Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-04-08
From the French of jules Clsretle.

forehead, the veins of his temples big al
your little finger, his face black with dust
| We were then III the month OF October
and the weather was beginning to grow
fresh, but the poor fellow was. neverthe
less, sweating big drops, as if 1t had beei
dog days. He must nave had iont
tramp his shoes were III shreds; yoI
could see where the stones had torn tn
leather the left foot WAS bleeding. Th
soldier did not hove, but remained III th
armchair with hiS head thrown back, In
ewes half open a,M white as a sheet.
NV mother had already put some SOM
ON the fire and pan full of wine.
Bah, said my father, 1.-The first thInt
to be looked after is the feet
And kneeling down ho began to teal
and cut away the shreds of leather. The
soldiers feet, all swollen and full oil blis
tiers, looked like the feet Of the martyrs
swollen with pain and wealed by hars
chords. which We sec in the pictures o
the Spanish painters.
Ny father dipped his handkerchief III
vinegar and washed the wounds.
We had already dined, but my fathel
wished to bear the soldier company. lie
sat down to table opposite him, MS 1t wer'
brooding over him. and looking at The
regimental buttons that shone on III:
cloak. The soldier ate and ate heartily.
When the meal WAS over the soldier
tired to walk. He tottered. uttered /
smolhered cry and fell back into th'
chair. then saw tear i'll his eye. he
was II Young man, rather thin, but ner
vous, dark and with an energetic look.
He was not a man TO shed a tear for ,
little, and that tear puzzled me.
"Ah," he said with n movement m
which there was little anger and goo'
deal Of grief 81 shall not he able IL
walk until tomorrow morning
walk p cried my mother, terrified.
The soldier shook his head.
You don't know, Won l must.
1t WAS VOW.
In our Ar,lennes those primitive souls
have respect and faith. saw my father
leok at the youne man in the face without
| astouishment and with mute lnterroga
| ton.
Yes" said the soldier, 81 will tell You
the whole story. You have, perhaps,
saved my life ought, at least, to tell
YOU who am. My name IL Jean Che
-aucheux, and my father is wood spllt-
ter at MeZieres. He is an honest man,
like YOU, Monsieur. Seven years ago,
when drew for the conscription. | was
madly in love with Marguerite Servan, n
good, hearty girl and n pretty ono. had
already uskel her i'll marriage, and her
father had not said no ; but. you see,
Pierre Puvioux had asked her in marriage
at the same time that / did. Pierre fu-
vioux is Il man of my age, who carries
his heart i'll his hand, as the saying IL,
gay and well looking. | ought to have
detested him, and he has renamed my
friend Well, Father Scrvan sald to me
as he held out his hand:
"'You are worthy to be my son law,
nv lad but first Of all you must please
my daughter. will ask her.
Marguerite, when asked, said that
she would gladly consent TO be my wife;
But she said the same when they talked
to her about Puvioux. She loved both
| of us. one as much ms the other; she
hesitateI, she did not dare to decide. But
she could not marry both OF us.
Time went OH. When the time OF the
conscription came We drew lots, Puvioux
and |, on the same day. | had number
| three and he had number seven, and SC
we both of us became soldiers. Wewore
obliged to shoulder our guns, and we were
expected on our waybill every moment
| One night Father Servan took us each by
| the arm and led us to an inn, and this If
what he said to us as we emptled bottle
of Moselle wine
my boys, you are good and honest
Ardannais, equal In merit. l love you
with all my heart One Of you shall he
my son in law that is understood. Mar
eurite will wait seven years. She has nc
preference either for YOU, Puvioux. or fol
YOU, Chevaucheux, but she loves both oi
you, and she will make happy the one
whom fortune shall choose. These are
the conditions on which one OF you shall
marry my daughter-you start on Tho
same day, it is probable that you Will re-
turn Oh the same day. Well, the one
who first comes and shakes hands Will
Father Servan, aud says : Here ! am
nv time is out, he | swear, shall be th.
husband Of Marguerite.
II was astonished; l thought that
had misunderstood. ! looked at Pierre
Puvioux and he looked at me. and al
though we were sad enough at heart, w
were certainly ready TO burst out laugh
ing.
.But Father Servau was not Joking
He had discovered this means of getting
out Of tho difficulty and he meant to stIcl
to it. | held out my hand and swore I,
act neither by ruse nor violence, and Il
let Pierre Puvionx marry Marguerite /
lie returned to MeZieres before | did
Pierre stood up and swure the same, MI,
then We shook hands while Father Ser
van said Now the rest IL yonr niinIr
The only thing IL to escape bullets an'
To return snfo and sound.
"Iie filled our glasses, and once NOR
we drank parting draught.
Before leaving ! wished 10 see Mar
gueritr. just as | WIS arriving unde
her window il was al dusk saw som
one IN the shade coming Ia the same dl
recliun. stopped short II was ltcrr
| PuylouX. He seemed vcArd 10 Ind IN
there. | was not particularly pleased T.
meet him. We stood there for 4 moinell
lik two simpletons looking at the toes a
our boots. Then with II muy, ncnt q
courage SAID 10 Puyioux
a. Shall we go IN togethcr|
I'VE entered nnd took our farewell @
Marguerite She listened to US withon
saving ANYTHING, but ther o were tears n
the tips Of her blonde cy elnales Sud
denly Pierre, who wns talking, stoppo
and began to sob and | To do the same
Then Marguerite joined IN, and there "
were all three shedding tears and press
ing each others hands.
sin the regiment | Became fast fricn
of Pierre Puyioux. lie proved Ia bo n
excellent good fellow, and at night, III ol
der to kill time, we used often 10 talk &
Mezieres, of Father Servan and of Mn
gueritc. We used TO write TO Mezierc
often, but each told the other the eOn
tents Of his lctiers. When Margucrit
or old Seryan replied the letter WIS fu
both Of us. An equal doso of hopo WI
given 10 each of us and 30 we went oI
hoping
when we had served our seven year
for do not mean to tell you our bir
tory day by day | said to Puvioux
well, now III the tlno to start
ohg
:" 'Yes,' he replied, I'VE are expected.
lyon know | sand, the game wi
! not be finally won until boil, Of us har
I arrived at Mezieres, and until the lose
J Inns declared that the combat has bcs
loyal.
T. Agreed, said Puyioux.
"And So one morning, with good shoe
on our feet and stick in hand, we set on
for Mezieres from Anglers, not sayIn
much, thinking good deal and walkin
above everything. The weather was tei
ribly hot and dusty. Half way Oh Oh
Of our marches I sat down on the rono
side overwhelmed with fatigue.
"'Are you going to stay there? sal
Puvioux to me
Yes
"'Adieur he said continuing hI
: march.
60 'Au revoir
\ 'sT wntrhe1 him os he went un with