The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-03-24
BRAVE MARIE.

1t happened in 1870, which is still
spoken of as the terrible year" In Bots
le-Duo. The war between France and
Prussia had ragged all about them, but
not soldier had been seen In the tiny
village, for which the peasants daily
thanked their stars The old man who
lived alone with his son Charles in the
chateau above the town and who was
still known as "le due, though his title
had vanished with his estates long be-
fore, firmly believed that France was
on the road to ruin, but he scoffed at
the idea that the Prussians would ever
invade French territory
But one fine summer morning Bots
le-Duo was startled by the sound of
martial music, and body of Prussian
soldiers marched through the town. Up
the hill went the Prussians, and there,
before the chateau, the order to halt
was given. The old soldier had seen
their coming and had prepared, accord
ing to his own ideas, to receive them.
From an upper window waved the COL
ors of France, and as one of the Prus
sian officers started to enter the house
to learn the meaning of this hostile dis
play he was met by the old man, who
had dressed himself in his ancient uni.
form and stood, sword in hand, in the
center of the room.
"Ah Prussian pig" exclaimed he,
drawing his sword, draw and defend
yourself, or | will hew you down. No
Prussian ever yet entered my house, nor
shall while l live.
His brave words seemed almost ridic-
ulous when one looked at his white
locks and shaking hand. The Prussian
officer smiled at the thought of sword
combat with him and would probably
have withdrawn. leaving the old man
in peace, had not an overzealous soldier,
thinking that his officer was in danger,
rushed i'll and bayoneted the old man as
he stood.
The mistake was unfortunate, but the
Prussian command could not afford to
waste time over single dead French
man. The house was fired, the soldiers
marched on and by the time the rear
Of the column disappeared over the next
hill little but heap of smoking ashes
was left on the spot where the old cha
teau had stood.
But the boy Charles standing there
beside the ashes of his father, swore to
be reyenged upon the Prussians. From
that moment he was man.
On the afternoon of the day on which
the Prussians marched through Bois.le-
Duo Charles learned from the villagers
the whereabouts Of the nearest body of
French soldiers and set off to join them.
1t was soon discovered that the
strange, silent lad was a valuable men,
Der of the company on account of his
knowledge of woodcraft and his abso-
lutte fearlessness. Important scouting
duty was intrusted to him, and after a
time he became the captain Of the most
daring of all the bands of the franc
tireur His little company was con-
slant aggravation to the Prussians.
One afternoon, shortly after the sec
ond visit of the Prussians to Bois-le
Due, little Marie Duret was alone in
her parents cottage while they were at
work in the fields. Marie was a comedy
little maiden, dark eyed, nut brown
peasant girl, and though not dozen
summers had passed over her head she
was neat, thoroughgoing little house
wife. Although her home stood quite
apart from the other cottages and not
far from the great forest, so that it
could scarcely be called part of Bots
le-Duo at all Marie had become so ac-
customed to playing the mistress for d
whole day at time that she did not in
the least mind the loneliness.
Today she had set the house in order,
had swept the floor and had piled beside
the large brick oven heap of fagots
against the morrow's baking. All her
tasks completed. Marie took possession
Vt low chair and began sedately to
amuse herself with a large rag doll. her
one playmate and inseparable compan-
ion.
Now, it happened that ON this very
morning Captain Charles, the franc
tireur, having gone out on a reconnoi-
tering expedition, had been cut off from
his men by half a dozen Prussian oaval-
rymen and had TO run for his life. The
Duret cottage was the only one near
him, and SO while Marie sat talking to
her doll the door was suddenly burst
open and the soldier rushed in Marie
knew at once that it was Captain
Charles, for she had often seen him
about the village, and AS she had heard
of his brave deeds i'll aid of the French
she WAS not in the least frightened.
"Where canst thou hide me, little
one?' the man hurriedly asked. 1.-The
Prussians are on my track -
Marie had heard stories of the Prps-
slams, and her heart sank with fear at
the thought of facing such monsters.
Nevertheless she showed herself a brave
little woman. For an instant she glanced
helplessly around the room. Truly there
were few hiding places i'll the little cot
tage. Then her eyes fell on the large
baking oven, and her busy little brain
found way out of the difficulty. She
quickly babe the franc treur get inside
the oven, and then she filed 1t with the
loose faCots
Scarcely was her work finished when
she heard loud knocking at the door,
sud Prussian officer entered He stop
ped abashed when he saw only the little
maid before him, Perhaps the thought
of some little girl that he had left be-