The Mineral argus., 1885-06-11

GREETING the cuisine Of the Cafe ALglzis; and
the Due de Har,limont looked at his compan-
ION with sort of horriiied surprise. The
soldier gave sad smile, showing set OF
wolfisli looking tceth-famisled teeth, that
flashed white against the wan face-and.
then. a. if he saw that some explanation Was
expected of him:
'Monscur.- said he. suddenly dropping his
familiar style of address. as though tdlwned
On HIM thar here one of the rich aud
happy Of this earth. ''lci W. walk mp and
down the road here. and will tell You a few
things that | don't surro-, You have ever
heard before. NV name ~ Jean Victor only
Jean Victor, because ! an a fnuu'irig, and
nv only pleasant recollection IL al my early
childhood at the Founding Hospital The
sheets were clean in our little beds in the dorm
itory: we used Ia play IN the garden u...lcr the
big trees: aud remember INV si-ter--hc was
quite Young. and pale hly-slle was dying "
consumption. l was her favorIie. and used to
Ike to walk Icy her side better than Ia play with
the other children. because she would draw me
close tn her and Law her thin. hot hand ON my
forehead But from tho tirie | was II years
old knew nothing but poverty. The board
bound me apprentice To . chair mcnder IN the
Faubourg SAINT jacques. Ii is a bad trade,
you know. you can't make living out of IT,
and the proof was that generally the master
could get NJ apprentices but the poor children
from tho Blind Hospital And that was where!
began to suffer from hunger The master and
mi-tress-two old l.imou-ins, who ended by
being mur,lcred-were terrible msers. They
kept the broad locked up, and only cut us a lit
tic bit at each meal; And in tho evening.
tress, in her black cap, latiling out the
soup and giving q sigh at each ladicful The
other tive apprentices, the 'jeunes aveuges.
were less IA he pitied, for il they did not get
any more than 1 did, ut any rate they did not
see the angry look of that hard woman when
she handed our plate. And. unfortunately,
had a good appetite even then. Could l
help that. I was three years apprenticed
AMI a1,vava THREE ypar~'
And you can learn the trade in one month.
| But the board can't know everything and new
or suspect how the children are cheated All.
| you were surprised 10 see me pick mp tho
bread out of the mud am pretty well used
TO it: have picked up crnsts enough ON the
dust heap; and when they were too dry left
them Ia soak all night Thoy were good wind
falls sometimes. ! confcss-bits ot bread Just
nibblc,l. that the youngsters used Ia pull out Of
| their baskets as they came ont Of school 1
used To loiter about round there when l
went on crrands. And then when the
| apprenticeship was finished. could not make
/ a living by the trade, as Told you. on l
have tried plenty of others: | was willing
enough to work. ! have been a mason's boy,
an errand boy, frottenr. AMI don't know
I what else. Sometimes there was no work 10
do: sometimes lost my place But anyhow !
never got enough To cat Ah thunder. l
have felt furious sometimes when passed the
bakers shops. And then used to remember
the good sister at tho hospital who always told
me 10 keep honest and it seemed ~ n felt
the burning touch of her little hand IN my
forehead. When was Is years Old | enlisted
You know AN well as 10 that the soldier has
barely enough And now-realy IT almost
makes one lanbh-there ~ the siege aud the
famine. You see that told you the truth just
now when ! said had been always hungry.
The young Duke was kind hearted, and this
sad talo Of one who was man and soldier,
like himself touched him deeply iio was not
sorry that the evening wind dried those two
tears that suddenly dimmed his eyes.
jean Victor said he, IF We both survive
this terrible war shall meet again, and |
hopo To be able TO he Of some use To you.
Meantime, as there il no bxkor at the outposts
but the sergeant. and ~ the ration Of bread IL
twice as big AZ it need he for my small appetite
ITS agreed, isn't tive will go shares, like
good comrades.
The two men grasped hands warmly and
firmly: then, AS night was falling, and they
were disturbed by scouts and sentinels, they
went back into the inn parlor, where . dozen
soldiers were sleeping ON the straw and throw
ing themselves down upon tho floor, side by
side were soon sound asleep.
Toward mi might Jean Victor awokc. He
was hungry, probably. The wind had swept
away the clouds aud ray Of moonlight, shin
ing iuto the room through hole in tho roof,
lit up the beautiful fair head of tho young
Duke sleeping like End mon. Jean Victor, who
had been 81 touched by his comrades kindness,
was watching him with simple admiration, when
the sergeant of the patrol opened the door and
called the five men who were there 10 relieve
u
one Of tho number bui he did not wake when
his name called
"IIar.limont, get up" repeated the ser
g,ant
III you will let me, sergeant" said jean
Victor, rising. IL will take his place; no
sleeps soundly, and he is my comrade."
| AS You like"
And az soon a. the five were gone lhe
snoring recommended
But half AN hour later the sound of hurried
shots, quite near broke the silence Of the
night In a moment the soldiers sprang To
their feet: they went out of the inn with eau
lions steps their fingers On the triggers oi their
guns, and looking far of along tho road that
lay white IN tho moonlight
What O'clock is it, asked the Duke II
was on duty to night.
Some one answered, jean Victor took your
place"
; At this moment soldier came running up
the road
.'Well:" they all cried tn him, when he stop
| ped. ont of breath.
The rrus-ian-:are altacking-we must fall
back upon the rc,ioubt.
And the romracrs"
They coming. There il only that poor
fellow missing Jean Victor"
What" cried the Duke.
KILLED On the spot by a ball in tho head
lie had not time to say, ouf!'
One night last Winter, toward 2oclock in the
morning. the Due he Iiarllmont came cut Of
! the club with his negl,bor, the Count "c
! Stulnc. H. hal just l"-t few hundred
I louis and his head achcd n little
III you don't mind, Andre. hc said TO his
4 companion, 1--WE will walk home. lwant a lit
! tie fresh air
: AS you like, old fellow, though the pave
mcnt II very dirty.
They .eni away their broughams. turned up
their coat collars, and walked down toward
: the Madeleine. All at one, the Duke struck
the toe of his boot against something and sent