The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-03-08
BENTON, PARISH, LOUISIANA THURSDAY MARCH g. 1917

their minds into q unanimous purpose.
He hal been speaking Of that war q
few weeks after Louvaine, 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 a nation
from what remains to them, mon-
sieur,'' | had said to him as l looked
straight into his face. us not the
courage of women a war supply upon
which to reiy?"
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 muttering
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 good
weapon with which to adventure in
this America of the grizzled bear,
mademoiselle," found the strange
man saying to me. with nice amuse-
ment as well as interest.
"My father had shot seven grizzlies
before his twenty-first birthday. We
| 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 | 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
a 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 Marne and of a
Frenchwoman who sent him therev'
And as he spoke thus he removed from
his head his silk deck cap and held 1t
at his shoulder in way that knew
was salute from French officer to
the memory Of brother "And also
may be permitted to present myself.
as 1t is a sad necessity that you travel
without one. from whom l might re-
quest the introductionY' he asked OF
me with beautiful reverence.
After search In his, pocket for a
few seconds. he at last discovered q
case Of leather and presented to me a
card. AS he handed it to me his color
rose up under his black eyes, and grave
trouble looked from between their long
black lashes. l glanced down ut the
card and read: "Capitaine lie Count
Armond de Lasselles, Paris, France
Forty fourth Chasseurs de lie Repub
Iique Francaise."
M. le Count. know-1 know why
1t is that You go to American mad
exclamation as clasped to my breast
my hands, and my eyes shoneswith ex
citement. Il have read 1t in LIE Matir
just the day before yesterday. You &
to buy grain against the winter o.
starvation In the republique. No mar
, is so great financier as you and 81
brave soldier, with your wound no
healed from the trenches in the Vosges
Monsieur, salute you! And l ben
my head and held out my hand to him
| We're to expect nimble wits as wei
as courage Of you young shall l sa.
American women?" he laughed as b.
: bent over my hand. "Now shall no
be led for Introduction to the smal
: brother and the old nurseY' he asked
) with much friendly interest in his kim
: eyes.
1t was very wonderful thing to oh
serve the wee Pierre listen to the mai
ration Of capitaine, the Count de Las
selles, concerning the actions Of smal
boy who had run out of night o
shot and shell into the heart Of hi
regiment and who had now lived fiv
months in the trenches with them
Pierre's small face is all Of France
and in his heart under his bent ches
burns soul all Of France. 1t is as
in her death, at his birth, my beaut
full mother had stamped her race upo
him with the greater emphasis.
us it that the small CASTOR Is
daredevil like is my Bob?" he que!
toned as we all made a laughter Q
;. the story Of the Count de Lasselle
concerning the sortie Of the small Id
from the trenches in the dead of on
peaceful night to return with a ver
wide thick flannel shirt Of one Of til
enemy, which he had caught hangin
: upon a temporary laundry line bac
of the German trenches.
:, "And your medal OF honor, NJ. CAP
= tame? Is it permitted that lay Il
!. little moment just one finger upe
: it," Pierre asked Of him as the gre'
!. soldier stood tall above the steam,
4 chair.
Nannette sobbed into her lace, al
turned my head away as the ts
q man bent and laid the frail lit
!, hand against his decoration. which