WHEN A HERO WAS AFRAID.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20898, 13 June 1931, Page 6 (Supplement)

WHEN A HERO WAS AFRAID.

Once a brave soldier was afraid. He was General de Lisle. At the beginning of the -war the Baroness de la Grange was living quietly in her chateau of La Motte. When the thunderstorm broke on Flanders she did not fine, but remained to act as hostess and nurse to tho French and British of all ranks who came marching through what had been her country home. But when tho Germans launched their attack on the Lys Valley in 1918 even the quiet French lady saw that she must obey tho Allied Staff Officers and leave La Motte. However, sho insisted on returning under fire to retrieve some precious possessions from tho crumbling ruin. While she was within tho walls, ransacking her own safe, one of her pet swans was killed on its nest outside the chateau. It might as well have been the lady instead of tho swan. During her visit to fetch the heirlooms General do Lislo sat in his car outside waiting for her, and nursing some of tho things sho treasured. And it was then that he was afraid. He was thinking, not of gas or shells, but of ridicule, and when at last sho appeared ho said, dryly, " Madame, if wo meet the Commander-in-chief ho will say 'De Lisle is a lunatic!' " It is pleasant to know that they all got safely away.