The Dolores star., 1920-01-09
BELGIUM SKETCHES
TREASURE
BY Katharine Egeleston Roberts.

Copyright 1920 Western Newspaper Union,
He was 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 curiously as stepped
over the crumblins remainder of what
once had been the wall of the house.
For what are you searching?" |
asked.
Treasures. You find them lots Of
tlmes-all sorts of things. It's fun to
dig" He smiled genially and picked
up his converted pick. sharpened
piece Of iron with n cross-bar near the
top. II 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. 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 parlor.
To my knock at the halfopen door
tired voice answered: Come in" Ii
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
cha ,,.i,h III
full stiffness of age, came to meet me.
Golfer" she asked and motioned me
to a round Observation-Disclosures table
near the window.
AS she moved about preparing the
coffee there was something dimly IA
milinr about her. "A long time ago
knew some people here in this town."
l remarked: what has become of
Madame Dupon?"
The woman came over quickly and
peered into my face. "You-oh. let me
thnk-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.
She glanced out of the window at the
little boy. Jacques and went
through 1t together. This is what Is
left" Her nod indicated the loose
brick walls and the scanty collection
of furniture-some old chairs. an oak
cupboard. the table. and, In the fur
ther corner, a 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 neutrality-suspicious.
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-
ber. 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 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 hared the leaping
flames. The timbers cracked ana
snapped In the house and the walls be-
gan to sway. Jacques clung to me ana
cried for his mother. Poor little rel
low, he didn't even know why he was
so frightened. Thank God he was 100
young to know what was happening
Pierre called that they were going 10
5ump-it was the, only chance. He INT
IL 4 S.ssxa