Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-01-16

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 q
Frenchw0man who sent him therer
And as he spoke thus he removed from
his head his silk deck cap and held II
at his shoulder in way that / knew
was q salute from a French officer to
the memory Of a brother. "And also
may l be permitted to present myself
as It is a sad necessity that you travel
without one from whom might re.
quest the Introduction he asked OF
me with beautiful reverence.
After a search in bis pocket for
few seconds, he at last discovered q
case Of leather and presented to me q
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. I glanced down at the
card and read: "Capitaine le Count
Armond de Lasselles, Paris, France
Forty fourth Chasseurs de le Repub'
hque Franchise"
IN. le Count, know-I know why
it is that you go to America" I mad
exclamation as I clasped to my breast
my hands. and my eyes shone with ex.
citement. II have read 1t in LIE Matin
just the day before yesterday. You 60
to buy grain against the winter Of
starvation in the republique. No man
Is so great financier as you and 80
brave a soldier, with your wound not
healed from the trenches In the Vosges
Monsieur, salute you!" And bent
my head and held out my hand to him
"We're to expect nimble wits as well
as courage Of you young-shall I say
American women" he laughed as he
bent over my hand. "Now shall not
be led for introduction to the small
brother and the old nurseT he asked,
with much friendly interest In his kind
eyes.
It was a very wonderful thing to OBJ
serve the wee Pierre listen to the mar
ration Of capitaine, the Count de Las
selles, concerning the actions Of small
boy who had run out Of night OF
shot and shell into the heart Of bis
regiment and who had now lived five
months in the trenches with them.
'Pierre's small face is all Of France,
and in his heart under his bent chest
burns a soul all Of France. It is as II
in her death, at his birth, my beauti.
full mother had stamped her race upon
him with the greater emphasis.
"Is it that the small CASTOR Is a
daredevil like is my Bob?" he ques-
toned as we all made laughter at
the story Of the Count de Lasselles
concerning the sortie of the small idol
from the trenches in the dead Of one
peaceful night to return with very
wide thick flannel shirt Of one Of the
enemy, which he had caught hanging
upon a temporary laundry line back
Of the German trenches.
"And your medal Of honor, NJ. Capt.
tame? Is it permitted That I lay Tor
a little moment just one finger upon
it?" Pierre asked Of him as the great
soldier stood tall above the steamer
chair.
Nannette sobbed into her lace, and
turned my head away as the tall
man bent and laid the frail little
hand against his decoration, which he
wore almost entirely hidden under the
pocket Of his tweed Norfolk Of Eng
lish manufacture. Only French eyes
like wee Pierre's could have seen 1t
pinned there hidden over his heart. !
think he wore it to give him a large
courage for bis mission that meant
bread or starvation to so many Of his
people.
"Ah, Nj. le Capitaine," said to him.
with softness of tears in my throat,
y would that there was some little
thing that I might do to serve France.
do so long to 60 into those awful
trenches with that red cross on my
arm, as It is not permitted to me to
carry gun, which can use much bet
ter than many men now handling guns
with bullets against the enemy. But
It is necessary that I obey the COM
mands of my soldier father and take
to safety the small Pierre" And as
we spoke he walked beside me to the
Prov of the large ship so that to US
was a view Of the heavens of blue be-
yond which lay our America.
my child, there is great service
which you can render France" he an
swered me as we stopped to watch the
great white waves flung aside from the
ship. France needs friends In Amer
lea, great, powerful friends who will
help her In contracting for food and
all other munitions. A beautiful wo-
man can do much in winning those
friends. You 60 to your uncle, who
Is one Of those in power In q state In