The Washington times., 1918-12-22

deoin Of Berlin They had been sent for by General
Won der Waldau's officers for celebration" And
compelled to be their hostess minister to their
vulgar wants, in my chateau-my chateau, where
President of France with all his staff once my hus-
bands guest
That night one Of the oicers-he was the colonel Of
regiment and noted his aides said for his srctness
With his men-reeled me in drunken sortie to
the balcony for air He must have seen the look Of
utter contempt my eyes, He tried to apologize for the
orgie-"W What would you have, Madamei We must
celebrate while may Pretty there be the devil
to pay, and we must keep up courage now to pay
him with"
1t was very difficult that night for me to keep my own
girl servantsthe young girls who had taken refuge with
me-out Of sight Of the drunken ocers Repeatedly they
demanded them, but-and for this I am thankful-the
women from Charlottenburg wanted possible rivals
and piled the officers with drink until they forgot
And while this revel was going around me an old
abbe Father Bugnon doyeD Of the cathedral at Cambria
was being put through nqustion in the German ad
minstration building and vandal soldiers lootng
the interior of the ancient cathedral amusing themselves
by firing bullets from their revolvers into the image Of
Christ which looked down upon the altar from crucifx
carved by the artisans of Charlemagne
All this happened on a single night.
For miles around my chateau every family knew Of
the feast of the staff officers Tidings Of such things
spread mysterously and almost quickly cleo
trio spark Every woman old enough to be what the
Germans would consider legitimate prey young enough
to still be attractive trembled in her home lest soldiers
take the cue from their officers and reve through
the whole neighborhood
Able Bugnon had been thorn in the side Of the
military officials for many months. He had obeyed all
the rules he had counseed humility and acceptance of
the burdens Of invasion without COMPLAINTS but even
he advised his congregation to be meek and unresstng,
his very words frebrand which nfamed the soul
Of love for France While General Hurt Of whom have
told before commanding officer in the section,
arbitrary methods adopted against the able But
recently the Bavaran troops with General Won der Wal
dau commanding, had moved in and Won der Waldau
became the ranking commander This General decided
the able must be removed from the ncghborhood That
da! his orders were put into effect
The able accused of hiding secret telephone in
his basement and communicating information to the
French Soldiers broke open his study door without
warning and placed him under arrest He was hurried
away from Cambria where his arrest might have caused
demonstration to Epinoy There the charge read
to him.
Search my cellars, my eathedral-everything that
belongs to II telephone is found take me before
your court-martia and convict me. If no telephone is
found let me return to my duties the old able said
They made a pretense of searching his cellars but
their most thorough search Of the cathedral itself
and they searched there not for telephone but
for gold and silver the poor boz and the rich candeabra
jeweed relies and priceless services for the communion
They arrested the priest Of the tabernacle compelled
him to open the holy ciborum that they might rife it of
its sacred contents
That no telephone was found made no difference to
the officers who had summoned the able before them
That the cathedral was monument OF the past and an
inspiration for the future its treasures representing the
riaD soldiers who thoroughly looted it. That night while
the officers in my house were entertaining the women
from Berlin in chateau the good able being told