The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-07-06
Prussian troops, fastening down tojoin

the OeSclglng army, COuStduIly pdSS6
| quite close to the village. Occasional
some Of the non iescript stragglers VIII
followed in the rear would make d rail-
upon the little shops in the main street
and carry off all they could Iav thei
hands upon This exasperated the peas
ants, already furious at the national dis
grace; and the cure in vain preached pa
thence, and impressed upon lis peopI,
that the forgiveness of injuries was th'
noblest of Christian virtues There wer,
not few turbulent spirits who declared
that ifthey could set the chance, they
would have their revenge on these "'na0u
dSts Pruss5e7as, and knock the life'out O
some of them, at least These threats
gave great anxiety to the wiser and more
experienced inhabitants; for rumors Gao
reached the village of the terrible reprl-
sails exacted by the Prussians. for every
attempt at defense on the part of the
peasants.
Atlength one evening when the autumn
days were growing dark and cold, an un
usually large number Of Pruss an troops
marched past the village, and biyoucked
for the night within a quarter u II mile
before and scarcely was their presence
known, when Prrs~ian Colonel, wi'h d
small escort, rode h4ug1tily up 10 mouse
of Lepelletier, Martels father, who acted
as Mayor, and made requisition of food
and wine for his men, which could only
be obeyedIat the cost of impoverishing the
whole inhabitants OF the village for some
months to come.
"Reminiscences and entreaties were all
in vain, and every family sullenly yield
ed up ofiheil best, till the exorhitant de.
mand was satisfied, and then the Germans
rode away, followed by the curses of every
man in the place. There were some, how
ever, who were not content with male
dictions, and muttcred ominous threats,
which caused Lepelletier, as chief per-
sonage n the place to make an earnest
harangue to the assembled people, in
which he implored them not, by any rash
act, to bring down upon their unprotected
village the wrath of the whole vast host
who lay encamped so near them. He
could see that some of the young men list
ened to him with suppressed impa-
thence; but he could do more, and calling
to his son, who was standing near with
Jules and EVariste, he made them all
three enter his house with him. lest they
should be led away by any Of the i'll ad-
vised proposals which were circulating
amongst the crowd
Several Of the principal inhabitants Of
Vaux Vllaine, both men and women, fol-
lowed Lepelletier into his sitting room,
and remained in sorrowful conversation
for some time over the disasters OF their
unhappy country and of their own
present wrongs. Among them were
Vevette and Leonie, with their parents
their presence tended greatly to reconcile
Mattel and Evariste to the inaction tC
which they were doomed, even with the
hated enemy lying so near them.
Jules, meanwhile, who WAS naturally
eloquent, was talking eagerly with Lepel.
letter and some of the gray heads of the
village on the remedies which, in his ex
perience and self-confdence, he thought
might rectify the dreadful state of mat
tiers in France
Suddenly,as they were all thus engaged
and the conversation was waxing more
and more excited, there came sound
clear and ringing though distant. which
caused the voices Of the speakers to cease
as suddenly as if a thunderbolt had fal!er
amongst them. 1t was shot coming
from the direction in which the Prussian!
lay, and followed in quick succession by
one or two more, as if from the discharge
of revolver. There was CONSERVATION
on every face as the sound died away, anc
for few minutes no one spoke and ther
one OF the women hazarded, in trem
bling voice, the remark, that perhaps ont
of the 'maGudits Pa'ussae1aS" had killed
some of their people; and while the 9th
er women cried out in horror at the idea
Lepelletier shook his head and answered
gloomily:
off only it be nothing worse than wha
you fear. But | doubt there is that, il
the sound we have heard which ma,
cause our whole village to be burnt owe
our heads. Stop!" he exclaimed, as julie
and one or two others sprang to the doc
with the intention Of ascertaining wha
had happened-"Stay where you are, on
and all I charge you. Let no man from
Vaux Vilaine be seen near the spot wher
that shot was fred, if you would hav
any of us left alive by this time to-mol
row |"
Suppressed shrieks from the wome1
followed these words as the young me-
drew back from the door. Vevette threw
herself into Martel's arms, and Leoni
lifted up her blue eyes swimming in tear:
to Evariste, and became suddenly awe
and tranquilized by the peculiar express
sion of his face; his soft, hazel eyes
wide open, appeared to be locking ia
away into scenes unperceivcd by others
and his lips were parted with calm
sweet smile, which seemed full of bidder
meaning. All agitation, she felt, wa
misplaced in presence of such look a
Evariste wore, yet Leonie trembled wit
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