Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-03-09

sumed 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 to Mezieres.
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 L
suffer no more. En- route!'
Sand quickly" replied my father.
" Puvioux has just passed through
Rethel."
"Pierre Puvoiux?"
81 have just spoken to him. He
passed under our window, going along as
if the devil were after him."
"Ah, mon, DieuP exclaimed Che
vaucheux, 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, alrea-
dy up, was filling wallet with provi-
sions for Chevaucheux. But he refused.
He was not hungry. Nevertheless, he let
her fill him a flask of brandy, and put
ting on a 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 ChevaucheTx. We
used often to talk of that evening when
the soldier had come into QUIZ 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 it's legs apart and smiling at the
sun.
will you allow me to pass ?" asked
my father laughing.
"No, l won't, replied the child with a
little lisp.
At that moment the door opened and a
man in 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 nv
father. We looked at the barber. The
barber looked at us. It was Jean Chev-
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 l have never written to you. All |!
you don't know. It is I who married
her: [ arrived first"
And rushing into the back shop ::
" Marguerite Marguerite!' he cried,
"Come, come %
He was wild with Joy. A young wo-
man appeared, blond, pretty, blue-eyed,
with a pensive and gentle air, little
sad.
''You did not know" said Che
vaucheux to her. cit was this gentle
man who took care of so well at Reth-
al the night before / arrived at your
fathers house * Ihave often
and often talked and talked to you about
him x this is the gentleman. :"
uhdIS uoIIGo uAoU her large calm eyes
upon us, saluted us, and thanked us
softly; then, as her husband continued
to evoke the past, she looked at him
tenderly witha look that duplicated and
was without reproach. But Jean saw
nothing.
"Ah! it is to you that owe all my
happiness, monsieur my child, my lit
tie boy, look at him, my little Pierre |!
1t was my wife who wished that he
should have that name ! Isn't he fine
boy? and strongly built? And my shop
is going on frst-rate. My wife! I
adore her and all this I owe to you !"
''And the other? asked [ impru-
IDENTIFY.
"The other?" said Chevaucheux.
He curled his lower lip, did not see
that Marguerite turned her head away,
and answered:
"Pierre Puvioux? Poor fellow. He
arrived second, x and that very
evening-it made me cry, I can tell you
that very evening 4 he threw
himself into the river"