The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-09-05

/ of his comrades at the next sunrise.
/ Yet they pitied him. He was, by all
/ accounts, tall, handsome, brave fellow,
| a soldier whose ease of manner and whose
/ habits indicated that his early life was
/ passed in circles with which none of his
| companions were familiar. He was a
! stranger to them all when he Joined
/ them. and it had not escaped notice that
! the Count de Rochambeau, with his ever
| observant eye, had marked this common
/ soldier, Francois. and had even once
said, in the hearing of the sentry who
/ paced in front of the door: Il mean to
/ find out why this gentleman serves as a
/ common soldier and who he is
! With all his reserve and hours of med
itatiOn, Francois was faYOTite with his
/ comrades, for while they felt that he
! was above them in refinement. in polish
and experience, they knew that he made
no effort to have them feel thus, but
| rather endeaYOred to repress all trials
and emotions not shared in common by a
/ private SCldier. Yet he could nOtrepresS
all There was method, a way, a man
/ nerism of which he was unconscious.
/ He had nursed the sick, done double du-
! ty to save some tired-Out cOmrade, and
/ there was gloom throughout the camp
when it went forth that COmrade Duplan
was to be shot at sunrise. They went
/ by twOs and threes and scores to the
/ Count de ROchambeau to beg for mercy,
and they returned heavy-hearted, not
/ getting what they sought.
! Duplan himself, so it was afterwaTd
/ said. was the most composed and SEEM
/ ingly least troubled soldier in the camp.
Once, when the guard, with tears stream
I ing down his cheeks, said Too bad
/ Too bad - Duplan replied 1T IS well. =
I I Il 4
/ these five years in the shadow of death.
| To-day. yesterday, for a few weeks |
( have seen a little ray of sunlight break
! ing through the Clouds | knew to-day.
when / stepped over the line, that, ere l
returned either the sun would once
more shine for me, or that night would
/ come forever
That seems to be the strange part of
it all. There is not a soldier in camp
I who thinks you intended to desert
Nor did |. Had l succeeded,
should have returned, welcomed by the
Count de Rochambeau, and not as Fran
co.'s Dupl4n."
Then you are not serving under your
right name ~
'No. I once had-known q servant
! of that name"
! Later in the evening Count de Roch-
ambeau's aid brought a message to the
/ sergeant in command. 1t was to the eff
feet that any requests of Francois Du-
plan consistent with the execution of the
sentence were to be granted. Food,
( writing materials, companions for the
night, the choice of the comrades who
. were to execute the Sentence-any wish
es he might have were to be strictly car
rien out. Duplan at first said that he
had none, but suddenly, with an air of
great earneStness, and yet timidly, he
asked if a comTade might be detailed to
escort from the village and home again
one whom he would like to see.
''And who is this one ?''
"Mistress Prudence Strong"
The aid looked at Duplan curiously
for an instant.
And why do you wish to see Mistress
Prudence on such a night as this :" he
asked.
Did the Count de Rochambeau in
struct you that [ must give you the rea-
SONS for any wish l might desire grant
ed - was Duplan's answer.
The aid smiled significantly, but Du-
plan did not see that.
Let it he then as he wishes" said
the aide to the sergeant.
y soldier was detailed to 90 up into
the village and escort Mistress Prudence
to the camp. 'PeTadventure she will
not come, - he said to his comrades as he
buttoned his great coat about him; ''and
yet l think she viii. Have you not seer
her at the oven when Duplan and the
rest of us were baking bread ? Did she
not visit us one evening with some OF
the other maids, and bring us cider an6
/ apples ?''
As the soldier passed the guard house
b Duplan called him. Il pray you, - saiC
: the prisoner. mot to reveal to Mistress
| Prudence my trouble. 1t is my last re
i quest 90 you, cOmrade.'
/ Half an hour laterthe soldier returned
Z The flicker of the lantern that he carried
r revealed, as they passed the sentry,
slender female form, enwrapped from
: head to foot with a cloak. She precede,
S her escort a few steps. The snow wa
: beginning to fall. Some of the fake
fell upon the treSses of her hair that es
t capped from the top Of her hood where
a encircled the face. She was shown tn
a guard house. Duplan, standing, receiv
= ed her, waving his hand slightly, as if
warn her against any undue emotion
I The guard, with a delicacy for whic
: Duplan subsequently thanked him, turn
e ed his back to them, and paced slOwl
= before the door. He heard voices. II
: did not hear, nor try to, what was said
He heard sObS, also. At the end of hal
e an hour Duplan said distinctly: "Nov
90. You viii come to see me in tn
e morning at the oven, will you not
And then the guard knew that he ha
l. not told her what his sentence was, an
e that she did not know that she nevt
e would hear him speak again. AS ST
Y quilted the guard house he put some p;
pers that he took from his breast int
her hand
= ''Will you go with me to the War O
n fice." she said to her escort, ''and wa
is there until have seen Mr.. Trumbull
Then when we get to my fathers hOu'
/. my father viii make for you a hot pune
it I'll warrant. Yes, l know, the pune
" viii be all ready, because Mr.. Rudd, OF
( minister, is in the kitcI en- this eveniT
D with father, and they always take
q warm one whsn they are together.
The snow, as they passed to the hig
[ way. began to fall 50 thickly that eyt
n the light of the lantern was dimmed, b
[ at this Mistress Prudence laughed, az
the cOmrade who was acting as her {
f cort thought her an extremely fearle
L girl. and wonderfully handsome withS
IT The walk to the War Office was a shO
Ie one. Within ten minutes they were
t. the door.
Ie "Halt - said the sentinel, and he W
h so muflled up that it was the tone rat
er than the articulation that check
[ Mistress Prudence. who would otherwi
1t have opened the door and gone in una
If nounced.
- sob no : It is you, is it, Mistress a
4 ! ahsat u nTaC n