o a sigh well forth.

He put out his hands and gently felt to make sure that it was a child,
for any mistake at this stage would prove most serious.

"Helene!"

Jack uttered the name softly, but the breathing still continued. Again
did he speak, this time raising his voice slightly. He knew that he must
have succeeded in awakening the little sleeper; doubtless she was lying
there wondering whether it might be all a dream. Perhaps she even
thought it was her mother calling her from her slumber.

Tom now ventured to approach a little nearer, ready to act on the spur
of the moment should the child be frightened and start to scream.

"Helene, we are friends of your sister Jeanne," Jack said. "She is in
good hands, and on her way to Paris. We have come to try to take you to
her. Do not be frightened, Helene. We are two American boys, and if you
will only trust us we promise to carry you away from here. Have courage
and tell me that you are not afraid to go with us to Jeanne."

The sympathetic Jack found a little hand, for the child suddenly sat
upright. This he continued to pat gently even as he and Tom continued to
reassure her. Perhaps his manner of doing this influenced Helene even
more than their words, which of course she could hardly understand as
yet, after being so suddenly awakened.

"Oh, I am so glad you have come from Jeanne," she finally managed to
say, though her childish voice vibrated from the effect of her recent
alarm.

"And will you gladly go away with us, Helene?" asked Jack. "You are not
happy here with your uncle, are you?"

"Oh, no, no! He is so unkind," she said with a shudder that Jack could
easily detect. "He even whipped me because I cried for my mother and
Jeanne. So I will go with you, and do anything you say."

How understandingly she talked for one so young! Jack had marveled that
Jeanne should show such remarkable qualities and appear so self-reliant;
and apparently Helene was like her. But, alas, war had aged even the
babies caught in its snare.

"Listen, Helene," Jack went on to say, "do you think you could dress
yourself without having a light?"

"Oh, yes, m'sieu, I am sure I can!"

That caused Tom to chuckle with relief, for he felt pretty certain that
neither he nor Jack could have managed that, even if given all the
illumination heart might wish. And, moreover, Tom felt that he, at
least, did not want to try.

"Then get your clothes on just as fast as you can, Helene," sa