With Those Who Wait

eeted with curious enthusiasm, and those who did not have a field glass handy at the time, later on satisfied their

to the bombs dropped by the enemy, but to the number of colds and cases of pneumonia and bronchitis caught by the p

ho lives in an apartment house near the Avenue du Bois. We were enjoying an impromptu concert of chamber music, when t

ry commotion, save for an old Portuguese lady and her daughter who lost their he

ind, had slipped on an outer garment, grabbed the first thing she laid her hands o

shriek, and still holding her bottle of tooth wash in her ha

empty, had started towards the lower floors, crossing th

ns that neither followed, and for a full ten minutes mother and daughter raced

on them and finally united the two exhausted creatures

die-let us d

signal was given, and this cellar where the electric lamps burned brightly soon took on the aspect of a drawing-room, in spite of all. One lone man, however, stood disconsolate, literally suffoca

ce over the assembled group, broade

got my night sh

nversation presently became bright a

ital, finally jesting about the latest restrictions. One lady told the story of a friend who engaged a maid, on her looks

yet experienced, she found the girl staring at a whole pile of plates-ten or a do

ame indignan

ont, she'd see worse than tha

ou understand, and what's more neither y

lace was in a hospital at Verdun, as

cut short by the so

. It will soon be over now," a

champagne bottle, and another

ore a decoration, ap

pting, but do any of you know the exact dept

however, did not seem to satisfy the old fel

I were you. There's absol

that are causing me such concern. I thought once that I'd box them all up and bring them down here. But you never can tell what dampness or change of temperature

ing to mount the stairs, the old man accosted the officers anew, ask

to what use you wi

can't send them to storage, they wouldn't be any safer there, and even i

ersons after a theatre or an ordinary reception. But once in the street, it was absolutely useles

they fall?

accompanied by shouts of recognition, even ripples of laughter, seemed stran

geants-de-ville, at their wits' end. "Better go

situation became less humorous. One began to get accust

ire, we were both plun

"Do you hear the pomp

d. The trumpets sounded shrilly on the ni

ed until I finished my chapter, hang them! There's no elect

we prepared to descend. In the cour

uilt, was at once commandeered as refuge for one hundred persons in case of bomba

ry up, I say," calls

but now of the Service Auxiliare, and on whom devolved the pol

ong, yawning from having been awakened in their first sleep, and almost all

y livens their gait, and they hurry into t

other stentorian voice, belonging t

d trebles. "Très bien, très bien. Foll

ther and still shriller e

w. Don't ge

s exc

u a

s I to be an Archbishop," sneered the butcher's wife. "

ed Monsieur Leddin, who never reopened his mouth during the entire evening, so that one could not tel

ches, and a few chairs provided for the purpose, some per

loured woollen dressing gown, covered over with a shawl or a cape, all the attire showi

ut dimly lighted the groups which we

ed about him by flattening his thin white hand against his breast. The whole scene seemed almost biblical, and instantly my mind evoked Rembrandt's masterpi

oken when an instant later m

ing down the 'Petit Pa

rather distant explosion gave us reason to

f hours ahead of us, just like last time. You'll see! Much better to ma

nued to slumber on their mothers' knees, or on improvised cots

gularly in spite of their efforts not to doze off, and each time, surpris

em were almost elegant in their grey linen covers. Others had seen better days, while still others dated back to the good old times of needlework tapestry. There were car

France amid such a gathering

ere is that handful of stocks and bonds, thanks to which their concierge bows to them with respect; those earnings that permit one to fall ill, to face old age and death without apprehension, the assurance the children shall want for nothing, shall have a proper education-the certitude that the two little rooms occupied can really be called home; that the furniture so carefully wa

e so tightly, and I couldn't help feeling that gigantic convulsive gesture of thousands of other women, who all over the

oise that roused my sleeping companions. The c

l," commented Monsieu

nd see where the bomb had fallen. The

to his knee, and that sleepy little Parisian urchin

hat was a

andsire. "Never, never forget the monsters who troub

winks?" and then turning to his mother, "I say, mamma, if one of them lands on our house, you promise y

rse, but go to sleep,

over in one corner openly

far better not waste their time, and let us sleep. It isn't a bit funny

s, and demanded in trembling voices if there was an

d the ladies' permission to smoke, the

rought down another lamp and my work.

g. You don't need

id you get wool?

s lips now rose a lou

essed of all the charms," g

feel that you've got him safe at home till the end of the war. I don'

e front?" hissed so

s-w

ere. The fat old plumber who lived on the rue d

hundred and three medical insp

sband is overstrong

Madame, how

Leddin's fate was hanging in the

sleep if we can't. We've all got to work to-morr

those fiendish women. Why they're worse than we are about the slackers. After all, I keep telling them

idedly,"

bject of conversation that I ha

s! The names of all the battles on all the Fronts and the dates. It makes me dizzy! I'm glad i

ly helped to make history, having left his right foot

was getting along

as a rabbit. Why, I used to be too heavy, I always fell asleep after luncheon. That ca

it?" and he coughed loudly to tho

! I was ready for war, and I

t gets here," mur

EADING TO MADAM

d, evidently pursuing a favourite theme. "And we'll

firm faith in the imm

t will follow the war will be terrible," he prophesies. "The French must come to the fore wit

ly drinking

seen the sign that I

cqui

hat sign that o

red the above mentioned sign. It had puzzled and amused me

IONAL

ving their

nd wearing

r the righ

one tan;

almost

or exchang

o the left

ity and in l

t; "I suppose it's about equal. Well, my plan is just this. As soon as there's peace I'm going to set up shop on the rue St. Antoine, or the Place de

g to sell out, and with the money, your pension, and what we've saved up, we'll go out to the Parc St. Maur, buy a littl

conomical

hose who had a right foot all wanted tan shoes, and those who had a left couldn't stand anyth

at his wife

it seems to me we've been down here

ut could not find him. The Rembran

stood near the door informed us

as Ge

ded the mother. "Can you just see something happeni

two other men s

dmonished managed to crawl from beneat

at my name is," screamed the excited wo

took our way towards the hall

back to the entran

wounded. The police won't let you go near. There'

ooking f

ff with

ronger than that of self preservation. Many a soldier has told

en started towa

way of excuse. "You're really quite safe beneath t

ined below but a few old women, a couple of very small chi

heir children. The old ladies a

t fin

ne could hear them cal

ht, Madam

ht, Madam

t for

won

next

t, till n

oman appr

" she begged with big wistful eyes. "The stairway is so dark and s

t thinking of leaving your

. Not yet," and she smiled. "It

r wh

ucien and I got married after the war began. It was all done so quickly that I didn't have any trousseau or wedding presents. I'm earning quite

at the

so handsome! See, here's his photograph. He isn't too awfully ugly, is he? Anyway I don't love him a bit less