New-York tribune., 1883-03-11

said wildly pushing back her halr from her pnrn, ,
| ing forehead. How well she remeulOeIeu tho
| events of that awful day when ner TWIN Orotner-
! almost one with hersef-her beloved AIpnolhsto-
| dIed He had been brought home 10 tien uy,ns y.
| slowly of some injury to the spine, snortly a,.oL
| the capitnlatiun. and they had en1ured the slow
agony of watching him lie inseusible day after uay,
| hour after hour That cruel time. when 9tInsouls
Jay fetteTed, the enemys strong loot upon h1I
| dearer than ever TO her children in her slavery
| Each man, woman and child seemed TO ili uenI o"o
| link of her heavy chain around their hearts iiAe
| crown of thOrns, while they silently sc0rneu hnu
stunned their cOnquerors. and caressed their @ iooo
nationality in secret. In mourning garo Iney
| thronged the churches. creeping thither tnrouHn
streets where they would be least offended by the
sight of those 'acoursed Prusslans. Ana whlIe s
the narKet-place was gay the tesinurants nu'i t ~
| bright uniforms the military bands clasnnR oue
| the latest German waltzes and quck-marches, ncb
Que citizen of Strasburg could bo seen there
| They were abasicg themselves before the sItais,
and the little chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows III the
! cathedral was full OF sad kneellng ngures lrom
early morning till late night Here Marie caIle; ,
here she fled in her anguish when the doctor told
them Alphonse's life was now an AFFAIR OF Dours lo
kwas evening; while the ilickerng OF the many
votiye tapers played upon the SAD oeautdi rac1 o o
the Mater DOlOrUsa in the great picture ABOVE ner
altar casting strange new expressions across the
panied features, the kneelinR crowd were IN
shadow. Marie could family distinguish the out
line of the Pieta in the of the chapel-the
great image OF Mary with the dead Christ III her
lap She wSPt and e Sna deabSsd when she
saw n face gazing in upon her through an aperture
in the screen that divided the chapel IRON the
ewes fixed upon her with such pity such deep
yearnng love, that insIinctiyey she moved step
forward. Then she remembered, recoiied; am une
strange influence had passed into her soul prom
ise of consolation. Gained wondering, she went
through the darkness and out into the moomlgnt,
unaware of n quick step that followed, TIL, the
door shut behind her, voice said pieadlngy' Ma
demoisellep ~ - 4.
face with % tall officer the moonlight cleaned on
the silver facngs of his ight-blue uniform.
'bionsieurP she cried. with passionate anger
Then drawing herself mp, she flashed one glahco VI
hatred upon hIm and fled.
That night Aphonse opened his eyes; he was
conscious. he smiled upon them. BendinR over
him. she had heard him say those two words. harl
Echmann.' then he sighed, and his spirit went.
All these things came back to bel as she stood IT.
resolute looking at tie card inscribed with that
Lsii
the floor. spurs clanfcd, a tall hgure WAS there
She stood. her eyes nxed on the noor.
'AiademOisellel
haries cheeks her lips trembled. This was the
man in the paesDluo uniform. and nis face was tho
face she saw that night IN the cathedral BOWL
dered she shrank back and stammered:
'Sir, there is some mistake. l expected Herr
Lieutenant Karl Echmann.
He smiled. His large blue ewes looked Denlgnaht,
though his huge moustache lent herceness to his
Il am he he said
'Yon-but ,ou-you spoke to me-and my
BROTHER
Did your brother tell you about me 2 he eagerly
asked.
Monsieur, my brother is dead; but he once spoke
that name to me-
Then you do not know that IL was I-that saw
it-an! let me tell you. mademclselle, he cried;
Ior Marie turned away; the sight OF that hated
uniform. the recollection OF that night sickened
her. Hear me- IL was that. fighting near TO
your brother, the fragments Of shell strike his
hurse-saw IL rear and throw him. These arms
lifted him and carried him from tho field. Yes.
madeinoselle. his head rested here ne struck ms
.,it - n had mt hpe m
never have seen him again alive. i was powcrless
to save his liie but ut least can Law claim to ha'-
as il You could not bear to ouk at me
You were my brothers enomy-perhaps-eyen-
ah : cannot bear the thought She spoken
hard, Chokod voice.
'MadenolselIe, was his friend.
How CO Md you-a Prussan-be my brothaTs
friendP She turned upon hlm in anger more with
herself-for IN spite OF the fact that this was
foe hated itn "A cherished haIed the same curious
influence affected her as in the cathedral When
ewes anu tho bronzrd aquue features, she Was
attracted. pleased soothed.
why did you not tell inc this; then. before
Ii You remember. madeuoiselle, 1 tricu To speak
90 you but you would not hear me-
That was not tho way. that was not the time
There 1 take leave 10 differ ffom you. was
determined that no shOuld hear the story OF
Aphonses death-biow, except you, from my lips
Because. mademoisele. loved You lie spoke
with passionate earnestness. She hlushed yio-
leutly.
III / tell YOU all. will you listen Mademolselle,
Aphonse and wero friends In Paris. inst before
the war began. lie was there. rs you know. with
his Tegiment-l to enjoy myself during my leave.
How little we knew. when we used 10 talk OF yUu
OF the yawning gulf-thc Oatt!eheld-that would
shortly divide us.
her eyes
erently kissed il, and held il toward her. Perhaps
you recognize ths "a,
My portrait! The one | gave Alphonse.' She
was agItated. Di1 he give II you'll But no; how
could no =
When carried him into the tent after the fatal
moment, he opened mis- eyes, recognized me, aud,
me and said one word" Mnrep IL was hls last
eicrt added the young man with emotion. before
be fell into that UNCONSCIOUS state from winch he
never recovered. understood that lac wished me
to place this In your hands
'And-your uame-was the last he said. What
did he meant Oh!' exclaimed the young grl, COW |
eriug her face with her hands
ne knew how much ! thought Of you-how
trait mademoiselle lie was pleased he would |
read ne your letters-those sweet innocent, girlish
letters; he wOuld nave introduced me TO you but |
then came the fatal news the dec laration OF war;
Private friends became puOc foes. |
Does my father know this ! murmurcd Marie, |
behind tho screen OF her hands.
No. He knew AlphOnso was my friend. Ana no |
gave me permission To yoI alone Oh. Marie listen
to me- have thought OF yen. felt for yOn followed |
you at q distance watching over you 40 l0ngI |
knsw my only chance was 10 see you and plead my |
own cause just one he added almost haughtily. |
If these arms are not worthy To hold you-then
mny they DO withered paralyzed, as | stand bers.'
Give me n minute to think murmured Marie,
sinking INTO "a chair, and leaning her head we rlly |
against the hack Can you not wait-come again 2 |
No. mademoiseile.' Tho answer was sudden.
fierce like shot / will either leave you at once,
or remain.
There was silence. Marie IN miserable perplexity
bound to her preiudices yet her beating heart.
heI inclination. belying ihom.-tred to think. She
thought of Alphonse. Once moro she heard the tee
ble utteranre-" Karl Eichmann." Her father d
he not actually sent him beref Then-a Prussan--
that hated uniform The more she reflected the
more uncertain she grew.
Suddenly she sprang M. decision was in hur rail-
lying color aer sparkling eyes. her whole demoanOr
1t is all over" thought the brave young soldier.
His heart seemed to SINK within him ho trembled
like girl he turned TO go his head SANK upon
his hrpl