Evening journal., 1908-07-27
A DAUGHTER OF
FRANCE.

the Legion OF Honor IN 1878.
One November day In the pleasant
land of France a girl stood on.the porch
looking on the falling leaves whioh
were slowly circIing from the trees to
the ground. The house before which
she stood was the telegraph Once. Of
which her mother, Nine. Dodu, was In
charge, the daughter, Juliette, being her
assistant The air was stu, and no
sound was to be heard except perhaps
an occasional strain Of song from a
distance Of those making wine. though
there was little Of this now for war
had been declared by France against
Prussia, the Germans were syaeaDtng
across the French border and moat Of
the wine watts had been emptied.
Suddenly there came the clear notes
Of distant bugle. The girls attitude
changed at once from idle contempla-
ton to eager interest. She listened and
presently heard far up the road a faint
ciatter of horses hoofs. Running into
the house. she cried
Mother, the Prussians are oonaingr'
''How do you known
listen"
They stood for a moment silent, this
sounds growing louder every moment.
"Come. We must get everything out
Of the way that may be Of advantage
10 them"
They hurriedly gathered all copies Of
dispatches In the Office and pushed
them into the stove, where they dis
appeared In fame and smoke. They
had hardly done 50 when a body OF
uhlans dashed up to the house and
surrounded II. This Is customary in
war. When a force takes possession
OF town before the main body enters.
a troop Of cavalry Is sent on the gal
lOp to seize the telegraph Office. An
officer threw himself from his horse
and hurried In, placed Nine. Dodu
and her daughter under arrest, then
looked for any telearams that might
be In the Office. Not finding any, he
sent the mother upstairs to her bed
room and placed Jullette In her own
room on the ground floor.
Now, Jullette had been accustomed
to attend to any telegraph work that
must be done tnight She had placed
a machine IN her closet and connected
1t with the wires In the ONCE. By
leaving the closet door open she could
hear a call and transmit any message
required. Being used 10 the work. the
slightest click would awaken her. She
was left alone by her captDrs. being
permitted to close her door. al which
a 4guard was stationed. Meanwhile a
Prusslan army under Prince FredArinlI
Charles poured into the town and its
; vicinity.
Jullettes went to sleep that nigfe en-.
pecting to get a good rest. The Efps-
SLAMS being In possession Of the tsie-
graph station and doubtless having
their own operators. she would not be
called upon to transmit messages. She
had barely got to sleep when she sRas
awakened by a clicking In the cioset
She recognized It at once as the call
Of Orleans. The Office In another part
OF the house answered, and the opera
tor at Orleans began to send q mes
sage, to which Juliette, who could
. read by ear, listened. It was ad-
dressed to Prince Frederick Charles.
The Prusslans had occupied Orleans
and they were sending in the message
a description Of the exact position OF
part OF the French army which was
marching on Glen. There they gave
the information necessary to enable
the prince to surround and capture the
French.
The fate Of that corps of the French
army rested with Juliette. It might
be possible for her to transmit the
dispatch that had been sent the prince
to a place the Prussians had not yet
entered. But she knew that any tam
pering with the wires while they were
in possession of them meant death.
She was n French girl and loved her
people. Getting out Of bed. she went
b TO the closet, succeeded In calling the
subprefect Of a neighboring town and
telegraphed the dispatch with full
information as to its being sent to the
Prussian commander. He In turn sent
It to the French commander The
] Prussian movement was anticipated,
and the French troops were saved
from the trap.
AS soon as Prince Frederick Charles
learned that his move had been fore
stalled he suspected a telegram had
been sent the French commander In
forming him OF the Prussian inten-
tions. An examination was made OF
wires leading from the telegraph office,
and connecting wires were found lead
lng IN Tulfatta'a room
Juliette was marched out and before
court martial to be tried for her Of
Tense. The charge brought against her
was that Of being spy. which term
Includes giving secret information OF
an army to its enemy. Juiiette. who
had expected all this. confronted the
men who tried her with composure.
listening to the formalities without
paying any attention to them. She
had saved thousands OF her eountry's
defenders. What compared with this
was the life Of a little daughter Of
Franco7
AS was to be expected. she was con-
Fictsd and sentenced TO be shot
But no man with the record of Prince
Frederick Charles could shoot a lfttis
French girl who had outwtttsd HIM
and offered her life for her oountry-
men. He not only pa<doned hes bu<
commended her bravery.
After the war France was much dis