The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-01-07
Frenchnan Uses
Dutch Cleanser
And Is Skinned
Polish Removes Hide And
Whiskers From Gardner at
st. Vincent's College-Gene
Says He Suspects A Spy.

An echo of the European war was
heard in the Cape few days ago when
4 Frenchman had brush with a pack
age of dutch Cleanser" and sustained
injuries which resemble those inflicted
! by gas bombs.
BOni Gene, who is employed at st.
Vincent's College as gardner and for
list, hopes for the time when he can lay
down his hoe and shoulder musket in
! defense of France. He removes his
hat and bows low every time he hears
the strains of the Marseillaise. He
watches the daily papers for reports Of
| French victories, and while he has
looked much and found little, he is
grateful for small favors.
Mr.. Gene, whose name is pronounced
John" was changing some canned
fruit that had been stored in Tie base
ment of the building, a few days ago.
when his attention was attracted
| by the picture on small paper box.
/ He read tribute TO its contents,
which stated that it could make sun
burned enamel as white as driven
snow.
Even 4 gardner knew anything that
could polish metal ought to remove
tan from human face. When he got
| ready to partakc of his noon day meal,
he got the box Of Cleanser and took
it to his room. After showering his
face with his hands, ne applied the
cleanser" profusely, and when it had
been permitted to soak into his whis-
kerS, he washed it off Then he ap-
piled the second coat and flushed it off
He could not help but smile when he
| gazed into the mirror and noticed that
his olive complexion had been trans
| formed into a rose glow that would
make any debutante hazel with envy.
Gene dried his face carefully with
fresh towel and then parted his hair
as mechanically as he imagined he
would pull the trigger of a machine
gun, had he the honor Of camping in
the trenches in France.
As he started to approach the table,
he noticed his face was burning, but
attempted to dismiss the matter, be-
lieving that the holiday winds had
"chapped" his skin When he reach
I'd the dining room, his face was liter
ally paining him. and he SGuintcd into
mirror on the wall. He saw moth
ing but a handsome man.
He waded into his soup with his ac-
customcd vigor. but the taste was not
there. It was hot, but he didn't mind
that. He imagined his face cooled as
the soup sizzlcd on its way.
Gene arose, showed his chair under
the table before he had finished the
bowl of soup and started for his room,
ignoring questions put to him by those
about the table.
When he reached his room, he
reached cautiously for the box of pow
der. He read over the recommended
tiCn on the box, and without showing
any disposition to refute its claims
that it could erase the black on ket-
tie, he was surprised to note a post
scrip, which read: made in Germany"
"AIon Dicul Fentrebleuw screamed
Gene
Those remarks were not intcrpre-
tated, but it is understood Gene be-
Iicves a spy visited the college cellar
while he wasn't looking.
The Dutch Cleanser" not only re-
moved the dirt from the Frerchman's
face, but it did not leave Il particle of
skin or a single whisker, Father Levan
states.