The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-10-23

evening in question he was sitting in
his doorway, smoking, and thinking OF
the farmers words to him-that he
would have been frightened had he
been at Lodi-when, CHANGING to raise
his eyes, he saw the Sergeant coming up
the street toward him. The old man
stopped in front of the door, and Civ.
ing him military salute, said, as Ange
rose to receive him:
Your pardon for this intrusion,
Citizen Pitois, but your words inter
ested me greatly to-day, and 1 thought
would pay you visit this afternoon" >"
you are right welcome, Sergeant
said the young man. 81 was just
thinking about you"
The Sergeant seated himself in the
chair which the young man offered him,
and then resting his cap on his knees,
said, bluntly.
" Do you know, Citizen Pitois, that ]
think you have chosen the wrong pro-
fession in lifep
Ahr' asked Ange, with a smile,
what should be, Sergeantp'
"A soldier" replied the visitor.
You may be a good painter for all !
know, but you ought to be a soldier.
could see to-day, while was telling Of
cur battles, that your heart was where
my thoughts were. You would make a
good soldier, Citizen Pitois. You would
enter the ranks with determination to
rise, and you would do so. You might
in time be q Colonel-a General. The
Little Corporal himself came almost
from the ranks, and many of our brav-
est and best Generals are Of the same
origin"
But it takes brave man to be a
successful soldier, doesn't it, Ser
geantP'' 9s s..-t ..-E-. - So. 49, y
!" To be sure. Can dove fly without
wingsP''
"You heard Farmer Beaupre say 1
would have been frightened out of my
wits at Lodi?" 49,
Well?"
"These people think me an innocent,
harmless dreamer, without ambition
and without courage. Now, tell me,
Sergeant, do you think could rise in
the ARMY" 81 -..s.
! You may be dreamer" said the
old soldier, emphaticslly, 4" but you
have both ambition and courage. You
only want something to draw them out
of you. No one but an ambitious man
could have your face. and no coward
could have the clear, unfaltering eye
that you have. The army will put an
end to your dreaming and develop your
better qualities. What say you, will
you go with me? l go to my company
in ten DAYS. win YOU 90 with meP'
al have been thinking of this ever
a. hnra h.,f hox
made up my mind" answered Ange.
Then make it up now, Citizen Pito-
is" said the old man. '' Believe me,
l wish you we'll. l am old enough to
be your father, and l hope you will not
resent my frankness as impertinence."
"Say what you will, my friend" said
Ange, "I will take it kindly"
"You love q girl who thinks you q
main here this will continue, and she
will end by rejecting you. for woman
will not marry a man whom she ridi-
cules. Go with me, and command her
admiration. Let her hear of you by
your brave deeds. In three years you
will be permitted to come home. Think
come back with an epaulet and the
Cross of the Legion. viii you go with
me nowP' .., ,...G',.
: Both had risen to their feet. and now
the young man grasped the Sergeant's s
hand heartily. 80. 3,
''There's my hand upon it, Sergeant,
gether. Madeleine shall yet be proud
Of me, and will bring back to her both
the epaulet and the cross" s.u. sk
"Hurrah for Francer' cried the old
soldier, enthusiastically. You'll be
a General yet, my friend. Never fear
for the result. I'll answer for it with
my life."
Ange now produced wine, and they
talking of q soldiers life. The Ser
geant did not disguise its hardships
and dangers Che was too true a soldier
pleasures in bright colors.
1t was the early part of the year 1904,
only few weeks previous to the estab-
lishment of the Empire by Napoleon,
and at q time when France was at peace
with her neighbors. The Sergeant,
however, like the majority of the SOL
diers, regarded the piece as only brief
truce, which was soon to be broken,
and looked forward to the future as full
of glory and fighting. He did not know
the condition of affairs in Paris, and
was ignorant that his great commander
was preparing to place upon his brows
the Imperial diadem. Neither did he
dream of the opposition of the Powers
of Europe, who both feared this little
Corporal for his power and hated him
for his greatness, but he looked for
ward to the future as a period of war,
and felt sure that his expectations would
be realized. This much he said to
Ange Pitois, and told the young man it
would do no harm to enlist in a season
of peace;
fore you go into the field" he said,
''and that will be an advantage to you,
to face the bullets with your wits about
you"
When the Sergeant went away about
twilight, he carried with him Angels
solemn promise to go with him when
he returned to the army. He had tax
en- great fancy to the young man, and
was determined to make soldier of
him.
After the Sergeant had left him, ,Ange
sat for long time in the doorway,
thinking OF many things. Madeleine
now looked on him with ridicule; she
thought of him as all the rest did. The
Sergeant was right, she would never
marry him as long as she looked upon
him in such a light. He must first win
her respect and admiration, and that
he could not do by remaining in the
town. The Sergeant was clearly right.
The army was the place for him. The
mOOn had risen when he roused him,
self from his thoughts and took the
road that led toward Madeleine home.
Madeleine Tremonille came of good
family, u circumstance which was oi
importance in even Republican France
| at that time. She was only twenty-one,
| and one of the most beautiful women