The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1880-03-25

eyes largo, dark aud brilliant.
'fou suffer much / said tho sollio
addressing tho hostess.
Very mlch,' she returned. {
have been very sick, but am gottin,
better now. Yet my sickness ha
oaton up everything wo had aud IN,
noble boy has sacrificed all his earn
ings and worse than all else, h,
cant find work now to 10. The CROP
are all garnerd and tho barns closed
Yesterday he went to tho house of !
rich man to beg, aul no was kick
NO, no, mother--not kicked = OK
claimed tho youth, quickly. 'lIo iii,
not dare to do that. lilo said Ia,
would kick mo il camo there again
But ara thore not othors VIII,
would help you p asked tho oil.
man.
They might returned Pierrs
but tho sou-prefect of police swort
that he would havo mo sent of il ht
caught mo begging again. What
could | do, sir Z
But sou project is villain wha'
does ho moan =
'lio is angry with mo. Ho want
ed mo in tho harvest -timo TO worl,
for him for Eve sous n day | wouldn't
because better man g1yo mo
/ fifteen sous,
'lio is perfect villain. But come
-woll cat something. My oil
havorsack has something else ia il
besides candies. don't travel
without something to guard against
tho danger Of being bonightued in
the woods.
As ho spoke no pnllol loaf Of
bread aud n piaco of cold boiled
bcef from his oil provision blg. and
then laudo the III 1thor ani son cat
lie assured them that no had eaton
a hearty supper aud that he had
money to buy moro, so without
further ceremony they began tho
meal-tho first they hal eaten since
tho morning OF tho dly before, save
tho little milk which they woru ablo
to get from one old goat which they
yet retained.
There stood in tho oil soldiers
eyes rs be sat and saw tho boy and
his mother eat anl when they wsre
done they tucnel AMI blossol hin
The woman scomol much rlyiy,l
ond as her son put somo moro fqg
gots upon tho fire, she turned and
spoke to hor guest. H,r vuica
tromblea os she spoke, AMI tears
wcro in hor cyos.
'Iou are a soldier }' she sqil
Yes, tho old man replied, turnirg
his gao nppn tho iirO iastoli Of
upon tho questioncr
Have you boon long in tho army +
Eighteen years,
Perhaps you have boon ia Africa I
Il have
Whom dill Won serve under :"
'ColDner PelisSio
'Thon you may havo known
Francois Chollot ?
Aud rs tho woman sail this say
wiped her eyes with hor apron.
Corporal Chalet , 10 bo sure
knew him. Aye--lnl u lno follow
he was too. Did you over know him {?
Yes Sir llo he, aud here n
passionate fool of toara intorruptol
her but finally sho con.lldel-'hc
was my husband,
'Ah-was he 2 Poor Francois
His was a sad fate :!
The woman started and lnil one
of her hands upon the soldiers arm.
The tears ceased lowiag and her
lips were closed.
'Thon he is dead sho whispered,
'No-I guess not
Not dead! Francais alive! Do
You know this 2 she cried.
i am suro of it. lIo was sadly
wounded and lost n log--a5 | hlvo
doue. lilo was taken prisoner and
kept long while, too, aud that is
tho reason why he did not como
homo with his regimout, But how
long since you have seen him !
Fifteen years sir, Ho sailed
from Marseilles with tho first that
went to Algiors. But whero is he
now ? Whore did you 500 him last 2
He landed at Toulen with mo.
% God bless you, sir Aud he will
come to me soon. Did you leave
him there q
No. Ho started on with mo,
Started on But whero-where
did you leave him =
Tho last | saw of him was in O
small hut where he had called to
pass the night. But, you see, come
off with his orutch and staff, 30
shouldn't wonder if he had to stop
where ho is for somo time
% how could you, Sir But you
didn't know that he had q weeping
wife to whom he would 60 2
'Yes, ! did,
Aud you left him thus =
But the crutch was mine.
'Ah-you lent it to him. But on
If you had only one crutch be-
tween you both, how did you come
so far y
Simply because we were both ono
and the Same person.
'Ono--both-you-
Tam Francois Chollet
The woman started to her feet,
aud having gazed one moment into