Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-21
THE BOMBSHELL.

| ILL OVMOJALA4s
New Years day and III sccmpanyingpfs-
ents have recalled q Renaissance Of the siege
| of Paris, a personal experience which does me
honor, and Of which am proud
Let the reader, however, not be alarmed. I
shall not take him to the ramparts, nor call
upon him to visit the outposts; he shall not
| be asked to go farther, in fact, than the Rue
de Trevise, where resided my old friend Du-
tally, a wealthy manufacturer Of chemicals,
the husband Of an excellent wife, the father
Of charming daughter, skillful in his bust
ness and good patriot, though little wild
on the subject Of politics. In short, one Of the
best men that ever lived.
Although surprised, with every one else,
by the actual investment Of Paris, Nine
Dutailly, like . prudent woman, had long
been engaged In provisioning her establish
ment, and had amassed such an abundance Of
provisions that, had the siege lasted three
months longer, the Dutaillys would not have
known want. From the month Of October
her family had reason to blsss her, and as q
| plate was laid for me regularly had equal
cause to rejoice at the wise forsthought which
had secured results SO satisfactory. How was
| it possible not to grow enthusiastic in those
I
and a bit Of gruysrs, washed down with an
excellent winei
Twas not the only guest Welcome at this
hospitabls board. Another plate was placed
by the side of mine. 1t was for young Ana
| tols Brichaut, head clerk in tho factory. This
brave fellow, melancholy, lean, rather timid,
was deeply in love with his employers daugh-
| ter, Mile. Gertrude, who did not seem at oil
insensibls to his passion. Without any dis
cussion, the marriage Of the these two young
people seemed to been tacitly agreed upon.
Unfortunately the war had postponed the de-
nousment Brichaut, a corporal in the vol
unteers Of the Seine, discharged his duty as q
| soldier as conscientiously Is he did every
thing, but without enthusiasm, and cursed
the unending siege which had retarded his
happiness. He also permitted himself to crit
icise the military operations without rancor,
| but not without a touch of bitterness.
These criticisms somewhat disturbed the
composure Of Father Dutailly, an enthusiast
tic admirer Of Gen. Trochu. About this time
| . writer on the Temps was inditing series
Of articles reviewing the course Of the war in
che provinces, and explaining, by the aid Of
| fervid Imagination, what movements might
have bean attempted Dutailly took these
romances seriously, and predicted, by their
| lurid light, important victories in the near
/! future. Brichaut, an unbsliever, vsntursd
now and then a timid objection. Dutailly
became excited, lost bis head, and could not
| be consoled for his clerks want Of faith In
such brilliant strategy.
The appearance of a new guest still more
| complicated the situation. / was surprised
one evening to see in my place, on Mme
Dutailly's right, a stranger with high color,
broad shoulders, clustering and vain-glori-
Gus. He wore a captains distinguishing
decoration on a fanciful uniform that had
evidently como out Of theatrical wardrobe,
! with enormous boots in which it would have
! been impossible to disguise hero.
M. Robillard," said Dutailly, on introduc-
ing US, captain Of tho 'Enfants Perdus' Of
C,srbevoie."
had not got through with the soup be-
fore Robillard fascinated me- The exploits Of
this gallant warrior seemed to have consisted
in exploring the deserted mansions Of the
suburbs, removing to a place Of safety any
furniture that could tempt the cupidity of
the enemy, tho owners being unknown. /
was wondering how this capacious- jawed
mandarin happened to be there that even
ing nibbling III our share Of the cheese
when Mme Dutailly informed me, not with
cut emotion. As night was coming on she
had fallen on the Boulevard, and the con-
sequences might have been serious had not
Robillard come to her rescue and brought
her home a little hurrisd- Out of gratitude
she had invited him to dinner. The explana-
ton consolsd me- / trusted that had seen
the last of the doughty warrior. The war,
he said, had brought him back to Paris,
whose safety demanded his presence. As to
his adventures in the suburbs at the head Of
the Enfants Perius, they surpassed belief.
"The enemy could do no more. With 5000
fellows like those the siege could be raised
etc Nine Dutaily listened TO these romance
greedily. Neither did Dutailly seriously re-
sist the inclination to credit these tales OF
military proves. As to the poor little vol
unteer, he seemed totally eclipsed by the
presence Of this egregious braggart.
invented an excuse for leaving after the
coffee, utterly Disguised with the rhodoman-
tade of this Gascon, from whom l believed
was parting forever, but in which belief
was terribly deceived. On the following Sun
day he reappeared; he came again on Thurs
day, and finally his plate was laid at all the
repasts as regularly as my own. N. Dutailly's
household had been charmed as completely as
the bird that the snake selects for its victim
Robillard had gained influence over Nine
Dutailly by his drol stories and had won her
husband by his apparent interest in the mill
tary operations in the Temps Anatole visi
bly, lost ground at every meal, ground which
this bully as visibly occupied.
The formers discontinue was especially
noticeable after the engagement at Bourget,
where the poor boy had brayely done his
duty, and whence he returned to US wounded
in the forearm. He gave US all the details Of
the affair and the circumstances of the sad
end of the heroic combat with SO profound a
sadness that the captain seemed inclined to
charge him with cowardice. With what n
noble indignation the latter pointed out that
if the Enfants Perdus had taken part in the
engagement things would have been differ |
emily. Thereupon, warming with the sub
jet, he drew the plan of sortie, including
the passage of the Disc, the march upon
Rouen, and the triumphal arrival at Havro
so graphically as to excite Dutailly to the
highest pitch of enthusiasm. And this while |
the poor Anatole, Inundated, was still suffer- |
ing in silence from his unhealed wound.
The next day he was feverish, kept his bed, |
and for several weeks was absent from the |
table. The captain lost no time in ingratiat- |
ing himself with the charming Gertrude. The |
day that Anatole returned to US, thinner |
than ever, it seemed TO me that the young |
ladys eyes were red as tho consequence OF |
some wordy skirmish between herself and her |
mother, who was now moro than ever infatu- |
ated with her Robillard. thought it was |
about time to interfere in behalf of those poor /
children. II was, in fact, the last Sunday OF
the year, and the conversation naturally /
turned upon New Years Day, which was to |
be observed as family feast
"Parbleu. Dear Nine. Dutailly," cried the
captain, Il must give you surprise for your
present"
This gave me the idea Of preparing one on
my own account.
On the eventful day Dutailly received US
beaming and with open arms. The strateSist
OF the Temps had just beaten ion paper |
Prince Charles out Of his boots in the neigh
borhood of Evreux. Dutailly presented Us
with this piece Of news for our New Years
gift. Anatols brought . rabbit which had
been caught in a trap in tie devastated island
o. ST. Denis As 10 the captain he presented
10 Nine Dut,Ily IN immsnss bag OF marrons
glsces in Q German hslmsk
~Dear madame said no smiling, ut was
quito possible for me to have gwen vou the
heal OF tho owner Of this helmet as well"
"WhatF cried Mrs, Dutailly. lost in aiinira-
ton, you actually killed himf
"ln order 20 offer you these bon-bons, which
are not, make fres to say, within the reach
OF everybody