the City appeared German
proclamations printed upon green paper, warning the people of Rheims of
terrible punishments which would befall them if they in any way
rebelled against the will of the victorious invaders. It was only with
great difficulty that Pierre could be dragged by these signs. Each
morning as they went to the Cathedral they had to pass several of them,
and Pierrette and her Mother soon learned to take precautions against
an outburst of rage which might bring down upon his rash head the wrath
of the enemy. The eye of the Germans seemed everywhere. One of these
posters was fixed to the window of Madame Coudert's shop. On the
morning that it first appeared, Pierre in passing made a dash for the
gutter, picked up a handful of mud, and threw it squarely into the
middle of the poster.

Madame Coudert saw him, and winked solemnly, but did not move. His
Mother instantly collared Pierre, and led him up a side street just in
time to escape the clutches of a German officer who had seen him a
block away, and came on the run after him. When, puffing and blowing,
he at last reached the shop there was no one in sight except Madame
Coudert behind her counter. The enraged officer pointed out the insult
that had been offered his country.

Madame Coudert looked surprised and concerned. She followed the officer
to the door, and gazed at the disfigured poster. "I will clean it at
once," she said obligingly. She got out soap and a brush immediately,
and when she had finished, her work had been so thoroughly done that
not a spot of mud was left, but unfortunately the center of the poster
was rubbed through and quite illegible, and the rest of it was all
streaked and stained! "Will that do?" she asked the officer, looking at
him with round, innocent eyes and so evident a desire to please that,
in spite of an uneasy suspicion, he merely grunted and went his way.

The first time they came into the shop after this episode Madame
Coudert gave Pierre a cake with pink frosting on it.

In this way a whole week dragged itself by, and, on the morning of the
eighth day after the German entry into Rheims, Mother Meraut and the
Twins left home earlier than usual in order to reach the Cathedral
before the bombardment, which they had learned daily to expect, should
begin. They found Madame Coudert in front of her shop; washing the
window. A large corner of the poster was now gone. "It rained last
night," she said to Mother Meraut, "and t