The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-06-02
Saved by
Clean Hands
BY F. A. Mitchell

Paris when the communists were fight.
ing a losing battle and the end was
not far distant One morning Louise
Desmoullers, pretty French girl, went
out to buy some food supplies for the
days consumption She was obliged
to go some distance from her home,
for many shops were shut up, and she
was absent more than an hour. When
she left the street in which she lived
was more than usually quiet, for Ordi-
narily persons were going and coming
on their daily vOcations, whereas,
while the commune was In power,
many kept to their homes. When
Louise returned she saw great crowd
Of excited persons tearing up the
btones directly in front of her house
and piling them up to form barricade
Her mother was alone at home, and
Louise knew that she would be much
troubled at her absence at time of
such turbulence But how could she
get through this fierce crowdi
1 Summoning all her fortitude, the girl
made q dash to cross the street direct
ly opposite her home. She had reach
ed the opposite curb when she felt her
self caught by the skirt and, turning,
saw that she had been stopped by a
hag of more ferocious appearance than
any woman she had ever seen before.
Where are you goingf" asked the
vixen.
Home"
"Home You are lucky to have O
home. Come, bear o hand here, and
help us who have no homes"
She dragged Louise back into the
street and, pointing to the pavement,
ordered her to join those who were
tearing up the stones and piling them
on the barricnde. Louise knew that
should she refuse her career would be
ended by one OF the stones being
hurled at her head, and she had no
choice but to obey. While carrying a
stone 10 the barricade young man
with q pointed beard said to her In
low tone:
II have been forced to do this work
as you have The government troops
will be here In a few minutes ! left
them at the Place de la Concorde
ready to march We must not be
found here when they come, but fear
we cannot get away"
This was all the man had time to say
to her. and she could make no reply.
They worked on, the young man keep
Ing near Louise till the cry was raised
that the troops were coming. The bar
ricade was not half finished, and there
was no organized force to defend 1t.
So the communists began to scatter
that is, they tried to scatter, but the
street was filed with them. and 1t was
ton opposite to that in which the
troops were coming. Indeed. It was so
choked that Louise and her new found
friend did not attempt 1t. Although
the girl was not fifty feet from her
home, she was unable to reach It.
Suddenly her companion seized her
arm and drew her toward a basement
door that he saw standing open.
Though buffeted by the flying crowd,
he succeeded in getting her into this
door and closed II after him.
"The troops will be here In few mo-
ments. have seen them ut this work
before. They will enter every house
near the barrlcade to search for com
munists." Then. noticing that they
were in the laundry of the house in
which they had taken refuge he ran
to one of the tubs and, pulling up his
sleeves, began to wash his hands call
Ing on Louise to do the same. He used
sonp plentifully and removed all trace
of dirt. When Louise had finished her
eblutions the man looked her over and
saw that she had but little dust on her
dress, which seemed to please him
His own shirt cuffs were dirty, and he
rolled them up under his coat sleeves.
They had no sooner got the dirt of
their hands and. so far as they could
of their clothes when the door was
J thrown open and several soldiers hur'
ried In. One of them seized Louise
and another her companion and drag
ged them into the street where they
were placed with other prisoners who
hnd been and were being arrested.
When the officer in command of the
troops was satisfied that all commu
nists who had been working on the bar
ricade and who had taken refuge IL
the houses near by had so far as pos
sible been collected he placed them II
the center oe the column and gave the
4 order to march.
Half an hour later Louise found her
self In a yard surrounded by higt
wall. The prisoners were directed t.
stand against the wall with their faces
TO It. Then an officer cried out:
"Hold up your hands,"
Every hand went up, and the officeI
1 passed down the line, selecting thos'
: whose hands were clean and directing
them to stand aside in a group b,
themselves. Louise and the younl
man who had warned her to wasl
her hands were among this number
When ali those with clean hands hat
been selected they were marched ou
l. of the inclosure and liberated. AS the.
were leaving they heard q volley fire.
a l-.3. Nk.oe A,..