t with the Mayor, his
substitute, and her husband at the front, she had become town clerk,
and the quantity of paper and printed matter a village like this daily
receives, is quite unbelievable. Quickly the little school mistress
ran through the envelopes, finally breathing a deep sigh of relief.

"Ah, nothing this mail, thank Heaven!"

"Why, what were you expecting?"

"Oh, I wasn't expecting anything, but I live in terror of finding that
fatal official bulletin announcing the death of some man in our
community. Each time I leave the house, the eyes of every living soul
are fairly glued to me. The women here love me, I know, and yet I feel
that I frighten them.

"If on going out I start up the road, those who live below here breathe
again, relieved. You cannot imagine the tricks I must resort to in
order not to arouse false suspicions. Then, as soon as I open their
door they know the reason of my coming, and what poor miserable
creatures I often take in my arms and try vainly to console.

"Ah, Madame, the wives you can cope with, say things to, put their
babies in their arms. But the mothers, Madame, the mothers!"

"And no one complains, Madame Dumont?"

"No one, Madame, they all know that we've got to win this war."

All along the road home I walked slowly, lost in reverie. But I had no
time for musing after my arrival, for Aunt Rose met me at the doorstep,
a small boy by her side.

"Listen, my dear," she cooed, "I've a great favour to ask you. Would
you mind walking around to the farms and telling them that Maxence will
be here to-morrow morning? His little boy has just come over to tell
me."

The coming of Maxence produced an indescribable enthusiasm wherever I
announced the news. Maxence is the only blacksmith in Neuilly. Of
course he's serving in the artillery, but during his quarterly ten-day
_permissions_, he tries to cover all the work that is absolutely
indispensable to the welfare of the community. He arrived much
sun-burned and tanned, accompanied by two other chaps who were not
expected, having travelled two days and two nights without stopping.

They seated themselves before a succulent repast prepared by Madame
Maxence, and in the meantime the crowd began gathering in the shop.

"Get in line! Get in line!" he called to them joyfully. "Give me time
to swallow my coffee and I'll be with you."

Abandoning his uniform, he put on his old clothes, his sabots and his
leather apron, a