The Hickman courier., 1873-07-05
A Lovers Ruse.

A Lovers Ruse.
In N, one of the larger French
provincial cities, during the autumn of
1871, young German officer was quar-
tered in the house of q rich merchant.
NJ. B, so the merchant was called,
was a Chauvinist of the purest water.
At the beginning of the campaign, he
was sanguine in the belief that, within
four weeks, all Germany would be at
the feet of the Emperor Napoleon ; and
now, despite all the reverses the French
arms had met with, from Weissenburg
to Paris, he was thoroughly convinced
that Gambetta, with his newIy-created
army, would soon drive the hated Ger
man invaders to the last man from the
81 sacred soil of France"
Until this ardently longed-for mo-
ment arrived, like the prudent man
that he was, he paid the taxes and con-
tributions demanded of him by the in
vaders promptly, and gave vent to his
hatred for les naa,Aits Pyetssierls by
vilifying Bismark and the king of Prus-
sia in his little family circle, and by
avoiding, as far as possible, Lieutenant
D, who was quartered in his house.
The ladies of the house, his wife and
daughter, were good patriots I; but their
patriotism did not prevent them finding
Lieutenant D. very amiable and in
teresting, and their allowing him to
spend q considerable share of his leisure
hours in their society. Mademoiselle
Louison, the daughter, was eighteen
years old, and very pretty. Lieutenant
D. was five or six years older, was
an accomplished man of society, and
thoroughly master of the French Ian
guage. What was more natural than
that, despite national differences, the
young people should be drawn toward
each ather9 The mother who was
giant young officer, favored his suit, and
encouraged her son-in-law, that would
be, to formerly ask Louison's father for
her hand. But papa B declared
that he would sooner see his daughter
dead than the wife of a Prussian,
gave the lieutenant polite but decided
refusal, and forbade his wife and
daughter from holding any further in
tercourse with him The ladies were
requested to occupy one wing of the
house. and the servants received strict
orders to deny the Prussian officer all
communication whatsoever with the
fortress.
About this time the railroad accidents
in the provinces occupied by the Ger
mans had become so numerous that
they, as a means of self-protection,
compelled some prominent French citi-
zen to ride on the locomotive of each
train, in order to prevent his country
men from tearing up the rails of the
road, or otherwise doing it such injury
as to endanger the safety of the train,
because now the life of one of their fell
low-citizens weuld be imperrilled by an
mics. The means accomplished the de-
sired end railroad accidents became
rare. But these compulsory trips in
mid-winter, on an open locomotive,
were very far from being pleasure
| trips and NJ. B was not a little
amazed when, within the short space of
two weeks, it was his lot to make the
| Journey in this manner to and from
s. no less than five times. His
protestations and remonstrances were of
no avail the order from the German
headauarters was there and had to be
obeyed for contre la force IL n'y a
pas de resistance. When NJ. B
was notified for the sixth time to hold
himself in readiness to make the journey
again to s., he entered complaint
to the marie, who replied, with 6
shrug
"I am sorry, but can do nothing
for you. 1t is certainly very strang'
that you should be selected so mucl
more frequently than others to make
this unpleasant trip. Have you, per
haps, personal enemy at the German
headquarters ?"
"I recently refused German officer
who asked the hand of my daughter,
said he, after a moments reflection
" and denied him admission to my fami
ly circle"
q C'est ga :" cried the MARE, laugh
ing. ''That explains the mystery. Tw
or three times, when you have bee
} away, 1 have seen Lieutenant D.
, enter your house. He evidently ha
sufficient influence at headquarters t
enable him to send you on these az
cursed journeys whenever he desires t
visit your daughter"
B NJ. B@'s Indignation knew n
t bounds.
e "My dear friend, continued the NOR
e philosophic nqaire, 81 would advis
/. you to consent to your daughters ma,
riage rather than, in this cold weather
. to contract pneumonia by riding
: and from s. ON an open locomc
tive" -
e III. B threw himsel, ,ac f intohai
and seemed for some minutes lost in re
fiection. 1t was terrible alternative
. either to give his daughter to maud
, Prussien, or to endanger his own va1us
BILE life.
Chow long, think you," he aske
the naire. twill it be before the arm
of the Loire will destroy the German
before Paris, and drive the last one {
them across the Rhine ?"
: "The army of the Loire" replie
) the na0ire, 'has, according to new
received this morning, been defeated