Diary of Annie's War Read Online Free

said she could hear men talking on the Harlainsen road. We came to the conclusion that they had gone there.
    We telephoned the police and a reply came that the officer would come up in a short time. It was just a quarter to two when Emily awoke us and the officer got there at three. We were very disappointed to find it was a stranger. The officer we had over the telephone affair was a far smarter man.
    The new officer heard our tale and said that he would cycle around and come again early in the daylight. He had the impression that it had been a few men out of the village. It was the reason that the dogs did not bark. That was a strange affair. I cannot yet understand it. Arthur had bought an English Retriever, a very well bred animal, and he was asleep in Arthur’s room. In the farmyard was Dolar, a very good watchdog of Steinoff’s, and by our door was Valder in his kennel. Not one of our animals had barked. It was only when the noise was over that we thought of them. They had to be brought out of their kennels. Lord, in the house, quietly walked about but never seemed to really waken up. It was a thing that surprised us all.
    When we were quiet enough for a talk it seemed that both Emily and Marjorie had seen the men come in the garden. Emily said she had been awakened by a loud crash. She got up and went to the window to look out. She saw two or three men by the private gate and when they found it locked they went to the gate leading into the farmyard. This they placed open and then went to the little garden gate leading to our house from the farmyard. We had put a spring on this door so it would close. They then carefully unhooked the spring. One went to the door and commenced to bang on it and the two others commenced to throw stones at the windows.
    We gathered over sixty stones the next morning and a few had gone through the window into the room where they first attacked. They had not cared to face the revolver and had soon cleared off. It was strange, but I had never really felt afraid. I think it is only when you are not sure of danger that you get nervous. I had felt much more nervous on the Wednesday when war was declared than I did when the men were smashing the windows. I knew this night what we had to face. I felt there was danger unknown.
    As soon as the firing and stone throwing ceased I laughed to myself. It was the picture we made. Emily, the children and I were all standing in Arthur’s room in our nightgowns and bare feet. Johanna ditto but she had put a dress on. Arthur and Herr Steffen had been in nightshirts and socks when running about with a gun and a revolver. It was a little funny to me. But no one else saw that side of the picture. I do not mean the occasion was a thing to laugh at. It was the figures we cut that made me laugh.
    The children were terrified and it was a long time before they forgot it. One day they presented us with a piece of poetry they had written about the night. I am sorry it was put on the fire.
    The police never found the men but I do not think it is any one out of our village. We heard afterwards that the same thing happened the first week of the war to a couple living in Bad Salzdetfurth. The shock had killed the wife of the man. They were French people but he had been naturalised a German and had been in the employ of the railway for over seventeen years. All their windows were broken in the night but the police never found the persons. And that house stood on a street. We came to the conclusion that the people came either from Sehlem or Salzdetfurth, two villages four and six miles away, but it is only our opinion. We never went to bed without the men having loaded guns.
    After this we were very quiet and very busy for the fruit was ripe. We could not hire help to get it in.
    Herr Steffen’s niece came the Monday following and stayed two weeks so we were very merry once more. The three young people in the house kept us alive.
    The three children did a deal