ht.

"This silence, however, did not last for long. The forest in which so
many German troops were being massed was bombarded all through the
night, as were the entrenchments to the rear of the village where the
enemy was busily engaged in fortifying themselves.

"The child shuddered. She was troubled.

"'It is for France that I have done this,' she said to comfort
herself. 'Already the Prussians have killed many here, and for what?
For nothing save that they are French. It is terrible.'

"On the following day Marie picked up further information. She also
learned that the Germans had suffered heavily from the previous
night's bombardment, and that they were amazed at the exact
information possessed by the French.

"Each night the child spoke with the French captain over the
telephone, and each night the French obtained information of great
value to them. Though Marie did not know it, the Germans had by this
time satisfied themselves that some one in the village was
communicating with the French forces, and a careful watch was being
kept on every inhabitant of the place. Marie, all ignorant of this,
continued to keep the French informed of the movements of the enemy.

"One night, after a day of heavy fighting on both sides, during which
the Germans had been slowly pushed back, Marie was giving Captain
Grivelet her report of the operations on the German side for that day.
She had communicated everything down to the smallest detail and was
just replacing the telephone in its niche when she thought she heard a
sound behind her. Marie turned quickly.

"The child's head grew dizzy; she nearly fainted with fright, for
there, gazing sternly at her, stood a Prussian officer.

"'So! This is it?'

"Marie did not answer. She could not.

"'For this you shall be shot. Stand back. Give me that telephone!'

"Snatching it from her hands he got the French headquarters, though he
did not know to whom he was speaking.

"'Speaking to you is a Prussian major,' he said in French. 'He has
just discovered why the French have been so fully informed. The spy
who has thus informed you is the Padre's niece. She dies tonight!'

"With that the major wrenched the telephone from its wires and ripped
the wires out, leaving the outside wires, that were underground, for
his engineers to destroy. Marie, eyes now flashing, was led from her
home and taken to the office of the general commanding the operations
there. Soon after her arrival her