the arm. -“Suppose you lie down till the officer comes.”</p> - -<p>She opened her eyes, saw the blanket, nodded -sleepily, and, still shivering, followed Stewart to it, -lay down, permitted him to roll her in it, and apparently -dropped off to sleep on the instant. Stewart -returned to the circle about the fire, nodding his -satisfaction. They all smiled, as men do who have -performed a kind action.</p> - -<p>But Stewart, though doing his best to keep a placid -countenance, was far from easy in his mind. One -thing was certain—they must escape before the officer -arrived. He, no doubt, would be able both to read -and speak English, and the passport would betray -them at once. For without question, a warning had -been flashed from headquarters to every patrol to -arrest the holder of that passport, and to send him -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</span>and his companion, under close guard, back to Herbesthal. -But how to escape!</p> - -<p>Stewart glanced carefully about him, cursing the -carelessness that had brought them into this trap, -the imbecility which had held them staring at this -outpost, instead of taking instantly to the woods, as -they should have done. They deserved to be captured! -Nevertheless——</p> - -<p>The sentry was pacing slowly back and forth at -the tunnel entrance, fifteen yards away; the other -men were lolling about the fire, half-asleep. It -would be possible, doubtless, to bolt into the darkness -before they could grab their rifles, so there was only -the sentry to fear, and the danger from him would -not be very great. But it would be necessary to -keep to the track for some distance, because, where -it dropped into the tunnel, its sides were precipices -impossible to scale in the darkness. The danger, -then, lay in the fact that the men might have time -to snatch up their rifles and empty them along the -track before the fugitives would be able to leave it. -But it was a danger which must be faced—there was -no other way. Once in the woods, they would be -safe.</p> - -<p>Stewart, musing over the situation with eyes half-closed, -recalled dim memories of daring escapes -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</span>from Indians and outlaws, described in detail in the -blood-and-thunder reading of his youth. There was -always one ruse which never failed—just as the pursuers -were about to fire, the fugitive would fling himself -flat on his face, and the bullets would fly harmlessly -over him; then he would spring to his feet -and go safely on his way. Stewart smiled to remember -how religiously he had believed in that -stratagem, and how he had determined to practice -it, if ever need arose! He had never contemplated -the possibility of having to flee from a squad of -men armed with magazine rifles, capable of firing -twenty-five shots a minute!</p> - -<p>Then he shook these thoughts away; there was -no time to be lost. He must warn his companion, -for they must make the dash at the same instant. -He glanced toward where she lay in the shadow of -the cliff, and saw that she was turning restlessly -from side to side, as though fevered. With real -anxiety, he hastened to her, knelt beside her, and -placed his hand gently on her forehead. At the -touch, she opened her eyes and stared dazedly up at -him.</p> - -<p>“Ask for some water,” she said, weakly; and -then, in the same tone, “we must flee at the moment -they salute their officer.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</span></p> - -<p>Stewart turned to the soldiers, who were listening -with inquiring faces.</p> - -<p>“My brother is feverish,” he explained. “He -asks for a drink of water.”</p> - -<p>One of the men was instantly on his feet, unscrewing -his canteen and holding it to the eager -lips while Stewart supported his comrade’s head. -She drank eagerly and then dropped back with a -sigh of satisfaction, and closed her eyes.</p> - -<p>“He will go to sleep now,” said Stewart. -“Thank you,” and he himself took a drink from the -proffered flask.</p> - -<p>He was surprised to find how cool and fresh the -water tasted, and when he looked at the flask more -closely, he saw that it was made like a Thermos -bottle, with outer and inner shells. He handed it -back to its owner with a nod of admiration.</p> - -<p>“That is very clever,” he said. “Everything -seems to have been thought of.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, everything,” agreed the other. “No army -is equipped like ours. I am told that the French -are in rags.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” said Stewart, cautiously, “I have -never seen them.”</p> - -<p>“And their army is not organized; we shall be in -Paris before they can mobilize. It will be 1870 -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</span>over again. The war will be ended in two or three -months. It has been promised us that we shall be -home again for Christmas without fail.”</p> - -<p>“I hope you will,” Stewart agreed; and there -was a moment’s silence. “How much longer shall -we have to wait?” he asked, at last.</p> - -<p>“Our officer should be here at any moment.”</p> - -<p>“It is absolutely necessary that we wait for -him?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, absolutely.”</p> - -<p>“We are very hungry,” Stewart explained.</p> - -<p>The soldier pondered for a moment, and then -rose to his feet.</p> - -<p>“I think I can give you food,” he said. “It is -permitted to give food, is it not?” he asked his -comrades; and when they nodded, he opened his -knapsack and took out a package of hard, square -biscuits and a thick roll of sausage. He cut the -sausage into generous slices, while Stewart watched -with watering mouth, placed a slice on each of the -biscuits, and passed them over.</p> - -<p>“Splendid!” cried Stewart. “I don’t know how -to thank you. But at least I can pay you,” and he -dove into his pocket and produced a ten-mark piece—his -last. The soldier shook his head. “It is for -the whole squad,” added Stewart, persuasively. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</span>“You will be needing tobacco some day, and this -will come in handy!”</p> - -<p>The soldier smiled, took the little coin, and placed -it carefully in his pocket.</p> - -<p>“You are right about the tobacco,” he said. “I -thank you.”</p> - -<p>He sat down again before the fire, while Stewart -hastened to his companion and dropped to his knees -beside her.</p> - -<p>“See what I’ve got!” he cried. “Food!”</p> - -<p>She opened her eyes, struggled to a sitting posture, -and held out an eager hand. A moment later, -they were both munching the sausage and biscuits as -though they had never tasted anything so delicious—as, -indeed, they never had!</p> - -<p>“Oh, how good that was!” she said, when the -last crumb was swallowed, and she waved her thanks -to the watching group about the fire. “Remember,” -she added, in a lower tone, as she sank back upon -her elbow, “the instant——”</p> - -<p>She stopped, staring toward the tunnel, one hand -grasping the blanket.</p> - -<p>Stewart, following her look, saw the sentry -stiffen, turn on his heel, and hold his rifle rigidly in -front of him, as a tall figure, clad in a long gray coat -and carrying an electric torch, stepped out of the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</span>darkness of the tunnel. At the same instant, the -men about the fire sprang to their feet.</p> - -<p>“Now!” cried the girl, and threw back the -blanket.</p> - -<p>In an instant, hand in hand, they had glided into -the darkness.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE NIGHT ATTACK</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">A savage</span> voice behind them shouted, “Halt!” and -then a bullet sang past and a rifle went off with a -noise like a cannon—or so it seemed to Stewart; -then another and another. It was the sentry, of -course, pumping bullets after them. Stewart’s flesh -crept at the thought that any instant might bring -a volley, which would sweep the track with a storm -of lead. If he could only look back, if he only -knew——</p> - -<p>Suddenly the girl pulled him to the right, and he -saw there was a cleft in the steep bank. Even as -they sprang into it, the volley came, and then a -second and a third, and then the sound of shouting -voices and running feet.</p> - -<p>Savagely the fugitives fought their way upward, -over rocks, through briars—scratched, torn, bleeding, -panting for breath. Even in the daytime it -would have been a desperate scramble; now it soon -became a sort of horrid nightmare, which might end -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</span>at any instant at the bottom of a cliff. More than -once Stewart told himself that he could not go on, -that his heart would burst if he took another step—and -yet he <i>did</i> go on, up and up, close behind his -comrade, who seemed borne on invisible wings.</p> - -<p>At last she stopped and pressed close against him. -He could feel how her heart was thumping.</p> - -<p>“Wait!” she panted. “Listen!”</p> - -<p>Not a sound broke the stillness of the wood.</p> - -<p>“I think we are safe,” she said. “Let us rest a -while.”</p> - -<p>They sat down, side by side, on a great rock. -Gradually their gasping breath slackened and the -pounding of their hearts grew quieter.</p> - -<p>“I have lost my cap,” she said, at last. “A -branch snatched it off and I did not dare to stop.”</p> - -<p>Stewart put his hand to his head and found that -his hat also was gone. Until that instant he had not -missed it.</p> - -<p>“I feel as if I had been flayed,” he said. “Those -briars were downright savage. It was lucky we -didn’t break a leg—or stop a bullet.”</p> - -<p>“We must not run such risks again. We must -keep clear of roads—the Germans seem to be everywhere. -Let us keep on until we reach the crest -of this hill, and then we can rest till daylight.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</span></p> - -<p>“All right,” agreed Stewart. “Where thou -goest, I will go. But please remember I don’t travel -on angelic wings as you do, but on very human legs! -And they are very tired!”</p> - -<p>“So are mine!” she laughed. “But we cannot -remain here, can we?”</p> - -<p>“No,” said Stewart, “I suppose not,” and he -arose and followed her.</p> - -<p>The ground grew less rough as they proceeded, -and at last they came to the end of the wood. Overhead, -a full moon was sinking toward the west—a -moon which lighted every rock and crevice of the -rolling meadow before them, and which seemed to -them, after the darkness of the woods and the valleys, -as brilliant as the sun.</p> - -<p>“We must be nearly at the top,” said the girl. -“These hills almost all have meadows on their summits -where the peasants pasture their flocks.”</p> - -<p>And so it proved, for beyond the meadow was -another narrow strip of woodland, and as they came -to its farther edge, the fugitives stopped with a -gasp of astonishment.</p> - -<p>Below them stretched a broad valley, and as far as -the eye could reach, it was dotted with flaring fires.</p> - -<p>“The German army!” said the girl, and the two -stood staring.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</span></p> - -<p>Evidently a countless host lay camped below -them, but no sound reached them, save the occasional -rumble of a train along some distant track. The -Kaiser’s legions were sleeping until the dawn should -give the signal for the advance—an advance which -would be as the sweep of an avalanche, hideous, irresistible, -remorseless, crushing everything in its -path.</p> - -<p>“Oh, look, look!” cried the girl, and caught him -by the arm.</p> - -<p>To the west, seemingly quite near, a flash of -flame gleamed against the sky, then another and another -and another, and in a moment a savage rumble -as of distant thunder drifted to their ears.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” asked Stewart, staring at the ever-increasing -bursts of flame. “Not a battle, surely!”</p> - -<p>“It is the forts at Liège!” cried the girl, hoarsely. -“The Germans are attacking them, and they resist! -Oh, brave little Belgium!”</p> - -<p>The firing grew more furious, and then a battery -of searchlights began to play over the hillside before -the nearest fort, and they could dimly see its outline -on the hilltop—strangely like a dreadnaught, with -its wireless mast and its armored turrets vomiting -flame. Above it, from time to time, a shell from the -German batteries burst like a greenish-white rocket, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</span>but it was evident that the assailants had not yet got -their guns up in any number.</p> - -<p>Then, suddenly, amid the thunder of the cannon, -there surged a vicious undercurrent of sound which -Stewart knew must be the reports of machine-guns, -or perhaps of rifles; and all along the slope below -the fort innumerable little flashes stabbed upward -toward the summit. Surely infantry would never -attack such a position, Stewart told himself; and -then he held his breath, for, full in the glare of the -searchlights, he could see what seemed to be a tidal -wave sweeping up the hill.</p> - -<p>A very fury of firing came from the fort, yet still -the wave swept on. As it neared the fort, what -seemed to be another wave swept down to meet it. -The firing slackened, almost stopped, and Stewart, -his blood pounding in his temples, knew that the -struggle was hand to hand, breast to breast. It -lasted but a minute; then the attacking tide flowed -back down the hill, and again the machine-guns of -the fort took up that deadly chorus.</p> - -<p>“They have been driven back!” gasped the girl. -“Thank God! the Germans have been driven -back!”</p> - -<p>How many, Stewart wondered, were lying out -there dead on the hillside? How many homes had -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</span>been rendered fatherless in those few desperate moments? -And this was but the first of a thousand -such charges—the first of a thousand such moments! -There, before his eyes, men had killed each other—for -what? The men in the forts were defending -their Fatherland from invasion—they were fighting -for liberty and independence. That was understandable—it -was even admirable. But those others—the -men in the spiked helmets—what were they fighting -for? To destroy liberty? To wrest independence -from a proud little people? Surely no man of honor -would fight for that! No, it must be for something -else—for some ideal—for some ardent sense of duty, -strangely twisted, perhaps, but none the less fierce -and urgent!</p> - -<p>Again the big guns in the armored turrets were -bellowing forth their wrath; and then the searchlights -stabbed suddenly up into the sky, sweeping -this way and that.</p> - -<p>“They fear an airship attack!” breathed the -girl, and she and Stewart stood staring up into the -night.</p> - -<p>Shells from the German guns began again to burst -about the fort, but its own guns were silent, and it -lay there crouching as if in terror. Only its searchlights -swept back and forth.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</span></p> - -<p>Suddenly a gun spoke—they could see the flash -of its discharge, seemingly straight up into the air; -then a second and a third; and then the searchlights -caught the great bulk of a Zeppelin and held it -clearly outlined as it swept across the sky. There -was a furious burst of firing, but the ship sped on -unharmed, passed beyond the range of the searchlights, -blotted out the setting moon for an instant, -and was gone.</p> - -<p>“It did not dare pass over the fort,” said the girl. -“It was flying too low. Perhaps it will come back -at a greater altitude. I have seen them at the maneuvers -in Alsace—frightful things, moving like the -wind.”</p> - -<p>This way and that the searchlights swept in great -arcs across the heavens, in frenzied search for this -monster of the air; but it did not return. Perhaps -it had been damaged by the gunfire—or perhaps, -Stewart told himself with a shiver, it was speeding -on toward Paris, to rain terror from the August -sky!</p> - -<p>Gradually the firing ceased; but the more distant -forts were using their searchlights, too. Seeing -them all aroused and vigilant, the Germans did not -attack again; their surprise had failed; now they -must wait for their heavy guns.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</span></p> - -<p>“Well,” asked Stewart, at last, “what now?”</p> - -<p>“I think it would be well to stay here till morning—then -we can see how the army is placed and -how best to get past it. It is evident we cannot go -on to-night.”</p> - -<p>“I’m deadly tired,” said Stewart, looking about -him into the darkness, “but I should like a softer bed -than the bare ground.”</p> - -<p>“Let us go to the edge of this meadow,” the girl -suggested. “Perhaps we shall find another field of -grain.”</p> - -<p>But luck was against them. Beyond the meadow -the woods began again.</p> - -<p>“The meadow is better than the woods,” said -Stewart. “At least it has some grass on it—the -woods have nothing but rocks!”</p> - -<p>“Let us stay in the shelter of the hedge. Then, -if a patrol happens into the field before we are -awake, it will not see us. Perhaps they will attempt -a pursuit in the morning. They will guess -that we have headed for the west.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t think there’s much danger—it would be -like hunting for a needle in a haystack—in a dozen -haystacks! But won’t you be cold?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no,” she protested, quickly; “the night is -quite warm. Good-night, my friend.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</span></p> - -<p>“Good-night,” Stewart answered, and withdrew a -few steps and made himself as comfortable as he -could.</p> - -<p>There were irritating bumps in the ground which -seemed to come exactly in the wrong place; but he -finally adjusted himself, and lay and looked up at -the stars, and wondered what the morrow would -bring forth. He was growing a little weary of the -adventure. He was growing weary of the restraint -which the situation imposed upon him. He was aching -to take this girl in his arms and hold her close, -and whisper three words—just three!—into her -rosy ear—but to do that now, to do it until they -were in safety, until she had no further need of -him, would be a cowardly thing—a cowardly thing—a -cowardly——</p> - -<p>He was awakened by a touch on the arm, and -opened his eyes to find the sun high in the heavens -and his comrade looking down at him with face almost -equally radiant.</p> - -<p>“I did not like to wake you,” she said, “but it is -getting late.”</p> - -<p>Stewart sat up and rubbed his eyes and looked at -her again. Her hair was neatly combed, her face -was fresh and shining, her hands showed some ugly -scratches but were scrupulously clean. Even her -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</span>clothing, though torn here and there, had evidently -been carefully brushed.</p> - -<p>“What astounds me,” said Stewart, deliberately, -“is how you do it. You spend the first half of the -night scrambling over rocks and through briars, and -the second half sleeping on the bare ground, and you -emerge in the morning as fresh and radiant as -though you had just stepped from your boudoir. -I wish I knew the secret.”</p> - -<p>“Come and I will show you,” she said, laughing -gayly, and she led him away into the -wood.</p> - -<p>Presently he heard the sound of falling water, -and his guide brought him triumphantly to a brook -gurgling over mossy rocks, at whose foot was a -shallow basin.</p> - -<p>“There is my boudoir,” she said. “The secret of -beauty is in the bath. I will reconnoiter the neighborhood -while you try it for yourself.”</p> - -<p>Stewart flung off his clothes, splashed joyously -into the cold, clear water, and had perhaps the most -delicious bath of his life. There was no soap, to -be sure, but much may be done by persistent rubbing; -and there were no towels, but the warm wind of the -morning made them almost unnecessary. He got -back into his clothes again with a sense of astonishing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</span> -well-being—except for a most persistent gnawing -at his stomach.</p> - -<p>“I wonder where we shall breakfast to-day?” he -mused as he laced his shoes. “Nowhere, most probably! -Oh, well, if that dear girl can stand it, I -oughtn’t to complain!”</p> - -<p>And he fell to thinking of her, of her slim grace, -of the curve of her red lips——</p> - -<p>“Confound it!” he said. “I can’t stand it much -longer. Friendship is all very well, and the big -brother act may do for a while—but I can’t keep it -up forever, and what’s more, I won’t!”</p> - -<p>And then he heard her calling, in the clear, high -voice he had grown to love.</p> - -<p>“All right!” he shouted. “Come along!”</p> - -<p>Presently she appeared between the trees, and he -watched her with beating heart—so straight, so supple, -so perfect in every line.</p> - -<p>“Did the magic work?” she inquired, gayly.</p> - -<p>“Partly; but it takes more than water to remove -a two-days’ growth of beard,” and Stewart ran a -rueful finger over his stubbly chin. “But can it be -only two days since you burst into my room at the -Kölner Hof, and threw your arms around my neck -and kissed me!”</p> - -<p>“Please do not speak of it!” she pleaded, with -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</span>crimson cheeks. “It was not an easy thing for a -girl to do; but that spy was watching—so I nerved -myself, and——”</p> - -<p>“You did it very well, indeed,” he said, reminiscently. -“And to think that not once since -then——”</p> - -<p>“Once was quite enough.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I don’t blame you; I know I’m not an attractive -object. People will be taking us for beauty -and the beast.”</p> - -<p>“Neither the one nor the other!” she corrected.</p> - -<p>“Well, I take back the beast; but not the beauty! -You are the loveliest thing I ever saw,” he added, -huskily. “The very loveliest!”</p> - -<p>She looked down at him for an instant, and her -eyes were very tender; then she looked hastily away.</p> - -<p>“There were to be no compliments until we were -out of Germany,” she reminded him.</p> - -<p>“We are out of Germany,” he said, and got slowly -to his feet, his eyes on fire.</p> - -<p>“No, no,” she protested, backing hastily away -from him. “This is German ground—let me show -you!” and she ran before him out into the meadow. -“Look down yonder!”</p> - -<p>Looking down, Stewart saw the mighty army -which had been mustered to crush France.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</span></p> - -<p>As far as the eye could reach, and from side to -side of the broad valley, it stretched—masses of men -and horses and wagons and artillery—masses and -masses—thousands upon thousands—mile upon -mile. A broad highway ran along either side of the -river, and along each road a compact host moved -steadily westward toward Liège.</p> - -<p>Suddenly from the west came the thunder of -heavy guns, and Stewart knew that the attack had -commenced again. Again men were being driven -forward to death, as they would be driven day after -day, until the end, whatever that might be. And -whatever it was, not a single dead man could be -brought to life; not a single maimed man made -whole; not a single dollar of the treasure which was -being poured out like a flood could be recovered. It -was all lost, wasted, worse than wasted, since it was -being used to destroy, not to create! Incredible—impossible—it -could not be! Even with that -mighty army beneath his eyes, Stewart told himself -for the hundredth time that it could not -be!</p> - -<p>The voice of his comrade broke in upon his -thoughts.</p> - -<p>“We must work our way westward along the hills -until we come to the Meuse,” she said. “This is the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</span>valley of the Vesdre, which flows into the Meuse, so -we have only to follow it.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t you prevail upon your fairy godmother -to provide breakfast first?” asked Stewart. “I’m -sure you have only to wish for it, and the table would -appear laden with an iced melon, bacon and eggs, -crisp rolls, yellow butter, and a pot of coffee—I think -I can smell the coffee!” He closed his eyes and -sniffed. “How perfect it would be to sit right here -and eat that breakfast and watch the Germans! -Oh, well,” he added, as she turned away, “if not -here, then somewhere else. Wait! Isn’t that a -house over yonder?”</p> - -<p>It was indeed a tiny house whose gable just -showed among the trees, and they made their way -cautiously toward it. It stood at the side of a small -garden, with two or three outbuildings about it, and -it was shielded on one side by an orchard. No -smoke rose from the chimney, nor was there any -sign of life.</p> - -<p>And then Stewart, who had been crouching -behind the hedge beside his companion, looking at -all this, rose suddenly to his feet and started forward.</p> - -<p>“Come on,” he cried; “the Germans haven’t been -this way—there’s a chicken,” and he pointed to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</span>where a plump hen was scratching industriously -under the hedge.</p> - -<p>“Here is another sign,” said the girl, as they -crossed the garden, and pointed to the ground. -“The potatoes and turnips have not been dug.”</p> - -<p>“It must be here we’re going to have that breakfast!” -cried Stewart, and knocked triumphantly at -the door.</p> - -<p>There was no response and he knocked again. -Then he tried the door, but it was locked. There -was another door at the rear of the house, but it also -was locked. There were also three windows, but -they were all tightly closed with wooden shutters.</p> - -<p>“We’ve got to have something to eat, that’s certain,” -said Stewart, doggedly. “We shall have to -break in,” and he looked about for a weapon with -which to attack the door.</p> - -<p>“No, no,” protested the girl, quickly. “That -would be too like the Uhlans! Let us see if there is -not some other way!”</p> - -<p>“What other way can there be?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps there is none,” she answered; “and if -there is not, we will go on our way, and leave this -house undamaged. You too seem to have been poisoned -by this virus of war!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</span></p> - -<p>“I only know I’m starving!” said Stewart. “If -I’ve been poisoned by anything, it’s by the virus of -appetite!”</p> - -<p>“If you were in your own country, and found -yourself hungry, would you break into the first house -you came to in order to get food?” she demanded. -“Certainly not—you would do without food before -you would do that. Is it not so?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said Stewart, in a low tone. “That is so. -You are right.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps I can find something,” she said, more -gently. “At least I will try. Remain here for a -moment,” and she hurried away toward the outbuildings.</p> - -<p>Stewart stared out into the road and reflected how -easy—how inevitable almost—it was to become a -robber among thieves, a murderer among cut-throats. -And he understood how it happens that -in war even the kindliest man may become blood-thirsty, -even the most honest a looter of defenseless -homes.</p> - -<p>“See what I have found!” cried a voice, and -he turned to see the girl running toward him with -hands outstretched. In each hand she held three -eggs.</p> - -<p>“Very well for a beginning,” he commented. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</span>“Now for the melon, the bacon, the rolls, the butter, -and the coffee!”</p> - -<p>“I fear that those must wait,” she said. “Here -is your breakfast,” and she handed him three of the -eggs.</p> - -<p>Stewart looked at them rather blankly.</p> - -<p>“Thanks!” he said. “But I don’t quite see——”</p> - -<p>“Then watch!”</p> - -<p>Sitting down on the door-step, she cracked one of -her eggs gently, picked away the loosened bit of -shell at its end, and put the egg to her lips.</p> - -<p>“Oh!” he said. “So <i>that’s</i> it!” and sitting down -beside her, he followed her example.</p> - -<p>He had heard of sucking eggs, but he had never -before tried it, and he found it rather difficult and -not particularly pleasant. But the first egg undoubtedly -did assuage the pangs of hunger; the second -assuaged them still more, and the third quite extinguished -them. In fact, he felt a little surfeited.</p> - -<p>“Now,” she said, “for the dessert.”</p> - -<p>“Dessert!” protested Stewart. “Is there dessert? -Why didn’t you tell me? I never heard of -dessert for breakfast, and I’m afraid I haven’t room -for it!”</p> - -<p>“It will keep!” she assured him, and leading him -around the larger of the outbuildings, she showed -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</span>him a tree hanging thick with ruddy apples. “There -are our supplies for the campaign!” she announced.</p> - -<p>“My compliments!” he said. “You would make -a great general.”</p> - -<p>They ate one or two apples and then filled their -pockets. From one of hers, the girl drew a pipe -and pouch of tobacco.</p> - -<p>“Would you not like to smoke?” she asked. “I -have been told that a pipe is a great comfort in -times of stress!”</p> - -<p>And Stewart, calling down blessings upon her -head, filled up. Never had tobacco tasted so good, -never had that old pipe seemed so sweet, as when he -blew out the first puff upon the morning air.</p> - -<p>“Salvation Yeo was right,” he said. “As a hungry -man’s food, a sad man’s cordial, a chilly man’s -fire, there’s nothing like it under the canopy of -heaven! I only wish you could enjoy it too!”</p> - -<p>“I can enjoy your enjoyment!” she laughed as -they set happily off together.</p> - -<p>At the corner of the wood, Stewart turned for a -last look at the house.</p> - -<p>“How glad I am I didn’t break in!” he said.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII<br /> -<span class="smaller">AN ARMY IN ACTION</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">The</span> sound of cannonading grew fiercer and fiercer, -as they advanced, and the undertone of rifle fire -more perceptible. It was evident that the Germans -were rapidly getting more and more guns into action, -and that the infantry attack was also being hotly -pressed. Below them in the valley, they caught -glimpses from time to time, as the trees opened -out a little, of the gray-clad host marching steadily -forward, as though to overwhelm the forts by sheer -weight of numbers; and then, as they came out above -a rocky bluff, they saw a new sight—an earnest -that the Belgians were fighting to some purpose.</p> - -<p>In a level field beside the road a long tent had been -pitched, and above it floated the flag of the Red -Cross. Toward it, along the road, came slowly a -seemingly endless line of motor ambulances. Each -of them in turn stopped opposite the tent, and white-clad -assistants lifted out the stretchers, each with its -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</span>huddled occupant, and carried them quickly, yet very -carefully, inside the tent. In a moment the bearers -were back again, pushed the empty stretchers into -place, and the ambulance turned and sped swiftly -back toward the battlefield. Here, too, it was evident -that there was admirable and smoothly-working -system—a system which alleviated, so far as it was -possible to do so, the horror and the suffering of -battle.</p> - -<p>Stewart could close his eyes and see what was -going on inside that tent. He could see the stripping -away of the clothing, the hasty examination, the -sterilization of the wound, and then, if an operation -was necessary, the quick preparation, the application -of the ether-cone and the swift, unerring flash of -the surgeon’s knife.</p> - -<p>“That’s where I should be,” he said, half to himself, -“I might be of some use there!” And then -he turned his eyes eastward along the road. “Great -heavens! Look at that gun.”</p> - -<p>Along the road below them came a monstrous cannon, -mounted on a low, broad-wheeled truck, and -drawn by a mighty tractor. It was of a girth so -huge, of a weight evidently so tremendous, that it -seemed impossible it could be handled at all, and yet -it rolled along as smoothly as though it were the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</span>merest toy. Above it stretched the heavy crane -which would swing it into the air and place it gently -on the trunnions of its carriage. Drawn by another -tractor, the carriage itself came close behind—more -huge, more impressive if possible, than the gun -itself. Its tremendous wheels were encircled with -heavy blocks of steel, linked together and undulating -along the road for all the world like a monster caterpillar; -its massive trail seemed forged to withstand -the shock of an earthquake.</p> - -<p>“So that is the surprise!” murmured the girl beneath -her breath.</p> - -<p>And she was right. This was the surprise which -had been kept so carefully concealed—the Krupp -contribution to the war—the largest field howitzer -ever built, hurling a missile so powerful that neither -steel nor stone nor armored concrete could stand -against it.</p> - -<p>In awed silence, the two fugitives watched this -mighty engine of destruction pass along the road to -its appointed task. Behind it came a motor truck -carrying its crew, and then a long train of ammunition -carts filled with what looked like wicker baskets—but -within each of those baskets lay a shell -weighing a thousand pounds! And as it passed, the -troops, opening to right and left, cheered it wildly, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</span>for to them it meant more than victory—it meant -that they would, perhaps, be spared the desperate -charge with its almost certain death.</p> - -<p>Scarcely had the first gone by, when a second -gun came rolling along the road, followed by its -crew and its ammunition-train; and then a third -appeared, seemingly more formidable than either of -the others.</p> - -<p>“These Germans are certainly a wonderful people,” -said Stewart, following the three monsters -with his eyes as they dwindled away westward along -the road. “They may be vain and arrogant and -self-confident; apparently they haven’t much regard -for the rights of others. But they are thorough. We -must give them credit for that! They are prepared -for everything.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” agreed his companion; “for everything -except one thing.”</p> - -<p>“And that?”</p> - -<p>“The spirit of a people who love liberty. Neither -cannon nor armies can conquer that! The German -Staff believed that Belgium would stand aside in -fear.”</p> - -<p>“Surely you don’t expect Belgium to win?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, no! But every day she holds the German -army here is a battle won for France. Oh, France -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</span>will honor Belgium now! See—the army has been -stopped. It is no longer advancing!”</p> - -<p>What was happening to the westward they could -not see, or even guess, but it was true that the helmeted -host had ceased its march, had broken ranks, -and was stacking arms and throwing off its accouterments -in the fields along the road. The halt was to -be for some time, it seemed, for everywhere camp-kitchens -were being hauled into place, fires started, -food unloaded.</p> - -<p>“Come on! come on!” urged the girl. “We -must reach the Meuse before this tide rolls across it.”</p> - -<p>They pressed forward again along the wooded -hillside. Twice they had to cross deep valleys which -ran back into the mountain, and once they had a -narrow escape from a cavalry patrol which came -cantering past so close upon their heels that they -had barely time to throw themselves into the underbrush. -They could see, too, that even in the hills -caution was necessary, for raiding parties had evidently -struck up into them, as was proved by an -occasional column of smoke rising from a burning -house. Once they came upon an old peasant with a -face wrinkled like a withered apple, sitting staring -down at the German host, so preoccupied that he -did not even raise his eyes as they passed. And at -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</span>last they came out above the broad plain where the -Vesdre flows into the Meuse.</p> - -<p>Liège, with its towers and terraced streets, was -concealed from them by a bend in the river and by a -bold bluff which thrust out toward it from the east—a -bluff crowned by a turreted fortress—perhaps -the same they had seen the night before—which was -vomiting flame and iron down into the valley.</p> - -<p>The trees and bushes which clothed its sides concealed -the infantry which was doubtless lying there, -but in the valley just below them they could see a -battery of heavy guns thundering against the Belgian -fort. So rapidly were they served that the -roar of their discharge was almost continuous, while -high above it rose the scream of the shells as they -hurtled toward their mark. There was something -fascinating in the precise, calculated movement of -the gunners—one crouching on the trail, one seated -on either side of the breech, four others passing up -the shells from the caisson close at hand. Their -officer was watching the effect of the fire through a -field-glass, and speaking a word of direction now -and then.</p> - -<p>Their fire was evidently taking effect, for it was -this battery which the gunners in the fort were trying -to silence—trying blindly, for the German guns -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</span>were masked by a high hedge and a strip of orchard, -and only a tenuous, quickly-vanishing wisp of white -smoke marked the discharge. So the Belgian gunners -dropped their shells hither and yon, hoping that -chance might send one of them home.</p> - -<p>They did not find the battery, but they found -other marks—a beautiful white villa, on the first -slope of the hillside, was torn asunder like a house of -cards and a moment later was in flames; a squad of -cavalry, riding gayly back from a reconnoissance -down the river, was violently scattered; a peasant -family, father and mother and three children, hastening -along the road to a place of safety, was instantly -blotted out.</p> - -<p>It was evident now that the Meuse was the barrier -which had stopped the army. Far up toward Liège -were the ruins of a bridge, and no doubt all the -others had been blown up by the Belgians.</p> - -<p>Down by the river bank a large force of engineers -were working like mad to throw a pontoon across -the swift current. The material had already been -brought up—heavy, flat-bottomed boats, carried on -wagons drawn by motor-tractors, great beams and -planks, boxes of bolts—everything, in a word, -needed to build this bridge just here at a point which -had no doubt been selected long in advance! The -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</span>bridge shot out into the river with a speed which -seemed to Stewart almost miraculous. Boat after -boat was towed into place and anchored firmly; great -beams were bolted into position, each of them fitting -exactly; and then the heavy planks were laid with -the precision and rapidity of a machine. Indeed, -Stewart told himself, it was really a machine that he -was watching—a machine of flesh and blood, wonderfully -trained for just such feats as this.</p> - -<p>“Look! look!” cried the girl, and Stewart, following -her pointing finger, saw an aëroplane sweeping -toward them from the direction of the city. -Evidently the defenders of the fort, weary of firing -blindly at a battery they could not see, were sending -a scout to uncover it.</p> - -<p>The aëroplane flew very high at first—so high that -the two men in it appeared the merest specks, but almost -at once two high-angle guns were banging -away at it, though the shells fell far short. Gradually -it circled lower and lower, as if quite unconscious -of the marksmen in the valley, and as it swept -past the hill, Stewart glimpsed the men quite plainly—one -with his hands upon the levers, the other, with -a pair of glasses to his eyes, eagerly scanning the -ground beneath.</p> - -<p>And then Stewart, happening to glance toward the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</span>horizon, was held enthralled by a new spectacle. -High over the hills to the east flew a mammoth -shape, straight toward the fort. Its defenders -saw their danger instantly, and hastily elevating -some of their guns, greeted the Zeppelin with a -salvo. But it came straight on with incredible speed, -and as it passed above the fort, a terrific explosion -shook the mountain to its base. Stewart, staring -with bated breath, told himself that that was the -end, that not one stone of that great fortress remained -upon another; but an instant later, another -volley sent after the fleeing airship told that the fort -still stood—that the bomb had missed its mark.</p> - -<p>The aëroplane scouts, their vision shadowed by -the broad wings of their machine, had not seen the -Zeppelin until the explosion brought them sharp -round toward it. Then, with a sudden upward -swoop, they leaped forward in pursuit. But nothing -could overtake that monster,—it was speeding -too fast, it was already far away, and in a moment -disappeared over the hills to the west. So, after a -moment’s breathless flight, the biplane turned, circled -slowly above the fort, and dropped down toward -the town behind it.</p> - -<p>Five minutes later, a high-powered shell burst -squarely in the midst of the German battery, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</span>disabling two of the guns. At once the horses were -driven up and the remaining guns whirled away to a -new emplacement, while a passing motor ambulance -was stopped to pick up the wounded.</p> - -<p>Stewart, who had been watching all this with -something of the feelings of a spectator at some -tremendous panorama, was suddenly conscious of a -mighty stream of men approaching the river from -the head of the valley. A regiment of cavalry rode -in front, their long lances giving them an appearance -indescribably picturesque; behind them came column -after column of infantry, moving like clock-work, -their gray uniforms blending so perfectly with the -background that it was difficult to tell where the -columns began or where they ended. Their passage -reminded Stewart of the quiver of heat above a -sultry landscape—a vibration of the air scarcely perceptible.</p> - -<p>All the columns were converging on the river, and -looking toward it, Stewart saw that the bridge was -almost done. As the last planks were laid, a squadron -of Uhlans, which had been held in readiness, -dashed across, and deploying fanshape, advanced -to reconnoiter the country on the other side.</p> - -<p>“That looks like invasion in earnest!” said -Stewart.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</span></p> - -<p>The girl nodded without replying, her eyes on the -advancing columns. The cavalry was the first to reach -the bridge, and filed rapidly across to reënforce their -comrades; then the infantry pressed forward in -solid column. Stewart could see how the boats -settled deep in the water under the tremendous -weight.</p> - -<p>High above all other sounds, came the hideous -shriek of a great shell, which flew over the bridge -and exploded in the water a hundred yards below it. -A minute later, there came another shriek, but this -time the shell fell slightly short. But the third shell—the -third shell!</p> - -<p>Surely, Stewart told himself, the bridge will be -cleared; that close-packed column will not be exposed -to a risk so awful. But it pressed on, without -a pause, without a break. What must be the -soldiers’ thoughts, as they waited for the third -shell!</p> - -<p>Again that high, hideous, blood-curdling shriek -split through the air, and the next instant a shell -exploded squarely in the middle of the bridge. -Stewart had a moment’s vision of a tangle of shattered -bodies, then he saw that the bridge was gone -and the river filled with drowning men, weighed -down by their heavy accouterments. He could hear -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</span>their shrill cries of terror as they struggled in the -current; then the cries ceased as the river swept most -of them away. Only a very few managed to reach -the bank.</p> - -<p>Stewart hid his face in his trembling hands. It -was too hideous! It could not be! He could not -bear it—the world would not bear it, if it knew!</p> - -<p>A sharp cry from his companion told him that the -awful drama was not yet played to an end. She was -pointing beyond the river, where the cavalry and the -small body of infantry which had got across seemed -thrown into sudden confusion. Horses reared and -fell, men dropped from their saddles. The infantry -threw themselves forward upon their faces; -and then to Stewart’s ears came the sharp rattle of -musketry.</p> - -<p>“The Belgians are attacking them!” cried the -girl. “They are driving them back!”</p> - -<p>But that cavalry, so superbly trained, that infantry, -so expertly officered, were not to be driven back -without a struggle. The Uhlans formed into line -and swept forward, with lances couched, over the -ridge beyond the river and out of sight, in a furious -charge. But the Belgians must have stood firm, for -at the end of a few moments, the troopers straggled -back again, sadly diminished in numbers, and rode -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</span>rapidly away down the river, leaving the infantry to -its fate.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, on the eastern bank of the river, a battery -of quick-firers had already been swung into position, -and was singing its deadly tune to hold the -Belgians back. Already the men of that little company -on the farther side had found a sort of refuge -behind a line of hummocks. Already some heavier -guns were being hurried into position to defend the -bridge which the engineers began at once to rebuild -farther down the stream, where it would be better -masked from the fort’s attack.</p> - -<p>Evidently the Belgians did not intend to enter -that deadly zone of fire, and the fight settled down -to a dogged, long-distance one.</p> - -<p>“We cannot get across here,” said the girl at -last. “We shall have to work our way downstream -until we are past the Germans. If we can join the -Belgians, we are safe.”</p> - -<p>But to get past the Germans proved a far greater -task than they had anticipated. There seemed to be -no end to the gray-clad legions. Brigade after brigade -packed the stretch of level ground along the -river, while the road was crowded with an astounding -tangle of transport wagons, cook wagons, -armored motors, artillery, tractors, ambulances, and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</span>automobiles of every sort, evidently seized by the -army in its advance.</p> - -<p>As he looked at them, Stewart could not but wonder -how on earth they had ever been assembled here, -and, still more, how they were ever going to be got -away again. Also, he thought, how easily might -they be cut to pieces by a few batteries of machine-guns -posted on that ridge across the river! Looking -across, he saw that the army chiefs had foreseen -that danger and guarded against it, for a strong body -of cavalry had been thrown across the river to screen -the advance, while along the bank, behind hasty but -well-built intrenchments, long lines of artillery had -been massed to repel any attack from that direction.</p> - -<p>But no attack came. The little Belgian army evidently -had its hands full elsewhere, and was very -busy indeed, as the roar of firing both up and down -the river testified. And then, as the fugitives walked -on along the hillside, they saw that one avenue of -advance would soon be open, for a company of -engineers, heavily guarded by cavalry and quick-firers, -was repairing a bridge whose central span had -been blown up by the Belgians as they retreated.</p> - -<p>The bridge had connected two little villages, that -on the east bank dominated by a beautiful white -château placed at the edge of a cliff. Of the villages<span class="pagenum" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</span> -little remained but smoking ruins, and a -flag above the château showed that it had been converted -into a staff headquarters.</p> - -<p>Where was the owner of the château, Stewart -wondered, looking up at it. Where were the women -who had sat and gossiped on its terrace? Where -were all the people who had lived in those two villages? -Wandering somewhere to the westward, -homeless and destitute, every one of them—haggard -women and hungry children and tottering old men, -whose quiet world had turned suddenly to chaos.</p> - -<p>“Well,” he said, at last, “it looks as if we shall -have to wait until these fellows clear out. We can’t -get across the river as long as there is a line like -that before it.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps when they begin to advance, they will -leave a break in the line somewhere,” his companion -suggested. “Or perhaps we can slip across in the -darkness. Let us wait and see.”</p> - -<p>So they sat down behind the screen of a clump of -bushes, and munched their apples, while they -watched the scene below. Stewart even ventured -to light his pipe again.</p> - -<p>A flotilla of boats of every shape and size, commandeered, -no doubt, all up and down the river, -plied busily back and forth, augmenting the troops -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</span>on the other side as rapidly as possible; and again -Stewart marveled at the absolute order and system -preserved in this operation, which might so easily -have become confused. There was no crowding, no -overloading, no hurrying, but everywhere a calm -and efficient celerity. A certain number of men -entered each of the boats,—leading their horses by -the bridle, if they were cavalry,—and the boats -pushed off. Reluctant horses were touched with a -whip, but most of them stepped down into the water -quietly and without hesitation, showing that they -had been drilled no less than their masters, and -swam strongly along beside the boat. On the other -shore, the disembarkation was conducted in the same -unhurried fashion, and the boat swung back into the -stream again for another load.</p> - -<p>But a great army cannot be conveyed across a -river in small boats, and it was not until mid-afternoon, -when the repairs on the bridge were finished, -that the real forward movement began. From that -moment it swept forward like a flood—first the remainder -of the cavalry, then the long batteries of -quick-firers, then regiment after regiment of infantry, -each regiment accompanied by its transport. -Looking down at the tangle of wagons and guns -and motors, Stewart saw that it was not really a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</span>tangle, but an ordered arrangement, which unrolled -itself smoothly and without friction.</p> - -<p>The advance was slow, but it was unceasing, and -by nightfall at least fifteen thousand men had crossed -the river. Still the host encamped along it seemed -as great as ever. As one detachment crossed, another -came up from somewhere in the rear to take its -place. Stewart’s brain reeled as he gazed down at -them and tried to estimate their number; and this -was only one small corner of the Kaiser’s army. -For leagues and leagues to north and south it was -pressing forward; no doubt along the whole frontier -similar hosts were massed for the invasion. It was -gigantic, incredible—that word was in his thoughts -more frequently than any other. He could not believe -his own eyes; his brain refused to credit the -evidence of his senses.</p> - -<p>Each unit of this great array, each company, each -squad, seemed to live its own life and to be sufficient -unto itself. Stewart could see the company -cooks preparing the evening meal; the heavy, -wheeled camp-stoves were fired up, great kettles of -soup were set bubbling, broad loaves of dark bread -were cut into thick slices; and finally, at a bugle -call, the men fell into line, white-enameled cups in -hand, and received their rations. It seemed to Stewart<span class="pagenum" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</span> -that he could smell the appetizing odor of that -thick soup—an odor of onions and potatoes and -turnips.</p> - -<p>“Doesn’t it make you ravenous?” he asked. -“Wouldn’t you like to have some real solid food to -set your teeth into? Raw eggs and apples—ugh!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, it does,” said the girl, who had been contemplating -the scene with dreamy eyes, scarcely -speaking all the afternoon. “The French still wear -the uniform of 1870,” she added, half to herself; “a -long bulky blue coat and red trousers.”</p> - -<p>“Visible a mile away—while these fellows melt -into the ground at a hundred yards! If Germany -wins, it will be through forethought!”</p> - -<p>“But she cannot win!” protested the girl, fiercely. -“She must not win!”</p> - -<p>“Well, all I can say is that France has a big job -ahead!”</p> - -<p>“France will not stand alone! Already she has -Russia as an ally; Belgium is doing what it can; -Servia has a well-tried army. Nor are those all! -England will soon find that she cannot afford to -stand aside, and if there is need, other nations will -come in—Portugal, Rumania, even Italy!”</p> - -<p>Stewart shook his head, skeptically.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” he said, slowly. “I know nothing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</span> -about world-politics, but I don’t believe any nation -will come in that doesn’t have to!”</p> - -<p>“That is it—all of them will find that they have -to, for Prussian triumph means slavery for all Europe—for -the Germans most of all. It is for them -as much as for herself that France is fighting—for -human rights everywhere—for the poor people who -till the fields, and toil in the factories, and sweat in -the mines! And civilization must fight with her -against this barbarian state ruled by the upturned -mustache and mailed fist, believing that might makes -right and that she can do no wrong! That is why -you and I are fighting on France’s side!”</p> - -<p>“If nobody fights any harder than I——”</p> - -<p>She stopped him with a hand upon his arm.</p> - -<p>“Ah, but you are fighting well! One can fight -in other ways than with a rifle—one can fight with -one’s brains.”</p> - -<p>“It is your brains, not mine, which have done the -fighting in this campaign,” Stewart pointed out.</p> - -<p>“Where should I have been but for you? Dead, -most probably, my message lost, my life-work shattered!”</p> - -<p>He placed his hand quietly over hers and held it -fast.</p> - -<p>“Let us be clear, then,” he said. “It is not for -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</span>freedom, or for any abstract ideal I am fighting. -It is for you—for your friendship, for your——”</p> - -<p>“No, it is for France,” she broke in. “I am not -worth fighting for—I am but one girl among many -millions. And if we win—if we get through——”</p> - -<p>She paused, gazing out through the gathering -darkness with starry eyes.</p> - -<p>“Yes—if we get through,” he prompted.</p> - -<p>“It will mean more to France than many regiments!” -and she struck the pocket which contained -the letters. “Ah, we must get through—we must -not fail!”</p> - -<p>She rose suddenly and stretched her arms high -above her head.</p> - -<p>“Dear God, you will not let us fail!” she cried. -Then she turned and held out a hand to him. -“Come,” she said, quietly; “if we are to get across, -it must be before the moon rises.”</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE PASSAGE OF THE MEUSE</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">The</span> mist of early evening had settled over the river -and wiped away every vestige of the army, save the -flaring lights of the camp-kitchens and the white -lamps of the motors; but the creaking of wheels, -the pounding of engines, and the regular tramp of -countless feet told that the advance had not slackened -for an instant.</p> - -<p>On the uplands there was still a little light, and -Stewart and his companion picked their way cautiously -down through a belt of woodland, across a -rough field, and over a wall, beyond which they -found an uneven path, made evidently by a vanished -herd as it went back and forth to its pasture. -They advanced slowly and silently, every sense on -the alert, but seemingly no pickets had been posted -on this side, from which there was no reason to -fear an attack, and they were soon down amid the -mist, at the edge of the encampment.</p> - -<p>Here, however, there were sentries—a close line -of them; the fugitives could see them dimly outlined -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</span>against the fires, and could hear their occasional -interchange of challenges.</p> - -<p>“It is impossible to get through here,” whispered -the girl. “Let us go on until we are below the -bridge. Perhaps we shall find a gap there.”</p> - -<p>So, hand in hand lest they become separated in -the darkness, they worked their way cautiously -downstream, just out of sight of the line of sentries.</p> - -<p>“Wait!” whispered Stewart, suddenly. “What -is that ahead?”</p> - -<p>Something tall and black and vaguely menacing -loomed above them into the night.</p> - -<p>“The church tower!” breathed the girl, after a -moment. “See—there are ruins all about it—it is -the village they burned.”</p> - -<p>They hesitated. Should they enter it, or try to go -around? There was something sinister and threatening -about these roofless, blackened walls which had -once been homes; but to go around meant climbing -cliffs, meant breathless scrambling—above all, meant -loss of time.</p> - -<p>“We must risk it,” said the girl, at last. “We -can come back if the place is guarded.”</p> - -<p>Their hands instinctively tightened their clasp as -they stole forward into the shadow of the houses, -along what had once been a street, but was now littered<span class="pagenum" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</span> -and blocked with fallen walls and débris of -every kind, some of it still smouldering. Everywhere -there was the stench of half-burned wood, and -another stench, more penetrating, more nauseating.</p> - -<p>Stewart was staring uneasily about him, telling -himself that that stench could not possibly be what -it seemed, when his companion’s hand squeezed his -and dragged him quickly aside against a wall.</p> - -<p>“Down, down!” she breathed, and they cowered -together behind a mass of fallen masonry.</p> - -<p>Then Stewart peered out, cautiously. Yes, there -was someone coming. Far down the street ahead of -them a tiny light flashed, disappeared, flashed again, -and disappeared.</p> - -<p>Crowding close together, they buried themselves -deeper in the ruins and waited.</p> - -<p>At last they could hear steps—slow, cautious -steps, full of fear—and the light appeared again, -dancing from side to side. It seemed to be a small -lantern, carefully shaded, so that only a narrow -beam of light escaped; and that beam was sent dancing -from side to side along the street, in dark corners, -under fallen doorways.</p> - -<p>Suddenly it stopped, and Stewart’s heart leaped -sickeningly as he saw that the beam rested on a face—a -white face, staring up with sightless eyes.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</span></p> -<p>The light approached, hung above it—a living -hand caught up the dead one, on which there was -the gleam of gold, a knife flashed——</p> - -<p>And then, from the darkness almost beside them, -four darts of flame stabbed toward the kneeling -figure, and the ruins rocked with a great explosion.</p> - -<p>When Stewart opened his eyes again, he saw a -squad of soldiers, each armed with an electric torch, -standing about the body of the robber of the dead, -while their sergeant emptied his pockets. There -were rings—one still encircling a severed finger—money, -a watch, trinkets of every sort, some of them -quite worthless.</p> - -<p>The man was in uniform, and the sergeant, ripping -open coat and shirt, drew out the little identifying -tag of metal which hung about his neck, broke -it from its string, and thrust it into his pocket. Then -he gathered the booty into his handkerchief, tied the -ends together with a satisfied grunt, and gave a -gruff command. The lights vanished and the squad -stumbled ahead into the darkness.</p> - -<p>There was a moment’s silence. Stewart’s nerves -were quivering so that he could scarcely control them—he -could feel his mouth twitching, and put his -hand up to stop it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</span></p> - -<p>“We can’t go on,” he muttered. “We must go -back. This is too horrible—it is unbearable!”</p> - -<p>Together they stole tremblingly out of the ruin, -along the littered street, past the church tower, -across the road, over the wall, back into the clean -fields. There they flung themselves down gaspingly, -side by side.</p> - -<p>How sweet the smell of the warm earth, after the -stench of the looted town! How calm and lovely the -stars.</p> - -<p>Stewart, staring up at them, felt a great serenity -descend upon him. After all, what did it matter to -the universe—this trivial disturbance upon this tiny -planet? Men might kill each other, nations disappear; -but the stars would swing on in their courses, -the constellations go their predestined ways. Of -what significance was man in the great scheme of -things? How absurd the pomp of kings and kaisers, -how grotesque their assumption of greatness!</p> - -<p>A stifled sob startled him. He groped quickly for -his comrade, and found her lying prone, her face -buried in her arms. He drew her close and held her -as he might have held a child. After all, she was -scarcely more than that—a child, delicate and sensitive. -As a child might, she pillowed her head upon -his breast and lay there sobbing softly.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</span></p> -<p>But the sobs ceased presently; he could feel how -she struggled for self-control; and at last she turned -in his arms and lay staring up at the heavens.</p> - -<p>“That’s right,” he said. “Look up at the stars! -That helps!” and it seemed to him, in spite of the -tramp of feet and the rattle of wheels and curses of -savage drivers, that they were alone together in -the midst of things, and that nothing else mattered.</p> - -<p>“How sublime they are!” she whispered. “How -they calm and strengthen one! They seem to understand!” -She turned her face and looked at him. -“You too have understood!” she said, very softly; -then gently disengaged his arms and sat erect.</p> - -<p>“Do you know,” said Stewart, slowly, “what we -saw back there has revived my faith in human nature—and -it needed reviving! Those men must have -seen that that scoundrel was a soldier like themselves, -yet they didn’t hesitate to shoot. Justice still -lives, then; a sense of decency can survive, even in -an army. I had begun to doubt it, and I am glad to -know that I was wrong.”</p> - -<p>“The tenderest, noblest gentleman I ever knew,” -she answered, softly, “was a soldier.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” Stewart agreed; “I have known one or -two like that.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</span></p> - -<p>War was not wholly bad, then. Its fierce flame -blasted, blackened, tortured—but it also refined. It -had its brutal lusts—but it had also its high heroisms!</p> - -<p>The girl at his side stirred suddenly.</p> - -<p>“We must be going,” she said.</p> - -<p>“You’re sure you are all right again?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” and she rose quickly. “We must go back -the way we came.”</p> - -<p>They set out again along the edge of the army, -stumbling across rough fields, crouching behind -hedges, turning aside to avoid a lighted house where -some officers were making merry. For perhaps a -mile they pressed on, with a line of sentries always at -their right, outlined against the gleam of scattered -lights. Then, quite suddenly, there were no more -lights, and they knew that they had reached the limit -of the encampment.</p> - -<p>Had they also reached the limit of the line of -sentries? There was no way to make sure; but -they crept forward to the wall along the highway -and peered cautiously over. The road seemed empty. -They crossed it as swiftly and silently as shadows, -and in a moment were safe behind the wall on the -other side.</p> - -<p>Beyond it lay the yard of an iron foundry, with -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</span>great piles of castings scattered about and a tall -building looming at their left. In front of it they -caught the gleam of a sentry’s rifle, so they bore -away to the right until they reached the line of the -railway running close along the river bank. There -were sentries here, too, but they were stationed far -apart and were apparently half-asleep, and the fugitives -had no difficulty in slipping between them. A -moment later, they had scrambled down a steep bank -and stood at the edge of the river.</p> - -<p>“And now,” whispered Stewart, “to get over.”</p> - -<p>He looked out across the water, flowing strong -and deep, mysterious and impressive in the darkness, -powerful, unhurried, alert—as if grimly conscious -of its task, and rejoicing in it; for this stream which -was holding the Germans back had its origin away -southward in the heart of France. He could not see -the other bank, but he knew that it was at least two -hundred yards away.</p> - -<p>“If we could find a boat!” he added. “We saw -plenty of them this afternoon.”</p> - -<p>“We dare not use a boat,” the girl objected. -“We should be seen and fired upon.”</p> - -<p>“Do you mean to swim?” Stewart demanded.</p> - -<p>“Be more careful!” she cautioned. “Someone -may hear us,” and she drew him down into the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</span>shadow of the bank. “Unfortunately, I cannot -swim, but no doubt you can.”</p> - -<p>“I’m not what would be called an expert, but I -think I could swim across this river. However, I -absolutely refuse to try to take you over. It would -be too great a risk.”</p> - -<p>“If we had a plank or log, I could hold to it -while you pushed it along. If you grew tired, you -could rest and drift for a time.”</p> - -<p>Stewart considered the plan. It seemed feasible. -A drifting plank would attract no attention from the -shore—the river was full of débris from the operations -around Liège—and, whether they got across or -not, there would be no danger of either of them -drowning. And they ought to get over, for it would -be no great task to work a plank across the stream.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I think I could do that,” he said at last. -“Let us see if we can find a plank.”</p> - -<p>There was nothing of the sort along the shore, -though they searched it for some distance; but opposite -the foundry they came upon a pile of the square -wooden sand-boxes in which castings are made. -Stewart, when he saw them, chuckled with satisfaction.</p> - -<p>“Just the thing!” he said. “Providence is certainly -on our side to-night!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</span></p> - -<p>“I hope so!” breathed the girl, and between them -they carried one of the boxes down to the edge of the -water.</p> - -<p>Then, after a moment’s hesitation, Stewart sat -down and began to take off his shoes.</p> - -<p>“We shall have to get rid of our clothing,” he -said, in the most matter-of-fact tone he could muster. -“There is nothing heavier than clothes when they -get water-soaked. Besides, we’ve got to keep them -dry if we can. If we don’t, we shall nearly freeze -to death after we leave the water—and they’ll betray -us a mile off!”</p> - -<p>The girl stood for a moment staring out across -the river. Then she sat down with her back to him.</p> - -<p>“You are quite right,” she agreed, quietly, and -bent above her shoes.</p> - -<p>“We’ll turn the box upside down and put our -clothes upon it,” went on Stewart, cheerfully. -“They will keep dry there. The water isn’t very -cold, probably, but we shall be mighty glad to have -some dry things to get into once we are out of it.”</p> - -<p>She did not reply, and Stewart went rapidly on -with his undressing. When that was finished, he -rolled his trousers, shoes and underclothing into a -compact bundle inside his coat, and tied the sleeves -together.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</span></p> - -<p>“Now I’m going to launch the raft,” he said. -“Roll your clothes up inside your coat, so that nothing -white will show, and wade out to me as soon as -you are ready.”</p> - -<p>“Very well,” she answered, in a low tone.</p> - -<p>With his bundle under one arm, Stewart turned -the box over and dragged it into the water. He had -been shivering in the night air, but the water was -agreeably warm. Placing his bundle upon the top -of the box, he pushed it before him out into the -stream, and was soon breast-deep. Then, holding -the box against the current, he waited.</p> - -<p>Minute after minute passed, but she did not come. -He could not see the shore, but he strained his eyes -toward it, wondering if he should go back, if anything -had happened. So quiet and unquestioning had -been her acceptance of his plan that he did not -suspect the struggle waging there on the bank between -girlish modesty and grim necessity.</p> - -<p>But, at last, from the mist along the shore, a white -figure emerged, dim and ghostlike in the darkness, -and he heard a gentle splashing as she came toward -him through the water. He raised his arm, to make -certain that she saw him, then turned his head away.</p> - -<p>Near and nearer came the splashing; then the -box rocked gently as she placed her clothing on it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</span></p> - -<p>“All right?” he asked, softly.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” she answered.</p> - -<p>He turned to find her looking up at him from the -level of the stream, which came just beneath her chin. -The light of the stars reflected on the water crowned -her with a misty halo, and again he read in her -face that sweet and tremulous appeal for respect and -understanding which had so moved him once before. -It moved him far more deeply now; but he managed -to bite back the words which leaped to his lips and -to speak almost casually—as though situations such -as this were the most ordinary in the world.</p> - -<p>“Have you got a firm grip of the handle?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>He assured himself that both bundles of clothing -were secure.</p> - -<p>“All ready, then,” he said. “Just hold on and -let your body float out in the water. Don’t hold -your head too high, and if you feel your hands slipping -call me at once. I don’t want to lose you, little -comrade!”</p> - -<p>“I will remember,” she promised, smiling gratefully -up at him.</p> - -<p>“Then here we go,” and he pushed the box slowly -out into the stream.</p> - -<p>In a moment the water was at his chin.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</span></p> - -<p>“All right?” he asked again.</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>He took another step forward, the current caught -him and lifted him off his feet, and he began to swim -easily and slowly. He was not sure of his strength, -it was a long time since he had done any serious -swimming, and he knew that he must husband himself. -Then, too, the current was stronger than it -had seemed from the shore, and he found that he -could make head against it but slowly, for the box -was of an awkward shape and the girl’s body trailing -behind it so much dead weight.</p> - -<p>“Slow but sure,” he said, reassuringly, resting -a moment. “You’re quite all right?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. You must not worry about me.”</p> - -<p>He glanced back at the shore, where the lights of -the camp shone dimly through the mist.</p> - -<p>“We’re going to drift right past the camp,” he -said; “but they can’t see us, and it will make our -landing safer if we come out below the troops. It -would be rather embarrassing, wouldn’t it, if we -found a patrol waiting for us on the bank? Now -for another swim!”</p> - -<p>He pushed ahead until he found himself beginning -to tire, then stopped and looked around.</p> - -<p>“There’s the bridge!” he said, suddenly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</span></p> - -<p>And, sure enough, just ahead, they could see its -dim shape spanning the stream. A cold fear gripped -Stewart’s heart. Suppose they should be swept -against one of the abutments!</p> - -<p>“Take tight hold with both hands,” he commanded. -“Don’t let go, whatever happens!”</p> - -<p>He swung himself round to the front of the box -and tried to pierce the gloom ahead. The center of -the stream would be clear, he told himself, and they -must be nearly in the center. Then he heard the -confused tread of many feet, the current seemed to -quicken, and he glanced up to see that they were almost -beneath the bridge. Yes, the stream ahead was -clear; but what were those lights down along the -water?</p> - -<p>And then he saw that a boat was moored there, -and that a squad of men were strengthening the supports -with which the engineers had hastily repaired -the shattered abutment.</p> - -<p>With frenzied energy, he pulled the box around so -that his companion’s head was hidden behind it; -then, with only his nose out, he floated silently on. -They would not see him, he told himself; they were -too busily at work. Even if they did, they could -make nothing of this rough shape drifting down the -river.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</span></p> - -<p>Nevertheless, as they swept within the circle of -light cast by the flaring torches, Stewart, taking a -deep breath, let himself sink below the surface; -and not until the blood was singing in his ears did -he come up again.</p> - -<p>They had passed! They were safe! He drew a -deep breath. Then he peered around the box.</p> - -<p>“Are you there? Are you all right?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” came the soft answer. “Never tell me -again that you are not a fighter!”</p> - -<p>“Compliments are barred until we are safe in -Belgium!” he reminded her gayly. “But it’s clear -sailing now!”</p> - -<p>He struck out again, pushing diagonally forward -toward the bank which he could not see, but which -could not be far away. This was not going to prove -such a desperate adventure, after all. The worst -was over, for, once on land, far below the German -troops, they had only to push forward to find themselves -among friends.</p> - -<p>Then his heart stood still as a shrill scream rent -the night—a woman’s scream of deadly horror—and -he jerked his head around to find that his comrade -was no longer there.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV<br /> -<span class="smaller">THE LAST DASH</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">Never</span> will Stewart forget the stark horror of that -instant; never afterward did he think of it without a -shudder. It was one of those instants—fortunately -few—which stamp themselves indelibly upon the -brain, which penetrate the spirit, which leave a mark -not to be effaced.</p> - -<p>It was the flash of her white arm, as she sank for -the second time, that saved her. Instinctively Stewart -clutched at it, seized it, regained the box at a -vigorous stroke, threw one arm across a handle, and -raised her head above the water.</p> - -<p>Her face was white as death, her eyes were closed, -she hung a dead weight upon his arm—and yet, -Stewart told himself, she could not have drowned -in so short a time. She had been under water only -a few seconds. Perhaps she had been wounded—but -he had heard no shot. His teeth chattered as he -looked at her, she lay so still, so deathlike.</p> - -<p>And then he remembered that shrill scream of utter<span class="pagenum" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</span> -horror. Why had she screamed? What was -it had wrung from her that terrible cry? Had some -awful thing touched her, seized her, tried to drag -her down?</p> - -<p>Shivering with fear, Stewart looked out across the -water. Was there something lurking in those depths—some -horror—some unthinkable monster——</p> - -<p>He shook himself impatiently; he must not give -way to his nerves. Holding her face back, he -splashed some water into it, gently at first, then more -violently. She was not dead—she had only fainted. -A touch on her temple assured him that her heart -was beating.</p> - -<p>He must have been unconsciously paddling against -the current, for something touched him gently on the -shoulder—a piece of driftwood, perhaps; and then -he was suddenly conscious that it was not driftwood—that -it was soft, hairy——</p> - -<p>He spun around, to find himself staring down into -a pair of unseeing eyes, set in a face so puffed and -leprous as to be scarcely human.</p> - -<p>How he repressed the yell of terror that rose in -his throat he never knew; but he <i>did</i> repress it somehow, -and creeping with horror, pushed the box -quickly to one side. But the bloated body, caught in -the swirl of his wake, turned and followed, with -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</span>an appearance of malignant purpose which sent a -chill up Stewart’s spine. Kicking frenziedly, he held -the box back against the current, and for an instant -fancied that his hideous pursuer was holding back -also. But, after what seemed like a moment’s hesitation, -it drifted on down the stream and vanished -in the darkness.</p> - -<p>For a moment longer, Stewart stared after it, -half-expecting it to reappear and bear down upon -him. Then, with an anguished breath of relief, he -stopped swimming and looked down at the face upon -his arm. So that was the horror which had beset -her. She had felt it nuzzling against her, had turned -as he had done! No wonder she had screamed!</p> - -<p>He felt her bosom rise and fall with a quick gasp; -then her eyes opened and gazed up at him. For an -instant they gazed vacantly and wildly, then a flood -of crimson swept from chin to brow, and she struggled -to free herself from his encircling arm.</p> - -<p>“Easy now!” Stewart protested. “Are you sure -you’re all right? Are you sure you’re strong enough -to hold on?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes!” she panted. “Let me go!”</p> - -<p>He guided her fingers to the handles, assured -himself that she grasped them firmly, then released -her and swam to his old position on the other side -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</span>of the box. For a moment they floated on in silence.</p> - -<p>“How foolish of me!” she said, at last, in a -choking voice. “I suppose you saved my life!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, I just grabbed you by the arm and held on -to you till you came to.”</p> - -<p>“Did I scream?”</p> - -<p>“I should rather think so! Scared me nearly to -death!”</p> - -<p>“I could not help it! I was frightened. It was—it -was——”</p> - -<p>“I know,” said Stewart, quickly. “I saw it. -Don’t think about it—it has gone on downstream.”</p> - -<p>“It—it seemed to be following me!” she gasped.</p> - -<p>“Yes—I had the same feeling; but it’s away -ahead of us now. Now, if you’re all right, we’ll -work in toward the bank—it can’t be far off. Hullo! -What’s that?”</p> - -<p>A shadowy shape emerged from the darkness -along the eastern shore, and they caught the rattle -of oars in row-locks.</p> - -<p>“They heard you scream,” whispered Stewart. -“They’ve sent out a patrol to investigate,” and with -all his strength he pushed on toward the farther -bank.</p> - -<p>Suddenly a shaft of light shot from the bow of the -boat out across the water, sweeping up and down, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</span>dwelling upon this piece of driftwood and upon that. -With a gasp of apprehension, Stewart swung the box -around so that it screened them from the searchlight, -and kept on swimming with all his strength.</p> - -<p>“If they spot those bundles,” he panted, “they’ll -be down upon us like a load of brick! Ah!”</p> - -<p>The light was upon them. Above their heads the -bundles of clothing stood out as if silhouetted against -the midday sky. Stewart cursed his folly in placing -them there; surely wet clothes were preferable to -capture! He should not have taken the risk—he -should have put the clothing inside the box and let -it take its chance. But it was too late now. In -another moment——</p> - -<p>The light swept on.</p> - -<p>From sheer reaction, Stewart’s body dropped -limply for an instant through the water, and then -rebounded as from an electric shock.</p> - -<p>“I can touch bottom!” he said, hoarsely. “We’ll -get there yet. Hold fast!”</p> - -<p>Setting his teeth, digging his toes into the mud, he -dragged the box toward the shore with all his -strength. In a moment, the water was only to his -shoulders—to his chest—he could see that his comrade -was wading, too.</p> - -<p>He stopped, peering anxiously ahead. There was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</span>no light anywhere along the shore, and no sound -broke the stillness.</p> - -<p>“It seems all right,” he whispered. “I will go -ahead and make sure. If it is safe, you will hear me -whistle. Keep behind the box, for fear that searchlight -will sweep this way again, and when I whistle, -come straight out. You understand?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Good-by, then, for a moment, little comrade!”</p> - -<p>“Good-by.”</p> - -<p>With one look deep into her eyes, he snatched up -the bundle containing his clothing, and crouching as -low in the water as he could, set off cautiously -toward the shore. There was a narrow strip of -gravel just ahead, and behind that a belt of darkness -which, he told himself, was a wood. He could see -no sign of any sentry.</p> - -<p>As he turned at the water’s edge, he noticed a -growing band of light over the hills to the east, and -knew that the moon was rising. There was no time -to lose! He whistled softly and began hastily to -dress.</p> - -<p>Low as the whistle was, it reached the boat—or -perhaps it was mere chance that brought the searchlight -sweeping round just as the girl rose in the -water and started toward the shore. The light -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</span>swept past her, swept back again, and stopped full -upon the flying figure, as slim and graceful as -Diana’s.</p> - -<p>There was a hoarse shout from the boat, and the -splash of straining oars; and then Stewart was -dashing forward into the water, was by her side, had -caught her hand and was dragging her toward the -bank.</p> - -<p>“Go on! Go on!” he cried, and paused to pick -up his shoes, for the sharp gravel warned him, that, -with unprotected feet, flight would be impossible. -His coat lay beside them and he grabbed that too. -Then he was up again and after her, across the -cruel stones of the shore, toward the darkness of the -wood and safety—one yard—two yards——</p> - -<p>And always the searchlight beat upon them mercilessly.</p> - -<p>There came a roar of rifles from the river, a -flash of flame, the whistle of bullets about his ears.</p> - -<p>And then they were in the wood and he had her -by the hand.</p> - -<p>“Not hurt?” he gasped.</p> - -<p>“No, no!”</p> - -<p>“Thank heaven! We are safe for a moment. -Get on some clothes—especially your shoes. We -can’t run barefooted!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</span></p> - -<p>He was fumbling with his own shoes as he spoke—managed -to thrust his bruised feet into them—stuffed -his socks into the pocket of his coat and -slipped into it.</p> - -<p>“Ready?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“In a moment!”</p> - -<p>And then he felt her hand in his.</p> - -<p>“Which way?”</p> - -<p>He glanced back through the trees. The boat -was at the bank; its occupants were leaping out, -rifles in hand; the searchlight swept up and down.</p> - -<p>“This way, I think!” and he guided her diagonally -to the right. “Go carefully! The less noise -we make the better. But as long as those fellows -keep on shooting, they can’t hear us.”</p> - -<p>Away they went, stumbling, scrambling, bending -low to escape the overhanging branches, saving each -other from some ugly falls—up a long incline covered -by an open wood, across a little glade, over a -wall, through another strip of woodland, into a road, -over another wall—and then Stewart gave a gasp of -relief, for they were in a field of grain.</p> - -<p>“We shall be safe here,” he said, as they plunged -into it. “I will watch, while you finish dressing,” -and he faced back toward the way they had come.</p> - -<p>The full moon was sailing high above the eastern -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</span>hills, and he could see distinctly the wall they had -just crossed, with the white road behind it, and beyond -that the dense shadow of the wood. It was on -the strip of road he kept his eyes, but no living -creature crossed it, and at last he felt a touch upon -his arm.</p> - -<p>“My turn now!” the girl whispered.</p> - -<p>Stewart sat down upon the ground, wiped the mud -from his feet, shook the gravel from his shoes, drew -on his socks and laced his shoes properly. As he -started to get up, he felt a sudden sharp twinge in -his shoulder.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” asked the girl, quickly, for an exclamation -of pain had burst from him before he -could choke it back.</p> - -<p>“Nothing at all!” he said, and rose, gingerly. -“I touched a raw place, where a briar scratched me. -I seem to be composed largely of raw places—especially -as to my feet. How are yours?”</p> - -<p>“One of them hurts a little—not enough to mention.”</p> - -<p>“You’re sure you can walk?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly—or run, if need be.”</p> - -<p>“Then we had better push on a little farther. -The Germans are still too close for comfort. Keep -your back to the moon—I’ll act as rear-guard.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</span></p> - -<p>For a moment she looked up questioningly into his -face.</p> - -<p>“You are sure you are not hurt?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“Perfectly sure.”</p> - -<p>“I was afraid you had been shot—I saw how you -placed yourself between me and the river!”</p> - -<p>“The merest accident,” he assured her. “Besides, -those fellows couldn’t shoot!”</p> - -<p>She gazed up at him yet a moment, her lips quivering; -then she turned and started westward through -the field.</p> - -<p>Falling in behind, Stewart explored his wounded -shoulder cautiously with his fingers. He could feel -that his shirt was wet with blood, but the stabbing -pain had been succeeded by a sharp stinging which -convinced him that it was only a flesh-wound. -Folding his shirt back, he found it at last, high in -the shoulder above the collar-bone.</p> - -<p>“That was lucky!” he told himself, as he pressed -his handkerchief over it, rebuttoned his shirt, and -pushed on after his comrade. “Half an inch lower -and the bone would have been smashed!”</p> - -<p>Away to the south, they could hear the thunder -of the Liège forts, and Stewart, aching from his own -slight injury, thought with a shudder of the poor -fellows who had to face that deadly fire. No doubt -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</span>it was to this fresh attack the troops had been -marched which they had seen crossing the river. It -was improbable that the invaders would risk pushing -westward until the forts were reduced; and so, -when the fugitives came presently to a road which -ran northwestwardly, they ventured to follow it.</p> - -<p>“We would better hide somewhere and rest till -daylight,” Stewart suggested, at last. “We have -had a hard day.”</p> - -<p>He himself was nearly spent with fatigue and -hunger, and his shoulder was stiff and sore.</p> - -<p>“Very well,” the girl agreed. “I too am very -tired. Where shall we go?”</p> - -<p>Stewart stopped and looked about him.</p> - -<p>On one side of the road was a level pasture affording -no shelter; on the other side, a rolling field -mounted to a strip of woodland.</p> - -<p>“At the edge of those trees would be the best -place,” he decided, and the girl agreed with a nod.</p> - -<p>Laboriously they clambered over the wall beside -the road and set off toward this refuge. The field -was very rough and seemed interminable, and more -than once Stewart thought that he must drop where -he stood; but they reached the wood at last and threw -themselves down beneath the first clump of undergrowth.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</span></p> - -<p>Stewart was asleep almost before he touched the -ground; but the girl lay for a long time with eyes -open, staring up into the night. Then, very softly, -she crawled to Stewart’s side, raised herself on one -elbow and looked down into his face.</p> - -<p>It was not at all the face of the man she had met -at the Kölner Hof two days before. It was thinner -and paler; there were dark circles of exhaustion -under the eyes; a stubbly beard covered the haggard -cheeks, across one of which was an ugly scratch. -Yet the girl seemed to find it beautiful. Her eyes -filled with tears as she gazed at it; she brushed -back a lock of hair that had fallen over the forehead, -and bent as though to press a kiss there—but -stopped, with a quick shake of the head, and drew -away.</p> - -<p>“Not yet!” she whispered. “Not yet!” and -crawling a little way apart, she lay down again -among the bushes.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Again Stewart awoke with the sun in his eyes, and -after a moment’s confused blinking, he looked -around to find himself alone.</p> - -<p>The dull pain in his shoulder as he sat up reminded -him of his wound. Crawling a little distance back -among the bushes, he slipped out of his coat. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</span>His shirt was soaked with blood half-way down the -right side—a good sign, Stewart told himself. He -knew how great a show a little blood can make, -and he was glad that the wound had bled freely. He -unbuttoned his shirt and gingerly pulled it back -from the shoulder, for the blood had dried in places -and stuck fast; then he removed the folded handkerchief, -and the wound lay revealed.</p> - -<p>He could just see it by twisting his head around, -and he regarded it with satisfaction, for, as he had -thought, it was not much more than a scratch. A -bullet had grazed the shoulder-bone, plowed through -the muscle and sped on its way, leaving behind, as -the only sign of its passage, a tiny black mark.</p> - -<p>“You are wounded!” cried a strangled voice, and -in an instant his comrade was on her knees beside -him, her face pale, her lips working. “And you -did not tell me! Oh, cruel, cruel!”</p> - -<p>There was that in the voice, in the eyes, in the -trembling lips which sent Stewart’s heart leaping -into his throat. But, by a mighty effort, he kept -his arms from around her.</p> - -<p>“Nonsense!” he said, as lightly as he could. -“That’s not a wound—it is just a scratch. This one -across my cheek hurts a blamed sight worse! If I -could only wash it——”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</span></p> - -<p>“There is a little stream back yonder,” she said, -and sprang to her feet. “Come! Or perhaps you -cannot walk!” and she put her arms around him to -help him up.</p> - -<p>He rose with a laugh.</p> - -<p>“Really,” he protested, “I don’t see how a scratch -on the shoulder could affect my legs!”</p> - -<p>But she refused to make a jest of it.</p> - -<p>“The blood—it frightens me. Are you very -weak?” she asked, anxiously, holding tight to him, -as though he might collapse at any instant.</p> - -<p>“If I am,” said Stewart, “it is from want of -food, not from loss of blood. I haven’t lost a spoonful. -Ah, here’s the brook!”</p> - -<p>He knelt beside it, while she washed the blood -from his handkerchief and tenderly bathed the injured -shoulder. Stewart watched her with fast-beating -heart. Surely she cared; surely there was -more than friendly concern in that white face, in -those quivering lips. Well, very soon now, he -could put it to the touch. He trembled at the -thought: would he win or lose?</p> - -<p>“Am I hurting you?” she asked, anxiously, for -she had felt him quiver.</p> - -<p>“Not a bit—the cool water feels delightful. You -see it is only a scratch,” he added, when the clotted -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</span>blood had been cleared away. “It will be quite well -in two or three days. I shan’t even have a scar! -I think it might have left a scar! What’s the use of -being wounded, if one hasn’t a scar to show for it? -And I shall probably never be under fire again!”</p> - -<p>She smiled wanly, and a little color crept back -into her face.</p> - -<p>“How you frightened me!” she said. “I came -through the bushes and saw you sitting there, all -covered with blood! You might have told me—it -was foolish to lie there all night without binding it -up. Suppose you had bled to death!” and she -wrung out the handkerchief, shook it out in the -breeze until it was nearly dry, and bound it tightly -over the wound. “How does that feel?”</p> - -<p>“It feels splendid! Really it does,” he added, -seeing that she regarded him doubtfully. “If I -feel the least little twinge of pain, I will notify -you instantly. I give you my word!”</p> - -<p>They sat for a moment silent, gazing into each -other’s eyes. It was the girl who stirred first.</p> - -<p>“I will go to the edge of the wood and reconnoiter,” -she said, rising a little unsteadily, “while -you wash your hands and face. Or shall I stay and -help?”</p> - -<p>“No,” said Stewart, “thank you. I think I am -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</span>still able to wash my own face—that is, if you think -it’s any use to wash it!” and he ran his fingers along -his stubbly jaws. “Do you think you will like -me with a beard?”</p> - -<p>“With a beard or without one, it is all the same!” -she answered, softly, and slipped quickly away -among the trees, leaving Stewart to make what he -could of this cryptic utterance.</p> - -<p>Despite his gnawing hunger, despite his stiff -shoulder and sore muscles, he was very, very happy -as he bent above the clear water and drank deep, and -bathed hands and face. How good it was to be -alive! How good it was to be just here this glorious -morning! With no man on earth would he have -changed places!</p> - -<p>He did not linger over his toilet. Every moment -away from his comrade was a moment lost. He -found her sitting at the edge of the wood, gazing -down across the valley, her hair stirring slightly in -the breeze, her whole being radiant with youth. He -looked at her for a moment, and then he looked down -at himself.</p> - -<p>“What a scarecrow I am,” he said, and ruefully -contemplated a long tear in his coat—merely the -largest of half a dozen. “And I lost my collar in -that dash last night—I left it on the bank, and didn’t -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</span>dare stop to look for it. Even if we met the Germans -now, there would be no danger—they would -take us for tramps!”</p> - -<p>“I know I look like a scarecrow,” she laughed; -“but you might have spared telling me!”</p> - -<p>“You!” cried Stewart. “A scarecrow! Oh, no; -you would attract the birds. They would find you -adorable!”</p> - -<p>His eyes added that not alone to the birds was she -adorable.</p> - -<p>She cast one glance at him—a luminous glance, -shy yet glad; abashed yet rejoicing. Then she -turned away.</p> - -<p>“There is a village over yonder,” she said. “We -can get something to eat there, and find out where -we are. Listen! What is that?”</p> - -<p>Away to the south a dull rumbling shook the horizon—a -mighty shock as of an earthquake.</p> - -<p>“The Germans have got their siege-guns into position,” -he said. “They are attacking Liège again.”</p> - -<p>Yes, there could be no doubt of it; murder and -desolation were stalking across the country to the -south. But nothing could be more peaceful than the -fields which stretched before them.</p> - -<p>“There is no danger here,” said Stewart, and led -the way down across the rough pasture to the road.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</span></p> -<p>As he mounted the wall, moved by some strange -uneasiness, he stopped to look back toward the east; -but the road stretched white and empty until it -plunged into a strip of woodland a mile away.</p> - -<p>Somehow he was not reassured. With that -strange uneasiness still weighing on him, a sense of -oppression as of an approaching storm, he sprang -down beside the girl, and they set off westward side -by side. At first they could not see the village, -which was hid by a spur of rising ground; then, at -a turn of the road, they found it close in front of -them.</p> - -<p>But the road was blocked with fallen trees, strung -with barbed wire—and what was that queer embankment -of fresh, yellow earth which stretched to right -and left?</p> - -<p>“The Belgians!” cried the girl. “Come! We -are safe at last!” and she started to run forward.</p> - -<p>But only for an instant. As though that cry of -hers was an awaited signal, there came a crash of -musketry from the wooded ridge to the right, and -an answering crash from the crest of the embankment; -and Stewart saw that light and speeding figure -spin half round, crumple in upon itself, and drop -limply to the road.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV<br /> -<span class="smaller">DISASTER</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">He</span> was beside her in an instant, his arm around her, -raising her. He scarcely heard the guns; he scarcely -heard the whistle of the bullets; he knew only, as he -knelt there in the road, that his little comrade had -been stricken down.</p> - -<p>Where was she wounded?</p> - -<p>Not in the head, thank God! Not in the throat, so -white and delicate. The breast, perhaps, and with -trembling fingers he tore aside the coat.</p> - -<p>She opened her eyes and looked dazedly up at -him.</p> - -<p>“<i>Qu’y a-t-il?</i>” she murmured. Then her vision -cleared. “What is the matter?” she asked in a -stronger voice.</p> - -<p>“You’ve been hit,” he panted. “Do you feel -pain?”</p> - -<p>She closed her eyes for an instant.</p> - -<p>“No,” she answered; “but my left leg is numb, as -if——”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</span></p> - -<p>“Pray heaven it is only in the leg! I must get -you somewhere out of this.” He raised his head to -look around, and was suddenly conscious of the -banging guns. “Damn these lunatics! Oh, damn -them!”</p> - -<p>The ridges on either side were rimmed with fire. -He cast a glance behind him and his heart stood still, -for a troop of cavalry was deploying into the road. -Forward, then, to the village, since that was the only -way.</p> - -<p>He stooped to lift her.</p> - -<p>“I may hurt you a little,” he said.</p> - -<p>“What are you going to do?”</p> - -<p>“I’m going to carry you to the village. Here, -wave your handkerchief to show them that we are -friends,” and he drew it from her pocket and thrust -it into her hand. “Now, your arm about my neck.”</p> - -<p>She obeyed mutely; then, as he straightened up, -she saw, over his shoulder, the cavalry forming for -the charge.</p> - -<p>“No, no!” she cried. “Put me down. Here are -the letters! See, I am placing them in your pocket! -Now, put me down and save yourself!”</p> - -<p>He was picking his way forward over the barbed -wire. He dared not lift his eyes from the road -even for a glance at her.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</span></p> - -<p>“Be still!” he commanded. “Don’t struggle so! -I will not put you down! Wave the handkerchief!”</p> - -<p>“There is cavalry down yonder,” she protested, -wildly. “It will charge in a moment!”</p> - -<p>“I know it! That’s one reason I will not put you -down!”</p> - -<p>He was past the wire; he could look at her for an -instant—into her eyes, so close to his; deep into her -eyes, dark with fear and pain.</p> - -<p>“Another reason is,” he said, deliberately, “that -I love you! I am telling you now because I want you -to know, if this should be the end! I love you, love -you, love you!”</p> - -<p>He was forced to look away from her, for there -were fallen trees in front, but he felt the arm around -his neck tighten.</p> - -<p>And then he bent his head and kissed her.</p> - -<p>“Like that!” he said, hoarsely. “Only a thousand -times more than that—a million times more -than that!”</p> - -<p>She pulled herself up until her cheek was pressed -to his; and her eyes were like twin stars.</p> - -<p>“And I!” she whispered. “A million times more -than that. Oh, my prince, my lover!”</p> - -<p>Stewart’s veins ran fire, His fatigue dropped -from him. He trod on air. He threw back his head -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</span>proudly, for he felt himself invincible. He was -contemptuous of fate—it could not harm him now!</p> - -<p>“And yet you wanted me to put you down!” he -mocked.</p> - -<p>She snuggled against him, warm and womanly; -she gave herself to him.</p> - -<p>“Oh, hold me close!” she seemed to say. “Hold -me close, close! I am yours now!”</p> - -<p>“Wave the handkerchief!” he added. “We’re -getting near the barricade. Life is too sweet to end -just yet!”</p> - -<p>She smiled up into his eyes, and waved the handkerchief -at arm’s length above their heads. Stewart, -glancing up, saw a row of faces crowned by -queer black shakos peering curiously down from the -top of the barricade.</p> - -<p>“They have seen us!” he said. “They’re not -firing! They understand that we are friends! -Courage, little comrade!”</p> - -<p>“I am not afraid,” she smiled. “And I love that -name—little comrade!”</p> - -<p>“Here are the last entanglements—and then we’re -through. What is that cavalry doing?”</p> - -<p>She gave a little cry as she looked back along the -road. At the same instant, Stewart heard the thunder -of galloping hoofs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</span></p> - -<p>“They are coming!” she screamed. “Oh, put -me down! Put me down!”</p> - -<p>“Not I!” gasped Stewart between his teeth, and -glanced over his shoulder.</p> - -<p>The Uhlans were charging in solid mass, their -lances couched.</p> - -<p>There was just one chance of escape—Stewart -saw it instantly. Holding the girl close, he leaped -into the ditch beside the road and threw himself -flat against the ground, shielding her with his body.</p> - -<p>In an instant the thunder of the charge was upon -him. Then, high above the rattle of guns, rose the -shouts of men, the screams of horses, the savage -shock of the encounter. Something rolled upon -him,—lay quivering against him—a wounded man—a -dead one, perhaps—in any event, he told himself, -grimly, so much added protection. Pray heaven that -a maddened horse did not tramp them down!</p> - -<p>The tumult died, the firing slackened. What was -that? A burst of cheering?</p> - -<p>Stewart ventured to raise his head and look about -him; then, with a gasp, he threw off the weight, -caught up his companion and staggered to his feet. -Yes; it was a body which had fallen upon him. It -rolled slowly over on its back as he arose, and he saw -a ghastly wound between the eyes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</span></p> - -<p>“They have been repulsed!” he panted. “Wave -the handkerchief!” With his heart straining in his -throat, he clambered out of the ditch and staggered -on. “Don’t look!” he added, for the road was -strewn with horrors. “Don’t look!”</p> - -<p>She gazed up at him, smiling calmly.</p> - -<p>“I shall look only at you, my lover!” she said, -softly, and Stewart tightened his grip and held her -close!</p> - -<p>There was the barricade, with cheering men atop -it, exposing themselves with utter recklessness to the -bullets which still whistled from right and left. -Stewart felt his knees trembling. Could he reach it? -Could he lift his foot over this entanglement? Could -he possibly step across this body?</p> - -<p>Suddenly he felt his burden lifted from him and -a strong arm thrown about his shoulders.</p> - -<p>“Friends!” he gasped. “We’re friends!”</p> - -<p>Then he heard the girl’s clear voice speaking in -rapid French, and men’s voices answering eagerly. -The mist cleared a little from before his eyes, and -he found that the arm about his shoulders belonged -to a stocky Belgian soldier who was leading him past -one end of the barricade, close behind another who -bore the girl in his arms.</p> - -<p>At the other side an officer stopped them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</span></p> - -<p>“Who are you?” he asked in French. “From -where do you come?”</p> - -<p>“We are friends,” said the girl. “We have fled -from Germany. We have both been wounded.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said Stewart, and showed his blood-stained -shirt. “Mine is only a scratch, but my -comrade needs attention.”</p> - -<p>A sudden shout from the top of the barricade -told that the Uhlans were re-forming.</p> - -<p>“You must look out for yourselves,” said the officer. -“I will hear your story later,” and he bounded -back to his place beside his men.</p> - -<p>The soldier who was carrying the girl dropped her -abruptly into Stewart’s arms and followed his captain. -In an instant the firing recommenced.</p> - -<p>Stewart looked wildly about him. He was in a -village street, with close-built houses on either side.</p> - -<p>“I must find a wagon,” he gasped, “or something——”</p> - -<p>His breath failed him, but he staggered on. The -mist was before his eyes again, his tongue seemed -dry and swollen.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the arm about his neck relaxed, the -head fell back——</p> - -<p>He cast one haggard glance down into the white -face, then turned through the nearest doorway.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</span></p> - -<p>Perhaps she was wounded more seriously than he -had thought—perhaps she had not told him. He -must see—he must make sure——</p> - -<p>He found himself in a tiled passage, opening into -a low-ceilinged room lighted by a single window. -For an instant, in the semi-darkness, he stared -blindly; then he saw a low settle against the farther -wall, and upon this he gently laid his burden.</p> - -<p>Before he could catch himself, he had fallen -heavily to the floor, and lay there for a moment, too -weak to rise. But the weakness passed. With set -teeth, he pulled himself to his knees, got out his -knife, found, with his fingers, the stain of blood -above the wound in the leg, and quickly ripped away -the cloth.</p> - -<p>The bullet had passed through the thickness of -the thigh, leaving a tiny puncture. With a sob of -thankfulness, he realized that the wound was not -dangerous. Blood was still oozing slowly from it—it -must be washed and dressed.</p> - -<p>He found a pail of water in the kitchen, snatched -a sheet from a bed in another room, and set to -work. The familiar labor steadied him, the mists -cleared, his muscles again obeyed his will, the sense -of exhaustion passed.</p> - -<p>“It is only a scratch!” whispered a voice, and he -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</span>turned sharply to find her smiling up at him. “It -is just a scratch like yours!”</p> - -<p>“It is much more than a scratch!” he said, -sternly. “You must lie still, or you will start the -bleeding.”</p> - -<p>“Tyrant!” she retorted, and then she raised her -head and looked to see what he was doing. “Oh! -is it there?” she said, in surprise. “I didn’t feel it -there.”</p> - -<p>“Where did you feel it?” Stewart demanded. -“Not in the body? Tell me the truth!”</p> - -<p>“It seemed to me to be somewhere below the knee. -But how savage you are!”</p> - -<p>“I’m savage because you are hurt. I can’t stand -it to see you suffer!” and with lips compressed, he -bandaged the wound with some strips torn from the -sheet. Then he ran his fingers down over the calf, -and brought them away stained with blood. He -caught up his knife and ripped the cloth clear down.</p> - -<p>“Really,” she protested, “I shall not have any -clothing left, if you keep on like that! I do not see -how I am going to appear in public as it is!”</p> - -<p>He grimly washed the blood away without replying. -On either side of the calf, he found a tiny -black spot where the second bullet had passed -through.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</span></p> - -<p>“These German bullets seem to be about the size -of peas,” he remarked, as he bandaged the leg; then -he raised his head and listened, as the firing outside -rose to a furious crescendo. “They’re at it -again!” he added. “We must be getting out of -this!”</p> - -<p>She reached up, caught him by the coat, and drew -him down to her.</p> - -<p>“Listen,” she said. “The letters are in your -pocket. Should we be separated——”</p> - -<p>“We will not be separated,” he broke in, impatiently. -“Do you suppose I would permit anything -to separate us now?”</p> - -<p>“I know, dear one,” she said, softly. “But if -we should be, you will carry the letters to General -Joffre? Oh, do not hesitate!” she cried. “Promise -me! They mean so much to me—my life’s work—all -my ambitions—all my hopes——”</p> - -<p>“Very well,” he said. “I promise.”</p> - -<p>“You have not forgotten the sign and the formula?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>She passed an arm about his neck and drew him -still closer.</p> - -<p>“Kiss me!” she whispered.</p> - -<p>And Stewart, shaken, transported, deliriously -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</span>happy, pressed his lips to hers in a long, close, passionate -embrace.</p> - -<p>At last she drew her arm away.</p> - -<p>“I am very tired,” she whispered, smiling dreamily -up at him; “and very, very happy. I do not believe -I can go on, dear one.”</p> - -<p>“I will get a wagon of some kind—a hand-cart, -if nothing better. There must be ambulances somewhere -about——”</p> - -<p>He paused, listening, for the firing at the barricade -had started furiously again.</p> - -<p>“I will be back in a moment,” he said, and ran -to the street door and looked out. As he did so, a -wounded soldier hobbled past, using his rifle as a -crutch.</p> - -<p>“How goes it?” Stewart inquired, in French.</p> - -<p>“We hold them off,” answered the soldier, smiling -cheerfully, though his face was drawn with -pain.</p> - -<p>“Will they break through?”</p> - -<p>“No. Our reënforcements are coming up,” and -the little soldier hobbled away down the street.</p> - -<p>“I should have asked him where the ambulances -are,” thought Stewart. He glanced again toward -the barricade. The firing had slackened; evidently -the assailants had again been repulsed. Yes, there -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</span>was time, and he darted down the street after the -limping soldier. He was at his side in a moment. -“Where are the ambulances?” he asked.</p> - -<p>The soldier, turning to reply, glanced back along -the street and his face went livid.</p> - -<p>“Ah, good God!” he groaned. “Look yonder!”</p> - -<p>And, looking, Stewart beheld a gray-green flood -pouring over the barricade, beheld the flash of reddened -bayonets, beheld the little band of Belgians -swept backward.</p> - -<p>With a cry of anguish, he sprang back along the -street, but in an instant the tide was upon him. He -fought against it furiously, striking, cursing, praying——</p> - -<p>And suddenly he found himself face to face with -the Belgian officer, blood-stained, demoniac, shouting -encouragement to his men. His eyes flashed -with amazement when he saw Stewart.</p> - -<p>“Go back! Go back!” he shouted.</p> - -<p>“My comrade is back there!” panted Stewart, -and tried to pass.</p> - -<p>But the officer caught his arm.</p> - -<p>“Madman!” he cried. “It is death to go that -way!”</p> - -<p>“What is that to me?” retorted Stewart, and -wrenched his arm away.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</span></p> - -<p>The officer watched him for an instant, then -turned away with a shrug. After all, he reflected, it -was none of his affair; his task was to hold the Germans -back, and he threw himself into it.</p> - -<p>“Steady, men!” he shouted. “Steady! Our -reserves are coming!”</p> - -<p>And his men cheered and held a firm front, though -it cost them dear—so firm and steady that Stewart -found he could not get past it, but was carried back -foot by foot, too exhausted to resist, entangled hopelessly -in the retreat. The Germans pressed forward, -filling the street from side to side, compact, irresistible.</p> - -<p>And then the Belgians heard behind them the gallop -of horses, the roll of heavy wheels, and their captain, -glancing back, saw that a quick-firer had swung -into position in the middle of the street.</p> - -<p>“Steady, men!” he shouted. “We have them -now! Steady till I give the word!” He glanced -back again and caught the gun-captain’s nod. -“Now! To the side and back!” he screamed.</p> - -<p>The men, with a savage cheer, sprang to right and -left, into doorways, close against the walls, and the -gun, with a purr of delight, let loose its lightnings -into the advancing horde.</p> - -<p>Stewart, who had been swept aside with the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</span>others without understanding what was happening, -gasping, rubbing his eyes, staring down the street, -saw the gray line suddenly stop and crumple up. -Then, with a savage yell, it dashed forward and -stopped again. He saw an officer raise his sword -to urge them on, then fall crashing to the street; he -saw that instant of indecision which is fatal to any -charge; and then stark terror ran through the ranks, -and they turned to flee.</p> - -<p>But the pressure from the rear cut off escape in -that direction, and the human flood burst into the -houses on either side, swept through them, out across -the fields, and away. And steadily the little gun -purred on, as though reveling in its awful work, -until the street was clear.</p> - -<p>But the Germans, though they had suffered terribly, -were not yet routed. A remnant of them held -together behind the houses at the end of the street, -and still others took up a position behind the barricade -and swept the street with their rifles.</p> - -<p>The little officer bit his lip in perplexity as he -looked about at his company, so sadly reduced in -numbers. Should he try to retake the barricade -with a rush, or should he wait for reënforcements? -He loved his men—surely, they had more than -played their part. Then his eye was caught by a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</span>bent figure which dodged from doorway to doorway.</p> - -<p>“That madman again!” he muttered, and -watched, expecting every instant to see him -fall.</p> - -<p>For Stewart had not waited for the captain’s decision. -Almost before the Germans turned to flee, -he was creeping low along the wall, taking advantage -of such shelter as there was. The whistle of the -machine-gun’s bullets filled the street. One nipped -him across the wrist, another grazed his arm, and -then, as the Germans rallied, he saw ahead of him the -vicious flashes of their rifles.</p> - -<p>He was not afraid; indeed, he was strangely calm. -He was quite certain that he would not be killed—others -might fall, but not he. Others—yes, here -they were; dozens, scores, piled from wall to wall. -For here was where the machine-gun had caught the -German advance and smote it down. They lay piled -one upon another, young men, all of them; some -lying with arms flung wide, staring blindly up at the -sky; a few moaning feebly, knowing only that they -suffered; two or three trying to pull themselves from -beneath the heap of dead; one coward burrowing -deeper into it! He could hear the thud, thud of the -bullets from either end of the street as they struck -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</span>the mass of bodies, dead and wounded alike, until -there were no longer any wounded; until even the -coward lay still!</p> - -<p>Sick and dizzy, he pushed on. Was this the -house? The door stood open and he stepped inside -and looked around. No, this was not it.</p> - -<p>The next one, perhaps—all these houses looked -alike from the street. As he reached the door, a -swirl of acrid smoke beat into his face. He looked -out quickly. The barricade was obscured by smoke; -dense masses rolled out of the houses on either side. -The Germans had fired the village!</p> - -<p>Into the next house Stewart staggered—vainly; -and into the next. He could hear the crackling of -the flames; the smoke grew thicker——</p> - -<p>Into the next!</p> - -<p>He knew it the instant he crossed the threshold; -yes, this was the entry, this was the room, there was -the settle——</p> - -<p>He stopped, staring, gasping——</p> - -<p>The settle was empty.</p> - -<p>Slowly he stepped forward, gazing about him. -Yes, there was the bucket of water on the floor, -just as he had left it; there were the blood-stained -rags; there was the torn sheet.</p> - -<p>But the settle was empty.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</span></p> - -<p>He threw himself beside it and ran his hands over -it, to be sure that his eyes were not deceiving -him.</p> - -<p>No; the settle was empty.</p> - -<p>He ran into the next room and the next. He ran -all through the house calling, “Comrade! Little -comrade!”</p> - -<p>But there was no reply. The rooms were empty, -one and all.</p> - -<p>Half-suffocated, palsied with despair, he reeled -back to the room where he had left her, and stared -about it. Could he be mistaken? No; there was -the bucket, the bandages——</p> - -<p>But what was that dark stain in the middle of the -white, sanded floor. He drew close and looked at it. -It was blood.</p> - -<p>Still staring, he backed away. Blood—whose -blood? Not hers! Not his little comrade’s!</p> - -<p>And suddenly his strength fell from him; he staggered, -dropped to his knees——</p> - -<p>This was the end, then—this was the end. There -on the settle was where she had lain; it was there -she had drawn him down for that last caress; and -the letters,—ah, they would never be delivered now! -But at least he could die there, with his head where -hers had been.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</span></p> - -<p>Blinded, choking, he dragged himself forward—here -was the place!</p> - -<p>“Little comrade!” he murmured. “Little comrade!”</p> - -<p>And he fell forward across the settle, his face -buried in his arms.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</span></p> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI<br /> -<span class="smaller">A TRUST FULFILLED</span></h2></div> - -<p class="no-indent"><span class="smcap">When</span> Stewart opened his eyes again it was to find -himself looking up into a good-humored face, which -he did not at first recognize. It was brown and -dirty, there was a three-days’ growth of beard upon -cheeks and chin, and a deep red scratch across the -forehead, but the eyes were bright and the lips -smiling, as of a man superior to every fortune—and -then he recognized the little Belgian captain whose -troops had defended the village.</p> - -<p>Instantly memory surged back upon him—memory -bitter and painful. He raised his head and -looked about him. He was lying under a clump of -trees not far from the bank of a little stream, along -which a company of Belgian soldiers were busy -throwing up intrenchments.</p> - -<p>“Ah, so you are better!” said the captain, in his -clipped French, his eyes beaming with satisfaction. -“That is good! A little more of that smoke, and -it would have been all over with you!” and he gestured<span class="pagenum" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</span> -toward the eastern horizon, above which hung -a black and threatening cloud.</p> - -<p>Stewart pulled himself to a sitting posture and -stared for a moment at the cloud as it billowed -in the wind. Then he passed his hand before his -eyes and stared again. And suddenly all his strength -seemed to go from him and he lay quietly down -again.</p> - -<p>“So bad as that!” said the officer, sympathetically, -struck by the whiteness of his face. “And I -have nothing to give you—not a swallow of wine—not -a sip!”</p> - -<p>“It will pass,” said Stewart, hoarsely. “I shall -be all right presently. But I do not understand -French very well. Do you speak English?”</p> - -<p>“A lit-tle,” answered the other, and spoke thereafter -in a mixture of French and English, which -Stewart found intelligible, but which need not be indicated -here.</p> - -<p>“Will you tell me what happened?” Stewart -asked, at last.</p> - -<p>“Ah, we drove them out!” cried the captain, his -face gleaming. “My men behaved splendidly—they -are brave boys, as you yourself saw. We made it—how -you say?—too hot for the Germans; but we -could not remain. They were pushing up in force -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</span>on every side, and they had set fire to the place. So -we took up our wounded and fell back. At the last -moment, I happen to remember that I had seen you -dodging along the street in face of the German fire, -so I look for you in this house and in that. At last I -find you in a room full of smoke, lying across a -bench, and I bring you away. Now we wait for -another attack. It will come soon—our scouts have -seen the Germans preparing to advance. Then we -fight as long as we can and kill as many as we can, -and then give back to a new position. That, over -and over again, will be our part in this war—to hold -them until France has time to strike. But I pity my -poor country,” and his face grew dark. “There -will be little left of her when those barbarians have -finished. They are astounded that we fight, that we -dare oppose them; they are maddened that we hold -them back, for time means everything to them. -They revenge themselves by burning our villages and -killing defenseless people. Ah, well, they shall pay! -Tell me, my friend,” he added, in another tone, -“why did you risk death in that reckless fashion? -Why did you kneel beside that bench?”</p> - -<p>“It was there I left my comrade,” Stewart answered, -brokenly, his face convulsed. “She was -wounded—she could not walk—I was too exhausted -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</span>to carry her—I went to look for a cart—for an ambulance—I -had scarcely taken a step, when the Germans -swept over the barricade and into the town. -When I got back to the house where I had left her, -she was not there.”</p> - -<p>“Ah,” said the other, looking down at Stewart, -thoughtfully. “It was a woman, then?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Your wife?”</p> - -<p>“She had promised to become my wife,” and -Stewart looked at the other, steadily.</p> - -<p>“You are an American, are you not?”</p> - -<p>“Yes—I have my passport.”</p> - -<p>“And Madame—was she also an American?”</p> - -<p>“No—she was a Frenchwoman. She was shot -twice in the leg as we ran toward your barricade—seriously—it -was quite impossible for her to walk. -But when I got back to the house, she was not there. -What had happened to her?”</p> - -<p>His companion gazed out over the meadows and -shook his head.</p> - -<p>“You looked in the other rooms?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Everywhere—all through the house—she was -not there! Ah, and I remember now,” he added, -struggling to a sitting posture, his face more livid, if -possible, than it had been before. “There was a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</span>great bloodstain on the floor that was not there -when I left her. How could it have got there? I -cannot understand!”</p> - -<p>Again the officer shook his head, his eyes still on -the billowing smoke.</p> - -<p>“It is very strange,” he murmured.</p> - -<p>“I must go back!” cried Stewart. “I must -search for her!” and he tried to rise.</p> - -<p>The other put out a hand to stop him, but drew it -back, seeing it unnecessary.</p> - -<p>“Impossible!” he said. “You see, you cannot -even stand!”</p> - -<p>“I have had nothing to eat since yesterday,” -Stewart explained. “Then only some eggs and apples. -If I could get some food——”</p> - -<p>He broke off, his chin quivering helplessly, as he -realized his weakness. He was very near to tears.</p> - -<p>“Even if you could walk,” the other pointed out, -“even if you were quite strong, it would still be -impossible. The Germans have burned the village; -they are now on this side of it. If Madame is still -alive, she is safe. Barbarians as they are, they -would not kill a wounded woman!”</p> - -<p>“Oh, you don’t know!” groaned Stewart. “You -don’t know! They would kill her without compunction!” -and weakness and hunger and despair were -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</span>too much for him. He threw himself forward on -his face, shaken by great sobs.</p> - -<p>The little officer sat quite still, his face very sad. -There was no glory about war—that was merely a -fiction to hold soldiers to their work; it was all horrible, -detestable, inhuman. He had seen brave men -killed, torn, mutilated; he had seen inoffensive people -driven from their homes and left to starve; he -had seen women weeping for their husbands and -children for their fathers; he had seen terror stalk -across the quiet countryside—famine, want, despair——</p> - -<p>The paroxysm passed, and Stewart gradually regained -his self-control.</p> - -<p>“You will, of course, do as you think best,” said -his companion, at last; “but I could perhaps be of -help if I knew more. How do you come to be in -these rags? Why was Madame dressed as a man? -Why should the Germans kill her? These are things -that I should like to know—but you will tell me as -much or as little as you please.”</p> - -<p>Before he was well aware of it, so hungry was he -for comfort, Stewart found himself embarked upon -the story. It flowed from his lips so rapidly, so -brokenly, as poignant memory stabbed through him, -that more than once his listener stopped him and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</span>asked him to repeat. For the rest, he sat staring out -at the burning village, his eyes bright, his hands -clenched.</p> - -<p>And when the story was over, he arose, faced the -east, and saluted stiffly.</p> - -<p>“<i>Madame!</i>” he said—and so paid her the highest -tribute in a soldier’s power.</p> - -<p>Then he sat down again, and there was a moment’s -silence.</p> - -<p>“What you have told me,” he said, slowly, at -last, “moves me beyond words! Believe me, I -would advance this instant, I would risk my whole -command, if I thought there was the slightest chance -of rescuing that intrepid and glorious woman. But -there is no chance. That village is held by at least -a regiment.”</p> - -<p>“What could have happened?” asked Stewart, -again. “Where could she have gone?”</p> - -<p>“I cannot imagine. I can only hope that she is -safe. Most probably she has been taken prisoner. -Even in that case, there is little danger that she -will ever be recognized.”</p> - -<p>“But why should they take prisoner a wounded -civilian?” Stewart persisted. “I cannot understand it—unless——”</p> - -<p>His voice died in his throat.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</span></p> - -<p>“Unless what?” asked the officer, turning on -him quickly. “What is it you fear?”</p> - -<p>“Unless she <i>was</i> recognized!” cried Stewart, -hoarsely.</p> - -<p>But the other shook his head.</p> - -<p>“If she had been recognized—which is most improbable—she -would not have been taken prisoner -at all. She would have been shot where she -lay.”</p> - -<p>And then again that dark stain upon the floor -flashed before Stewart’s eyes. Perhaps that had -really happened. Perhaps that blood was hers!</p> - -<p>“It is the suspense!” he groaned. “The damnable -suspense!”</p> - -<p>“I know,” said the other, gently. “It is always -the missing who cause the deepest anguish. One -can only wait and hope and pray! That is all that -you can do—that and one other thing.”</p> - -<p>“What other thing?” Stewart demanded.</p> - -<p>“She intrusted you with a mission, did she not?” -asked the little captain, gently. “Living or dead, -she would be glad to know that you fulfilled it, for it -was very dear to her. You still have the letters?”</p> - -<p>Stewart thrust his hand into his pocket and -brought them forth.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</span></p> - -<p>“You are right,” he said, and rose unsteadily. -“Where will I find General Joffre?”</p> - -<p>The other had risen, too, and was supporting him -with a strong hand.</p> - -<p>“That I do not know,” he answered; “somewhere -along the French frontier, no doubt, mustering -his forces.”</p> - -<p>Stewart looked about him uncertainly.</p> - -<p>“If I were only stronger,” he began.</p> - -<p>“Wait,” the little officer broke in. “I think I -have it—I am expecting instructions from our headquarters -at St. Trond—they should arrive at any -moment—and I can send you back in the car which -brings them. At headquarters they will be able to -tell you something definite, and perhaps to help you.” -He glanced anxiously toward the east and then cast -an appraising eye over the intrenchments his troops -had dug. “We can hold them back for a time,” he -added, “but we need reënforcements badly. Ah, -there comes the car!”</p> - -<p>A powerful gray motor spun down the road from -the west, kicking up a great cloud of dust, and in a -moment the little captain had received his instructions. -He tore the envelope open and read its contents -eagerly. Then he turned to his men, his face -shining.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</span></p> - -<p>“The Sixty-third will be here in half an hour!” -he shouted. “We will give those fellows a hot dose -this time!”</p> - -<p>His men cheered the news with waving shakos, -then, with a glance eastward, fell to work again on -their trenches, which would have to be extended to -accommodate the reënforcements. Their captain -stepped close to the side of the purring car, made his -report to an officer who sat beside the driver, and -then the two carried on for a moment a low-toned -conversation. More than once they glanced at Stewart, -and the conversation ended with a sharp nod -from the officer in the car. The other came hurrying -back.</p> - -<p>“It is all right,” he said. “You will be at St. -Trond in half an hour,” and he helped him to mount -into the tonneau.</p> - -<p>For an instant Stewart stood there, staring back -at the cloud of smoke above the burning village; -then he dropped into the seat and turned to say -good-by to the gallant fellow who had proved so -true a friend.</p> - -<p>The little soldier was standing with heels together, -head thrown back, hand at the visor of his cap.</p> - -<p>“<i>Monsieur!</i>” he said, simply, as his eyes met -Stewart’s, and then the car started.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</span></p> - -<p>Stewart looked back through a mist of tears, and -waved his hand to that martial little figure, so -hopeful and indomitable. Should he ever see that -gallant friend again? Chance was all against it. -An hour hence, he might be lying in the road, a bullet -through his heart; if not an hour hence, then to-morrow -or next day. And before this war was over, -how many others would be lying so, arms flung wide, -eyes staring at the sky—just as those young Germans -had lain back yonder!</p> - -<p>He thrust such thoughts away. They were too -bitter, too terrible. But as his vision cleared, he -saw on every hand the evidence of war’s desolation.</p> - -<p>The road was thronged with fugitives—old men, -women, and children—fleeing westward away from -their ruined homes, away from the plague which was -devastating their land. Their faces were vacant -with despair, or wet with silent tears. For whither -could they flee? Where could they hope for food -and shelter? How could their journey end, save at -the goal of death?</p> - -<p>The car threaded its way slowly among these -heart-broken people, passed through silent and deserted -villages, by fields of grain that would never -be harvested, along quiet streams which would soon -be red with blood; and at last it came to St. Trond, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</span>and stopped before the town-hall, from whose beautiful -old belfry floated the Belgian flag.</p> - -<p>“If you will wait here, sir,” said the officer, and -jumped to the pavement and hurried up the steps.</p> - -<p>So Stewart waited, an object of much curiosity -to the passing crowd. Other cars dashed up from -time to time, officers jumped out with reports, -jumped in again with orders and dashed away. -Plainly, Belgium was not dismayed even in face of -this great invasion. She was fighting coolly, intelligently, -with her whole strength.</p> - -<p>And then an officer came down the steps, sprang -to the footboard of the machine, and looked at -Stewart.</p> - -<p>“I am told you have a message,” he said.</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“I am a member of the French staff. Can you -deliver it to me?”</p> - -<p>“I was told to deliver it only to General Joffre.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! in that case——”</p> - -<p>The officer caught his lower lip between the thumb -and little finger of his left hand, as if in perplexity. -So naturally was it done that for an instant Stewart -did not recognize the sign; then, hastily, he -passed his left hand across his eyes.</p> - -<p>The officer looked at him keenly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</span></p> - -<p>“Have we not met before?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“In Berlin; on the twenty-second,” Stewart answered.</p> - -<p>The officer’s face cleared, and he stepped over the -door into the tonneau.</p> - -<p>“I am at your service, sir,” he said. “First you -must rest a little, and have some clean clothes, and a -bath and food. I can see that you have had a hard -time. Then we will set out.”</p> - -<p>An hour later, more comfortable in body than it -had seemed possible he could ever be again, Stewart -lay back among the deep cushions of a high-powered -car, which whizzed southward along a pleasant road. -He did not know his destination. He had not inquired, -and indeed he did not care. But had he -known Belgium, he would have recognized Landen -and Ramillies; he would have known that those -high white cliffs ahead bordered the Meuse; he -would have seen that this pinnacled town they were -approaching was Namur.</p> - -<p>The car was stopped at the city gate by a sentry, -and taken to the town-hall, where the chauffeur’s -papers were examined and verified. Then they were -off again, across the placid river and straight -southward, close beside its western bank. Stewart -had never seen a more beautiful country. The other -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</span>shore was closed in by towering rugged cliffs, with -a white villa here and there squeezed in between wall -and water or perched on a high ledge. Sometimes -the cliffs gave back to make room for a tiny, red-roofed -village; again they were riven by great fissures -or pitted with yawning chasms.</p> - -<p>Evening came, and still the car sped southward. -There were no evidences here of war. As the calm -stars came out one by one, Stewart could have fancied -that it was all a dream, but for that dull agony -of the spirit which he felt would never leave him—and -for that strand of lustrous hair which now lay -warm above his heart—and which, alas! was all he -had of her!</p> - -<p>Yes—there were the two letters which rustled -under his fingers as he thrust them into his pocket. -He had looked at them more than once during the -afternoon, delighting to handle them because they -had been hers, imagining that he could detect on -them the faint aroma of her presence. He had -turned them over and over, had slipped out the sheets -of closely-written paper, and read them through and -through, hoping for some clew to the identity of -the woman he had lost. It was an added anguish -that he did not even know her name!</p> - -<p>The letters did not help him. They contained -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</span>nothing but innocent, careless, light-hearted, impersonal -gossip, written apparently by one young -woman to another. “My dear cousin,” they were -addressed, and Stewart could have wept at the irony -which denied him even her first name. They were -in English—excellent English—a little stiff, perhaps—just -such English as she had spoken—and the envelopes -bore the superscription, “Mrs. Bradford -Stewart, Spa, Belgium.” But so far as he could see -they had nothing to do with her—they were just a -part of the elaborate plot in which he had been entangled.</p> - -<p>But what secret could they contain? A code? If -so, it was very perfect, for nothing could be more -simple, more direct, more unaffected than the letters -themselves. A swift doubt swept over him. Perhaps, -once in the presence of the general, he would -find that he had played the fool—that there was -nothing in these letters.</p> - -<p>And yet a woman had risked her life for them. -Face to face with death, she had made him -swear to deliver them. Well, he would keep his -oath!</p> - -<p>He was still very tired, and at last he lay back -among the cushions and closed his eyes and tried to -sleep.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</span></p> - -<p>“<i>Halte là!</i>” cried a sharp voice.</p> - -<p>The brakes squeaked and groaned as they were -jammed down. Stewart, shaken from his nap, sat -up and looked about him. Ahead gleamed the lights -of a town; he could hear a train rumbling past along -the river bank,</p> - -<p>There was a moment’s colloquy between the chauffeur -and a man in uniform; a paper was examined -by the light of an electric torch; then the man -stepped to one side and the car started slowly ahead.</p> - -<p>The rumbling train came to a stop, and Stewart, -rubbing his eyes, saw a regiment of soldiers leaping -from it down to a long, brilliantly-lighted platform. -They wore red trousers and long blue coats folded -back in front—and with a shock, Stewart realized -that they were French—that these were the men who -were soon to face those gray-clad legions back yonder. -Then, above the entrance to the station, its -name flashed into view,—“Givet.” They had -passed the frontier—they were in France.</p> - -<p>The car rolled on, crossed the river by a long -bridge, and finally came to a stop before a great, -barn-like building, every window of which blazed -with light, and where streams of officers were constantly -arriving and departing.</p> - -<p>At once a sentry leaped upon the footboard; again -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</span>the chauffeur produced his paper, and an officer was -summoned, who glanced at it, and immediately -stepped back and threw open the door of the tonneau.</p> - -<p>“This way, sir, if you please,” he said to Stewart.</p> - -<p>As the latter rose heavily, stiff with long sitting, -the officer held out his arm and helped him to alight.</p> - -<p>“You are very tired, is it not so?” he asked, and -still supporting him, led the way up the steps, along -a hall, and into a long room where many persons -were sitting on benches against the walls or slowly -walking up and down. “You will wait here,” added -his guide. “It will not be long,” and he hurried -away.</p> - -<p>Stewart dropped upon a bench and looked about -him. There were a few women in the room—and -he wondered at their presence there—but most of its -occupants were men, some in uniform, others in -civilian dress of the most diverse kinds, of all grades -of society. Stewart was struck at once by the fact -that they were all silent, exchanging not a word, not -even a glance. Each kept his eyes to himself as if -it were a point of honor so to do.</p> - -<p>Suddenly Stewart understood. These were -agents of the secret service, waiting to report to their -chief or to be assigned to some difficult and dangerous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</span> -task. One by one they were summoned, disappeared -through the door, and did not return.</p> - -<p>At last it was to Stewart the messenger came.</p> - -<p>“This way, sir,” he said.</p> - -<p>Stewart followed him out into the hall, through a -door guarded by two sentries, and into a little room -beyond a deep ante-chamber, where a white-haired -man sat before a great table covered with papers. -The messenger stood aside for Stewart to pass, then -went swiftly out and closed the door.</p> - -<p>The man at the table examined his visitor with a -long and penetrating glance, his face cold, impassive, -expressionless.</p> - -<p>“You are not one of ours,” he said, at last, in -English.</p> - -<p>“No, I am an American.”</p> - -<p>“So I perceived. And yet you have a message?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“How came you by it?”</p> - -<p>“It was intrusted to me by one of your agents -who joined me at Aix-la-Chapelle.”</p> - -<p>A sudden flame of excitement blazed into the -cold eyes.</p> - -<p>“May I ask your name?”</p> - -<p>“Bradford Stewart.”</p> - -<p>The man snatched up a memorandum from the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</span>desk and glanced at it. Then he sprang to his -feet.</p> - -<p>“Your pardon, Mr. Stewart,” he said. “I did not -catch your name—or, if I did, my brain did not -supply the connection, as it should have done. My -only excuse is that I have so many things to think of. -Pray sit down,” and he drew up a chair. “Where -is the person who joined you at Aix?”</p> - -<p>“I fear that she is dead,” answered Stewart, in a -low voice.</p> - -<p>“Dead!” echoed the other, visibly and deeply -moved. “Dead! But no, that cannot be!” He -passed his hand feverishly before his eyes. “I will -hear your story presently—first, the message. It is -a written one?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, in the form of two letters.”</p> - -<p>“May I see them?”</p> - -<p>Stewart hesitated.</p> - -<p>“I promised to deliver them only to General -Joffre,” he explained.</p> - -<p>“I understand. But the general is very busy. I -must see the letters for a moment before I ask him -for an audience.”</p> - -<p>Without a word, Stewart passed them over. He -saw the flush of excitement with which the other -looked at them; he saw how his hand trembled as -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</span>he drew out the sheets, glanced at them, thrust them -hastily back, and touched a button on his desk.</p> - -<p>Instantly the door opened and the messenger appeared.</p> - -<p>“Inquire of General Joffre if he can see me for a -moment on a matter of the first importance,” said -the man. The messenger bowed and withdrew. -“Yes, of the first importance,” he added, turning to -Stewart, with shining eyes. “Here are the letters—I -will not deprive you, sir, of the pleasure of yourself -placing them in our general’s hands. And it is -to him you shall tell your story.”</p> - -<p>The door opened and the messenger appeared.</p> - -<p>“The general will be pleased to receive Monsieur -at once,” he said, and stood aside for them to pass.</p> - -<p>At the end of the hall was a large room crowded -with officers. Beyond this was a smaller room -where six men, each with his secretary, sat around a -long table. At its head sat a plump little man, with -white hair and bristling white mustache, which contrasted -strongly with a face darkened and reddened -by exposure to wind and rain, and lighted by a pair -of eyes incredibly bright.</p> - -<p>He was busy with a memorandum, but looked up -as Stewart and his companion entered.</p> - -<p>“Well, Fernande?” he said; but Stewart did not -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</span>know till afterward that the man at his side was the -famous head of the French Intelligence Department, -the eyes and ears of the French army—captain of an -army of his own, every member of which went daily -in peril of a dreadful death.</p> - -<p>“General,” said Fernande, in a voice whose trembling -earnestness caused every man present suddenly -to raise his head, “I have the pleasure of introducing -to you an American, Mr. Bradford Stewart, -who, at great peril to himself, has brought you -a message which I believe to be of the first importance.”</p> - -<p>General Joffre bowed.</p> - -<p>“I am pleased to meet Mr. Stewart,” he said. -“What is this message?”</p> - -<p>“It is in these letters, sir,” said Stewart, and -placed the envelopes in his hand.</p> - -<p>The general glanced at them, then slowly drew -out the enclosures.</p> - -<p>“We shall need a candle,” said Fernande; “also -a flat dish of water.”</p> - -<p>One of the secretaries hastened away to get them. -He was back in a moment, and Fernande, having -lighted the candle, took from his waistcoat pocket -a tiny phial of blue liquid, and dropped three drops -into the dish.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</span></p> - -<p>“Now we are ready, gentlemen,” he said. “You -are about to witness a most interesting experiment.”</p> - -<p>He picked up one of the sheets, dipped it into the -water, then held it close to the flame of the candle.</p> - -<p>Stewart, watching curiously, saw a multitude of -red lines leap out upon the sheet—lines which zig-zagged -this way and that, apparently without meaning.</p> - -<p>But to the others in the room they seemed anything -but meaningless. As sheet followed sheet, the -whole staff crowded around the head of the table, -snatching them up, holding them to the light, bending -close to decipher minute writing. Their eyes -were shining with excitement, their hands were -trembling; they spoke in broken words, in bits of -sentences.</p> - -<p>“The enceinte——”</p> - -<p>“Oh, a new bastion here at the left——”</p> - -<p>“I thought so——”</p> - -<p>“Three emplacements——”</p> - -<p>“But this wall is simply a mask—it would present -no difficulties——”</p> - -<p>“This position could be flanked——”</p> - -<p>It was the general himself who spoke the final -word.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</span></p> - -<p>“This is the weak spot,” he pointed out, his finger -upon the last sheet of all. Then he turned to Stewart, -his eyes gleaming. “Monsieur,” he said, “I -will not conceal from you that these papers are, as -Fernande guessed, of the very first importance. -Will you tell us how they came into your possession?”</p> - -<p>And Stewart, as briefly as might be, told the story—the -meeting at Aix, the arrest at Herbesthal, the -flight over the hills, the passage of the Meuse, the -attack on the village—his voice faltering at the end -despite his effort to control it.</p> - -<p>At first, the staff had kept on with its examination -of the plans, but first one and then another laid -them down and listened.</p> - -<p>For a moment after he had finished, they sat -silent, regarding him. Then General Joffre rose -slowly to his feet, and the members of his staff rose -with him.</p> - -<p>“Monsieur,” he said, “I shall not attempt to tell -you how your words have moved me; but on behalf -of France I thank you; on her behalf I give you -the highest honor which it is in her power to -bestow.” His hand went to his buttonhole and -detached a tiny red ribbon. In a moment he -had affixed it to Stewart’s coat. “The Legion, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</span>monsieur!” he said, and he stepped back and -saluted.</p> - -<p>Stewart, a mist of tears before his eyes, his throat -suddenly contracted, looked down at the decoration, -gleaming on his lapel like a spot of blood.</p> - -<p>“It is too much,” he protested, brokenly. “I do -not deserve——”</p> - -<p>“It is the proudest order in the world, monsieur,” -broke in the general, “but it is not too much. You -have done for France a greater thing than you perhaps -imagine. Some day you will know. Not soon, -I fear,” and his face hardened. “We have other -work to do before we can make use of these sheets -of paper. You saw the German army?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir; a part of it.”</p> - -<p>“It is well equipped?”</p> - -<p>“It seemed to me irresistible,” said Stewart. “I -had never imagined such swarms of men, such tremendous -cannon——”</p> - -<p>“We have heard something of those cannon,” -broke in the general. “Are they really so tremendous?”</p> - -<p>“I know nothing about cannon,” answered Stewart; -“but——” and he described as well as he could -the three monsters he had seen rolling along the road -toward Liège.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</span></p> - -<p>His hearers listened closely, asked a question or -two——</p> - -<p>“I thank you again,” said the general, at last. -“What you tell us is most interesting. Is there anything -else that I can do for you? If there is, I pray -you to command me.”</p> - -<p>Stewart felt himself shaken by a sudden convulsive -trembling.</p> - -<p>“If I could get some news,” he murmured, -brokenly, “of—of my little comrade.”</p> - -<p>General Joffre shot him a quick glance. His face -softened, grew tender with comprehension.</p> - -<p>“Fernande,” he said.</p> - -<p>Fernande bowed.</p> - -<p>“Everything possible shall be done, my general,” -he said. “I promise it. We shall not be long without -tidings.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” said Stewart. “That is all, I -think.”</p> - -<p>“And you?”</p> - -<p>“I? Oh, what does it matter!” And then he -turned, fired by a sudden remembrance of a great -white tent, of loaded ambulances. “Yes—there is -something I might do. I am a surgeon. Will -France accept my services?”</p> - -<p>“She is honored to do so,” said the general, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</span>quickly. “I will see that it is done. Until to-morrow—I -will expect you,” and he held out his -hand, while the staff came to a stiff salute.</p> - -<p>“Until to-morrow,” repeated Stewart, and followed -Fernande to the door.</p> - -<p>As he passed out, he glanced behind him. The -members of the staff were bending above those red-lined -sheets, their faces shining with eagerness——</p> - -<p>The officers in the outer room, catching sight of -the red ribbon, saluted as he passed. The sentry -in the hall came stiffly to attention.</p> - -<p>But Stewart’s heart was bitter. Honor! Glory! -What were they worth to him alone and desolate——</p> - -<p>“Monsieur!” It was Fernande’s voice, low, vibrant -with sympathy. “You will pardon me for -what I am about to say—but I think I understand. -It was not alone for France you did this thing—it -was for that ‘little comrade,’ as you have called her, -so brave, so loyal, so indomitable that my heart is -at her feet. Is it not so?”</p> - -<p>He came a step nearer and laid a tender hand on -Stewart’s arm.</p> - -<p>“Do not despair, I beg of you, my friend. She is -not dead—it is impossible that she should be dead! -Fate could not be so cruel. With her you shared a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</span>few glorious days of peril, of trial, and of ecstasy—then -you were whirled apart. But only for a time. -Somewhere, sometime, you will find her again, -awaiting you. I know it! I feel it!”</p> - -<p>But it was no longer Fernande that Stewart heard—it -was another voice, subtle, delicate, out of the -unknown——</p> - -<p>His bosom lifted with a deep, convulsive breath.</p> - -<p>“You are right!” he whispered. “I, too, feel it! -Sometime—somewhere——”</p> - -<p>And his trembling fingers sought that tress of -lustrous hair, warm above his heart.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Far away to the east, a sentry in the gray uniform -of the German army paced slowly back and -forth before a great white house looking across a -terraced garden down upon the Meuse. Three days -before, it had been the beautiful and carefully-ordered -home of a wealthy Belgian; now it reeked -with the odor of ether and iodine. In the spacious -dining-room an operating-table had been installed, -and a sterilizing apparatus simmered in one -corner. Along its halls and in every room rows of -white cots were ranged—and each cot had its bandaged -occupant.</p> - -<p>On the terrace overlooking the river, two surgeons,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</span> -thoroughly weary after a hard day, sat smoking -and talking in low tones. Within, a white-clad -nurse stole from cot to cot, assuring herself that all -was as well as might be.</p> - -<p>In a tiny room on the upper floor, a single cot -had been placed. As the nurse stopped at its open -door and held aloft her night-lamp, her eyes caught -the gleam of other eyes, and she stepped quickly -forward.</p> - -<p>“What is it?” she asked, softly. “Why are you -not asleep? You are not in pain?”</p> - -<p>The patient—a mere lad he seemed of not more -than seventeen—smiled and shook his head.</p> - -<p>“I do not know German,” he said in French.</p> - -<p>The nurse placed her cool hand upon the patient’s -brow to assure herself that there was no access of -fever.</p> - -<p>“I speak French a little,” she said, painfully, in -that language. And then she hesitated. “Tell me, -Fräulein,” she went on, after a moment, “how you -came to be wounded. We have wondered much.”</p> - -<p>“My brother and I were trying to get through -your lines to Brussels where our mother is,” the -patient answered, readily, still smiling. “I slipped -on a suit of my brother’s clothes, thinking to make -better progress. But we were too late. We were -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</span>caught between two fires when your men stormed -that village.”</p> - -<p>Despite the smile, there was a shimmer of anxiety -in the eyes she turned upon the nurse. It was a poor -story; she realized that it would not bear scrutiny, -that it would break down at the first question; but, -fevered and racked with pain, she had been able to -devise no better one.</p> - -<p>The nurse, at least, accepted it unquestioningly.</p> - -<p>“Ach, how terrible!” she commented. “And -your brother—what of him?”</p> - -<p>“When I was wounded, he carried me into a -house, and then hastened away to took for a cart -or wagon in which to place me. Before he could -get back, your men had taken the village.”</p> - -<p>“Then he is safe at least!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I am sure of it.”</p> - -<p>“But he must think you dead! He will not know -that you were saved! Ach, what anguish must be -his!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, he will suffer,” agreed the wounded girl, in -a low tone.</p> - -<p>The eyes of the tender-hearted German woman -were misty as she gazed down at her patient and -sought for some word of comfort.</p> - -<p>“But think of his joy when he finds that you are -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</span>not dead!” she urged. “To-morrow you shall give -me his address and I will write. He will come for -you, no doubt, as soon as he can.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I am sure of that also!”</p> - -<p>There was a subtle timbre in the voice that caught -the nurse’s ear, and she looked down again into the -luminous eyes.</p> - -<p>“You do not seem to mind your misfortune,” she -said. “You seem even happy!”</p> - -<p>The eyes which gazed up at her were softly, wonderfully -brilliant. A deeper color crept into the pale -cheeks.</p> - -<p>“I <i>am</i> happy,” said the girl, almost in a whisper. -“Very, very happy!”</p> - -<p>The nurse paused a moment longer, strangely -thrilled. Then her training asserted itself.</p> - -<p>“You must not excite yourself,” she cautioned. -“You must go to sleep. Good-night.”</p> - -<p>“Good-night!” came the murmured answer. “I -will try to sleep.”</p> - -<p>But for long and long she lay staring up into the -darkness, glowing with the precious memory of a -man’s strong arms about her, his ardent lips on -hers.</p> - -<p>“He is safe,” her soul assured her. “He will -seek you up and down the world until he finds you. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</span>You shall lie again upon his breast; you shall hear -his heart beating ... sometime ... somewhere——”</p> - -<p>And with a long sigh of contentment, she closed -her eyes and slept.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="adblock"><div class="chapter"> -<p class="center no-indent smaller"><i>TWO NOTEWORTHY DETECTIVE STORIES</i></p> -</div> - -<p class="center no-indent">By BURTON E. STEVENSON</p> - -<p class="center no-indent">THE MARATHON MYSTERY</p> - -<p class="center no-indent">With five scenes in color by <span class="smcap">Eliot Keen</span></p> - -<p class="center no-indent">6th printing. $1.50</p> - -<p>An absorbing story of New York and Long Island -to-day.</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>N. Y. Sun</i>: “Distinctly an interesting story—one of the sort that -the reader will not lay down before he goes to bed.”</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>N. Y. Post</i>: “By comparison with the work of Anna Katherine Green ... it is exceptionally clever ... told interestingly -and well.”</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>N. Y. Tribune</i>: “<span class="smcap">The Holladay Case</span> was a capital story of crime -and mystery. In <span class="smcap">The Marathon Mystery</span> the author is in even -firmer command of the trick. He is skilful in keeping his reader in -suspense, and every element in it is cunningly adjusted to preserving -the mystery inviolate until the end.”</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>Boston Transcript</i>: “The excellence of its style, Mr. Stevenson -apparently knowing well the dramatic effect of fluency and brevity, -and the rationality of avoiding false clues and attempts unduly to -mystify his readers.”</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>Boston Herald</i>: “This is something more than an ordinary detective -story. It thrills you and holds your attention to the end. -But beside all this the characters are really well drawn and your -interest in the plot is enhanced by interest in the people who play -their parts therein.”</p> - -<p class="center no-indent">THE HOLLADAY CASE</p> - -<p class="center no-indent">With frontispiece by <span class="smcap">Eliot Keen</span></p> - -<p class="center no-indent">7th printing. $1.25</p> - -<p>A modern mystery of New York and Etretat.</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>N. Y. Tribune</i>: “Professor Dicey recently said, ‘If you like a -detective story take care you read a good detective story.’ This is a -good detective story, and it is the better because the part of the hero -is not filled by a member of the profession.... The reader will -not want to put the book down until he has reached the last page, -Most ingeniously constructed and well written into the bargain.”</p> - -<p class="center no-indent">HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY<br /> -PUBLISHERS NEW YORK</p></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="adblock"><div class="chapter"> -<p class="center no-indent">THE HOME BOOK OF VERSE</p></div> - -<p class="center no-indent"><i>American and English</i> (1580-1912)</p> - -<p>Compiled by <span class="smcap">Burton E. Stevenson</span>. Collects the best short -poetry of the English language—not only the poetry everybody -says is good, but also the verses that everybody -reads. (3742 pages; India paper, 1 vol., 8vo, complete author, -title and first line indices, $7.50 net; carriage 40 cents -extra.)</p> - -<p>The most comprehensive and representative collection of -American and English poetry ever published, including -3,120 unabridged poems from some 1,100 authors.</p> - -<p>It brings together in one volume the best short poetry -of the English language from the time of Spencer, with -especial attention to American verse.</p> - -<p>The copyright deadline has been passed, and some three -hundred recent authors are included, very few of whom -appear in any other general anthology, such as Lionel -Johnson, Noyes, Housman, Mrs. Meynell, Yeats, Dobson, -Lang, Watson, Wilde, Francis Thompson, Gilder, Le -Gallienne, Van Dyke, Woodberry, Riley, etc., etc.</p> - -<p>The poems as arranged by subject, and the classification -is unusually close and searching. Some of the most -comprehensive sections are: Children’s rhymes (300 -pages); love poems (800 pages); nature poetry (400 -pages); humorous verse (500 pages); patriotic and historical -poems (600 pages); reflective and descriptive poetry -(400 pages). No other collection contains so many popular -favorites and fugitive verses.</p> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="center no-indent">DELIGHTFUL POCKET ANTHOLOGIES</p> - -<p class="center no-indent">The following books are uniform, with full gilt flexible covers and -pictured cover linings. 16mo. Each, cloth, $1.50; leather $2.50.</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>THE GARLAND OF CHILDHOOD</b></p> - -<p class="smaller">A little book for all lovers of -children. Compiled by Percy -Wither.</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>THE VISTA OF ENGLISH VERSE</b></p> - -<p class="smaller">Compiled by Henry S. Pancoast. -From Spencer to Kipling.</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>LETTERS THAT LIVE</b></p> - -<p class="smaller">Compiled by Laura E. Lockwood -and Amy R. Kelly. Some -150 letters.</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>POEMS FOR TRAVELLERS</b></p> - -<p class="center no-indent">(About “The Continent”)</p> - -<p class="smaller">Compiled by Miss Mary R. J. -DuBois.</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>THE OPEN ROAD</b></p> - -<p class="smaller">A little book for wayfarers. -Compiled by E. V. Lucas.</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>THE FRIENDLY TOWN</b></p> - -<p class="smaller">A little book for the urbane, -compiled by E. V. Lucas.</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>THE POETIC OLD-WORLD</b></p> - -<p class="smaller">Compiled by Miss L. H. -Humphrey. Covers Europe, including -Spain, Belgium and the -British Isles.</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>THE POETIC NEW-WORLD</b></p> - -<p class="smaller">Compiled by Miss Humphrey.</p> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="center no-indent">HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY<br /> -34<span class="allsmcap"> WEST 33RD STREET</span> NEW YORK</p></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="adblock"><div class="chapter"> -<p class="center no-indent"><i>By CONINGSBY DAWSON</i></p> -</div> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>The Garden Without Walls</b></p> - -<p>The story of the adventures in love of the hero till his -thirtieth year is as fascinating as are the three heroines. -His Puritan stock is in constant conflict with his Pagan -imagination. Ninth printing. $1.35 net.</p> - -<p class="smaller">“Never did hero find himself the adored of three more enchanting -heroines. A book which will deserve the popularity it is certain to -achieve.”—<i>The Independent.</i></p> - -<p class="smaller">“Mr. Dawson has dared splendidly to write, in a glorious abandon, -a story all interwoven with a glow of romance almost medieval in its -pagan color, yet wholly modern in its import.”—<i>Samuel Abbott</i>, in -<i>The Boston Herald</i>.</p> - -<p class="smaller">“All vivid with the color of life; a novel to compel not only absorbed -attention, but long remembrance.”—<i>The Boston Transcript.</i></p> - -<p class="smaller">“The most enjoyable first novel since De Morgan’s ‘Joseph Vance.’”—<i>J. -B. Kerfoot</i>, in <i>Life</i>.</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>The Raft</b></p> - -<p>A story of high gallantry, which teaches that even modern -life is an affair of courageous chivalry. The story is -crowded with over thirty significant characters, some -whimsical, some tender, some fanciful; all are poignantly -real with their contrasting ideals and purposes.</p> - -<p>“The Raft” is a panorama of everyday, available -romance. Just ready. $1.35 net.</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>Florence on a Certain Night (and Other Poems)</b></p> - -<p>12mo. $1.25 net.</p> - -<p class="smaller">“The work of a true lyric poet who ‘utters his own soul.’”—<i>Literary -Digest.</i></p> - -<p class="smaller">“The preeminent quality in all Mr. Dawson’s verse is the union of -delicacy and strength. A generation which has all but forgotten the -meaning of the phrase ‘to keep himself unspotted from the world’ has -great need of this sort of poetry.”—<i>Providence Journal.</i></p> - -<p class="center no-indent">HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY<br /> -PUBLISHERS NEW YORK</p></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="adblock"><div class="chapter"> -<p class="center no-indent"><b>BOOKS BY BEULAH MARIE DIX</b></p></div> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>MOTHER’S SON. A Novel</b></p> - -<p>The story of the redemption of a spendthrift German -“toy soldier,” exiled to America, The heroine is the -author’s “Betty-Bide-at-Home” grown up and become a -successful playwright. There is considerable humor. The -scenes are mostly Boston and vicinity and New York. -Just published. ($1.35 net.)</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>Boston Transcript</i>: “Straightforward and swiftly the story moves from -its happy beginning to its happy ending.... The heroine, that delightful -‘Betty-Bide-at-Home’ ... that delicious femininity that makes her -to appealing ... a charming romance.... Through the story of -his redemption shines the glory of youth, its courage, its high optimism, -its unconquerable faith in itself ... fine as is the novel technically, -it is even finer in its silent insistence upon an ideal of love and of -marriage.”</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>THE FIGHTING BLADE. A Romance</b></p> - -<p>The hero, a quiet, boyish German soldier serving Cromwell, -loves a little tomboy Royalist heiress. 3rd printing. -($1.30 net.)</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>New York Tribune</i>: “Lovers of this kind of fiction will find here all -they can desire, and it is all of excellent quality.”</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>New York Times</i>: “The freshness of youth and of life and of the -joy of living.”</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>Chicago Inter-Ocean</i>: “The best historical romance the man who writes -these lines has read in half a dozen years.”</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>ALLISON’S LAD, and Other Martial Interludes</b></p> - -<p>Including “The Hundredth Trick,” “The Weakest Link,” -“The Snare and the Fowler,” “The Captain of the Gate,” -“The Dark of the Dawn.” One-act war plays; all the -characters are men, and amateurs have acted them -successfully.</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>Boston Transcript</i>: “Her technical mastery is great, but her spiritual -mastery is greater. For this book lives in memory.... Noble passion -holding the balance between life and death is the motif sharply outlined -and vigorously portrayed. In each interlude the author has seized upon -a vital situation and has massed all her forces.”</p> - -<p class="no-indent"><i><b>FOR YOUNG FOLKS</b></i></p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>FRIENDS IN THE END</b></p> - -<p>A tale of conflict between young folks one summer in -New Hampshire. Illustrated. ($1.25 net.)</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>Living Age</i>: “Far above the average juvenile.... A vivid narrative, -interesting with the intensity of a country land rights feud.... The -people are clearly drawn ... a true atmosphere.”</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>BETTY-BIDE-AT-HOME</b></p> - -<p>Betty gave up college to help her family, but learned -several things, including authorship, at home. 3rd printing -($1.25 net.)</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>Churchman</i>: “Among the season’s books for girls it easily takes first -place.”</p> - -<p class="center no-indent">HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY<br /> -PUBLISHERS NEW YORK</p></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="adblock"><div class="chapter"> -<p class="center no-indent">A FEW RECENT PLAYS BY AMERICANS</p></div> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>Beulah M. Dix’s ACROSS THE BORDER</b></p> - -<p>A play against war, showing in four scenes, two “beyond -the border” of life, the adventures of a highly likable young -Lieutenant. He goes on a desperate mission, finds The Place -of Quiet and The Dream Girl, as well as The Place of Winds, -where he learns the real nature of War, and finally in a field -hospital tries to deliver his message. With 2 illustrations. -80 cents net.</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>New York Tribune</i>: “One of the few pleas for peace that touch both -the heart and the intelligence.... Its remarkable blending of stark -realism with extravagant fancy strikes home.... It is well nigh -impossible to rid one’s mind of its stirring effect.”</p> - -<p class="smaller"><i>New York Times</i>: “Impressive, elaborate and ambitious.... A -voice raised in the theater against the monstrous horror and infamy of -war.... The Junior Lieutenant has in him just a touch of ‘The -Brushwood Boy.’”</p> - -<p>Of the author’s “<span class="smcap">Allison’s Lad</span>” and other one-act plays -of various wars ($1.35 net), <i>The Transcript</i> said, “The technical -mastery of Miss Dix is great, but her spiritual mastery -is greater. For this book lives in the memory.”</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>Percival L. Wilde’s DAWN and Other One-Act Plays</b></p> - -<p>“Short, sharp and decisive” episodes of contemporary life. -Notable for force, interest and at times humor. $1.20 net.</p> - -<p>DAWN, a tense episode in the hut of a brutal miner, with -a supernatural climax. THE NOBLE LORD, a comedy -about a lady, who angled with herself as bait. THE -TRAITOR is discovered by a ruse of a British commanding -officer. A HOUSE OF CARDS, about a closed door, -and what was on the other side—tragic. PLAYING WITH -FIRE, a comedy about the devotion of a boy and girl. THE -FINGER OF GOD points the way to an ex-criminal by -means of a girl he had never seen before.</p> - -<p class="center no-indent"><b>Lily A. Long’s RADISSON: <i>The Voyageur</i></b></p> - -<p>A highly picturesque play in four acts and in verse. The -central figures are Radisson the redoubtable voyageur who -explored the Upper Mississippi, his brother-in-law Groseilliers, -Owera the daughter of an Indian chief, and various -other Indians. The daring resource of the two white men in -the face of imminent peril, the pathetic love of Owera, and -above all, the vivid pictures of Indian life, the women grinding -corn, the council, dances, feasting and famine are notable -features, and over it all is a somewhat unusual feeling for -the moods of nature which closely follow those of the people -involved. $1.00 net.</p> - -<p class="center no-indent">HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY<br /> -PUBLISHERS NEW YORK</p></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="adblock"><div class="chapter"> -<p class="center no-indent">“<i>THE CHEERIEST, HAPPIEST BOOKS</i>”</p></div> - -<p class="center no-indent">By JULIE M. 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