The Belgian Twins

door, opening from the sacristy near their resting place, creaked upon its hinges, that even Fidel was aroused. True to his watchdog instincts, he started to his feet with a low gr

gure dressed in priestly robes. The children were so near that had they thrust their hands through the railing of the communion bank behind which they were concealed, they might have touched him as he passe

"it must be the Cardinal himse

y laid his finger upon his lips and crept still farther back into the shadow. Fidel seemed to know that dogs were not allowed i

s and bowed heads in their corner, reverently following the service as the Cardinal ate the sacred wafer and drank the communion wine befor

his face looked so kind and pitiful, that they almost dared to make their presence known and to ask for the help they sorely needed. Marie

"he looked so kind! He might have h

dog had slept all night before the altar?" answered Jan

ted until every one had disappeared through the great door, and then made a swift flight down the echoing aisle and out into the sunligh

ir eyes had become used to it, did not comfort them. Everywhere there were German soldiers with their terrible bayonets and point

so many people! How shall we ever find Mother? I didn

t standing here, anyway," answered Jan. "We

nd whistled to Fidel, who had gone do

ilgrims took up their journey. At the first corner they pa

ay?" sai

ed first in one directio

turning, the children found themselves face to face with a German officer dressed in a resplendent uniform and accompan

was there to defend her. With a fierce growl he sprang at the young orderly and buried his teeth in his leg. Howling with pain, the orderly dropped Marie, while another soldier drew his sword with an oath and made a thrust at Fidel. Fortunately Fidel was too quick for him. He let go his hold upon the leg of the orderly, tearing a large hole in his uniform as he did so, and flung himself directly between the leg

ry indeed. Perhaps he considered it beneath his dignity to run after them, and perhaps he saw that Jan and Marie could both run like the wind and he would not be likely to catch them

errors of the town, but their way was blocked by the smoking ruins of a section of the city which the Germans had burned in the night, and there was no way to get out in th

e. "Don't you remember, Marie? It's where we stood to watch the soldier

ungry now, too,"

ch again,"

to?" sa

, pointing to the Antwerp gate. "Anything is better than staying here. Let's

as themselves, who were also trying to escape from the city. Some had lived in the section which was now burning; others had been turne

e supposed to belong to some one of the fleeing families, and it was at least comforting to the children to be near people of whom they were not afraid. But Jan and Marie co

d not belong among the refugees, for she was making no effort to keep up with them. She had bright, twinkling black eyes, and snow-white hair tucked under a snow-white cap. Her face wa

her," whispered Marie t

joined her. "You'll have to hurry, my dears, or y

t our folks

le old woman, stopping short

ou see our father is a soldier, and our moth

oks like, but I wouldn't say I haven't. Lots of folks have passed this way. How did she get lost?" She sat down on the edge of the barrow and drew the children to her s

the children poured

lbarrow, as she spoke, and trundled it swiftly from the road to the bank of the river, a short distance away. Here, in a sheltered nook, hidden from the highway by a group of willows, she stopped. "We

ars pointed forward, and the hairs bristling on the back of his neck. There, on

" cried Granny. "There's always a reaso

nts to poor hungry Fidel. "Now, my boy," she said gayly to Jan as she worked, "you get together some twigs and dead leaves, and you, Big Eyes," she added to Marie

errands. Then Marie had a bright thought. "W

I take my eels to market," she explained as she whisked these things out of the basket, "and it often happens that I cook myself a bite to eat on my way home, especially if I'm late. You see, I live a long way from her

?" asked Mari

otatoes. Jan had already heaped a little mound of sticks and twigs near by, and soon the po

d two tongues, you see for yourself how much less handy that would be! And I've two legs as good as any one's, and two hands to help myself with! The Kaiser himself has no more legs and arms than I, and I doubt if he can use them half as well. Neithe

gayly. "Bless you, yes, I'm rich," she went on; "and so are you! You've got all the things that I have and more, too, for you legs and arms are

ly find us, anyway," said

t stop her; so what matter is it, if you both have to look a bit fir

them from the wonderful basket, and then handed one to each of the children, wrapped in a plantain leaf, so they should not burn their

eat, too?" asked Mari

a piece of the eel as she spoke, but if any one had been watching carefully, they would have her slyly

er pan in the river, packed it in her basket again, and led the way up the path to the highway once more. Although they found the road

as they reached the Antwerp road and turned northward, "for I live in a