News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30

Presently, Louis called his brother
In low voice.
JEAN he said. come here. Icy
to get away and conceal that in the
field
"He tore away package of papers
that was sewed to the inside of his shirt
over his breast and handed it to the boy.
The latter took the package, opened a
door and disappeared.
"At the same moment the door at
which the men were battering gave way,
and seven or eight Prussian soldiers en-
tered with revolvers in their hands. The
explanation that followed was short.
They seized the two men by the shoul-
ders. The spy and the father who had
harbored him were there. They would
be shot the next morning. In the
meantime, not to lose moment, they
searched the young man, taking off his
blouse and his shirt. They found
nothing.
"'The dispatches that you brought,
where are they?' demanded the leader
of the soldiers.
"'The dispatches? p replied Louis Bar
rot. Il have none
"'What then was there a moment
since?' said the officer, pointing to a
strip of ripped cloth which had formed
part of a pocket and from which the
threads still hung.
"'You think that I carried papers
there?
"'I am certain of it. You must have
had them there a moment ago.
."'WeT, then, since they are no longer
there look for them
"'Search everywhere T cried the Off
| Ger to his men.
1.-The soldiers obeyed, opening every
drawer, overturning the furniture and
examining the ashes on the hearth.
They found nothing. Presently two SOL
siers appeared on the threshold OF the
door with little Jean. They had been
left on guard without, and had just seen
him as he was crawling behind hedge.
They pushed him before them into the
circle of fickering light cast by the fum-
ing lamp. The boy concealed his hands
behind his back.
"'What is that you are hiding there !?
said the officer to him in q rough voice.
IN ething.'
Show your hands, then.
"The boy exposed his hands. They
we're covered with dirt.
"'Ah, you little rascal exclaimed the
officer, it was you who concealed the
papers Where are theyT
"The boy remained silent.
Listen said the German. There is
your father, is he not and there is your
brother?
Little Jean twice nodded his head.
"'Very we'll. If you do not tell
where the papers are they will both be
shot. If you tell-they shall live.
"The boy turned his eyes toward his
iather.
"'Jean,' said the old man, 'listen well
TO what 1 say. Even though we die III
your SlSnG, 90 uOI SPean"
1.-THE boy replied. Very well.
"'To-morrow, then,' said the officer,
with an angry gesture.
"The next morning at dawn, IN the
square before the Mayors Office il
the neighboring village, old Barrot anc
his son Louis stood erect, with uncoVere(
heads, immovable and pale. Twent.
steps from them stood the firing party
with their arms at rest. ALI about, KEEP
back by a Gordon of soldiers, were VIC
men and old men, who craned thel
necks in their efforts to catch a gimps
of the prisoners, murmuring angrhy
their lips trembling and their eyes blooc
shot. Near the firing party, betwee
two soldiers, stood little Jean, his lac
livid, bu. mis- head erect.
"Galf an hour before the officer ha
led him into q room in the mayor"ltJ
L whore his father and his brother wei
4 guarded, and ordered that they shou
A be left by themselves. What did
hope from this interview? That the tW
r. men would melt before the tears OF u
= lad? Toe boy wept certainly, for h
"a eyes were red. But what had his fatn
= said? When little Jean came out I'll
officer asked
"Do you wish to speak nowP
o .IittIe Jean replied that he did ne
Then his father and his brother wou
be taken from him. They would
placed together against the wall befc
III his ewes. Even now they were the
before him awaiting death.
r. "There was moment OF horrh
I'D suspense. At last the officer gave
he command in German and the soldl'
lcvelled their muskets. The offit
'u turned to the boy.
nd DO you wish to speak 2 he said.
it. s'Tne boys lips did not move; but
'ill form trembled, an expression of frlg
ful anguish passed over his countenal
Or, and he uttered a half-stifled cry. Tn
he tottered. -.
ed ''The officer approached him, listt
es. ing for the confession which he thoue
me would fall from his contracted lips.
Grd was not confession that issued fr'
m his lips, but flow of blood.
ust "The officer sprang back. On
uniform, on the breast just over
vas heart, was seen a red stain. while Mt
nj. feet shapeless thing, also red, fell
n, the pavement. The boy had bitten
oId tongue in two and had spit part
,on forth into the face of his tormentor.
mis- "'Fire 7 cried the latter, furious "
inc rage.
ne ga discharge of musketry soun'
Ho like peal of thunder, and little Je
oa fainting, fell at the moment when
Barrot and his son Louis were killed
no "And that, said my friend Dubre
lis the reason why our postman
bot dumb >" JOSEPH MoNTEl
the A FACTOR. sudden OF tlurs
ady O Iolera after q heavy rainfall is dee
ous by some of the scientific journals
son marked practical Illustration of
lark Kochs statement that moisture is
que, ! essary factor in an epidemic1. clio