The Forrest City times., 1898-05-20
THE CHILD SPY

Ills name was Stenne; little Stenne.
they called him. He was a gamin
u Paris, pale and thin, who might have
peen 10 years old, perhaps Is; one can
never tell the age of these children.
His mother was dead; his father, an old
soldier, patrolled square in the
neighborhood of the Temple. Babies,
nurses, old women, all those helpless
persons who ran the risk of being
trampled on in the crowded streets,
knew Pere Stenne, and loved him, too.
They knew that that fierce mustache,
the terror of dogs and pickpockets, con-
cealed lips that could smile, and that to
provoke that smile one had only to say:
How is your little boy to-day?"
And how he loved that little bov!
How proud he was when in the evening
the little fellow came to join him aud
the two made the rounds together,
greeting everyone they met.
With the siege, everything was
changed. Pere Stenne's square was
closed to the public. He was COM
PEELED to keep constant lookout, with
out his pipe or his son. When he spoke
Of the Prussians his mustache was
sight to see. Little Stenne did not find
the new life so disagreeable, however
A siege! That meant fun for gamins.
No school, no duties; vacation all the
time, and the streets as lively as on
gala days. The boy stayed out of doors,
running about until night. He fol-
lowed the detachments of troops to
the Notifications, choosing those which
had good music; he was very particu-
lar on that point. At other times he
watched them at their drill.
The most interesting of all, though,
were the games of chance the Breton
troops made popular at this time.
When little Stenne was not at the ram
parts or at the shops you would be
sure to find him watching crowd play
galoche at the Place du Chateau d'Eau.
lie never played it; it took too much
money. He contented himself with
watching the others, and with such ex-
preston! One in particular, a great
fellow with blue coat, who staked
only 10o-sou pieces, excited his admira-
ton. hA "A
One day, as little Stenne was stoop-
ing down to pick up piece which had
rolled under his feet, the fellow said, in
low voice:
That makes you squint, hey? Well
IL you want me to, will tell you where
TO get plenty of them
Ihe offer was accepted, and, leading
olenne aside, he asked the boy to go
with him to sell French newspapers to
"e russians, adding that they could
make 30 francs trip. Stenne indig-
hantly refused, and. for three days he
remained away from the place. Three
dreadful days; he could neither eat nor
Aeep. AT night he seemed to see the
PIE OF galoches at the foot of his bed.
ana the 1O0-sou pieces cleaning in the
iaiht hight. The temptation proved too
s'rong. The fourth day he returned
70 The gaming place, saw the big fel
iow. and agreed to go with him.
lhey set out one snowy morning with
SACKS on their shoulders, and the pa
pers hidden under their jackets. When
"iey reached the Flanders gate it was
sSoareely daylight. The large boy took
n''le stenne's hand, and, approaching
.ne guard, who had a red nose and
Ainuly manner, he said, in whining
eohe: Please let us pass, kind sir.
our mother is sick and our father is
oead' We are going to see if we can
ma some potatoes in the field outside"
eonfusedly, as in dream, little
o'ehne saw the factories transformed
.n'o barracks, the tall chimneys, pierre
ing 'he fog, partially broken off. From
''ine TO time they came upon sentinels,
oilcers who were securing the horizon
win held glasses. and little tents, wet
W. wi'h snow, standing before dying fires.
Inc large boy knew the way, and went
across the fields, being careful to avoid
'ne military outposts. Notwithstand-
Hg ms precautions, they suddenly
same upon a squad of rihemen. The
uoops were partly hidden in a ditch
- which bordered the scissors railroad.
ms time they were not allowed TO
pIss so readily, though the large boy
so'u ms story in the most pathetic man
& While he was weeping. an old,
"n.e-haired sergeant came out of one
he little tents and said:
Dont cry. little fellow: we will let
~ 80 to hunt for your potatoes. But