The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-23

The little fellow seems to be freezing"
Alas! 1t was fear and shame, instead of
cold, that made little Stenne tremble.
They were given coffee and bread and
then they went on again.
At last, beyond the bare fields they saw
long wall, pierced with loopholes. They
went on toward it, pausing often to seem
TO be picking up potatoes.
''Let us go back, let US go back" begged
little Stenne. The other shrugged his
shoulders and hurried on. Suddenly they
heard the click of a gun.
"Lie down." said the boy, and threw
himself upon the ground. Then he
whistled. Another whistle answered him.
At breach in the wall appeared two
yellow mustaches under q greasy wooden
cap. The big boy went up to the Prussian
and said, This is my brother"
Stenne looked so little that the Prussian
laughed and picked him up in his arms to
lift him over the wall.
On the other side were trenches, fallen
trees and black holes in the snow. and in
/ each hole the same greasy cap, the same
yellow mustaches, which grinned at sight
of the children. In corner gardeners
trees. Inside were soldiers, play
| bright fire. The food had a savory smell.
| How different from the camps beyond !!
! Here were the officers. You could hear chem
playing the piano. drinking champagne.
When the Parisians came in they shouted.
They took the papers. All the officers had
fierce and wicked air, but the big boy
amused them with his chat. They laughed,
repeating the words after him, and rolling
| under their tongues the bits of news from
Paris. Little Stenne wished to talk, too,
to show that he was not stupid, but some
thing stopped him. Before him sat alone
Prussian older and grayer than the
others, who only pretended to read watch
ing the boy. His eyes bore look of ten
derness and of reproach, as if that man
| had left at home boy of the same age as
little Stenne. Finally he said: 81 had
rather be killed than to see my son do a
dishonorable thing"
At this moment Stenne had a feeling as
if a hand had clutched his heart. Toquiet
the pain he took dHnk. Soon everything
whirled about him; he heard vaguely in
the midst of great laughter his comrade
mimicking the National Guard at their
drill, the sentinels guarding the ramparts
at night. The wretch even went so far as
to give warning of the attack from the
outposts. At that little Stenne sprang up.
furious. mot that" he burst forth. Il
won't have It'll" Hut the other only
laughed and went on. When he had fin
ished all the officers rose, and one opened
the door for the children. "Begone!' be
said.
They went; the big boy proud as duke,
jingling his money. Stenne followed
hanging his head and when he passed the
Prussian who had looked at him before he
heard sad voice saying, Dirty work this,
dirty work!' And the tears ran down the
little boys cheeks.
Out on the plain again the children began
to run. Their bags were full of potatoes,
which the Prussians had given them, so
they passed the outposts without trouble.
The old sergeant of the morning remem-
bered them and smiled kindly. Oh, how
that smile hurt little Stenne. For a
moment he wanted to cry out, do not
make the attack down there, we have be-
| trayed you!' But his companion whis-
pered to him, "If you speak we shall be
shot," and fear kept him silent.
They divided the money IN deserted
house, and little Stenne crept home. The
| hand at his heart seemed stronger than
ever, and Paris seemed not the same as be-
fore. The word spy he heard in the sounds
OF the streets, in the beating of the boats
upon the canal.
/ He hurried to his room to hide the
money. Soon the father came, happy as a
1 king. The affairs of the country were
better; they were going to acquire new
provinces. All the time that he was eating
/ the old soldier looked at his gun hanging
against the wall, and he said to his son,
with great laugh: "Hurrah, boy! How
you would fight those Prussians if you
were big enough!"
Toward O'Clock they heard firing.
! sit is the guns of Aubervilliers-they