Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08
Mysterious 81 little Duchess" Mascot of the Legion


Special Correspondence of The Star.
COMPIEGNE. ZONE OF THE
FRENCH ARMIES. June IS. 1917.
E1HE first French foreign legion has
an extraordinary and mysterious
mascot. and If you believe half
q tell you about the little duch-
ess you will find yourself in deep water.
Yet If it is possible for true facts to get
embroidered in telling. as they pass along,
! do not think that rude and heroic men,
In their admiration and protection Of the
strange child. would consciously exagger-
ate. Often, an insignificant detail changes
the bearing of proposition. Also, there
are queer things in the world.
II is a girl child. s. or 10 years old
tnobody knows). small. wiry. plain fea-
tured. with deep-sunk eyes. high wrinkled
forehead. severe and strained expression
and much given to silence-she is only
learning to speak again. She is uncannily
Intelligent and OF such peculiar intensity
ard gifts Ito judge by tales ascribed to
her, but which | cannot guarantee). that
Z sou vii! understand how second sight"
m git he claimed for deeds where science
Z IF you are stuck sciencc) would pre-
fer obscure and primitive instincts de-
seioIed abnormally by the horrors and din
OF war in which she lived. who knows
/. how long alone?
They came on her absolutely alone as to
human companions in an advance over
: ong-disputed territory beaten up by ar
tsIlery and previously held by Germans
\ There was scarcely any populatio She
ftood ir little clearing with aged
: deerhorDd dog. who disappeared the same
day. HE saw her safe among protec-
tors" says Turov. the Bohemian. "and
Re went off to hunt her family" The
. legionaries are convinced she is Of birth
md title. lost from come northern chateau
3 IL the early days Of the invasion. Later.
they noticed that the child slipped off on
the quiet. They followed her through
,:rderbrush to rayine with creek in
II. where graZed q venerable horse, which
che petted solemHl'.
'.--e know that horse" said a easant
IF the sparse remaining population COM
ing up for supplies. HE came down with
q priest from the north long ago. The
Germans workeA him in the fields until he
I. got bad name for being too lucky. He
: was always getting away. and they al
s ways found him again. but four times
his ploughmates were killed by French
shells, and twice the men. and this old
rag was never touched. Each time he
ran away some bad luck happened. like
q IRE. avion-raid or that explosion which
the Germans had in 1916: and each time
9 lie escaped injury by not being there
At last the captain ordered him slaugh.
tered for horse meat That night hi
kicked a Bavarian. breaking three ribs
and got away. They did not find him
being too busy burning houses and pre-.
pairing their retreat. But we never saw
the child"
Mystery No. l. Where had she lived
The child could tell nothing. being sup
posedly deaf and dumb, Had the Ger
mans brought her recently from tn,
north? No. 1t is claimed. she knows tn.
neighborhood. Ono day she led them I,
spring of good water. cunningly GOV
cred with plated twigs and moss. An
other time she found cache" Of IL
hotties of fine old wine. She's peasan
child from close around here" sal,
Holman the Luxemburger. NO" sal,
Bompard, the Swiss legionary, look hov
she eats. She eats like a lady. Let u
make an experiment. Try to get som
napkins. Well put one at her plate. an,
see what she does with It,"