ly to bed that night, Kathleen
decorated Mademoiselle with a huge cross,--cut out of paper,--which she
pinned upon her nightgown. "For extreme gallantry," she explained, "in
leading your forces into action in face of a fierce charge by two
goats, and for taking prisoner two rebellious pigs!" Then she saluted
ceremoniously and tumbled into bed.

XII. MORNING IN THE MEADOW

As summer came on, life seemed less and less sad to the people of
Fontanelle. With the coming of the Americans the outlook had so changed
that, although the war was not yet over, they could look forward to the
future with some degree of hope. The news brought from Rheims by
occasional refugees was always sad. The Germans continued to shell the
defenseless city, and the Cathedral sustained more and more injuries,
but the beautiful stained-glass windows had been carefully taken down,
the broken pieces put together as far as possible, and the whole
shipped to safer places in France. The statue of Jeanne d'Arc within
the church had also been taken from its niche, while the one before the
Cathedral doors still remained unharmed by shot and shell.

It comforted Mother Meraut to think of that valiant figure standing
alone amid such desolation. She had other things to comfort her as
well. With food and fresh air the roses bloomed again in the cheeks of
her children. Soon, too, the gardens began to yield early vegetables.
In the morning, instead of hearing the sound of guns, they were
awakened by bird-songs, or by the crowing of cocks and the bleating of
goats. These were pleasant sounds to the people of Fontanelle, for they
brought memories of peaceful and prosperous days, and the promise of
more to come.

The rebuilding of the village was begun by the end of June, and the
sound of saws and hammers cheered them with the prospect of comfortable
homes before cold weather should come again. The work proceeded slowly,
for the workers were few, even though their good friend the Commandant
gave them all the help he could. There were now a multitude of little
chicks running about on what had been the stately lawns of the Chateau,
and there were twenty new little rabbits in the rabbit-hutch. As the
rabbits could not forage for themselves, it was necessary for others to
forage for them, and this work fell to the lot of Pierre and Pierrette.

One summer morning one of the roosters crowed very, very early, and the
Twins, having no clock, supposed it was time for