The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-05-15
A CRUST OF BREAD.
BY FRANCOIS ooPpEE.

The young Dnke OF Hardimon
had gone 10 AK in Savoy to let his
famous mare, Perichole, take 4
course of the waters. She had
turned roarer since that cold she
had caught at the Derby. The
duke was finishing his breakfast,
one morning, and 2lancing abspntlN
over his newspaper, when he read
the news of the disaster at Reich.
shotfrn. lie emptied his glass of
Chartreuse, laid his newspaper
down OF the restaurant table,
ordered lis valet to pack his
trunks, and two hours later took
the express for Paris and hurried
10 the recruiting Office to enlist in II
loo, regiment.
A man may have led the ener.
vaIing life OF il petit creVe las they
called them then (fiom nineteen to
t@cnty-fVe-he may have done his
best to dull his brains in racing
stables and in the 0oud0irs OF opera
singers. In spite of it All, there
arem0ments when he cannot forget
that Enguerfand tie Hartlimont
died OF the plague at Tunis the
same days us Saint louis; that
Jean de Hardiment commanded the
Grand Companies with Du Gueselin,
and that Francois Henri dc Hardi-
mont was killed with Maisou Rouge
in the chai GO of Fomenoi. Degra-
ded as hc might be by his foolish
and scaudalouS passion for Lucy
Violet, the prima donna of the
Nudilrs PariSiennes, when the
young man learned that a brittle had
been lost hy Freuchmon on French
ground the blood rushed TO his
face, aud he had the horrible sensa.
ton OF tl0w.
So it came about that in the early
days of November, 1870, Hendi dc |
Haulimont of the Third FuSlliers |
aud mrm5er OF the Jockey Club,
baving retunrd to Paris with his
regiment, which formed Il part OF
Nnoy'S corps, WAS on guard With
his command before the rrdOujt Ol
Hautrs BIuyrreS, Il position which
had bteu hastily fortified, ana pro.
tected by the cannous OF Fort
Bcetre.
1t was dicary place; road
planted on either side with rows OF
leat1eSS trees, aud plOweu
up with deep cart ruts, stretched
across the waste fields of the su
Durb. On one side of the road !
here WAS deserted inn, with ar !
JOrs in its garden, where the sol I
ilers had taken up their quarters. I
There had been fighting there a -
ew days before. The shots from G
he mitrailleGSes bad shattered
ome of the trees along The road. d
nd all bore on their bark the white d
cars Of tue bullets. The house it, O
elf was simply appalling; the root -
ad been smashed by bomb, aud h
he walls, with their dull red paint. d
)Okpd as ii they had been bespat. h
cred with blood. There was grim is
'Ony in the dismautled arbors with b
he black trellls work in the o
wings that creaked upon the wet q
Dpe in the damp wind, aud in the Il
hOt-rlddled sigu pOst-a dead rab. OF
1t surmOunted by two billiard "
les, tied together by "A ribbon and d,
nd framed around with the inscrip IN
ons: "Cabinets de SOciete-Ab. al
the-Vermouth-Wine twelve &C
'us the quart"-all recalling the al
1pular Sunday revels of former si
mes. Overhead, was u sad, gray, OF
inter sky, With great leaden dI
lowering, cruel, angry til
~. b
The young man stood at the door re
the inn, with his rifle slung be- er
nd him, his cap over bis eyes, his tiC
Inds in the pockets OF his red bo
Ousers, shiveIing with cold under tr;
S sheepSkin. He sank lnto sad a
verie, this soldier OF a defeated Nf
my, as, with mOurnful eyes, he DIT
ltched the line of mist-cOvered frC
Us from which, every moment, wa
ERE rose q pun of white smoke hn
lowed by the roar OF a Krnpp tw
nnOn. be
All at once he begun TO feel hun SCI
y. He knelt down on one knee up
d drew large piece of bread ont ca,
bis knapsack, leaning against sul
, wall near him then, ss he had mi
{ bis knife, be began to bite the onI
.ad with bis teeth, eating slowly. eve
iowever, he had enough of that pre-
er few mOuthfnls; /; the bread wel
S hard aud a bitter taste. And did
think that be could not get amy an,
ne till the rati0ns were served loo
next day, and even then only If har
commissariat chose 10 give il. nat
.htiBg was q hard trade s0me the
es; aud be must just chose such thn
ioment as this 10 remember hIs aiw