The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1920-03-12

NCopy Hbs WV NtSNtTn newspaper Onlon1
He was n very little Belgian whose
round blue eyes stared from n face too
thin and white. There among the
ruins he was digging. He paused and
regarded me curiously as | stepped
over the crumbling remainder of what
once had been the wall of the house.
"For what are you searching?" l
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. n sharpened
piece of iron with n cross-bar near the
top. 81 found this over there where
there used to be n cemetery" He be-
a 10 dig again In his "sand pile"
"Whcre is your homer" | wondered
aloud.
He waved n free hand at the walls.
Here. II you want Go see my grand
mother she's over there" and he point.
ed more definitely toward the bnck of
the house. Apparently our interview
was closed.
wen through n little passage.
cleared among the fallen masonry.
past n space where moss grew ovcr the
debris of n parlor.
To my knock nc the hnlf.open door
Il tired voice answered: Come In" II
was the voice of m old woman who
sat knitting In n low straight chair.
She carefully pushed the yarn 10 the
back OF her needles. adjusted her
worn, black shawl and. with the pain.
ful stiffness Of age, came To meet me.
Coffee" she asked and motloned me
20 n round red-and-white-clothcd table
hear the window.
As she moved about preparing the
coffee there was something dlmly IA
mlliar about her. ~ long time ago !
knew some people here In this town"
| remarked: what has become OF
Madame DuponT
The woman came over quickly and
peered into my face. "You--oh. let me
think-so much of the past Is blotted
out. You are" inc then Madame
Dupon remembered me.
| slipped my coffee and watched her
old fingers make the needles fly.
Eyes. we were here during the war"
She glanced out OF the window nc the
little boy. jacques and / went
through IL together. This Is what Is
left" Her nod indicated the loose
brick walls and the scanty collection
Of furniture-some old chairs, m oak
cupboard, the table, and. In the fur
Their corner. q narrow bed. my daugh-
ter had n fine home here but it's all
gone. Everything is gone now-but
Jacques" She sighed.
at is all so terrible-everywhere
about here. When did the Germans
reach this town." / didn't know how
to express the sympathy | felt. Words
seemed so useless.
"They came the twentieth of Octo-
Der. When we heard they were COM
Ing we shut ourselves In u homes.
My daughter Inc her husband and
| Jacques and | were hiding there In the
cellar when the Germans set fire 10
our house. We ran upstairs and
hurried 10 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
" | saw them on the balcony outside
tfeir 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 fiared the leaping
flames. The timbers cracked and
snapped i'm the house and the walls be
gan 10 sway. Jacques chung 10 me and
cried for his mother. Poor little fel
low. he didn't even know why he was
so frightened. Thank God he was toe
young TO know what was happening
Pierre called thai they were going &c
jump-it was the only chance He lift
- Elise to lower her over The railing