The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-02
old E,alher stenne, came Out Of the post.

stenne trembled, II was from lear, iron
y shame. In the posthouse thej
Is found some soldiers gathered round
h small fire, q real widows fire, by who's
blake they were thawlng their biscuits OF
the end Of their bayonets. They crowded
close together 80 as 10 make room for the
b children. They gave them drop OF winI
and little coffee. While they were drink
Ing, an officer came TO the door, called The
Sergeant, spoke 10 him in low voice, and
then quickly went away. "Boys" said
!. the Sergeant, as he came back radiant
. There will be tobacco tonight.
We have found. out the PrussianB pass.
word. think this time we will take back
from them that d. BourgetW
Then there followed an explosion oil
braves and laughter. They danced and
|. sang and swung their sabres In the air.
Proaung by the tumult, the children dis.
appeared. Having passed the breastwofk,
nothing remained to be crossed but the
plain, at the end OF which was o long
white wall filled with loopholes. They
directed their steps towards this, stopping
every now and then, and making believe
to look for potatoes "Let us return; don't
Igo any farther" little Stenne said all the
while, but the large one only shrugged his
ishoulders and went on.
Suddenly they heard the click OF gun
being aimed at them. "Lie down." said
the large boy, throwing himself on the
ground. When he was down lie whistled,
and another whistle answered him over
the snow, and they went on, climbing on
their hands and knees. In front Of the
wall, and even with the ground, two vel.
low mustaches under greasy caps appeared,
and the large boy leaped into the ditch
beside the Russians. ''That is my broth.
err" said he, pointing to his companion.
He was so small, little Stenne, that on
seeing him the Prussians began to laugh,
and one OF them was obliged to take him
In his arms in order to lit him over the
breach.
On the other side OF the wall were large
breastworks, fallen trees and black holes
in the snow, and in each one OF these was
the same yellow mustache and greasy cap,
and there was great laughing as the sol. |
diers saw the children pass by.
In corner was q gardeners house,
casemated with the trunks Of trees, the |
lower part Of which was full! Of soldiers,
who were playing cards and making soup
over a clear, bright fire. How good the |
cabbages and the bacon smelt, and what
difference to the sharpshooters' bivouac!
Upstairs were the officers, and they heard |
them playing on the piano and opening
champagne bottles. When the Parisians
entered the room a. hurrah OF Joy greeted |
them. They gave up their newspapers,
and the officers gave them something to |
drink and made them talk. They all had
a proud, hard look, but the large bow |
amused them with his Partisan gayety |
and his gamin slang. They laughed and |
repeated his words after him, and seemed |
to wallow with delight in the Partisan |
mud he brought them.
Little Stenne. too, would have liked to |
have talked and to prove that he was not
stupid, but something embarrassed him,
Opposite to him, sitting apart, was Prus.
sian, older and more serious than the |
others, who was reading. or rather seemed |
to read, for he never took his eyes off lit. |
tie Stenne, and there was in his glance |
both tenderness and reproach, as though |
this man might have had child OF little
Stenne's age at home, and as il he were
saying TO himself: II would rather die |
than see my son doing such a thing, :" and |
as he looked at little Stenne the bow felt AZ |
u q hand were clutching at his heart and
keeping It from beating. To escape the
anguish he began to drink, and soon every
thing turned around him. He heard |
vaguely amid loud laughs, his comrade |
making fun Of the National Guards, Of |
their way OF going through their drill, he |
initiated an assault OF arms in the Marais, |
and surprise at night on the ramparts.
Then the large boy lowered his voice, the
officers approached nearer to him and
their faces grew more solemn. The mis-.
cradle fellow was telling them about that
nights premeditated attack, of which the
shapshooters had spoken. Then little
Stenne rose, furious and completely sober
ed: Don't tell that, fellow, won't have
YOU"
But the other only laughed and con.
tinucd; but before he had finished the
officers were all on their feet, and one OF
them, showing the door to the children,
told them TO "Begonew and they began to
talk hurriedly together in German. The
large boy left tho room as proud as doge,
clinking his money. Little Stenne iol-
lowed him, holding down his head, and
as he was passing the Prussian whose look
had so disturbed him, he heard a voice
saying to him: "Not nice that, not nice"
and the tears came to his eyes. Once
more in the plain the children began to
run, and returned toward Paris quickly.
TheirsaCks were filled with potatoes which
the Prussians had given them, and with
these they passed the sharpshooters en-
campment without any trouble. They
were preparing for the night attack.
Troops were arriving silently, and were
massed behind the wall. The old SER
geant was there, busily engaged arranging
his men with such a happy look. When
the children passed near them he recog-
nized them and smiled kindly at them.
Oh! how badly that smile made little
Stenne feel. For moment he felt as II he
should burst out crying and say to them:
Don't go there. We have betrayed you"
But the other boy told him that il he
spoke word they would be shot, and so
fear kept him silent.
At Courneuve they entered an abandon
ed house to divide their money. Truth
compels me to say the division. was hon
estly made, and when lie heard the fine
crowns sounding under his blouse and
thought OIL his future games OF galoch, lit
tie Stenne felt his crime was not so dread
full afterall. .Es.-. Z
But when he was alone, the unhappy
child when at the gates Of the city the
J large boy left him, then his pockets grew
heavy and the hand that had been grasp
ing his heart held 1t tighter still. Paris
seemed no longer the same to him; the
passers-by regarded him severely, as il
they knew from whence he had come, and
he heard the "Spy" in all the sounds Of the
street and in the beating Of the drums
along the canal where the troops were ex-
ercising. at last he reached his home,
and, glad to find that his father had not
/ yet come in, he hurried to his room and
r hid the crowns that were weighing SO
hessyiy under %Uaa pillow Never had iath
GUS as he was that night on coming home.
i Good news had been received from the
nrnvincaa. the cnuntrv'q affaira warn M