ding to reports they came into Hasselt and took the money in the
town treasury and the local bank--some two and a half millions
altogether. The story, whether true or not, has caused a great deal of
ill feeling here. There is another story that the commanding officer of
one of the forts around Liege was summoned to parley with a white flag.
When he climbed on top of his turret, he was shot through both legs and
only saved by his men pulling him to cover. Of course there are always a
great many stories of this sort scattered broadcast at the beginning of
every war, but in this instance they seem to be generally believed and
are doing the Germans no good at all.

Mlle. D----, one of our stenographers, has a brother in the French army.
She has not heard a word from him since the war began, and had no idea
where he was. Yesterday a small detachment of French cavalry came along
the street. She ran out, called to one of them that her brother was in
the ----, and asked where it was. They told her it had not yet been in
action and she has been walking on air ever since. But she could not
telegraph the good news to her family, for fear of betraying military
movements.

Roger de Leval, the 8-year-old son of our friend, practically broke off
diplomatic relations with his father and mother because he was not allowed
to be a Boy Scout. His father was at the Legation, his mother at the Red
Cross, and he had to stay at home with his governess. He felt so badly
about it that we had Monsieur de Leval register him as a B.S., and have
him assigned to special duty at the Legation. He attends in full uniform
and carries messages and papers from my room to the other offices and vice
versa. When we go out he rides on the box with the chauffeur and salutes
all the officers we pass. They are used to it now and return the salutes
very gravely. The youngster now feels that he is really doing something,
but is outraged because we go along. He wants to undertake some of the
big missions alone.

Princesse Charles de Ligne was in this morning. Her son, Prince Henri,
head of that branch of the house, has enlisted as a private in the
aviation corps. There seemed to be no way for him to have a commission
at once, so he put his star of the Legion of Honor on his private's
uniform and was off to the front yesterday. That's the spirit.

Comtesse d'A---- was at their home in the Grand Duchy when war broke
out. No news had been received from her, and her