The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-08-17

recent air raids ON Paris. An air raid is a nerve
racking time. The newspaper accounts and the
magazine stories do not tell you one-hundredth
of the anguish lived through by the people who
crouch In their cellars, listing to bombs that ex-
plode close by and expecting all the time that the
next missile will demolish the house over their
heads.
The favorite gathering places for civilians dur
Ing air raids is In. the cellars. During the raid Of
which l speak, one of these underground places
was crowded with refugees. But they were not
moping or trembling. Instead, they were con-
stantly joking and laughing about their predica-
ment. They did not for one second lose their
fine courage and stanchness.
When the bombs had ceased to fall, they came
up to the street level once more. But they did
not breathe great signs of relief and thank their
lucky stars for not being hit. Not they! Their
eyes glowed with the fire of unquenched spirit,
and they shook their fists In the direction of the
departing German airplanes.
"Those fools % they shouted. 'Those fools
They think they can break us! They do not know
us! Never shall we yield! Neverl"
This is not the only splendid exhibition Of
French devotion that l have seen with my own
eyes. The people in the rural regions are no less
determined in their ardor. Although nearly one
fifth of France has been invaded by a ruthless
enemy and some portions invaded the second
time, these country folk would die rather than
give themselves up to the foe.
In a village of the devastated district 1 found
n little old woman who was living alone. She
was working at washing linen for the soldiers
who were in trenches not far away. Her own
house had been burned down by the Germans.
She told me her pathetic story.
1t seems that a German officer who had a very
bad reputation for moleSting the civilians had
been quartered in her house. After he had been
there for a few hours he went to the small stove
which heated the house and opened it to put
in some wood. But when he put in the stick of
wood he allowed the end to protrude, so that, as
soon as it began TO burn, the fire blazed outward
into the room. He then placed a screen near
this blazing wood so that it would. catch fire.
The old woman saw what he was doing and knew
that it was his design to burn down her house.
He had already burned a house in the next street
In the same manner. Knowing that she was pow
erless to prevent him. and being filled with des-
pair. she fell on her knees before him.
'Spare mel" she entreated of him. Spare
this house and allow me to live here In peace.
What have l ever done to you"
But she had hardly uttered these words when
shame overcame her because she was abasing
herself before n German. In another instant she
had risen to her feet.
"What am / doingl' she exclaimed. "Je suis
perdu | am d%isgraced. | have entreated a favor
from the foe of my native country"
Then she crossed the room before the aston
ished officer and took up his gun. Placing 1t in
his hands she told him to kill her.
81 deserve no less than DEATH" she said. 81
have disgraced France by kneeling to ask a favor
Of one of her enemies"
Probably the German officer would have killed
tho Nnman. but at that moment one of his brother
officers came into the house. He must have had
n more tender heart, for he took pity on the old
woman and put a stop to the proceedings So her