The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-09-19

from the room, the Governor aud Count
staring al each other In amazemrnt.
Presently she returned, looking drmure,
sly and wondrous pretty.
81 have put the papers where thcyarc
safe. sir. Tomorrow when | see Mr..
Duplan and h. tells me that he Is rcliey-
"a from durcss and disgrace, will place
them In your hands.
The Count flushed. lie biz his lips.
and nj length said "rhrn Mis- pni-
dcnce dare not 20 trust % my honors''
"Yes, ycs.H she said, going 10 him
PRETTY, sbut methinks ] viii punish
YOU for your impertinence, ,ir. You
seek the papers greatly, and ,on must
restrain your curiosity over the night as
punishment for the question yon put
10 me. Nevertheless will partially re-
quite you,r and with that She put her
face up 10 his, so that when he bent over
she kissed him on his forehead. Then
the Count sat at the Governors desk
and wrote an order pardoning Francois
Duplan. or rather dismisSing the charge
Of descrion a. unfounded. thereby qui-
citing his conscience regarding the per-
cmptory order If death 10 deserter~ and
gratifying his wishes. "t;ive this" he
said, \. 10 Your escort. and charge him
10 deliver il Ia the Sergeant on his ne
turn 10 the car p"
When she went away neither the
Governor nor the Count proposed to
make any search for the papers. The
dispatch bearers. in response 10 the
Governors inquiry, said that the maid
en- went up among the raftcrs.
n.....aI.. Ia.rt... .IAurnl lfi-fr.-y
Prudence 10 her fathers door by the
light Of his lantern, and nothing 10th
went in. The mistress herself mixed
him punch Of tremendous strength,
which he drank in her honor. Then
Squire Strong insisted on another. and
the minister suggested that they drink
to the cause, 80 that by the time Com
radc Jacques was ready 70 20 back 10
the camp he must have had more than
pint Of Medford rum to warm him.
The cold night air from without and the
heated rum from within sent hi~ brain
al once into whirl. and an hour after
the sentinel took him 10 his tent in a
state Of the widest intoxication, in
which he constantly sang the praises II
Mistress Prudence. They found on him
at noon the next day the Count dc Re-
chambcau's remission Of the sentence u
death.
AT sunrise the Sergeant and six weep
ing comrades, drawn BY lot, led Duplan
| through The snow. across the highway
I nearly opposite the old mill. He knelt
in the snow on the bank. and begged
them 10 stand not more than five PAGES
away. lie calmly repeated a PRAYER.
and then turning to his comrades said
/ in clear voice, s-Aim for my heart.
and dropped the handkerchief. He fell
I over in the snow dead. and BY noon was
buried where he fell. His comrades
took from stone wall a dozen or more
bow 4: rs and placed them in a pile over
the grave. 1.-THE little heap may be-
seen 70 this day.]
AT noon, as the sun came out, Mistress
Prudence appeared at the oven on the
green. She asked for Mr.. Duplan, and
the Frenchmen smiled and pointed 10
the earth. Even then she did not under
stand. Looking across the common she
saw the Count de Rochambeau entering
the War Office, and 70 him she at once
went.
"Where j. Mr.. Duplan?'
ssI. his grave, Mistress Prudence"
She paled. hut did not faint. She
stood ike rock. She saw that the
Count dc Rochambean was not testing
The Count himself looked sadly al her.
and was about 70 tell her n the drunken
Jacques. made drunk by the mistress :
own attentions, but she stopped him.
"You are murderer she said.
" You have killed brave and innocent
man without cause. You have killed
me. You trifcd with me last night.
You care for women only 70 play with
their feelings. | hate You and All yours.
Obi why did yon kill him. sir? lie was
a good man and noble man. OH You
are all servants Of Satan. War. i
this war? Then I hate H. Better had
there been no war Yes. better have
been slaves Of the throne. But ] tell
YOU. sir, you will never know whom you
murdered. II the constant thought
that YOU may have killed one equally
gentle with Yourself may be a punish
mcnt hope that il viii ever rankle IN
your breast. have concealed the pa
pers. He asked me to keep them for
ever in case he was not released. They
are safely hidden. You will not iind
them unless You pull the Governors 81.
flee down. Perhaps not then, ana
il will not come down while YOU are
alive
Then she tainted: and an honr
, after they carried her home IN q de-
. lirium.
, In the spring. when the snow wa
!, gone. they found flower on two plant
"a around the powders over Duplan
! grave No one ever saw any person
plant them. hut every one knew tllal
J Mistress Prudence had been there. l'c-
e.. IN. ,,n..f .,.t.inar shn Mas llll AM.lA