The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-01-16
BELGIUM SKE TCHEs
TREASURE

Copyright. 1890. Western Newspaper Union3
He was a very little Belgian whose
round blue eyes stared from face too
thin and white. There among the
ruins he was digging. He paused and
regarded me curfously as | stepped
over the crumbling remainder of what
once had been the wall of the house.
For what are you searchingF' |
asked.
Treasures. You find them lots of
times-all sorts of things. It's fun to
dig" He smiled geniaIly and picked
up his converted pick, sharpened
piece of iron with cross-bar near the
top. ~ found this over there where
there used to be cemetery" He be-
gan to dig again in his sand pile
Where is your homer" wondered
aloud
He waved 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.
| went through a little passage,
cleared among the fallen masonry,
past space where moss grew over the
debris of 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 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.
"Ceffeeg she asked and motioned me
to round red-and-white-clothed table
near the window.
As she moved about preparing the
coffee there was something dfmly IA
miliar about her. "A long time ago /
knew some people here in this town"
remarked: "What has become of
Madame Dupon?'
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" and then Madame
Dupon remembered me.
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 it together. This is what is
left" Her nod indicated the loose 1
brick walls and the scanty collection
of furniture some old chairs. an oak
cupboard, the table, and in the fur
ther corner narrow bed. MY daugh-
ter had fine home here but it's all |
gone. Everything is gone now-but
Jacques" She sighed.
ut is all so terribie-eyerywhe |
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 Oeto- 4
her. 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 |
our house. We ran upstairs and | |
hurried to take Jacques outdoors. but
Pierre and Elise did not follow" AS !
she stopped talking and looked hack
over the five hard years. the lines.
1eepened and drew about her mouth. I
She caught her breath. mo they didn't
follow she repeated sadly. Sudden
y | saw them on the balcony outside
heir room on the second floor, They
had gone to try to save some things
md the fire had trapped them.
There they stood. and through the
loor behind them fiared the leaping
lanes. The timbers cracked and
In the house and the walls be
,an to sway. Jacques chung to me and
'ried for his mother. Poor little fel.
ow. he didn't even know why he was
o frightened. Thank God he was too
'oung to know what was happening.
'ierre called that they were going to
was the only chance. He lift
d Elise to lower her over the railing