The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-01-11
THE TIGER LILY.

Vincennes; here is my Grand Cross of
the Legion of Honor-my sabre-you
see my armless sleege-eh bien! have
my honorable discharge, too, distin-
guished services-three brevets on the
field-but will not shake hands with
you, sir. Morbleu! One does not con-
sentingly shake hands with a murderer,
and that is my chief title to distinction.
You can not believe it? Morbleu
There has been a time, sir, when |
would ram your incredulity down your
throat with the pummel of my sword
What do you suppose l rot in this vile
naatson de sante for, instead OF chasing
the wild Kabyles to their ders across
the red desert, except in expiation of
of my crime? Do resemble the doting
milksops who sit in corners and maun-
der over books? Morbleu! The Male
walls were never indoor folks; we al
ways had some soldiers or sailors of
our stock away from home, rowing,
fighting, trading-what not. The first
of US known in La Teste was an old
Biscayan pirate, grizzled, black and
SCARED with desperate work on the
Spanish Main and Brazilian coast, with
chest full of ingots and Spanish pillar
dollars, every one stained with blood!
RicheIieu, for services done at the siege
of Rochelle, entities him to call himself
the Sieur de Maleval. He built the old
house in La Teste and married Nor
bleu! At the revolution we dropped
the title but kept the old house in La
Teste. 1t is there yeti was born in
it--a Maleval lives in it to- day
l was just turned of 20 when | had
love affair that sent me to the wars. 1t
is no use to speak of it. She is among
the angels now, Annette Figeac, an
angel herself. | never saw Annette
again. In 1858, however, when my
regiment was in camp at Chalons, [ re-
ceived letter from her. Read it;
My dear friend; I have never met you,
never wished to meet you, since cruel fate
sundered us, but l have watched your ca
reer with solicitude, with pride, and you
have never been missed in my communings
with the bon Dieu. / now show my faith
in you by asking yoH to guide, befriend,
protect my only son, Leon, my noble boy.
who comes to the army tomorrow fresh
from his classes at Saint Cyr, where he has
won enough distinction to choose the arm Of
the service he wishes to join, ard he chooses
trust him to you, my dear friend. He is
my all. My husband is old, feeble; 1 have
nothing but Leon.
Morbleu! In the dust and smoke of
twenty campaigns, in the nonchalance
and hardenings of a thousand bivouacs,
one loses some of the qualities which
best fit one to become guardian of in
genuous youth. However, accepted
the charge. 1t would be pity if An
nette's boy should turn out vaurien,
as he might under some guidance, or
never shed his dents de lait, as might
happen under their influences.
Leon came to me next day. A tall,
graceful youth; the image of his moth
er-just her soft expressive brown eyes,
and her mouth, not concealed under
the silky little pretense of mustache.
He was not a bit of a spoon. Manly as
he was gentle, bright as he was anna
BILE, he soon became the greatest of IA
vorites in the battalion. | took him to
lodge in my own quarters, and NOR
bleu! in q week loved him as my own
son, and he me as an elder brother, and
we were such friends and companions
as 40 and 20 never were before.
So it was for year, and the boy
promised to be as fine a soldier as the
army could produce. Then there was
change. The boy gave me less of his
company. He fell pale and anxious,
was distraint, silent, reserved. l said
to myself: "It is some affair of the
heart. There is a woman at the bot
tom of it. Morbleu! / know all the
symptoms of it. But it will come right.
Patience!' 1t did not come right so
soon, however, and at last received a
despairing letter from his mother
"What has come over my Leon? Why
does my boy cease from writing to meP
o my friend, if there be any thing
wrong do not conceal it from me!''
1t was cry of agony. 1t
wrung my heart. When Leon came in
to dinner, laid the letter on his plate.
dined, and then went in search of
him. At last, at the Colonel's, found
that he had applied for leave of alb
sence, months furlough, on plea of
urgent business, and had gone home.
returned to my quarters to find Leon
already departed, and a note for me,
simply saying, 81 go to my mother to
tell her all!' l sent for one of the
Junior Captains, in whom / could trust,
and who thought much of my boy.
"What is this affair which crumples
the rose-leaves for Leon so, Captain
Regnaultp" He shrugged his shoulders.
alt is bad case, mon Colonel. The
Tiger-Lily has another victim.''
Gabrielle Preville had earned her IT,
tie of the " Tiger Lily" She was the
daughter of Cypriote woman and a
Swedish merchant, who had been Vice
Consul at Baffa and amassed fortune