The Belgian Twins

heir work as usual. The sunshine was so bright, and the whole countryside looked so peac

e wagon, while I milk the cow and Marie puts up some bread and cheese for us to take to the field." She started across the road to the

on horseback. Already they could hear the sound of music and the throb of drums; already the sun glistened upon the shining helmets and the cruel p

Van Hove. "No, there is not time. Hide

and thrust Jan and Marie inside. Fidel bolted in after them. "Do not move o

m the outside. This she did, hastily, throwing some straw before it. Then she rushed into the house and, snatching up her shining milk-pans, flung them u

thousand brazen throats, "Deutschland, Deutschland uber Alles," roared the mighty chorus,

in the distance, and Jan ventured to push open the door of the cavern a crack, just intending to peep out. Immediately there was a crash of falling tinware. Jan quickly drew back again into th

re, with the kitchen door wide open and the sun streaming in upon the sanded floor. There were only the marks of many feet in the soft earth of the farmyard, an empty pigpen, and a few chicken feathers blowing about the hen house, to show where

They ran from kitchen to bedroom and back again, their terror increasing at every step, as no voice answered their call. They sea

flew, with Fidel following close at their heels. When they came to the little church, they burst open the door and looked in. The cheerful sun streamed through the windows, falling in brilliant patches of light upon the floor, but the church was silent and empty. It was some time before they could realize that there was not a human being but themsel

? What shall we d

o do," sobbed Jan. "We must just

y here alone!

cried Jan. "There's no

in utter despair, but hope always comes when it is most n

. "She said that she would find us, even if she had to swim the sea! She said no matter

Yes," he said, swallowing his sobs, "and she said I

we do, then?

he said: "Eat! It must be late, an

said she; "we must ea

children ran once more through the deserted street

bread, a bit of cheese, and some milk in the cellar, but with these and two eggs, which Jan knew where to look for in the straw in the barn, they made an excellent breakfast. They gave Fidel the last of the milk, and then, much refreshed, made ready to start upon

e, so she will know where to look for

ed Marie. "There's no o

way out. "We must write a note and pin it up

thing,"

was all ready to write when a new difficulty presented itself. "What

ce but Malines," said Marie; "so

Malines?" asked Ja

" cried Marie. "M-a-

re it on his hands and knees. He had not yet learned to write

R MO

TO MALINES

ND MA

ed upon the inside

the house across the pasture to the potato-field. Here they dug a few potatoes, which they put in their bundle,

and homes from the invaders. Burning houses and barns marked the places where they had lived and died. But the children, thinking only of their lost mother, and of keeping themselves as much out of sight as possible in their search for her, were

arded by a German soldier. "Who goes there?" demanded the

s Jan and Marie," said J

l, too,"

tle faces stirred within him, for he only said stiffly, "Pass, Jan and Marie, and you, too, Fidel." And the two children an

y at intervals. Taught by fear, Jan and Marie soon learned to slip quietly along under cover of the gathering dar

selves against the door. When the soldier had passed by, they reached cautiously up, and by dint of pulling with their united strength succeeded at last in getting the door open. They thrust their bundle inside, pushed Fidel in after it, and then slipped through themselves. The great d