The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-03-01
TIE lrOr BREAD.
ny FRANCOIS ctprEE

himself 1t AK, in Savoy, whittier, for the
benefit Of the watera, he had sent lil
famous mare Pericholc, because she had
been coughing alnce u chill she cau2l. a.
the Derby. The Duke was finishing his
breakfast. when elarcins carrlessly ut the
newspaper .he read in it the news Of the
disaster Of Rslcheflen.
He finished bis giaes Of Chartrcuse, put
his napkin on the table Of the restaurant,
ordertdhis valet to pack up his things,
and tSO hours aflerSard iouk the fxpress
for Paris, and hsstenGd to the recruiting.
otlics 10 enlist il o regiment OF the line.
One may lead from nineteen 10 twenty.
five the energating lis OF 4 sHeil, one msy
have become demoralizsd in racing stables
and the bondoils Of uc:resses, sal there
are circumstances where it id impossible to
forget that Euguerrand d. Haraimout died
otthe plague at TNnis on the came day US
st. Louis; 'hat Jean de- Gardimoat com.
mandsd tho "Granses Compaguies" under
Du Gueaclin, and that Francois Nsnfi do
Hafdimont died charging at Fonteuoi with
the Royal Household. IN spite Ct bis lie
Of dissipation. the young duke, when he
learned tina! d battle bud been lost By The
French on French soil, felt tho blood
mount 10 hia checks and ielt The horrible
sensation Of having received a blow.
This Explains loR, in the beginning oil
November, 1870, on returning 10 Paris
with his regiment, which formed Part OF
Vinoy's corpp, Hinri do Hardimout, pri.
rate IN the third company OF the second
battalion and member oil the Jockey Club,
was in the esand guard with bis company
IN front Of the redoGbt oi H4nteY Bruyeree,
a hastily fortified pes, which was pro-
tfcled by thc annon Of the tort CT Bicstrc,
II was, a Notwithstanding spo'; a read
ho1dercd with siIntcd irees that looked
like broom-baha!es, ard all cut up si.h
muddy ruts, crossed the NANCY flsids OF
the suburb, and by the slda OF the road
was IN abandoned wine-shop, where the
soldiers had established their pest. Here
there had been a combat a fsw days be.
fore; the masketry IRE had cut in two
some Of the roadside paplas, aaa I'll OF
them bore the white sears OF sias. balls. Az
TO the house, it would make you shiyer tc
look q. il. lhe roof had been crushed BY
q shell, and tho VALE, o! Il winr-sises color,
seemed to be plastgfed with blooa. The
empty casks under their network Of black
twige, The upset shtll5.bcafd, the swing
through whose mouldy CORDS the wind
whittled, the bullet gcslred eisa, boa.d-ai
recalled, with cruel iro, the popular
amuseaients OF bysoae euGdsys. AID
over all this stretched r vi.la;nots winter
SKY, in which rolled heavy, lea1en.co!osad
clouds-a low, angry, hateful sky. q
AT the door Of the Hine.ehop the young
duke stood no'ionless, with L;s chasecpo!
slung over his shoulder, bis esp over his
eyes, and his numb hands in tho uccke,S
Of his red pan!slooEs, %essivefing uhder his
sheepskiu. He had abandoned himself 10
gloomy thoughtg-this soldier OF defeat
and looked with a dull eye on the line OF
hilis loet in the mist, from which, at every
minute, there shot .ut, with a icua rerort,
the white pnifo OF smoke from Il krurpeun
iAll at once II struck him he YVES hungry.
He kneit on Que kaee and took from bis
havereack, that lay near him against The
wa}, e biz piees CT commissatist hfcst;
theo, as bs had lest his knife, he bit i, anu
ats it slowly.
Alter a lew moutAlnls, he had enough
OF it; the bread was hard and bad Il bitter
taste. Nor would there be any fresh bread
till it wks eerved out next lay, aad tha.
only in CESS ;he commitHary should be in
coed hum9r. Wei, IL was Sometimes
pretty rough, ives ii, $ lie OF q soldier, and
tteu-!o and behold The began to think
OF what he used to call his byeiun!c break
fas,e, When on the mofrow alter q tco-heat-
Ing supper he sat at tho window on the
ground ddor Ut the Cafe Aaglais aud or
dered-the mertst tritlss-a outlet and
scrambled eggs aur poihtes dasperycs, whiie
the waiter, knowing his habits, placed Oh
the tabie.clotll, and uocc,ked with cure, d
ine bottle Of old .Leoviiic, lying softly in
its wicker basket. Confound it ut! Those
were good old tlm.s, AID he would never
gst used to this breed Of Hlictior.
In moment Of Impotence the young
man flung the rest Of Ills bread into tho
mud.
At this very instant asoldier came out oil
the winershop ho stopped, picked up the
piece OF bread, walked G lew steps OF,
wiped it on his sleeve, and began to de.
yourit sreedily.
Henri dc Hardimont was already asbam.
cd OF bis action, and locked with pity on
the poor devil who showed sucha good ap.
petite. He was a great, tall, ,upgainly lad,
with feverish eyes and u hospital beard,
and SO thin that HIS shoulder-b!ades stuck
out under tho folds Of his well worn cloak.
"You are pretty hungry, comlade," said
De Hardimont, approaching the soldier.
"You may see that" replied the other,
with bis mouth full.
II beg your pardon, thor; il Ihad known
that it could have done you any good, l
would not have flung away my bread"