troyed by the
Germans. Not knowing what else to do, Mrs. Burton originally invited her
to live with them at the farm temporarily. But she had proved such a
help in getting settled and the girls had become so fond of her that no
one of them willingly would have allowed Mere Antoinette to depart.

After the wonderful fashion of French cooks, Mere Antoinette could make
nourishing and savory dishes out of almost nothing, so she and Sally had
principal charge of the kitchen. Notwithstanding, two of the Camp Fire
Girls were to prepare supper each evening, so that they should not
forget their accomplishments and in order to relieve the others.

Marie, Mrs. Burton's maid, had accompanied her to France, although none
too willingly. It was not that she did not adore her afflicted country,
but because she feared the dangers of the crossing and the hardships she
might be forced to endure.

Marie, alas! was a patriot of a kind each country produces, a patriot of
the lips, not of the heart or hand.

It must be confessed that she had wandered far from her chosen work as
maid to a celebrated American actress. Would any one have dreamed in
those early days when Marie had first entered her service that Mrs.
Burton would have followed so eccentric a career as she had wilfully
chosen in the past few years? First to wander about the United States,
living outdoors in Camp Fire fashion with a group of young girls, then
with the same group of girls and two additional ones to undertake the
present reclamation work in France!

Having accomplished the journey across the sea in safety, Marie would
cheerfully, yes, enthusiastically have remained in Paris, even if it
were a Paris unlike the gay city she remembered. She would have enjoyed
accompanying her "Madame" to the homes of distinguished persons, caring
in the meantime for her wardrobe and urging her to return to her
rightful place upon the stage. But since Mrs. Burton for the present
would do none of these things and since Marie had refused positively to
be separated, once more she had to make the best of a bad bargain.

So voluntarily Marie offered to take charge of the greater part of the
housework and to devote the rest of her time to sewing for the French
children in their vicinity, whose clothes were nothing but an odd
assortment of rags.

Marie had her consolations. It was good to be out of a country which
produced men of the type of Mr. Jefferson Simpson, who having
_once_ propo