The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1915-06-24
HIDES % FROM F()EE:
French Girl Keeps Soldiers From
German Clutches.
BY Dint Of Al! Sorts Of COURAGEOUS
Ruses She Feeds and concea!s Eng
lishmen While Teutons
Occupy Place.

Paris.-The invaders would not
have been so charitably disposed to a
French girl had they known that for
three weeks by dint of all sorts of
courageous ruses she had been feed
ing, concealing, and keeping from
their clutches ten English soldiers
She was q servant in a girls board
ing school. When the war broke out
the pupils all returned to their homes,
and she was left alone, for her only
companion was an old deaf and par
TALLY paraIyzed woman. When the
Germans entered the town they went
through the girls school from attic
to basement, collecting all the linen
bedding they could lay their hands
on. For some reason or other they
did not install their wounded in the
main building, but in the chapter an
mex.
These wounded the girl tended with
the utmost devotion, in the first place,
because she is tender-hearted, and in
the second, because she had every rea-
son to desire to stand well with the
invaders. For her conscience was
quite clear. She knew that down in
the grotto at the end OF the school
gardens she had concealed ten Tom.
miles, who had come, hungry, foot
sore and worn out just one hour be-
fore the Germans.
They will be here in a moment"
the English officer had said, not wish
ing to put the girl in danger.
you somewhere, and afterwards we
shall see.' So she took them to the
grotto. But the quarters were mar
row, damp and intensely uncomfort-
able. Her heart bled for her pro-
teges. Then she had an idea, the
very daring of which was to insure it's
success. She installed her ten tom
MES IN the unoccupied top floor Of
the school itself. Then came the
question Of the commissariat. At first
she gave up her own ration to her
ten refugees-but that was not
enough among SO many. SO she col
iected from her friends and relatives
IN the village here a piece OF bread
and there vegetable.
When the Germans, seeing her sus
piclously laden basket, asked her for
"hcin were all these provisions, she
would answer, For your wounded in
the chapel Better still, she ap
pointed herself cook for the German
ambulance, and in this capacity was
able to pick up all sorts Of broken
V1ctuais, SO that her English were in
no danger OF starving.
But English soldiers do not live by
food alone-they like their tobacco.
NOW, according to the regulations of
the invaders, each inhabitant of the
place had the right to buy two sous
worth of tobacco q day. She found
a way to eVade this regulation and
TO Keep her ten in smoka bles. She or
canned an army of boys, who ten or
twenty times a day would purchase at
c1herent shops the meager penny
worth.
But there was always the danger
that the hiding place of the ten might
De discovered by some German. For
tuhately, their dormitory communi-
Gated by trap-doors with the ground
moor OF the building, and precisely
with q room on that ground floor
when save on the garden So she |
procured q long rope, with which she
ADVISED her prisoners to practice a |
sort Of 1ire-drill She was enthusiasts
TIC over the results.
Just imagine" she said to her in.
tervleWer, that my Englishmen after
a lew attempts were able, tho whole |
Ten OF them, to strap up their haver-
SACKS, get ready for all eventuaiities.
and slide down the rope noiseIessly
IN less than five minutes
But these desperate measures were
not necessary. The Germans tempo
rarlly evacuated the place, and the ten
Ehsllsh soldiers were able to regain
the allied lines in safety. They have /
all given her their names and adj
crosses, and sworn that she must
come to England when the war is
over, where they promise her a roval
welcome. One OF the grateful ten is
a hobienlan, and a relative Of King
Smith is the name
given, but never mind! The Girl LEFT
the town only when the Germans
were ABOUT to re-enter 1t. and after the
town had been subjected to a fierce
bombardment for many days.