The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-03-13
The CELLS SECRET
BY ANNA L. HEATH.

|
/ A small body Of German troops I'M
der Captain Henk occupied little
town somewhere in France. The in
! habitants had fled with the sole OK
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
cobblers shop and idly asked the rea-
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,
the bestowed maid among us, was
known to possess a military secret OF
such import that your countrymen
thought any means justified that
| would wiring it from her. They con-
fined her in that cell and daily tried
! to force her to play the traitor.
Hunger, thirst, cold, threats, abuse,
! open her lips. Pale, silent and proud,
our French girl defied her foes. At
last it was thought that 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 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, coarse, brutal fellow,
stepped forward and boosted 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
mailman, shrieking Of unseen horrors
and covering in abject fear. For
time none volunteered to investigate
further. Then Lieutenant Boffmann,
student, a cold, exact scientist, de-
clared he would learn Marie's secret
and neither die nor go mad in the
telling of it.
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
smile 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, a 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 fed from the room. Out
side, the officer grew ashamed of his
fear and returned to the call. Marie's
body was gone. On the cot lay pa
per. Holweg caught it up and read
aloud these words to his astonished
men: Berg knew and Berg is-dead.
Franz knew and Franz is-mad.
| Boffmann knew and Boffmann is
| nothing. Take heed lest a 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:
~'Twas a good story, my captain, a
good story; better than the poor truth
that in rainy weather that cell roof
leaked"