The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-03-12

"'Au revoir!
81 watched him as he went on with a
firm step as if he had only just started.
When | saw him disappear at bend of
the road, and when / was once alone, as
it were abandoned, l felt great despair
L made an effort. | rose and began to
walk again. That little halt had done
me good. / walked, walked and walked
until had caught up with Puvioux and
passed him.
cat night, too, was well head, but
was worn out / entered an inn to
sleep little. l slept all night In the
morning | woke up. l saw that the day
was getting on; [ was furious and called
some one.
You have not seen soldier pass on
foot?'
Eyes, monsieur ie 2niLitoire, very
late last night He asked for a glass of
water
"Ah | was outstripped in my turn L
started hurriedly. AT 3 o'clock in the
afternoon / had not caught up with
Puvioux, nor at 6 o'clock either At
night [ took my rest while | ate, and
started to walk again. l walked a good
part of the night but my strength had
limits. Once more stopped. knocked
at an Inn. The door opened, and there
sitting in chair [ saw Puvioux, pale as
death He made a movement of dis
pleasure when he saw me, that was nat
ural. We did not talk much. What
could we say? We were both tired.
The great thing was to know who should
get up first next morning 1t was L.
1.-The next morning was this morning.
Since this morning | have been walking,
taking a rest now and then, but only
very short one. We are getting close.
Rethel is the last stage between Anglers
and Mezieres. know my map of France
now. The last stage! Good heavens,
If / arrived too late -
"And Pere Puvioux," asked my
father, has he caught you up?"
"No," replied Chevaucheux, 81 am
ahead. If [ could start now I should
be saved"
"Start? In this state impossible p
&c know-my feet are swollen and
cut-and provided that to-morrow-''
Tomorrow you will be rested You
will be able to walk.
"Do you think so 2" said the soldier.
with look ardent as lightning.
81 promise you.
My father then advised the soldier to
go to bed. Chevaucheux did not refuse.
The bed was ready. He shook hands
with us and went up to his room. 1t
was 10 o'clock.
81 will wake you at 5 o'clock" said
my father.
1t was not yet daylight on the follow
ing morning when my father, already up,
looked out of the window to see how the
weather was. While he was at the win
dow he heard some heavy footsteps on
the road below, and III the obscure twi-
light that precedes daybreak he perceived
a soldier that was walking in the direction
of Mezieres.
Cup already ?" said my father.
The soldier stopped
"Well p continued my father, care
you off?''
The soldier looked up and tried to
make out who was speaking to him.
You ale Jean Chevaucheux, are you
not?" asked my father.
NO." said the soldier, 81 am Pierre
Puvioux"
And as if that name of Chevaucheux
had been the prick OF d spur, he re-
sumed his walk more rapidly and was
'
father could no longer see him he could
hear the noise of his shoes on the road
leading to Mezieres
"Ah!' said my father to himself,
"ChevaucheUx must be sharp if he
means to catch up that man." And he
went straight to the room where Jean
had slept. He was already up and look
ing at his feet by the light of the candle.
"Victory!" he cried when he saw my
father; 81 feel fresh and strong, and [
suffer no more. En- route!''
"And quickly" replied my father.
"Puvioux has just passed through
Rethel."
Pierre Puvoiux?"
az have just spoken to him. He
passed under our window, going along as
if the devil were after him."
"Ah, mon, Dieu" exclaimed Che
vaucheux, as if he had been struck down.
He repeated once more: Al, mon
Dieu"" Then he buckled on his KNAPP
sack and cried: "After all, what you
have told me gives me courage. Let me
be off"
In the room below, my mother, alrea-
dy up, was filling a wallet with provi-
sions for Chevaucheux But he refused.
He was not hungry. Nevertheless, he let
her fill him flask of brandy, and put
ting on pair of my fathers shoes he
started, blessing my mother and leaning
on my fathers arm to take the first step.
Three or four years after this we had
heard no news of Chevaucheux We
used often to talk of that evening when
the soldier had come into our house
bleeding and weary What had become
of him? What had been the end of that
romance of love so strangely begun
One day my father had to go to Mezie-
eres on business. He took me with him.
At Mezieres he wished to enter the first
BARRIERS shop that he saw to get shaved.
On the doorstep little child was sitting
with its legs apart and smiling at the
sun.
"Will you allow me to pass ?" asked
my father laughing.
Ono, won't" replied the child with
little lisp.
At that moment the dool opened and
man III his shirt-sleeves appeared-the
father-and took the child up IN his arms
saying:
pierre Pierre, do you want to drive
away the customers?"
recognized the voice and so did my
father. We looked at the barber. The
barber looked at us. 1t was Jean Chew
vaucheux
He laid the child down at once and
held out his hand His face was all red
and beaming with pleasure.
"What, is it you All and to think
that | have never written to you All
you don't know 1t is | who married