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Show BELGIUM SKETCHES; The Fire of Madame There I By Katharine Eggleston Roberts. - (Cupjriictit. II. 0. Wctern Ktwinitr Ur.luni Tliej marched Into a town of empty stri'ct" closed doors, nnd drown blinds tlidc men v, lib sharp fplKcd helmets. hel-mets. Tbtlr dtay tramp upon the cobble Moms resounded In the nairow raln-drtnclicd limes until the halted in- the little square. Frightened ejes ptepc.il from behind the shuttered windows win-dows watched U dreaded to see. The Germans had Inken Acrschot. An the licny clouds blackened Into night, flic only lights were those made i the troops In tho square. The houe of Mathtcu There was dark like tho others. "Mother, let's light the lamp. It's so awful hero in. the dark." "No Andre, we mustn't. Be brnc Ill.e )uir brothers. See, Pierre and I'md don't mind tho dark, do you my tons?" Mndnni There put n reasurrlng arm about her youngest nnd felt hl shoulders stiffen. The two bojs stood with their father at tho other window. "No, I don't mind the dark hut 1 am hungry." I'lerro was two yenrs tilder limn Andre, too did to foar the dark und too joung to fenr the Qennnns. Ilut I'ii ul did not nnpwcr. He stood tilth his arm locked within his father's nnd stared out grimly at the moving tOlhouettcs. His army had refused him Just because he was a year or so too )omi)j. u'lint lirrrnc dUl age malt1 lie was as strong as any man and he intght lime been out fighting instead of hiding here In the dark. The Mildlers were stirring about nnd forming into smxll detachments. Their luliiuts gltninid In the dickering light nf the street lumps. A sharp order nns glun. . "They are coming," snld Mathleu There. The butt of a cun thudded on the strt 1 1 door. "Come out, comu out where we can ce jou. Come out or jou shall feel lire." "tt Hi go together. It Is nil that .re inn do." 'llio father led his family fam-ily Into jh! stitit. QulcU) the narrow lanes filled n tho hnties emptied filled with people who iliutd not M'c-ik aloud. "W'lmt are they Kolng tu eloV "Where me we golugV" "What are the doing now?" Tho terrified whispers qiits After a Biptiem of Flame and Shell. ( Honed. In the Ill-lit strett, fnces pte-red trjlng lo recognize nelKhbors. Tlitn ciiiiio the order to msrcli with npntUed arm, raiuilles were fepu-tated. fepu-tated. Lost babies cried. Women hrleked (lie iiNinei of thtlr liusbands and tlilldren. K-rwlirre was con. fusion. Ilut In spit uf It all, Mnthle-u und Madame lliem nnd tht-lr win niHliaged to Veep tngethvr till the people peo-ple were herded Into the inarket-phice before the church, A light was cumin from somen here behind them n light that grow ivilder mid redder. "Mother, mother, what Is ItJ" "Rush, Andre, I do not know." "If tiie houses, 'lliej'io tired the town." l'mil's xolce was thick. Tho crowd was onlered nhoiit. "Vein wouldn't hue lights? Well you bine them now," a Ge-iniun voice tiiunttd "See them?" As tho IIhiiips w hipped oer thn roofn, the nddleis ent through the throng, "We are going to I'm Is," they wild, "jour nun and bos must inaicii ah end of us" Mnilnmc Tlieie stood as her lillfcbnnd and vims wuio muulu-d nunj stoml ttlth tho other woinen gazing wide-cjed wide-cjed nml mute. Tho tlnmes of tjio town dleel down and the gray dawn ennui o tho women huddled together In the market plnce. Uliti soldier , luiwlitd Into their grlef-llllcd fnces, "(Jo lionie." Uhej snld, "(5o to jour homes." Homo I MiidniiiQ 'I here, scnictly knowing whut she did, went to n heap of bikku and inoitar facing thu mjiiiiic. 1'iut nf it cliiured wall wn standing ami sho btnrttnl through Its sagging doorway. .Suddenly thero littist a fit-siliidu. fit-siliidu. She lUtoned nnd ngnlii tliu hots rnng out. She hnriled to iliu yquiire where other wtmien ran nliout. "Our solilleu nre coming to help us. 'they nre llglitljig. Henri" Ilut no, It could not he Unit for no more trhols were fired. "8b what Is he "trying?" "Tour men are not going with ui lo I'nrls. Tlicy are too much trouble. Vou'll Ond them in the field cast of town." And they saw them two hmldrotl men nnd bojs Ijlng riddled xvltli hut- " lets. Mndamo Tin-re found her li 1 1 hand nnd I'nul with Andre between them nnd nar them lay I'lerie.- In n . cart, she carried thcin to the church-j church-j aril nnd there ,he rnuilo n prnjer and hurled them herself, for tho prlct was among those who lay lo tho field. She moved about as one In n dream, incclinnlcully a I ill I blond haired woman wom-an whoie blue ejes seemed not to see, whose twisted lips were silent. Slowly llio long dnje drugged or Madame There, Ihlng with others In n house not wholly gutted. Ilut sho bad n tnfk to (.erfoiiu. In tho wreck J of her home, sho found (he flat top of J1 t a table, bhe took it nway with her jk nnd, secretly, she worked and scrnpeel Jr nt It until It was smooth and clean. " ii "Her Lit Mathleu There." One by one Irregulnr letters grew ni.d etraggleel oxer the board. The people il wio knew her wundered, and tliey X ya Ahlspercd nmong tliemsflxfs, "Wluit vjj Is wrong with Heimliie There? Sure- f Ij her mind is gone." And the soldiers ', who saw her each, day iflppetl. ni-lile I to let lur pns, fertlie feared the woman who neer pole wltli her lips but wince ejes burned Into tlieir souln. . . . . . i . The Fcntr) tramped up nnd down In the moonlight ami his thoughts were far nwnj. 'llio snmo moon was hilling hill-ing In Gei many on n lltllu Hinge like this one and litre bo had to Mux guarding guard-ing n ccmetciy whcio no one? wanted to come and from wjilch no one could I go. At home ho didn't see the I I , rouelilng tlgure dart behind the hedgu J as lie turned the corner. In the morn- Ing, he wondered at the wooden tnblet I' which seemed to linxe grown ov.r- I night: 1 Here lie f Mathleu Tliere ' I and his sons . I Paul, 1'le-rre, mid Andre, ' ij gnllllts. murdered by jSvbt thu HiicIih Itnrhitrlnns. -Xfc?1 Miiihime Theri- hurried to nlit-wcr wh the sharp nip nt tlii door. "Is this our-?"deniiiiided the soldier. In his I hand was (be wooden tnblet. I . "It IS 1111111?." Ij "Don't IciixeTt aliont," he growled Ij nnd flung It nt her feet. I "It will stay one day In splto of fl (ill." sho ci led. II On) nfter da), he met her going to (Jj chinch. Mid beenjnu so worn and Iff ruiaclatcd that It teemed only lur M spirit was alle, but It gleamed bright- ly and nioru bilgbtlj In (be Hnine of ' 9 her ejes. And so llio long time ptiM-ed. Alwajs the German soldier thought It tlie llio of Miiilaine There wonld sure- I ly burn out, but dally her clmllenge 1 scorched Into Ms conscience. U 'Xlien lu tho chill autumn, ennio word S that was unjiellcxnblc. An ntmlstlco had been signed. Tho firing had stopped, and tho Germans were or- H dcred to Ieao Aerschot. w For tho Inst time the sentry gunrd- tf cd tho cdnelery. For the llrst time y the dnw ii lliivhed on n unlet world. As lP? the light giew, tho boldler looked J nhntit. Whut was that? IIo entered M the church) aid. At the head of tho B four graxes, tho wooden tiiaik Mood 9 111 nil) : H Heio IIo B Muthleii Theie H nnd Ids sons K I'aul, I'lerre, and Andre, R guiltless, luurdered by Ija the lloclm lliu bat Inns. Ml Acro the gipxes lay Madame There jl d the flic vxtit gone from her yra. Bl |