The Children of France Part 14

"There were, of course, many army secrets of which Captain Grivelet never spoke. He, too, was a patriot, you see, as he should be. Having asked permission to store some of his personal equipment in the Padre's cellar, they thought nothing of his going down there frequently. Now and then Marie was certain she heard him talking to some one down there.

"One day, after the Prussians had pushed the French back close to the village--this was before the Germans took the village, you understand--Captain Grivelet had a talk with Marie.

"'Marie, knowing that you are French in your heart and soul, I shall confide certain secrets to you. Are you willing to serve your country?'

"'Yes, monsieur le Capitaine. Always, and with my life, if necessary.'

"'Bravely spoken. You may do as your judgment dictates about repeating what I shall tell you to the Padre, your uncle. But for the sake of his safety I should advise that you keep your own secrets. Such secrecy will not bring dishonor upon you, for it is in behalf of your country.'

"'I understand, monsieur. You may trust Marie. She is a loyal French girl and will continue to be so no matter what comes.'

"The captain nodded approvingly.

"'Whether or not we shall be able to hold our lines here seems doubtful. At least we fear the Prussians, in large force as they are, may temporarily drive us back. But it will not be for long. We shall recover our ground. Even now we are entrenching ourselves to the rear.

When that time comes, Marie, you and the Padre will be in peril, for the French probably will have to sh.e.l.l the village. We hope it may not come to that. What I would ask you is, do you and your uncle wish to go to the rear while there is yet time, so you may be safe?'

"'There is reason for believing, monsieur le Capitaine, that Marie may be of use to her beloved France here?' she questioned.

"'Yes; that is what I would say.'

"'It is not necessary to ask, monsieur.'

"'You will understand that it is better that I do not speak to the Padre, your uncle. You may do so, and you will the better be able to judge how to speak to him, though as I already have advised, for the sake of his safety he should not be involved. You will not be afraid, Marie?'

"'No, monsieur.'

"'It is well. You have seen me go to the cellar, many times, where I store my equipment. This equipment I shall remove today, but in the cellar you will find--'

"At this instant a sh.e.l.l landed in the street and exploded with a roar. It was followed by other sh.e.l.ls that swept on to the rear and fell beyond the village. A bugle somewhere down the street blew insistently. The captain sprang to his feet.

"'Marie, I shall see you later. I am called. You will be prudent and be careful of your life?'

"'Yes, monsieur.'

"The captain hurried out and that was the last the brave little French girl heard of him for some time afterward. All day the battle raged and sh.e.l.ls fell in the village, many times the Padre's house being showered with bursting shrapnel and sh.e.l.l splinters. It was a stout little stone house and withstood this storm of steel, save as now and then a splinter from a sh.e.l.l tore through the blinds and imbedded itself in the wall.

"In the meantime Marie had gone out, unmindful of the danger, to fetch her uncle home. The Padre was in his church, but Marie made him come home. Reaching there, she said:

"'My uncle, the Germans may come and we shall be in their power. Is it your wish to remain here or to go to the rear where you will be safe?'

"'I shall remain here, my child. Perhaps it would be well for you to go to the rear and be under the protection of the French, for the Prussians are beasts!'

"'With your permission, my uncle, I shall stay here with you. I shall not leave you.'

"It is well. If the Prussians come I shall speak with them, and perhaps they will leave the Padre and his niece to themselves. But they shall not make us Prussians; we shall still be loyal to our beloved France.'

"'Yes, uncle, but it will be well that you have a care as to what you say and do. Please heed what Marie says, for she knows whereof she speaks.'

"All that day the battle raged and the Padre and Marie remained in their home, except now and then when the child went out to watch the progress of the battle, for their house was on high ground commanding an excellent view of the battlefield. The field, however, was so covered with smoke that few of the details of what was going on out there were observable.

"With darkness the battle still continued. Later on there was rifle fire in the street, and, acting upon the Padre's suggestion, uncle and niece took refuge in their cellar, for the bullets were beginning to spatter on the walls within the house.

"It was near daylight when the firing died down, whereupon the Padre and Marie came upstairs and went to bed for a few hours' sleep.

"They were rudely awakened by a violent pounding on the door. It was Marie who sprang up at the sound and who opened the door. Confronting her was a German soldier, armed with a rifle. The girl did not quail.

"'Is this the Padre's home?' he demanded gruffly.

"'It is.'

"'The Prussians are now in control of this village and the inhabitants will govern themselves accordingly. We shall search your house. Then, if you behave yourselves, you will be permitted to remain here and to go out in the daytime, as usual. All food that is asked for by the soldiers shall be given to them without question, but any attempt to communicate with the enemy, the slightest disobedience of the orders of the commander, will be punished by death.'

"The soldier beckoned to several other soldiers who were in the background and ordered them to search the house. This they did with thoroughness. Marie had forgotten about the equipment of Captain Grivelet in the cellar, but it was brought home to her with a shock when the searchers came up bearing the stuff the French officer had left. The soldier in charge eyed the Padre and his niece sternly. He demanded to know to whom this equipment belonged.

"Marie very frankly told him that an officer had requested permission to leave the equipment there, and had slept in the house. Beyond that she knew nothing, nor did she know what his luggage contained.

"'I shall report this to my commander. I know not what he will do, but giving aid to the enemy is a serious matter,' he warned. Then the soldiers went away. That day neither the Padre nor Marie left the house. Late in the afternoon an officer entered and questioned them sharply, finally leaving, apparently satisfied with their answers. The two were not disturbed again.

"Next day the Padre went to his church and Marie went out to do her marketing. She was unmolested, though soldiers frequently spoke to her jokingly, to all of which she smiled and made some bright reply.

"That night as she sat thinking in her room in the dark, her conversation with Captain Grivelet suddenly came back to her. He had been about to tell her something of importance, something that he wished her to do for her people.

"'The cellar!' exclaimed the child.

"s.n.a.t.c.hing up a candle, she hurried below and holding the light above her head, surveyed the low-ceilinged cellar keenly.

"'I see nothing,' murmured the girl. 'But surely there is something here. It could not have been in the equipment that the Germans carried away with them, for they searched the Captain's belongings and found nothing. That I plainly saw with my own eyes.'

"Marie gave up her quest and, returning to her room, went to bed. The greater part of the night she lay awake, disturbed now and then by vollies of rifle shots, which she interpreted with a shudder. Some of her neighbors were meeting a terrible fate, a fate that yet might be hers or her uncle's, or both.

"On the following morning, after a soldier had visited their home and again searched it, Marie, still troubled by her failure to find that which the French captain had started to confide in her, locked the door after the Padre's departure for his church, and once more went to the cellar.

"This time her search was thorough, but she discovered nothing.

Sitting down in the middle of the cellar, with her candle placed on the floor at one side, she gazed about her. A shadow cast by the candlelight on the cellar wall seemed to make it appear that one of the stones projected outward further than the others.

"Marie got up to examine the stone. Closer examination verified this surmise. She uttered a little exclamation when, upon taking hold of the stone, it moved. Marie pulled and the stone came out easily.

"'Oh!' cried the child.

"There, before her eyes, tucked into the opening, was a telephone. The child stared at it with wide open eyes. This, plainly, was what the French captain wished to tell her about when he was interrupted by the bugle summons and called away to a service from which he did not return. But what was it that he wished her to do with the telephone?

"'I have it!' she cried exultingly. 'It was that he wished the little Marie to tell him what the Prussians were doing. At last the way is opened for her to serve her country. But--' The child, with a wisdom beyond her years, knew what the penalty would be if she were discovered. 'I care not. If I shall have served my France I can die with a brave heart!'

"Taking the telephone in her hands--hands that did not even tremble, Marie called a soft 'h.e.l.lo!' There was no response. Again and again she tried, but without result. Finally the child gave it up and went back upstairs.

"The thought of the telephone drew her again to the cellar. Again she called her soft 'h.e.l.lo.'

"The answer came back in French with a suddenness that nearly caused her to drop the telephone.