New-York tribune., 1917-07-22
COeur-de-LiOn

people VINO lnIer1ereO WlJn MIN. lie mar
rated complacently his exploits as man
of violence when he was in civil life.
The Germans got to know him after
several encounters. They cried out: at
is the Devil. There's the Devil" And
then they ran away.
He was often picked out as target by
their sharpshooters. Frequently he was
attacked by two or three men who seemed
to be specially selected for that purpose.
But he always escaped.
'It's pretty hard to cook his goose"
said Cnur-de- Lions comrades. And they
added:
There must be times back home when
you aren't a very comfortable person to
lave around the house."
He answered simply:
"Ah! Rubbish"
But as he said it he rolled his ferocious
eyes and shook his black beard, which
looked like wild horses name.
So they fully understood that Richard
C9ur- r-de-Lion was not always the most
comfortable person in the world to live in
the same house with.
He received a leave of absence. He
showed his pleasure at the idea of re-
visiting his wife and his two daughters, in
his village, down near Marseilles.
Ceur-de-Lion had a generous inspira
ton. He took along with him friend
who had also got leave, but did not know
where to go, having no family or rela-
tives.
"You will go with me-" declared the
Meridional, in a voice of thunder, almost
as if he was commanding squad to aim
and fire.
The other dared not refuse. He went
away in company with the sergeant.
The journey was full of incident. Ceur-
de-Lion managed to get into explosive en-
counters with two station chiefs, news
paper dealer and the proprietress of a
buffet.
The other soldier, who was named
Poquet, said to himself:
"He must make life very exciting for
his family, when he is at home"
ON THE station platform Nine. Antoi-
" nette Richard awaited her husband.
She was blond and small, very small, hardly
taller than the elder of her two little
daughters. The big, bearded fellow had to
lift them from the ground, one after the
o%bor ~ ordor m kicc fhop1
Then he said, trying to soften his voice:
"This is my comrade. wrote you about
him."
She had an amiable smile of welcome for
Louis Poquet. Ceur-de-Lion's face, on
which there had been an air of preoccupa-
ton for moment, cleared up. She gave
the word:
"Let's start"
The two men and the two little girls fol-
lowed her. The little blonde announced: ,
To-day l have prepared the dinner
myself"
They told of their experiences at the
front. Ceur-de-Lion became again the
terrible figure of corsair as he narrated
his exploits. Nine. Richard kissed him.
She was very proud Of him.
The next day she explained:
'I am going to make a bouillabaisse.
You must help me, Amedee. You take a
basket and go to market. Here is the
money. You will bring me back the
change. give you permission to buy two
packages of tobacco, one for each of you.
Go aheadw
The little woman said "Go ahead!" in
way which denoted long-standing habi-
tude of command And Ceur-de-Lion
obeyed with a promptitude which denoted
a long-standing habitude of submission.
Poquet suggested drinking an appetizer.
But the sergeant declared:
"My wife wouldn't like that. She would
be furious"
"Well, we won't mention it to her"
"She will smell it all right, when she
kisses me-"
Poouet stared at his superior. C9ur-
de-Lion was afraid! Ceur-de-Lion stood
in awe of his wife, his mite of wife
Never. never before had he shown such
docility in obeying the orders Of the adju-
tant. the captain or even the colonel.
In two days Poquet's suspicious hard
ened into conviction. Almost tempted to
burst into laughter, he asked the Terrible
Territorial:
"Tell me, old man, do you always obey
your wife like that?"
Cnur-de-Lion blushed. But he pulled
himself together, shook his black beard,
rolled his ferocious eyes and said peremp-
torily, in his thunderous voice:
Remember, comrade, that it is always
necessary to be considerate with the
ladies"