The Huttig news., 1915-03-13
!: 6EORGETTE AND JOSEPH By CARL MUNsoN.

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 Georgette had resolved that her small brother, Joseph, in one way or tional fertival.
 She was ten years old and he was i've. He was very small for his age with a wrinkled and grave little face He was always suffering from some Ill ness, and he was permanently bedr.d den. as his legs refused to carry him along.
 Two years had passed since theil mother had died, and 1t was Georgette who took care of him now. The fath CT was fond of wandering about and was very seldom at home. He strolled around, working here and there, re turning with some money and a secret fear that the children might have died of starvation in the meantime. He cried and kissed them and accused himself of being an unnatural father and swo-e never to leave them again Then he would stay at home for some days without doing any work and com. plain of unemployment This made him nervous and uneasy and at last he would make his escape. leaving his last money with Georgette.
 They lived on the top floor of . house in one of the suburbs, an un. healthy house 1t was. so miserable that 1t had become proverb, even in this shabby quarter. It's tenants were most ly rag pickers. beggars and drunkards, whose number was always decreased by sickness and death.
 In this house, in . small. shabby room with one single window facing a dark yard, a room which was always dark even on bright day, Georg- cite spent all her time with her broth CT. Once she had persuaded . phy- sician to visit him and he had given her some medicine, but what was most needed was fresh air and . moro healthful place in which to live.
 From the beginning of July he had talked to his sister of all the wonderful things he had seen that year when he himself had been able to go out in the street and look at the festival, and Georgette, who wished that he shouldn't be disappointed this year and who did not dare to try to carry him through the crowded streets, had made up her mind to make an illumi- nation for Joseph alone.
 She began her preparation in good time. She helped her neighbor to un- wrap colored lamps and got three of them in return. Near the mayors house one day she found four colored glasses filled with oil. and for her last few centimes she bought a small Roman candle.
 AS the boy lay in bed she could not surprise him, and he enjoyed Georg cites preparations very much. She hung the lamps on a cord.
 In the evening when all the streets were illuminated the sister lighted the ,olored lamps. and the colored glasses he put In the four corners of the room. t was wonderful Joseph lay in his ped and laughed with joy, but the amps smoked and Georgette had to ,pen the window facing the ill-smell- ing yard. At 10 o'clock she lighted he Roman candle. It was very cheap one, and at first 1t would not burn, but suddenly caught fire and filled the room with a red light and horrible smoke.
 The small boy coughed. Georgette rushed to the door and opened 1t. In the draught the flames in the lamps reached the wall paper. In few min- utes the fire reached the wooden frames of the window and the door. In vain Georgette tried to stop the lire. and with little Joseph clinging to her neck she rushed to the stairs.
 At midnight the old house had burn ed down and only heap of stones was left
 A crowd of people had collected in the square, together with the former occupants of the old house. The au- thorities of the suburb had arrived put some questions to the concierge.
 'It was the little one on the top floor who started the fre." she said. "Only she and I were in the house when the fire broke out. I won't say she did 1t purposely. but I shouldn't wonder if she did"
 Where is she!'
 The concierge caught hold of a small shadow who was carrying something on her back.
 Georgette. who was black with smoke and still carrying Joseph. stood before the stern judge. trembling and unable to say . word.
 ''Is 1t you who put the house on fire?" the tall gentleman asked her harshly.
 Georgette did not try to lie. If she was to be put into prison and her lit- tie brother taken away from her 1t was better to get through 1t as quickly as possible. She confessed with trem- bling voice:
 "Yes. 1t was me. I did not do 1t on purpose. It was for Joseph's sake. He was i'll and I wanted to amuse him by Illuminating the room-and then 1t began to burn as I opened the door to get some fresh air into the room"
 She stopped. awaiting her sentence