Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-01-01

is that your name!"
"Yes, Monsieur"
"Your mothers name:'
Yes, Monsieur"
"Was she from Basile in Lorraine 2
"Yes, Monsieur"
Inc hands we're removed from the
face now and the fair soft eyes were
raised wondrously, but the face ol
Monsieur was hard again, only just in
the corners Of his mouth, where the
curves were. there was q trembling, a
vague dream of something to be said,
which died with them unspoken.
He took her hand, though tenderly,
and as he led her to the door he stopped
As she turned and kissed her. Before
she looked he was gone.
| After that she worked hard as ever
in the factory, and though she said
nothing she thought often Of the great
Monsieur, and what it could all mean.
The time came, though, when she
was taken i'll. 1t came upon her one
1 day in the street, when she would have
tainted and fell but that some one
caught her. She was insensible for a
long. long time. but in her sickness she
could hear no noise as from the court,
and when one morning she awoke she
was lying in a rich room hung with
pictures of rich and marvellous beauty.
Over the pillow was her fair hair, and
her hand was thin and pale and she
was very weak.
Over by the window was the figure
of man-an old man, she thought
half hid in the heavy curtains. AS lie
rose, however, she was so weak that
she closed her eyes, and then, halt
sleeping and dreaming, she could feel
him standing by the bed. Who it was
she did not know, and was too tired
and weak TO care hardly at all but one
evening, as the sunset streamed into
the room, she found on the pillow be-
side her q picture of lady that she
thought she had once seen. 1t was a
fair lady "A very fair lady-and the
long hair hung in two braids down
over the breast. She was alone and
looked at it curiously. and saw under
meath inscribed Marie de Lislc. y
Marie dc Lisle." that was her mother $
name. and the poor weak hand wan
dered up TO the pale face, and she
wondered what could it mean.
Well, the days passed, and she re.
covered. 1t was in mid July, and she
must 90. Those around the chateau
said not, but she could not stay.
Somehow her heart would not le: her
and so one night when all were sleep.
Ing, she arose and wandered away
back to Paris.
She did not 90 back to the factory.
lie might find her there, and she dread.
ed him now, somehow, with an indeti.
nate fear of she knew not what and
so. with other poor girls, she worked
in the cafes, where there was much talk
now OF the war. There was revolu-
tionary talk, too, Of what "the reds
would do were the army away, and
once in a while when she dared ask
she made timorous inquiries Of "Mon-
sieur the Marquis" she called him,
and once when his name was read
aloud as the leader of desperate
charge, and only retreated when borne
back by soldiers, she shuddered.
This time also passed, and Paris, in
"sabots" and ''red caps," was in an
uproar. Napoleon had surrendered,
Paris had fallen, and after the enemy
left the city was crazy, wild, mad, and
furious with blood and fire; but she
worked on. What was it to her, only
a poor sewing-girl, except that bread
was hard TO get, and at that very poor
and dear?
But one day she heard there was to
be an execution. What was that
Only something she had heard Of,
never seen and so in the press of the
crowd she hastened to where La Com.
mune waved its red flag, and where the
ruined. blackened walls showed where
La Commune's vengeance had fallen.
There were three hostages-only
three. One young man, q chasseur,
in his rich uniform. He was handsome,
all said. His eyes were bound; he
stood against the wall. A crash, q
roar, and he fell forward on his face,
while his gilt uniform was draggled in
the dust
The second was priest in his black
sombre dress and beads he looked up
once, and then died, as the other be.
fore; and the third, he was q general,
they said, and had defied the people.
There was q press forward to see, and
Maria was pushed forward to the fore
most rank. She looked. He was q
man Of over sixty, with white hair and
features clear-cut and hard and very
cold even then he stepped up proudly
and smiled.
The Red in command gave the or.
ders, "one," "two"-there was q rush
from the foremost rank, q sudden cry,
and then a girls form was seen to be
lying in the arms of the hostage,
'three. fire" shouted the Red, but
somehow the muskets didn't roar, and
somehow the Sabotes in the crowd
raised q faint cheer which deepened
into q roar, and q suggestion was
heard to put the Red in his place.
Paris, especially common Paris, ID
quick Of feeling, and when the poor
girl explained in her tears that "the
general" was dear, very dear to her
that he had saved her life once wher
she was very i'll. Aye, more, he VA
her mothers loverlopg ago in Lorraine
| that she had died Whika married In an.
other man, and-and-that she loves
him. Would theys