Petersburg High School - Missile Yearbook (Petersburg, VA)

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6 The Missile But that night as she took the train for Hulluck, the place where the German was last seen, there was no trace of hesitation or fear in her. She had given her word. Her father’s life was at stake, and she must succeed. But sup- pose she failed ! No, she must not. These were the thoughts that tormented her brain as the train sped along. Suddenly she was aroused from her meditations by the guard opening the door of her compartment. “Vacate instantly for the army,” he commanded. “But I must go on,” she argued. ’ The man never answered, but began to remove her grips. She followed him and was in a few minutes outside where many others stood, awed to silence by the long line in gray. The girl stood for an instant like one stunned; then she in- quired of a porter the way to an inn. Yes, Mademoiselle would find one very near. Could he take her grips? Certainly. At last they came to a dingy little place, but the girl was too worn to seek for a better one. Once inside she was forced to wait before she could obtain a suite, and was told that no one would be able to get a train that week as they would be used for army trans- portation only. “A week? Why it can’t be,” she cried. “I must leave tomorrow.” “Mademoiselle is not patriotic,” a man at her side in- formed her. She vouchsafed no reply; but only glared at him and moved away. “Mademoiselle will not lack attention,” said the same one coming over to her. “How dare you,” she exclaimed, ready to cry with anger. She looked at him again, then gasped and turned her head, for before her stood Baron de Varion’s secretary. “Shall I take your grip?” he inquired, trying to take it out of her hand. “Sir, I demand” once more he tried. But just then a fist shot forward and Guillaum Montignac landed un- der a table several feet away. Immediately the inn was in

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The Missile 5 m(e Boicp 99iti;tn ADEMOISELLE de Lannay, entice the Ger- man into a place where we can capture him, and your father will be freed immediately.” “But, Monsieur, don’t you see that that is impossible for me to do?” pleaded the girl, rising and going to the table at which the Baron de iVarion sat. He shrugged, gesticulated, but never looked up, and pushed the electric button at his elbow. The secretary came in almost immediately. “You have drawn up the document, Montignac?” For an answer the man handed de Varion a paper with the official seal in one corner. He looked up significantly at the girl beside him and reached for his pen. “Oh!” she gasped and stumbled to the window, but her agony brought nothing but a smile from the man at the desk as he began to sign the paper. “Stop,” cried the girl, “I yield.” She seized the half signed death warrant from the hands of the man. “Ah! Mademoiselle is reasonable at last. Mademoiselle will not be sorry she did this,” grinned the now elated Gov- ernor of Castle, rising and bowing to the girl. “Baron de Varion, I want no thanks from you. I yield only to save the. life of my father,” exclaimed the girl, her magnificent eyes glittering like live coals. Baron de Varion bit his lips and bowed. It was hard for him to keep his temper when crossed; and this girl — ah, how she reminded him of her father, the man he hated ! “I suppose I am still to have the time agreed upon,” ex- claimed the girl. “Most assuredly,” confirmed the Baron. “Very well, I shall leave at seven,” replied the girl, and went out shuddering as she passed the man who had caused her so much misery. No longer was she the care-free girl she had been three weeks before when the great war began, but a woman crushed by the deeds she must needs do.

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The MissHiE 7 an uproar. However, at a signal from the man who had protected her, the offending parties were put out by guards who seemed to spring from the floor, so quickly did they come at their leader’s bidding. The girl turned to thank her rescuer and fell back a few feet. “You!” she cried. For she beheld before her Horace von Mettre, a man whom she had met while visiting in Germany a year before. “Mademoiselle de Lannay,” he exclaimed. “I am most fortunate.” Just then one of the guards came in and motioned to von Mettre. The girl turned away, but could not help hear- ing a part of the conversation between the two men. “Captain, M. de Varion, the Baron, has at last found some one who will help him capture you — a poor girl whose father’s life is the penalty she pays for failure. Perhaps,” — he gazed suspiciously at Mademoiselle de Lannay. The woman staggered and steadied herself by a chair. He the man she must betray into Varion ’s clutches! Oh, what next? She must be alone or she must scream! Von Mettre came back to her side. “We will go to your suite. I have something to tell you.” “Well,” he said, a little later, “I suppose you heard Franz’s speeches.” “I could not help it,” she answe red. “It is something which may or may not interest you now, but there was a time when we were good friends.” He smiled at her whimsically. “I am absolutely safe from M. de Varion, for he is my father.” “Your father?” He nodded and went on. “I have never lived with him on account of the way in which he treated my mother. I have always been called Von Mettre and have hated France but loved Germany, for my mother was of that country. “Then I met you and I began to feel anew the anger against my father who had made me ashamed of the coun- try which I should have loved. But by then I had reached