Wells High School - Crimson and Gray Yearbook (Southbridge, MA)

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Love ' s Sacrifice. On the 4th of August 1914, he German army crossed the ilgian frontier, scarcely a sy hsd elapsed before the Blgiana ceme from every corner f the country to swell the snks of the army. The king Saeed himself at the head of ze army in the field. The old an, women, and children took aeir bewildered flight to the la of the Belgian army. For sys, like huge birds of prey, sroplanes hovered over the city. a the 19th, the Germans ar- Lved in considerable force and imedietely the siege began. Marguerite Delvaux, a besu- Lful, lovable girl of twenty immers, was industriously pro ding the evening meal for a father, four brothers, and l valid mother. Suddenly, ' the use was surrounded by thirty - Lx husky ' German soxdie ' rs. le father and the other two ns were driven before the •oops and finally shot for jf using to salute the German .ag. The mother was dragged •om her bed and pierced with bayonet, before her daugh- sr ' s eyes. The daughter, .most mad with fright, in ppany with many other girls ] the village, was. made to irround the Germans to save iose devilish beings from the .re of the Belgians guns. ie hundred inhabitants were id. to a meadow where they urere lied either by rifle or bay- tet. Almost miraculously, irguerite Delvaux escaped ■om the Germans and hid in ie cellar of a ruined chateau. ; was here that she was found ie next day by an old Belgian i man who took Marguerite to tr little cottage which had o ed ruin. For days, the for revenge was so strong he ri that she dared J.st herself. The picture of her mother ' s death was branded on her heart forever. On the 12st of August, the town was again raided and hardly a house was left standing. At six o ' clock in the evening, the women and children of the village were lined up against a wall and imme- diately the firing-squad received the order to fire. Dead and wounded fell in confusion. For greater certainty, the Germans fired again into the heap of bodies. Eouever, a few victims had escaped. At nightfall they fled to the hills. There, these people, among whom liarguerite Delavux, fell in with the French army. In the nearby town of Malonne, she, with the help of many other women refugees, started a hospital in a large forsaken chateau,. Before this hospital was entirely completed, a terrific battle occurr- ed only twenty miles away. For days, the wounded bodieswere brought in un- ceasingly. There were not beds enough for all, L and some of the soldiers, less seriously hurt than others, were placed in rows on the floor. liarguerite Delvaux was f girl of strong passions. She could hate but she could also lovt She loved right and would have given her. own life to defend it. Among the wounded brought in during those first days weta Carton de Mares. He was extremely good- lookong and at once de a place in liarguerite (a heart. There had never been any one in all thw twenty years of her life whom she loved as she did this man. His wound was severe and, after weeks had elapsed, he showed no signs of improvement. One night when sll was still in Marguerite ' s ward she sat down by Carton ' s bed. His face was burning with fever and, although his eyes were closed and his mouth firmly set, from the expression on his face he was suffering. Marguerite had learned something tbout this man from one of the other nurses. He was a Frenchman by birth but his mother w- s e German noble-woman. He was

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Love ' s Sacrifice. Continued, ghly educated and had s ent much his life in Oermany Ho one had e least suspicion, however, that was not fighting heart and soul r ?rance. As the moments passed, his fevey emed to increase. He began to Ik of home. He seemed to think s mother was beside him and, ex- ding his band toward Marguerite, clasped it in both of hers, he q her this story .- Hot her, I e tried to do what you told rae. Dined the rench army and was 8 aide-de-oamp to General Augner, gave me the plan of Battle ycu ted, mother, to carry to a en- 1 in Antwerp. To avoid sus- ion, I fell in with the ; ;i rench ops going in that direction. ' i came the battle and I am here the hospital in danger of losing left arm, and oh, how faint I 11 At thie point, he caught breath and with s struggle tinned: Mother, here are the ns. They are--, oh dear. ' Can ' t find them? They are hrre--, e in my kit just under the — . ' ' e his Tins closed tightly and dozer again . Marguerite, almost sub-. sciously grabbed his kit from floor near his bed and opened or nearly an hour she trehed, and then she found the i.:-. for the next month ' s oaa- m in the most minute details, ilfully concealed in a oake of )« ' or a moment, the .hole world amed wl irling around her. he feohed the kit wildly. Then wh:- still, .hen Bhe open eyes, th« sun whs shining ?htly and she was in bed with tree so ted beside her. She ?ted ..here were the papers? f% -s Carton? ..hat day v In s-ite of all remonstfanoss, mnle of days later, she dressed went to Carton ' bed side. Re was such tetter and, as she entered, he was carefully going over his kit. In a moment she realized that something must be done. Ilia fever of a few nights beforehand left him so suddenly that by another week he could surely leave the hospital liar guer it© also realised that she was the only one who knew about his secret Although she loved Carton, she loved her country more. Because of her nervous break- down, she was under strict orders not to work for at least a week She spent much of this time with Carton At the very thought she must betray him, she writhed in pain . he could not force her- self to forget that he was a spy and a traitor to France. Should she, for the ske of her lover, sacrifice the hueb md lovers of all the soman of ' ranee and Belgium Honor and right at last pre- vailed, although the test was hard. The night for her ts decide came at last ..he ne: t dag he would leave the hospital ' he could not see him shot, :he world need not know. Carton was more wonderful than ever that night. Marguerite talked to him softly for a long time. Eaoto smile, each word, made the torture harderto bear Ihe moon rose and shed its silvery light through the small windo.. on the handsome, motionless figure of Carton de Mares uerite had mixed a vial ofopium with his can of hot chocolate .-it a breaking heart she Hatched his life go out, she clasped his hand to her heart, and then stooped, she kissed him rently -and went out in the night, he had sacrificed her all for Prance, and the world nedd never know. . . B. »1S .