Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1850-10-11
M1 S0g O. q A.M 6 S.
IT ISl.

lage, or indeed for miles around, was
Napette La Croix. She had a hun,
dred lovers, all Of whom expressed \
themselves ready 10 die for her; tho'
she, cruel thing, would not give more
than a smile in return. Her heart
was free, she said, and hoped, ii ever
would be; she bad no notion of ma
king herself a slave for life, by mar
rying. -,
So spoke Nanette, just as hun
dreds have spoken before l,er; and
she really believed for awhile all
she said No foot was Lighter a the
jgainguctte than hers no jest was
merrler than that which fell from Ma
nettei no maiden curled her lip more
saucily when her name was linked
with that of any of the beaus. And,
YET, all this while, she was in love
with Pierre Latour, the handsomest,
braves, and tr ghtest of Inc village
lads. She found it out too, but not
until he was levied for the conscrip
ton; when the certainty Of his long
absence, and the probability that he
might never return, revealed 10 her.
the secret.
Poor Pierre loved her as his own
life; and now, on the eve of leaving
her, uncertain whether size returned
his love, he was nearly beside himself
with despair. He rallied courage, 4
however, and resolved to tell his taIe,
for ditfidence hitherto had sealed his
tongue, though his eyes had long
since spoken his alteration in more
eloquent language. He found Ma
nette in tears. 1t was an unguarded
moment for her, and Pierre had no
difficulty iii winning an acknowledge
ment thPt she returned his affection.
"And will you be mine when / re-
turn! Promise me this he said,
land ] will strive 10 become great,
and will win, if braverg c2n doii,
the cross of the Legion Of Honor
'Nanette promised-how could she
helpit!--and the young soldier de
|. Pc ip,eerttsaefa! ed The secret was to be, kept
Hbelween them, SO the villagers were
none the wiser; and, as Nanette
seemed as gay as ever, no one sus-
pected that the heart was far away
In Russia, whittier the Imperial army
bad gone. .Aaa .95
But this secrecy proved most, un-
fortunate, for the young men, igno-
rant OF her engagement, were atten-
i've as ever, indeed, more so, for she
grew prettier daily. Pierre, even
Fpeiore tiie arnyfreatiled the Fl ioliiefs,
heard from those who had. left the
village later than himself that this or
that gallant was always with Ma
nette; and the gossips said it would
be9a mitch. How could he help
being a little jealouslo O And when, lla-
ter by SIX months, and jtst beforetbe
knsssslan territory was invaded, he
met an old acquaintance from The
village, and heard thattIle son ofthe
rich notary y}was dying rher,p it is
strange that he began to fear he
would yet lose his beautiful Nanette.
He had heard so much of woman
lnconstancy, especially when a young
and wealthy stntor was the rival, that
fhe trembled for her fidelity. snofS
fll All know the horrers that cam
paign in Russia. OF the half million
who followed Napoleon into the hos
tie territory not 1.-THE came back
alive. Of these, however, Latour
was one. Yet he almost wished he
had persisted in the fatal SHOWS, for
he had lost an arm, and that, too,
without gaining the cross of the Lee
.gleii of Honor Not that he did not
deserve it; but, in that awful retreat,
there was no time for the emperor TO
think of bestowing fagors. Slowly,
and almost in rags, like thousands of
others Latour begged his way back
10 his native village. q s''s ~
twas bright morning in autumn,
more than year after Laiodr's Je-
bpartnse. when one of the village gos-
sips stopped Minute at thewin90w
.ott the, cottage, where Napette and
her mother dwelt. 1,
y 4. = VINO do you think has come
b:lcls 91s she SAID, Lato1rR himself,
He arrived yesterday after oofi''ils
oeAt3 The announcementaofc cherlov-
er's return .Nanettes heart leaped
with Joy. but when she heard he had
been back SO long without coming to
see her, her spirits sank, for she had
icontlnued TO love the absent Solder,
IN spite OF the n0tary7s son and s,ler
hundred other adj, ifeTs, gasllMsl
sIle is come back dn a ysorryIplight
though, " continued the gossip ssIasne,
d 5beggaf, and with but 'onis arm. He
.is siclt M heart fstA. and af, as!,as,sfa