Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-18

and a little plot of ground from his
father. who had inherited it from his
father, who had had it from his father
1t was good plot, but small. There
was a debt of 5000 on it when they got
married, forty years ago.
1T is haEd,' the priest said, apologet-
ically, for people of this sort to pay
off their debts. They are SO very poor
Youngsters had kept coming, too
They had been a constant expense
Then, just as they had reached an age
at which some slight hope of profit
might have been entertained from
them they died. The old woman re-
lated this quite simply. No doubt she
they died. Still. facts are not to be
blinked at. They had been bad invest
ment. Peasants cannot be sentimental
lists. The priest kept questioning.
eat last" he reported, they got their
debts paid off. Both worked hard in
others fields and titled their own field
between times. 1t was the old woman
who was financially venturesome. she
bought the cow"
The old woman nodded brightly
YES" said she, still smiling, lit was
my COW. He only owned the dog and
the cart"
Secuted Stories of War.
They sold milk to the factor in Ian
den, who in turn sold it to LEG Be
tween times they titled their lit field
The old woman MIXED her COW. and the
old man and the dog carted the milk
to Landen. They had become persons
of mark in their little community. They
were prosperous and Independent. Each
year they put a few guilders in the
savings bank
IN another year." said the old wom-
an; L should have had two cows"
ihey mad heard rumors of the war,
.. course But it seemed far away
rhey laughed at the stories people told
tnem OF strangers who came into little
belgian communities and burned down
houses They were quite certain the
purgomasters would deal with such
paroarians. Even when they heard
guns they were not frightened. The
hao ever broken the law in their vii
lase. The worst that ever happened
was when Jan Hoover and his brother
got drunk and fought-but then, every
one knew the Hoovens.
- me ne old woman caught the repetition
VI the name Hooven. She nodded her
mead and smiled. Obviously, she could
tell things
One night they were awakened by the
SOUND OF voices outside their door. The
GERMANS were there, but at first these
Germans were disposed to be agree
able. They came in with their dirty
rect upon the old woman's clean floor,
ana she scolded, and they called her
Mutter. and laughed The old man
was sulky and quarrelsome.
Germans Took Their Holdings.
NOT with me-" said the old woman.
ohe gathered that the old man knew
oeeter than to quarrel with her. But
ne growled at the Germans. Then the
NICE Germans went away and other |
Germans came, In a maddening success.
sion. The temper of the newcomers
was progressively bad. They drank all |
iher milk, slept in her bed with their |
poots on, and swore at her.
AT last" said the priest, they seem i,
10 nave been given orders For they |
Went through the village and burned |
every house. They struck the old man !
over the head with a musket, so that |
ne sun carries the mark"
ne nfted the old mans cap as one |
would lift the collar of horse to show
sore shoulder, and there was the
and they killed the old woman's |
COW and ate it. and drove all tho viii
layers along the road toward Antwerp.