Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-07-03
THE CELLS SECRET
By ANNA L. HEATH.

I A small body of German troops un- der a Captain Henk occupied a little town somewhere in France The in- habitants had fled with the sole ex- ception of Old Louis, crippled cob bier, who said he'd not leave his little shop and garden for any number of Germans nor for the kaiser himself. Henk liked this dauntless old French man and often went to his shop to talk.
 < Henk's men had been rummaging about the town and reported to their
 captain that one of the cells in the
 tiny jail was so securely closed that it resisted all their efforts to open it.
 Henk went down to the jail and or-
 dered his men to force open the door. They did so and found the cell exactly like the others and empty save for a stool and low cot.
 That night Henk sat talking in the cobbler's shop and idly asked the req son for the closed cell. Louis was evidently reluctant to explain, but after some urging told this story to the German:
 "YearS ago, sir, in another war, some of your men and an officer named Holweg took this town. Marie, fhe best-loved maid among us, was known to possess q military secretsof such import that your countrymen thought any means justified that would wiring it from her. They con- ifued her in that cell and daily tried Ito force her to play the traitor. Hunger, thirst, cold, threats, abuse, lbribes and blows, all alike failed to open her lips. Pale, silent and proud, our French girl defied her foes. At last. 1t was thought that q threat against her honor might avail. A young German named Berg was chosen to pass the night in Marie's cell. His position was most hateful to him and he hoped from his heart that a threat would suffice.
 "At nightfall Berg entered Marie's cell. Morning brought him forth, pale and trembling. Going to report. Berg suddenly laughed wildly, drew his pis- tol and shot himself dead. For time his fellows were shocked into silence. Then Franz, q coarse, brutal fellow. stepped forward and boasted that he would learn the maids secret, nor would he blow out his brains in the telling of it.
 At nightfall Franz entered Marie's cell. Morning brought forth a raving 1nadman, shrfeking of unseen horrors and covering in abject fear. For a time none volunteered to investigate further Then Lieutenant Boffmapn, a student, cold, exact scientist, de- clared he would learn Marie's secret and neither die nor go mad in the telling of 1t. egH
 "At nightfall Boffman entered Ma rie,s cell. In the morning no one came forth. Holweg and several of his men entered the jail and opened the cell door. Alone, Marie lay on her cot, dead, her hands folded and smiie on her lips. Though quite life- less her face glowed with a mystic light. The men looked at her in awe. HOlweg looked about for some trace of Boffmann. A strange heap on the floor drew his attention. He stopped to examine it. There were bits of cloth, q button. gold braid, human fingers, bones and hair. As the Ger man touched them they shivered into | formless dust. Cold horror seized the | men and they fled from the room. Out side, the officer grew ashamed of his fear and returned to the call. Marie's l body was gone. On the cot lay a pa- i per. Holweg caught 1t up and read aloud these words to his astonished | men: Berg knew and Berg is-dead. Eranx knew and Franz is-mad. l Boffmann knew and Boffmann is- nothing. Take heed lest worse thing | befall you. As he finished the paper | crumbled in his hand and drifted away like smoke. That is all, sir,"' concluded Louis, "save that Holweg himself made fast the door and until now no one has cared to open it."
 Henk was silent and thoughtful dur ing the rest of his stay and when he had gone Louis grinned and muttered: ~sTwaS good story, my captain, good story; better than the poor truth that in rainy. weather that cell roof