The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-04-07

had no difficulty in winning an acknowledge
ment that she returned his affection.
"rAnd will, you be- mine when" return?
Promise me this, he said, and I will strive,
to become great, and will win, il bravery
can do it, the Cross Of the Legion of Hon
or" .
Nanette promised-how could she help
kE-and the young soldier: departed The
secret was TO be kept between them, SO the;
villagers were none the wiser, and, as
Nanette was as gay as eyer, no one sus-
STA; Vhether the imperial army had gone. !
But this secret proved most unfortunate.
for the young men, ignorant of her engage
ment, were attentive as ever-indeed, more
30, for she grew prettier daily. Pierre, ev-s
on before the army reached the frontiers,
heard from those who had left the village
later than himself that tbs or .thatHallant
was always with Nanette. aud that gossips
said it would be match. How could he
help being a little jealous2~. And when, Ia
ter by six months, and Just before the Rus
sian territory was invaded, he met an ae-
quaintance from the, village, and heard that
the son Of q rich notary was dying for her,
iseit strange that be began to fear he would
yet lose his beautiful Nanett6?. Re had
heard SO much Of woman's. inconstancy,es-
pecially when young and wealthy sutton was
the rival, that he trembled for her fidelity.
All know the horrors Of that campaign in
Russia. OF the half million who followed
Napoleon into the hostile territory not .
1.-THE came back alive. OF these, however,
Latour was one Yet he almost wished he.
had persisted in the fatal SHOWS, for he had
lost an arm, and that, too, without gaining
the Gross of the Legion Of Honor. Not
that he did not deserve it; but, in that aw-
ful retreat, there was no time for the En-.
peror to think of bestowing favors. Slow
", and almost in rags, like thousands of
others, Latour begged his way back to his
native village. /. :: { ~. +.
It was q bright morning in autumn, more.
than q year after Iatour:S~ departure, when
one Of the village gossips stopped q minute
at hevindow Of The cottage where. Nanette
and her mother dwelt.ssi: 4. ) = ! s4t
who do you think has come back2 she:
said. .aIatour himself He arrived .yester-s
day afternoon" :7@ -" y s & - +.
AT the announcements Of her lovers re-
turn. Nanette's heart leaped with JOY; but
when she heard he had been back 50 long
without coming to see her, her spirits sank,
for she had continued to! love, the absent
soldier, in spite Of the notary's san and her
hundred other admirers. .s.s..s..m,. -
He is come back in q sorry plight,
though" continued the gossip, lame, .
beggar, and with but one arm. ,Heis,sick.
q heart, too, and 90 ashamed that lie will
not show himself; he says he only wishes to
die; heis not fit to live with the young and
happy"
Poor Nanette! Her heart was full of
pity for her lover. She turned aside to
conceal her tears, Yet still she wandered
Why he had not come to see her, and she
felt almost angry again when abe thought
of it. ::': .,-;,f y l..
~He tells me news, too, which Inever
knew before, you are so sly about it, Nam
cite. He says you are to marry the notary's
con. I do,believe, from tho way he spoke,
he has never got over his old love; for you;
when he spoke of the notarys son he. sigh
cd, looking at his tattered garments his
stump of an arm, and his; leg lame With
tusyel." -, ...~ - - 49, -
Nanette heard no more. She understood
all now. She left her, nother,s 6 snt6SSrekiinn
the gossip, and hurrying upstairs "attired
hereslf in her holiday garments and then,
selecting the choicest fruits from her Rar::
den and filing her apron with flowers, she
hurried TO the cottage of PieHe,s family,
+ Never had she looked more chaimingI
Her white head dress, falling low onhe1
shoulders, relieved hefstlark tresses and ad-
.dedgzeeter e&>ctto het brilliant blackeyes,
- Ahandk srchief Wound aroun dhef b4cl
nodestly concealed her swelling bust. Her
arms, rounded and mellow as antique mar
BILE, were bare almost to the shoulder; in Z
word, always beautiful, her dress and her
high spirits now made her pei fectly hewitchs
ing;
ed. - 7. s:s4t,,F{ ,jes~:s!
She knew that tho family we're all abroad
at this hour at their work, and that the
voice must be Pierre's, else she would
scarcely have recognized it, so discontinued
and 80 hopeless was the tone once SO hap.
py and bright. But she knew . magic,