The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1920-01-24
BY Katharine E%eoIeston Roberts.

Copyright. 1920. Western Newspaper Union}
He was a very little Belgian whose
round blue eyes stared from a face too
thin and white. There among the
ruins he was digging. He paused and
regarded me c%uriously as | stepped
over the crumbling remainder of what
once had been the wall of the house.
For what are you s%earching?" ]
asked.
Treasures. You find them lots Of
times-all sorts of things. It's fun to
dig" He smiled genially and picked
up his converted pick. a sharpened
piece of iron with a cross-bar near he
top. 81 found this over there where
there used to be a cemetery" lie be
gan to dig again in his sand pile"
"Where is our homer l wondered
aloud.
He waved a free hand at the walls.
Here. If you want to see my grand
mother she's over there" and he point
ed more definitely toward the back of
the house. Apparently our interview
was closed.
I went through a little passage,
cleared among the fallen masonry.
past a space where moss grew over the
debris of a parlor.
To my knock at the half-open door
a tired voice answered: "Come n" 1t
was the voice of an old woman who
sat knitting in a low straight chair
She carefully pushed the yarn to the
back of her needles, adjusted her
worn. black shawl and, with the pain
full stiffness of age, came to meet me.
"Coffee?" she asked and motioned me
to a round red-and-white-clothed table
neal the window.
AS she moved about preparing the
coffee there was something dimly ia
miliar about her. "A long time ago ]
knew some people here in this town."
l remarked: what has become OF
Madame DuponT
The woman came owe quickly and
peered into my face. "You-oh, let me
think-so much of the past Is blotted
out. You are" and then Madame
Dupon remembered me.
i slipped my coffee and watched her
old fingers make the needles fly.
"Yes, we were here during the war;
She glanced out Of the window at the
little boy. Jacques and I went
through 1t together. This is what is
left" Her nod indicated the loose
brick walls and the scanty collection
of furnlture-some old chairs, an oak
cupboard. the table, and, in the fur
Their corner, a narrow bed. my daugh-
ter had a fine home here but it's all
gone. Everything is gone now-but
Jacques" She sighed.
1T is all so terrible-everywhere
about here. When did the Germans
reach this town. | didn't know how
to express the sympathy l felt. Words
seemed 81 useless.
They came the twentieth of Octo-
Der. When we heard they were com
ing we shut ourselves in our homes.
My daughter and her husband and
Jacques and l were hiding there in the
cellar when the Germans set fire to
our house. we ran upSldlTS anu i
hurried to take Jacques outdoors. but
Pierre and Elise did not follow" AS
she stopped talking and looked back
over the five hard years. the lines
deepened and drew about her mouth.
She caught her breath. mo they didn't
follow" she repeated sadly. Sudden.
ly | saw them On the balcony outside
their room on the second floor. They
had gone to try to save some things
and the fire had trapped them.
There they stood. and through the
door behind them fared the leaping
flames. The timbers cracked and
snapped in the house and the walls be
gan to sway. Jacques chung to me and
cried for his mother. Poor little fel
lew. he didn't even know why he was
so frightened. Thank God he was too
young to know what was happening.
Pierre called that they were going TO
jump-it was the only chance. He lift
ed Elise 10 lower her oyer the railing