The Daredevil | Page 6

is one of those in power in a State in that fruitful valley of
the Mississippi from which I hope that my lieutenant, Count de

Bourdon, whom I sent on that mission, will get many mules to carry
food to the hungry boys in the trenches when mud is too deep for
gasoline. Make of him and everyone your friend and through you the
friend of our struggling country. Tell them of France, laugh with them
for the joy to come when France, all France, with Alsace and beautiful
Lorraine, is free; and make them weep with you for her struggles. Who
knows but that through you may come some wonderful strength added
to your old country from the new, whose blood runs in your veins as
well?"
"All of that I will do, mon Capitaine. I so enlist myself." And as I
spoke I drew myself up unto the greatest height possible to me. "I will
be of the army that feeds, rather than of that which kills."
"Mon Dieu, child, what is possible to you to do has no limit. Also, I say
to you, watch and be on your guard for aught that may harm France. In
America are spies. I have been warned. Also there are those who
practice deceptions in contracts. It is for the purpose to so guard that I
come to America."
"I also will so guard," I made answer to my Capitaine, the Count de
Lasselles, as we again came in our walk to the side of wee Pierre and
old Nannette.

CHAPTER II
VIVE LA FRANCE
And after that first day there were many hours that the Capitaine, the
Count de Lasselles, spent with little Pierre and the good Nannette, as
she sat knitting always with the sun on the water reddening her round
cheeks, while I had much pleasure with many friends who came to me
upon the ship.
A very fine young man who was named William Raines, from the State
of Saint Louis, instructed me in several beautiful dances, but I do not

think he was held in the esteem which he deserved by another of his
American brothers by the name of Peter Scudder, whose home was in
the town of Philadelphia.
"Dancing with Scudder must be like going to your grandmother's
funeral over the old State Road in a rockaway," was the comment that
Mr. William Raines made upon his friend Mr.
Peter Scudder, and what Mr. Scudder said of him was of the same
unkindness.
"Raines' dancing is extremely like Saint Louis: delightfully rapid but
crude," was his comment.
I should have been regretful of the unkindness between those two very
nice Americans but for a beautiful good to France that was brought
about by the desire of each to please me more than the other.
The many ladies upon the ship had been of exceeding kindness to me
because of the loveliness of small Pierre's dark face and the pity of his
crooked back. Old Nannette was of a very great popularity with all of
those ladies and she spent many hours in recounting the glories of the
old Chateau de Grez and Bye and the family which had inhabited it
since the fourteenth century. So it came about that many friends were
made for France among them.
Now that Mr. William Raines had a very nice idea to invite in my
honor all of the ladies who were friends to me, and many distinguished
gentlemen of politics and of universities and other large affairs, who
were returning from business in Europe to more business in America,
to be present while a young boy of France, who was among those in the
steerage going to the freedom of America with his mother who had
been widowed at Ypres, sang in a very lovely voice many French folk
songs and songs of war to all present. And at that singing many tears
flowed and so much money was put into the hands of the boy that a
future for the very sad little French family was assured in America.
And I also wept. I was taken into the embrace of all of those kind
American women and assured of so much care and affection in that

land of my father, that I felt of a very great richness in spite of the small
sum of money in the heel of Nannette's rough stocking. And as I
received all of these beautiful attentions I perceived the eyes of my
Capitaine, the Count de Lasselles, fixed upon me with a deep gratitude
and pride. It was all of a great pleasure to me except that I did not like
very well to be so distinguished by a young man, which made the
French grande dame in me to shrink.