Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1916-12-14

| q
few weeks after Louyaine, and | had
risen and had stood very tall and very
naughty before him and my father.
THE women Of France are to come
after this carnage to mold nation
from what remains to them, mon
Bieur," | had said to him as | looked
straight into his face. rs not the
courage of women a war supply upon
which to rely?"
What are the young women-such
women as she-going to do in the years
that come after the deluge, Henri of
American he had made a mutterlng
question to my father as his old eyes
smoldered over me In the freight
From the memory Of the smoking
room at the Chateau de Gree my mind
suddenly returned to the rail of the
ship and the Frenchman beside me,
who was looking into my face with
the same kindly question as to my fu-
ture that had been In the eyes Of my
old godfather and which had stirred
my fathers heart to its American
depths and made him send me back
to his own country.
"Ah, yes, that courage is a good
weapon with which to adventure In
this America Of the grizzled bear,
mademoiselle," ! found the strange
man saying to me, with a nice amuse-
ment as well as interest.
my father had shot seven grizzlies
hnp a
have the skins, four of them, in the
great hall Of the Chateau de GreZ-or
or we did have them before-be-
fore My voice faltered, and could
not continue speaking for the tears
that rose In my throat and eyes.
Quickly the man at my side turned
his broad shoulders that he should
shield me from the laughing and ex-
claiming groups of people upon the
deck near US
Before Ypres, mademoiselle !" he |
asked, with tears also In the depths of |
his voice
Yes" | answered "And I am now
going into the great America with my
crippled brother and his nurse-alone
1t Is the land OF my father, and | have
his courage. | must have also that of
Frenchwoman. have 1t, monsieur"
And as | spoke | drew myself to my
full, round shouldered height, which
was almost equal to that of the man
beside me
"Mademoiselle | salute the courage
born of an American who fought be-
fore the guns of the Marine and of a
Frenchwoman who sent him therep'
And as he spoke thus he removed from
his head his silk deck cap and held 1t
at his shoulder in a way that | knew
was a salute from French officer to
The memory of brother "And also
may | be permitted to present myself, :
rs It is sad necessity that you travel d,
without one from whom / might re- !
luest the introduction? he asked OF ,
ne with beautiful reverence =
After a search In his pocket for a q
'ew seconds, he at last discovered a n
,ase Of leather and presented to me a v
ard. AS he handed 1t to me his color Y
'ose up under his black eyes, and grave
rouble looked from between their long "
lack lashes | glanced down at the s.
ard and read "Capitaine lie Count q
Armond de Lasselles, Paris, France 81
rorty-fourth Chasseurs de lie Repub- ic
que Franchise" b
M lie Count, | know-I know why al
Is that you go to America" | mad n
as l clasped to my breast fl
ny hands, and my eyes shone with ex- is
itement Il have read 1t In LIE Matin
ust the day before yesterday. You go
D buy grain against the winter of
in the republique. No man
80 great flnancier as you and so ,
rave soldier, with your wound not
called from the trenches In the Vosges.
Ionsieur, | salute you.' And | bent =
~ head and held out my hand to him.
Were to expect nimble wits ms well {
3 courage OF you young-shall l say
.merlcan women?" he laughed as he :
ent over my hand. Now shall | not <
o led for introduction to the small
rother and the old nurse?' he asked,
18th much friendly interest In his kind A
yes.
1t was a very wonderful thing to OBJ
arve the wee Pierre listen to the mar
alton of capitaine, the Count de Las ,
slles, concerning the actions of small
oy who had run out of night of
not and shell into the heart of his
sgiment and who had now lived five
lOnfha in the trenches with them ~
ierre's small face is all Of France, =
nd in his heart under his bent chest I
urns a soul all Of France. 1t Is as If
/ her death. at his birth, my beauti
IL mother had stamped her race upon
i'm with the greater emphasis. u
"Is 1t that the small CASTOR is
aredevil like is my Bob?" he ques-
oned as we all made a laughter at u
lie story of the Count de Lasselles II