The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-02-16
ANTOINETTE.
A Story of the Franco-Prussian War.

Our party numbered seven or eight,
and, as all of us had the honor of being
more or less robbed, sacked, ruined
and broken up by the Prussians, to
amuse ourselves after dinner we emu
merated our pianos which had disap-
peared and our clocks which had taken
unto themselves wings.
"And / also," said our friend Paul
Rivet, shave lost pianos and have lost
clocks but can buy more pianos and
/ can buy more clocks. while my camel
LAS, my poor camelliasl Twenty years
of toll, patience and alteration all that
lost, destroyed, annihilated! And do
you know what found III the middle of
my greenhouse, in the place of that de-
licious little marble figure which 1
brought from Naples? Do you know
what L found? Oh! do not try to guess
YOU would never succeed!
MY wife, after Sedan, had shown a
great deal of character. My love,
said she to me, we must stay here; we
must defend our house.. L added, And
our camellias.'
"On the 18th of September, at s
o'clock in the morning, one of my farm
ers arrived, out of breath and wild with
fear. The Uhlans, monsieur he cried,
they are at Corbeil and will be here
in an hourp My wife was seized with
terror. Let us go away, my dear L
don't want to see those Uhlans! Let
us go away at once. Take me, take me,
no matter whereof The horses were
Immediately harnessed to the caleche,
and we departed.
I'VE left at the chateau seven or eight
servants, one of whom, a little femme
de chambre, Antoinette, very pretty,
very intelligent, very shrewd and very
bold, said to me as we started: Have
no fear, monsieur; / will receive the
Prussians. L know how to talk to them,
and they shall not carry off even q
match
The next day we reached Trouville;
my wife fell seriously i'll, and for
couple of weeks L was very uneasy.
Il constantly received letters from
Antoinette. Monsieur need not be
disturbed, she wrote. Everything is
going on splendidly here. We have
had the good luck to fall into the hands
of an excellent Prussian Colonel and
exceedingly amiable officers Through
the kindness of these gentlemen L am
able 30 send my letters to monsieur
And the gardener wrote to me: Mon
sieur ought to be very grateful to
Antoinette. By q happy idea she has
saved everything. 1 dare not say more
TO monsieur, because the Prussians
might read my letter; but, nevertheless,
the Prussians, thanks to Antoinette, do
not treat us badly
about the Goth of October, my wife
being completely restored to health, L
packed my carpet-bag and started off.
/ wanted to see my camellias, and,
above all, wanted to know what was
Antoinette's happy idea which had saved
everything. / will spare you the de-
however. 1t took me q week to go
from Trouville to Corbeil; 1 was
arrested three times as a Prussian spy
by the French, and four times as q
French spy by the Prussians.
"At last L reached my house, greatly
agitated. l saw my broad avenue of
chestnut trees and at the end of the
avenue my iron gate. L crossed my
courtyard, which was full of horses,
army wagons, cannon, Prussian dra-
goons and artillerists. / mounted my
front steps. 1 was at home-in my
vestibule. The furniture, the pictures,
the hangings. all were in their places.
Delighted, perplexed, 1 stood motion
less like donkey, my carpet-bag in
my hand, in the midst of five or six
Prussian dragons who were curiously
examining me- One of these dragons,
sub-oflicer-he had gold lace on the
collar of his tunic-came up to me and
said:
@'What do you want? What are you
doing here?'
What was doing in my own house
replied that L desired to speak with
the Colonel.
He is busy. He is at breakfast.
Who are your
Mon Dieul am the proprietor OF
this mansionp
"'Ahi the proprietor-you are the