Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-01-06

terror. which expressed itself in a shiv-
cry cry. But as the train began to move
again he jumped quickly on the running
board pushed the sliding door to and
padiocked it with two turns of his key.
The train now plunged along amid a
thunder of turning wheels.
Then, in the shadow, the group of lit
tie girls dissolved and exposed to view,
on bed of straw, notionless and bag
cred figure. racked with coughing.
A voice said:
1T may be still far away-the frontier
IF only she doesn't die before we get to
Switzerland. The Prussian has said So
They would throw her out; she would
remain in Germany. And her mamma
IS waiting for her at the railroad sta
ton Her mamma would not see her,
Oh. She would never see herr
They were score of poor little chill
dren from occupied French territory
whom his majesty William II. Emperor
OF Germany and King of Prussia, had
after two years of war. 1t was the
evening of the day before when they
boarded the train. They did not know
one another then, for they had been
collected from all the corners of the
invaded departments of France. But
no sooner were they thrown together,
locked in their rolling prison, than they
began to kiss one another, like little
sisters who had met after a long sepa-
ration.
The following morning. at dawn, lit
tie Ginette Pinson had a coughing
spell. A little blood on them had en-
larged her lips, as paint eularges those
of an actress. and she had clenched her
hands on her breast as If to wrest from
it the source of her suffering.
Poor Ginette, She was nine years old
and she looked scarcely six, so much
had the privations of life in the occu-
pied district emaciated her. Her cough.
becoming hoarser and shorter all the
time, turned toward evening into
rattle, and. all at once, just after the
rude Prussian left the car. the last
agony brought cold perspiration to
the brow of the dying child, choked
her nostriis. turned her finger nails
violet and forced open her mouth in a
last desperate struggle for breath.
The little ones scarcely dared to bend
over Ginette, so much had the approach
of death unnerved them. And yet their
children's eyes had seen along the.
roads, al the time of the flight from
northern France, many grinning faces
of corpSes.
1t was now completely dark outside.
The wind. which whistled through the
spaces of the night, made the telegraph
wires sing and tremble. Suddenly Gil
nette collapsed. She raised her arms
stiffy and let them fall again. Then,
her eyes shrinking back under the half
closed lids, she lay entirely motionless.
1t was over.
A voice cried:
she is dead,'
They all shuddered.
"Ah! Ginette. Ginette,'
The train slowed down The brakes
made grinding sound.
Maybe we are there said one of the
children, hopefully.
Il believe that we are going to be
long time in Germany, said another.
And if they come in they Will take
Ginette away"
and her mamma, And her mamma.
sighed a pitifui voice.
They sobbed as they thought of that
poor mamma, who was awaiting down
there in the night, on the platform OF
a little Swiss station, the long-hoped-
for return of her daughter.
VINO would dare to tell her:
'-Ginette is dead. She was left behind
in Germany. The Prussans kept her.
The train stopped. A key. outside.
scraping, sought the keyhole of the
paddock The inspecting officer. doubt
less, was about to enter. And Ginette?
Would they let Ginette be carried off
by these accursed Germans?
"And her mamma! And her mamma"
The key second time clicked against
the bolt. Then hand Embossed the
paddock.
Quick. Do as 1 sayn ordered in her
shrill voice Marie C1avet. the brave
little one who some hours back had
dared to question the Prussian soldier.
I'VE will seem to have been sleeping.