e wall.

"In the meantime Marie had gone out, unmindful of the danger, to fetch
her uncle home. The Padre was in his church, but Marie made him come
home. Reaching there, she said:

"'My uncle, the Germans may come and we shall be in their power. Is it
your wish to remain here or to go to the rear where you will be safe?'

"'I shall remain here, my child. Perhaps it would be well for you to
go to the rear and be under the protection of the French, for the
Prussians are beasts!'

"'With your permission, my uncle, I shall stay here with you. I shall
not leave you.'

"It is well. If the Prussians come I shall speak with them, and
perhaps they will leave the Padre and his niece to themselves. But
they shall not make us Prussians; we shall still be loyal to our
beloved France.'

"'Yes, uncle, but it will be well that you have a care as to what you
say and do. Please heed what Marie says, for she knows whereof she
speaks.'

"All that day the battle raged and the Padre and Marie remained in
their home, except now and then when the child went out to watch the
progress of the battle, for their house was on high ground commanding
an excellent view of the battlefield. The field, however, was so
covered with smoke that few of the details of what was going on out
there were observable.

"With darkness the battle still continued. Later on there was rifle
fire in the street, and, acting upon the Padre's suggestion, uncle and
niece took refuge in their cellar, for the bullets were beginning to
spatter on the walls within the house.

"It was near daylight when the firing died down, whereupon the Padre
and Marie came upstairs and went to bed for a few hours' sleep.

"They were rudely awakened by a violent pounding on the door. It was
Marie who sprang up at the sound and who opened the door. Confronting
her was a German soldier, armed with a rifle. The girl did not quail.

"'Is this the Padre's home?' he demanded gruffly.

"'It is.'

"'The Prussians are now in control of this village and the inhabitants
will govern themselves accordingly. We shall search your house. Then,
if you behave yourselves, you will be permitted to remain here and to
go out in the daytime, as usual. All food that is asked for by the
soldiers shall be given to them without question, but any attempt to
communicate with the enemy, the slightest disobedience of the orders
of the commander, will be punished by death.'

"The soldier beckoned to several