The midland journal., 1916-11-10
"Explain everything carefully


Everything, m'sieuv the little man
promised. "Shall you return here
iaterY' he asked, as Larry started to
leave him.
81 do not know If my regiment will
stop here, or IL it will go on; SO /
must rely on you and the woman" /"
Captain Redmond warned him. "Re-
member-it is imperative your general
know IL the attack be direct or by a
fanking movement"
Eyes, yes! Now shall get
the telephone" the Gallo gentleman
announced. And then he exclaimed
q'1ickly, in French, "Vous avez raj
sony'
His change to his own language, no
less than the infection Of warning in
his voice, brought Captain Redmond
around sharply; and he saw that they
were no longer alone. 1t was the inn
keeper, Henri Christophe, who had
come back to serve his leisurely pat
ron.
"Ah, gentlemenl Something to
drinkT' Christophe asked them, RIB
bing his hands in anticipation Of the
feel Of good coin in them.
'No, thank, you! My friend is leav-
ing now," the Frenchman said.
"But I will be back soon," Larry
promised. And with that Henri Chris
tophe had to be content.
Again the indefatigable newspaper
reader returned to his fayorite pas
time, while Henri Christophe regarded
him with a mild pensiveness. The fell
low had loafed much In his inn during
the past two days; but he had been al
together too abstemious to suit the pro-
prietor's notions of what was due him
from a guest. And then all at once old
Henri's face turned happy once more,
at the sight Of quaint little creature
who tripped into the room and called
to him:
"Ah, father! You are home again!
What news of the WARP"
Nothing, ma petiter' he said.
Nothing! Do not be alarmed"
'But all say the Germans are COM
ing through Belgium" she told him
plaintively.
Her remark seemed to exasperate
him. What with poor business, and
the worry of the last few days-for
Henri Christophe did not entirely share
the complacency Of his more placid
patrons regarding rumors that were in
the air-what with those things to
trouble him his patience had become
finespun. The good God knew that he
did not desire war to sweep over his
fatherland. He hoped passionately that
it might escape that calamity. And
dreading it as he did, he took occasion,
whenever the possibility was men
toned, to denounce the contingency
as being beyond reason. Somehow, he
derived comfort simply from asserting
his disbelief in such a thing.
"All say itv' he repeated after her
with an irritation which was strange
In him. $50 always it is with you
women-you exaggerate every rumor,"
he cried. 81 tell you-your father-we
are neutral country. All the big ma
tions they have promised us that our
land is safe from invasion. 1t is near
ly a hundred years since they gave us
their word and always they have kept
it."
"But still 1 am frightened" his
daughter reaffirmed. She was, in truth,
a timid little thing-just the sort to
be thrown into twitter of excitement
over a mouse-or a war. 1t mattered
not what one might tell her to calm
her. She would still be alarmed. And
now Jeanne looked up at her father
with such fear in her great dark eyes
that he forgot his anger in his attempt
to soothe her.
"But why" he asked her more
gently. ''They did not come through
our country in 1870 in the Franco
Prussian war. Why should they now?
The Germans make much money from
us and we from them. They are our
friends. No, ma petite, thanks
to God we need fear nothing"
81 hope, father, you may be right, /"
she said, albeit somewhat doubtful
still.
'You shall see! You shall seer he
reassured her. He made his way to the
cigar counter and busted himself set
ting things to rights there. "What
worries me far more than the Ger
mans, my little one," he went on,
what worries me is that we have so
few Americans automobiIing this sum-
mer. Always in August there are
many: and they pay we'll"
Perhaps 1t is the Germans who
keep them away" she ventured unhap-
PLY.
"Will you ceaseY' he cried angrily.
always you talk of the Germans.
Soon you will have me nervous like
you." he complained. as If he were not
already that.
81 am sorry, mon PEREZ" she said In
filial repentance.
sThere, there!' he exclaimed. as if
ashamed that he had chided her. 81
did not mean to be cross. Come! For
get your fears and pray to your saints