Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1920-01-23
BELGIUM SKETCHES
TREASURE

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 curiously as / stepped
over the crumbling remainder Of what
once had been the wall Of the house.
For what are you searching?" /
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 the
top. 81 found this over there where
there used to be cemetery" He be-
gan to dig again in his sand pile"
"Where is your homer" l wondered
aloud
lie waved a free hand at the walls.
'Hiere. II 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
| went through a little passage.
cleared among the fallen masonry,
past space where moss grew over the
debris of a parlor.
To my knock at the half-open door
a tired voice answered: "Come in" 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
worm black shawl and, with the pain
full stiffness of age, came to meet me.
"Coftce?' she asked and motioned me
TO round red-anc-white-clothe table
near the window.
As She moved about preparing the
coffee there was something dlmly IA
miliar about her. "A long time ago I
knew some people here in this town."
remarked: "What has become Of
Madame Dupon?'
The woman came over quickly and
Deered into my face "You-oh. let me
think $50 much Of the past is blotted
out You are" and then Madame
fNlftah tHltlNAiAutiAtt INC.
/ slipped my coffee and watched hor
Old fingers make the needles Gy.
yes we were here during the var"
She giauced out OF the window at the
little boy. Jacques and went
through it together. This is what is
left Her nod indicated the loose
brick walls aud the soauty collection
Of furniture-some old chairs, an oak
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-everywhe
about here. When did the Germans
reach this town." didn't know how
to express the sympathy / felt. Words
seemed so useless
"rhey 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 were hiding there in the
cellar when the Germans set fire to
'ur house. We ran upstairs and /
hurried TO take Jacques outdoors, but
Pierre and Elise did not follow" AS
he stopped talking and looked back
'yer the FIVE hard years. the lines
eepened and drew about her mouth.
he caught her breath. "No they didn't
ollow." she repeated sadly. Sudden /:
: saw them on the balcony outside l
heir room on the second floor. They
ad gone to try to save some things -,
nd the IRE had trapped them. c
There they stood, aud through the Q
DOR behind them dared the leaplng J
ames. The timbers cracked and
Mapped In the house and the walls be- q
IN to sway. Jacques chung to nue. and I
led for his mother. Poor little fell b
w. he didn't even know why he was Ii
frightened Thank God he was too
'ung to know what was happening. h
erre called that they were going to 4
mp-it was the only chance. He lift 4
Elise to lower her over the railing j