The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-04-15

started hurriedly. At three o'clock in
the afternoon / had not caught up Pu-
yioux, nor at six o'clock either. All
night 7 took my rest while ate, and
started to walk again. / walked a good
part of the night, but my strength had
limits. Once more stopped I knocked
at an inn. The door opened, and there
sitting in chair 1 ear Pdyiotix, pale as
death. He make 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 for the next morning. II
was I.
1.-THE next morning was this morning.
Since this morning / have been walking,
taking a rest now and then, but only a
very short one. We are getting close.
Rethel is the last stage between Anglers
and Mezieres. I know my map OF
France now. The last stage! Great
heavens, if I arrived too late!'
"And Pierre Puvioux," asked my
father, has he caught you up?"
"No,' replied Chevaucheux, at am
ahead. If | could start now, I should
be SD"
"Start I? In this state ? Impossible "
81 know-my feet are swollen and
cut-and provided that tomorrow"
Tomorrow you will be rested-you
will be able to walk.
Do you think SO ?" said the soldier,
with look ardent as lightning.
"I promise YOU"
NV father then advised the soldier to
q to bed. Chevaucheux did not refuse
The bed was ready. He shook hands
with us and went up to his room. 1t was
ten o'clock.
will wake you at five o'clock, " said
my father.
It 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
window ne heard some heavy footsteps
on the road below, and in the obscure
twilight that precedes daybreak he per-
ceived soldier who was walking in thu
direction of Mezieres.
cup already?" said my father.
The soldier stopped.
"Well," continued my father, "are
you off?"
The soldier looked up and tried to
make out who was speaking to him.
g Ycu are Jean Chevadcheux, 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 spur, he resumed
his walk more rapidly, and was soon lost
in the obscurity. When my father could
no longer see him he could hear the noise
of his shoes on the road leading te
Mezieres.
"Ah!" said my father to himself,
Chevaucheux must be sharp il 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 candle.
Victory-" he cried. when he saw
my father 81 feel fresh and strong, and
I suffer no more. En- route :"
''And quickly" replied my father
"Puvioux has just passed through
Rethel."
"Pierre Puvioux?"
II have just spoken to him. He
passed under our window going along
as if the devil were after him"
cab, mon Dieu p exclaimed Chevau-
cheux, as if he had been struck down.
He repeated once more: "Ah! mon
Dieu?" Then he buckled on his KNAPP.
sack, and cried: CATER all, what you
have told me gives me courage. Let me
be off.
In the room below, my mother, already
up, was filling a wallet with provisions
for Chevaucheux. But he refused. He
was not hungry. Nevertheless he lei
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 Mezi-
ers 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 door step little child was sit
ting with its legs apart, and smiling at
the sun.
''WiIl you allow me to pass?" asked
my father lauphinp
'No, I won't" replied the child with
little lisp.
At that moment the door opened, and
man in his shirt appeared-the
father-and took the child up in hiA
arms, saying:
'Pierre! Pierre! do you want to drive
away the customersP"
recognized the voice. and so did my
father. We looked at the barber. The
barber looked at us. 1t was Jean Chew
aucheux!
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? Ali! and to think
that I have never written to you. All
you don't know. It is I who married
her; / arrived first
And rushing into the back shop: ''Mar-
guerite! Marquerite!" he cried, "Come,
come"
He was wild with joy. A young wo-
man appeared, blonde, pretty, blue-eyed,
with pensive and gentle air, little
sad.
'.You do not know" said Chevau
cheux to her sit was this gentlenal
who took care of me so we'll at Rethe
the night before Iarrived at yourfather'i
house. have often and oftel
talked to you about him. - This
Is the gentleman"
Marguerite fixed her large, calm eyes
upon, saluted us and thanked us softly:
then, as her husband continued to evoke
the past, she looked at him tenderly
with a look that supplicated and vas
not without reproach. But Jean saa
nothing.
'Ah! it is to you that L owe all m
happiness, monsieurl My child, N,
little boy, look at him, my little Pierre
It was my wife who wished that ht
should have that name. Isn't he fnt
boy, and strongly built? And my sho
is going on irst-rate. Ny wife! I ador,
her! And all this I owe to you'll"
and the other!" asked I. impru-