St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-05-24

pare for determined charge, to take
in flank those battalions which had al
ready reached the slopes of the hills
General Mel saw the danger, and inn
mediately hurled against them the Mar
! guer.te division of cavalry, in which
DE Valmont's Light Dragons charged
in the first line.
The shock was terrific. The ele.
ments contributed to swell the frightful
storm of war. Peals of thunder bel
lowed forth and vivid lightning PLAYED
over the ghastly sight beneath.
1t was after the delivery of the charge
''hOme that Colonel de ValmOnt sud
denly saw rise before him about doz-
en- hussars, in white, of the Archduke
Albrechts regiment. Led by young
Lieutenant with fair hair and budding
mustache, they sabred the French
dragons with maniacal fury, making
their way through them like cannon
ball. With one bound of his horse the
Lieutenant was at the Colonel. dc
Nalmont saw his sabre fash As he raised
il to cut him down. He had only time
to pull the trigger Of his pistol and the
Austrian fell, killed by bullet in the
forehead.
AT the end of the engagement Colone,
de Nalmont, returning to camp, passed
over the scene of the conflict The
body of the Lieutenant still Law there
on its back. A thin tricklc of blood
marked the spot of the bullet-wound.
The face of the young officer was as
calm and placid as child asleep. De
Valmont gazed at him with profound
emotion. A few yards of some dis
mounted men were guarding Austrian
+. prisoners. among whom was an officer
of Albrecht's Hussars. Pointing to the
dead body the Colonel asked:
''Sir, can You tell me the name of that
brave fellow?'
Karl Gottfried,' was the answer.
One month after the peace of Villa.
franca, Eugene de Valmont returned to
Paris with the army of Italy. where he
found the following letter awaiting his
arrival:
MILAN. 9th August. lsJa.
MY DEAR OLD FRIEND: You know that
am still at the Military Hospital here where !
shall remain until all our wounded are re-
moved. They brought in the other day sev.
cral maraudcrs caught by our men ritiing the
dead. and on some OF them who tried tc
woman disguised rs a msn. A bed was found
for her, as she WAS on the point of death.
l offered my services to dress her wound. and
judge of my amazement when L heard her
say: "YOu don't remember me. DIR. Brsac.
I am La Severina." Under the withered
features of the woman l recognized your
series of misfortunes she came to be a
despoier of the dead I shall not attempt to
explain. Enough to know that before dying
she allowed the priest to communicate a part
cnnfnSSlnn / t.ay I..n1
thought, she it was who stole Lucien at Mar
settles.
After host Of adventures. which ] shall
tell you later on. poverty compelled her TO
abandon the child at Vienna. She left it TO
the charity of the landlord where she lodged
No. ~ Rosenstrasse-and never heard of the
trace. Apply at once to the Austrian EN-
bassy. Tout u toi. BRIsAC
Mad with JOY, the Colonel ran to the
Embassy and explained the object of
his mission. For a fortnight after.
which seemed to him lifetime, he
lived in fever of suspense, and was
going TO bed one night when his valet
brought him an official letter, with
large red seal bearing the Austro-Hun-
garian arms. He read as follows:
MONSIEUR lie CoNTE: l am instructed by
the Minister for Foreign Affairs to inform
you. i'll answer to your inquiries. that the
child abandoned i'm Vienna, Mt the address
given. on the 20th September. ls4s. was
adopted by q benevolent gentleman. He was
educated at the Military School of Olmutz
which he left last year with the rank of SUBJ
Lieutenant. Posted t. s. A. L. the Archduke
Albrecht's regiment of Hussars he was killed
at the battle Of Solterino. He bore the name
of his adopted father, Karl Gottfred.
One hour afterwards the valet entered
the Colonels room, and found him sit
ting in his chair. His face was deadly
white. His eyes. dilated and immov-
able, were fixed upon the fatal letter.
The servant touched him lightly on
the shoulder, and his master dropped
mOtiOnless ON the floor
He was dead London Society.