Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-06-23

to come on my staff?"
Gabriel flushed with pleasure.
81 should like it of all things, col
onel, but l have orders from his
majesty"
"What orde RS ?" asked the colo
mel, seeing he hesitated.
"To stay with the regiment and
get killed inside of week." said
Gabriel, frankly.
Lenoir stared and then laughed.
"What have you been about to
get such an order ?''
~ have married, colonel"
Colonel Lenoir made a grimace.
He was a bachelor and woman
hater.
"I should think he might leave
you to die natural death. Whom
did you marry? Or is it not a fair
question ?"
81 have no objection to answer
ing it, colonel. My wife was maid of
honor to her majesty the Empress
Josephine"
Lenoir, senior, whistled.
"The devil! Not the one that
was playing nun, and came near
costing his majesty a tit when she
ran away from Berlin ?"
"I fear it is the same, colonel"
"Well, major, all l can say is that
you are devilish lucky fellow, in
love and war. Do you know who
that lady was ?"
II presume so, colonel. AT least
l married her as MademOiselie Inez
de Real"
The colonel took pinch of snuff,
in imitation of the emperor.
at is not every husband that
knows all about his wife," he said.
"That lady is the first cousin to the
Empress of Austria, the King Of
Naples, and half the royalist princes
in Europe. She was to marry the
Prince Of Potsdam for State reasons,
and you have spoiled one OF the
prettiest little plots that Talleyrand
ever concoeted. No wonder he told
you TO get killed. He cannot annul
the marriage, because that would
leave a stain on the lady's name /;
and the only chance he has OF ac-
complishing his ends is to make her
a widow as quick as possible. My
friend, you have sealed your own
fate. II you love Talleyrand, you
are bound to get killed"
"But I don't love Talleyrsnd, +"
retorted the young man, smiling.
/ don't intend to get killed, either,
colonel, if ] can keep my head safe
with my hands. l intend to see
you marshal and to be Il colonel
myself before Pm ready to die"
Lenoir looked at him with some
admiration, as he grOwled
81 believe you'll do il yet. There,
there, Pm sorry you won't go on
my staff. / would have made 1t
pleasant for you. But, as II is, you
are better off with the regiment.
We shall have battle before long.
Let me see. This is the 3Oth OF
November. The Russians are ad-
vancing. They think they can beat
US. We shall see, about the day
after tomorrow. Good by, major"
Gabriel returned TO his quarters,
feeling that he had one friend in
Brunn; and as his duties with the
regiment were a mere nothing while
they lay in bivouac, he strolled out
i'm the evening, wrapped in his
cloak, with the object of seeking a
stolen interview with his wife.
He had no difficulty in finding the
house, but the courage necessary to
go up there boldly failed him and
he knew, moreover, that he might
be tracked, and so give his wife into
the power of the emperor or Talley-
rand. He did not know which of
them was implicated IN the State
schemes he had frustrated by his
wedding,
Hesitating what to do, he had
paced up and down the street sew
eral times, when he heard his name
called i'm low tones by some one be-
hind him.
Looking round, he perceived a
small door in the wall that surrOun-
ded the garden of the house, and
recognized the head of Babette, the
Norman maid of Inez, peeping out
after him, and whispering;
"Come III, quick. Some one may
see you"
We may be sure the cuirassier
was not slow to obey the invitation
and he was in at that low door in a
moment, when Babette locked Ii and
whispered:
81 told madame you would come.
said 80. She thought that his
majesty would punish you and
come to hunt for her; but / knew
better. Grand folks think we SER
wants don't see nor hearI but |
know what goes on as well as the
ladies, if / do get my news at the
key-hole, as the saying is"
Gabriel laughed. lie felt so hap
py that he hugged Babette, saying
"You're a splendid girl, Babette,
worth your weight in gold. How Is
she ?"
"Oh, crying all day, as usual.
Some ladies are never pleased. One
would think that she was going to
marry the prince still, though |
told her that was impossible now"
"Impossible? i should say so, as
long as | am above ground. And j
don't intend to go under it for. a
little while yet, Babette."
81 hope not, monsieur. i lsuppose
you want to see madame; but |
must tell you that will not be so
easy i'm the house. The Margarine
hates the French and will not have
one of them in the house il she can
help it. Still think 1 can manage
it, If you will stay here. There is a
summer house in the corner Of the
garden and l will get madame to
Slip out here and see you"
She conducted him to a small
summer-house behind some closely
clipped box-hedges, which looked
as dismal as summer houses are
apt to do in the last days of NOvem-
ber when the days are cold and wet.
Here Gabriel waited patiently for
nearly d quarter of an hour, at the
end OF which time Inez made her
appearance and whispered anx-
iOusly'
~ have only few moments. Oh,
how silly Of you il was to come; but
am Just as silly. for cannot help
being glad in spite of the danger.
Tell me quick, was the emperor
very angry ~
"Nc. 80 much as ! expected but
he ordered me to get KILLED within
a week 80 AS to- make yOu widow.
TfT foil tn do that I'm tha upxt hattie