The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1881-04-01

| c1"6 "a y CORFU you nave
nnishcd your time, for there u you
congo. Then why DO you 20 and Xii
yourself BY toiling along the highway
see how the matter stands. You have
no money 70 pay for the diligence?"
"l"' replied the soldier. ~ have
received my pay and my bounty. and
my mother had sent me enough 10 ~,
ior = place IN the coupe. II had liked,
but could not.'
|" understand" said my father. who
ala not understand at all. Then he
asked for another bottle of wine.
when the meal was over the soldier
tried 20 walk He tottered. uttered
smothered cry and fell back into the
chair. ! then saw tear In his eve. He
was young man, rather thin. but
nervous. dark and with a. energetic
look. He was not 4 man To shed 4 tear
for little. and that tear puzzled me.
an. ne said with q movement in
which there was little anger and 4
good deal Of grief, ~ shall not be
able 70 walk until tomorrow morningr'
walk" cried my mother. terri
The soldier shook his head.
You don't know, you; must"
II was vow.
In our Ardennes those primitive
souls have respect and faith. / saw
my father look 81 the young man III the
lace without astonishment and with
mute Interrogation.
Yes" said the soldier, ~ viii tell
you the whole story. You. have. per-
haps. saved my life; l ought. at least. to
tell you who am. My name Is Jean
Cheyaucheaux, and my father is
wood-splitter 1t Mezieres. He Is an
honest man, like you, Monsieur. Seven
years ago, when / drew for the con-
scription. 1 was madly in love with
Marguerite Servan, good hearty girl |
and pretty one. had already asked |
ner ~ marriages. and her father had /
not said no; but. you see, Pierre Pu-
vloux had asked her in marriage at the
same time that / did. Pierre Puvioux
y man OF my age, who carries his
heart 10 his hand. as the saying is, cav
ana well looking. l ought To have de- /.
!ested him, and he has remained nv
friend! Well, Father Servan said 10
ne as he held out his hand:
- You are worthy to be my son-in-
aw, my lad; but first Of al you must
'lc'.se my daughter. will ask her.
Marguerite, when asked, said that
ne would gladly consent 10 be nv
vie. But she said the same when thcy
alked 70 her about Puvoux. She loved ]
10Th Of us. one as much as the other:
~ hesItated. she did not dare to de-
iue. But still she could not marry {
9th Of US.
Time went on. When the time Of '
ne CONSUMPTION came we drew lots. 3
'uvoux and ], on the same day. had
lumber three and he had number :
even, and 50 we both OF US became
oldiers. For moment was IN 4 y
late Of great fright. confess. Pco-
le at Mezieres said that Puvioux had
rich aunt, and that she would buy
I'm Oh: II Puvioux did not Join the
rmy. Puvioux would marry Marquee n
te, and !, knowing that l should be a
pliged 70 60, for was poor h
fought ! already heard the fiddler at Il
e wedding, rending my ears and my
cart.
|" 1 must tell you that Marguerite q
'rvan has not her equal If I lost her q
,w. after having waited seven wears =
= her. upon my honor, think should y
ow out my brains! e.
Luckily, Pierre Puvioux was not y
'ught OF. His aunt died leaving debts q
stead Of q fortune. He had not 4 =
my any more than had! We were y
'llged 70 shoulder our guns. and We rs
ere expected on our way-bill every
Dment. One night. Father Seryan
pk Us each BY the arm and led us To n
inn, and this Is what he said 10 us y
emptied bottle Of Moselle wine.
:. MY boys, you are good and honest y
dennais, equal in merit. love you q q
tn all my heart. One Of you shall be =. Is
son-in-law; that is understood. y. -
lrgueritc will wait seven years. She ~
no preference either for YOU. Pu- n, ~
lux. or for you. Chcvauchcux, but she =.
Is both Of you, and she will make ".
ppy the one whom fortune shall ~
bose. These are the conditions on
ich one Of you shall marry nv -.
ighter; You start on the same dav. 80
3 probable that you will return Oh -
same day. Wen. the one who first n
mes and shakes hands with Father
van, and says: Here am, NV time ~
'ut;' ne, swear, shallbe the hus band ~.
Marguerite. ~
was astonishcd; l thought that / n.
misunderstood. 1 looked 1t Pierre (.
7ionx and he looked at me, and. Al ~ ~
ugh we were sad enough AZ heart. ~ ~
were certainly ready to burst out ~; N.Y.
ching. w
But Father Servan was not Joking. Nv
had discovered this means Of getting ~,
OF the difficulty and he meant IL III,
X 70 IL l held out nv hand and NV
re 70 act neither by ruse nor VIC v;o
e. and 70 let Pierre Puvioux MARI, NJ
'gueritc. II he returned To Mezicrcs tha
'rc | did, Pierre stood up and M M,
70 the same. and then we shook boi