The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-09-14

| herei what splendid support l hayt
got" he went on, displaying a clean wood
en- stump strapped on TO his shattered limb
And this, too,' pointing to u decoration
on MS breast " Yes, can hold up my
head proudly among all these PrussiaI
dogs tor fought wildly for France; bu
To what use is it, What has come of it
We are betrayed first by our Emperor
then by our generals; and even our wo
men cringe and Singer to these ioafine
barbarians Few Frenchmen can, like me
hold up their heads, and feel sat- -hed they
have done their utmost for their country
And off stamped my quondam p>tienr
followed by little troop of gamjn al
mirers.
The wind is tempered 10 the shorn
lanb." thought |, as | watched the poor
manned lad limping about so gayly.
l found things in a progressive state in.
side the walls; the French came Up to me,
volub and hearty, recognizing in me a
friend whose picket might possibly be fill
ed with tobacco and cigars, if not the
bearer of important news from the outer
world The Germans Were silently digni-
fed, and gloomily hopeless about their
own recovery. Could l write a brief
poem to distant lady-loveg" No.
Well, would l ask the doctor to prevail
upon the cook to make some stronger
soup?' "Yes, l would do that" Had |
by chance a cold sausage in my pocket? p
No. could | do anything else?' l in
CURED. Yes, Madame might make
some"
Some weeks after my return home from
my visit, | went again to see Marie; | ha1
heard she had been getting on well, and |
found her up, and much better, with d new
and brighter expression on her face. Her
N 1ther had just been discussing the advis-
ability OF retiring TO bed; she had tired of
her cOtfee-I0asting and knitting, and the
afternoon was gloomy and cold. helped
the tottering old woman into an inner
room, where, in a sort of berth followed
into the wall, she lay down and soon tell
asleep. While | was with her the German
Heinrich came in, and went straight up 10
Marie. Why don't you tell her? You
can trust her, and she might help us" |
kne" he meant me. "Speak, Marie" he
went on, bending over her his great head,
with the strong, short CT, pped hair. He
was all powerful; Marie would have done
anything for him, he knew it, and she
knew that he knew it; and yet he was
pleading and tender, and gentler than she
was. Her eyes had ia len under his gaze,
and her lips pressed themselves together |;
she had struck pettishly The great big hand
that enclosed hers. 1t is only the strong
and the great who are gentle; it is the
weak who strike out cruelty and reck lessly
to save themselves from falling. [ came
out from the inner room, and sat down in
the old mothers chair, on the other side of
the ire. Heinrich came ID stood before
me, erect and resolute. Madame" he
began, " | love this French woman. Marie.
OF NliIetrancne, and | wish to marry her !:
but II we made known our intentions in
the village, either she or | would be torn
IN pieces by the people, for at his hour
thtre Is no love lost between the despoil,d
and the despOilers. In loving Marie | do
not forget my country, nor does she re-
nounce hers. | only find that love. when
II comes, uIumphs over all other feelings
and considerations. Could you not speak
to the cure for Us, and get him to marry us
prlVately?H But" | interrupted, "sure.
" 1t is too short time since the death Of
Marle's husband" Il have been in the
house for months, and have today re-
celved marching orders, " he put in. "And
done everything for me, ana | cannot bear
1t any longer added Marie, in her low,
pas. tomato voice. Then the big man
knelt down, and kissed and stroked the
pale hands that held with effort her BABY 8
weight
On my way home that evening called
at the cures house. | gave my name, and
he came shuttting along the little serden
waIk, with sabots paIled over MS shoes,
SO as 10 oien the gste to me himself. We
bowed and scrap TO one another. and re-
marked on the dep.h of the snow as we
mace cur way To his sanctum. In the
center of the room stood a - ritiug-table,
covered with greasy looking volumes, thin
It'ter-paper, INK, and sand; there was an
open fireplace, filled with ashes, ana two
logs pls ced re dy Tor Lighting. The cayt
immediately OOped down aud lit match
Enough | protested), AMI the room was
soon lighted with the sparkling flames
On the mantel shelf stood small, ousty
images OF tie Madonna and the CrucitiX.
ION, balanced by pipe and tobacco pouch
cupboard happened to be half open, and
on It's shelves were ranged TASKS of vari.
Gus sauces and spices, and moaldy old
bottles OF sealed wines. He motioued me
TO chair, and drew little mat in front
OF 1t tor my feet; and with his snuff box
IN his hand, and his head meekly bowed
down, he listened to my tale. 1t was a
difficult story to tell, and | suffered and
stammered over it; but the priest s all
attention. THAT is al very right" he
SAID, III reassuring way; there are
much more complicated ca es than that iii
the village. Aid So you think they should
marry he went on, lifting his sleepy eyes
to mine.
Yes, indeed l DO; and sny little ex.
pense Marie may incur, l shall most glad
Iy-"
"Of course, l understand" he inter
rupted, waving his hand in deprecaling
way. Poor Jacques, he could II itheT
read nor write, but, as he said, that cid not
prevent him f;om serving his country.
We'll, we Will try and arrange mat ers in a
quiet way, some time soon, and in the
mean while Marie and this German must
keep quiet and bide their time"
Ana then L rose, and he, bowling low.
put on his sabots again, and ACCOMPANIED
me 10 the garden-gate.
On the following day called again at
Mares cottage. She expected me, and
had put the little c0ffee-pot on the stove.
ana had sent Heinrich out to get some new
Dread Tor me, talking of everything but the
one subject nearest 10 her heart. She was
looking charming and was making great
effort to be energetic | was being warmed
BY her hot coffee, and we were waiting for
heinrich and the bread, when the outer
door opened, and great gust of cold wind
swept through the narrow passage Marie
was holding saucepan over the fire: the
pan shook and tgembled, and | feared for
the fate Of the rfk as Marie turned her
eyes, so full of lustrous light, to the door.
l was feeling little shut out, and aggrieyed
about the probable loss of the milk des-
tined for my cup, as | noticed Marie's dis
traction, when-thud-thud came along the
passage, and-thud thud, echoed through
the room. As | looked st her, saw that
suddenly the love, lit eyes waned and paled,
and from her clenched white lips came an
agonlzed shrek. She staggered forward,
and fell into her husbands arms.
Marie, mignonne, c'est moi regardes
ton jacques" and he tried to lift up the
blanched face to his "Ahl it was Won
who saved me- he went on, turning and
Recognizing me. How much | owe to
y i! Figure to yourself, nv Marie: a
party of i've We're brought from the field !.
all mad to undergo amputation, and | alone
survived the surgeons knife. | thought
1t was all up with, when | fell pierced bv
two balls, and with those rideriess horses
careerlng over me, and knew nothing
more until 7 yVDEa 10 g.. .