otism, and, her
husband applying the match, she takes fire--she also, from the story of
the trench_.

_He_. This must be the place.

_She_. It is nothing but a ditch filled with flowers.

_He_. The old trench. (_Takes off his hat_.)

_She_. Was it--it was--in the Great War?

_He_. My dear!

_She_. You're horrified. But I really--don't know.

_He_. Don't know? You must.

_She_. You've gone and married a person who hasn't a glimmer of history.
What will you do about it?

_He_. I'll be brave and stick to my bargain. Do you mean that you've
forgotten the charge of the Blank_th_ Americans against the Prussian
Guard? The charge that practically ended the war?

_She_. Ended the war? How could one charge end the war?

_He_. There was fighting after. But the last critical battle was here
(_looks about_) in these meadows, and for miles along. And it was just
here that the Blank_th_ United States Regiment made its historic dash.
In that ditch--filled with flowers--a hundred of our lads were mown down
in three minutes. About two thousand more followed them to death.

_She_. Oh--I do know. It was _that_ charge. I learned about it in
school; it thrilled me always.

_He_. Certainly. Every American child knows the story. I memorized the
list of the one hundred soldiers' names of my own free will when I was
ten. I can say them now. "Arnold--Ashe--Bennett--Emmet--Dragmore--"

_She_. Don't say the rest, Ted--tell me about it as it happened. (_She
slips her hand into his_.) We two, standing here young and happy,
looking forward to a, lifetime together, will do honor, that way, to
those soldiers who gave up their happy youth and their lives for
America.

_He_. (_Puts his arm around her_.) We will. We'll make a little memorial
service and I'll preach a sermon about how gloriously they fell and how,
unknowingly, they won the war--and so much more!

_She_. Tell me.

_He_. It was a hundred years ago about now--summer. A critical battle
raged along a stretch of many miles. About the centre of the
line--here--the Prussian Imperial Guards, the crack soldiers of the
German army, held the first trench--this ditch. American forces faced
them, but in weeks of fighting had not been able to make much
impression. Then, on a day, the order came down the lines that the
Blank_th_ United States Regiment, opposed to the Guard, was to charge
and take the German front trench. Of course the artillery was to prepare
for their charge as usua