The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1872-11-30

tinspeetins the newcomer. who
44hre y back the wet collar of his
cioak ana let it fail upon tie cha;r
Light complexioned, pale, and with
\. newborn fnoustaene, covering his
upper lip, he said eurtly to the
waiter who asked iluh what he
would have:
Brandy, beer, anything you
{ Iikel"
I The conversation, thus interrupt
/ ed for a moment, was taken up again
and the waiter placed 2 glass before
lthe stranger. A 4
"Gentiemen," said the latter, as
he turned to the officers who were
watching the progress Of the punch.
(which of you speak FrAch?"
q ri'I know something the Ian
guage, answered Mildf Haspe -.
he arose. .: in what way 80.
servIce so y0i - ,S,s' 2
The yonpg man l.oked into tht
calm face before bfm for a momene
then shut his eyes, and pressed one
of his hands to his breast, as if he
were IN pain.
Il beg your pardon" he added,
in a trembling voice, a moment af-
ter. "but are. rot these (and he
pointed to the epaulettes on the ma
ior's shoulders; the insignia of q
captian in the Prussian army ?"
Hasner had scarcely answered in
the affirmative, when, without hay
ing noticed the rapid movement of
the young man IS arm he felt blow
il. the face. a
Sll the officers jumped up imme.
.diately and surrounded the French
man, who held himself at bay
against the wall.
7Hasner was about toiall upon him
when his friends Weiseh and Bug
gler seized him and held him off.
Then q bottle was hurled at the
head of the stranger by one of the
officers aud broke with crash
against the wall.
"Hold, gentlemen p cried Hasner,
this affair Is mine"
He then stepped in front of the
man who had insnlted him, as if he
feared that the latter was going to
run away.
"I do not know you, he said, af-
ter looking at the Frenchman a mo-
Ment.
"Six years ago, replied the other,
''one of your countrymen, a captain
like you, slapped my face on the
public square of my native town. l
tried to avenge myself, and I was
thrown to the ground, beaten and
wounded by his soldiers L always
felt that blow till a moment ago,
and l only awaited the death of my,
mother to demand satisfaction for it.
/ arrived in this town this evening,
and, less cowardiy than your com pa
triot, I addressed myself to you
that is, to man and MOTTO n little
child"
A murmur arose among the Off
GERS, but the major suppressed it.
an Iillaoeent '-7sszsss
that was committed r-lon icu, mon
sieur," he said. on raising his head
sadly; " would not have struck a
child any more than you, believe me.
You have no longer a mother-so
much the better, for you have placed
me under the necessity of killing
you. My friends" added the ma
ior turning to Weisch and Buggler,
& Weave the arrangement of every
thing to you"
The next day, about 8 o'clock in
morning, a post-chaise carried NJ.
Jean Bernard ON his way back to
France. At the same hour Weisch
and BHggler carried to Martha the
inanimate corpse of her husband
killed without having had time even
10 put on his majors uniform.
My uncle, continued the young
man who told me this story, "whose
good heart and fair dealing you
know as well as any enc, learned
only too late that be whom he had
insulted had q mother, wife,
child, and was no longer a captain
He has never ceased to think of the
orphan. And now. you know why
he never laughs"