Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-05-20

arm. he narrated the whole affair 10
us the retreat and the sad ending OF
that heroic combat with 90 lamentabIe
an air OF encouragement that the Cap
tain began 10 treat him as II he were
Il deserser and coward. With what
noble indignation be demonstrated
that II the "zousves Of Dsath" had
been there. things would have been
very different Thereupon, warming
to the subject he sketched out for us q
plan for . sortie by the passage Of the
0ise, march to Rouen, and final
triumphant arrival al Havre. so clear
ly and vividly that he aroused Durand
TO great enthusiasm. And all this
time poor humiliated Victor was suf-
fering from his still bleeding wound.
The next day Victor had fever
and kept bis bed. and for some weeks
he did not appear at the table. The
Captain meanwhile enereeticslly es-
tablished his pretensions to the hand
Of Gertrude. The evening that Victor
reappeared among us, weak and paler
than ever, it seemed to me that Ger
trude's eyes were very red and that
some skirmish had taken place be-
tween her and her mother, whe SEEM
ed more taken up with NORM than
ever. / saw that it was time to inter-
fere in the interest Of these poor child.
rem. It was the last day Of the year,
and as we were talking Of the new
year We decided TO celebrate the ami
versaiy together.
'Egad, Nine. Durand,' said the
Captain, 4 have surprise for your
New Years present.
This put an idea in my head.
On New Years day Durand received
us, radiant and with open arms. The
strategical editor Of Le Temps had just
struck terrible blow at Prince
Charles in the neIghborhood Of Evreu.
Durand offered us this good news for
our New Years present. Victor
brought hare which he had trapped
beyond the Notifications. AS to the
Captain, he presented Nine. Durand
witha bag of mar.ons glsces in a
Uhlan's helmet.
Madam said he, magnifcently, i
am sorry ! did not bring in it the head
OF its owner
.Whatp cried Nine. Durand, almost
speechless with emotion; did you kill
him?'
AYE, to get this bonbon box. mad
ana performance which, I make
bold to say, would not have been at
tempted by many men,
I will pass over the recital Of this
adventure, Of which you may be sure
our Bombastes did not spare us the
smallest detail. Crouched down be-
hind cask, he had watched for, sur
prised, and knocked down the wearer
Of the cap, . solitary sentinel, and
had strangled him, in order not to
arouse the attention of the enemy by
using his revolverl What a poor show
ing the hare, strangled, too, made be-
side this glorious triumph
WELL said I, Il would not think Of
rivaling such q hero as the Captain;
but / also have my little surprise. But
it has not yet arrived, and I hope you
will dine without waiting for it,
We sat down to the table, and a
very pleasant dinner it was. We had
just reached the coffee, when servant
informed us that an artilleryman had
just deposited my present in the draw
ing-room. Repairing thither, we found
the object on the table, wrapped in
bright paper and tied up with gay rib
bons. a
What in the world can it be?' asked
Nine. Durand.
Don't try to guess, my dear mad.
anne; it is q bomb-shell.
.Durand has often expressed to me
desire to possess bomb-shell, one
that has seen service, and at my re.
quest my friend Roland, commandant
Of q battery. has sent me this. 1t is
from the Avron plateau, where it fell
but failed to explode.
AS / spoke I united the blue ribbon,
took off the paper, and the bomb-shell
black, sinister and menac-
ing.
my dear fellow, said Durand, 4
am delighted. ! shall hang 1t up III
my study.
But, objected Nine. Durand, 'ifit
has otgone off
oh have no fear; it was understood
that Roland would only send 1t to me
empty and harmless. However, there
is letter accompanying it.
I opened the letter, and was about
to readit aloud, but at the FIRST line
my face began to express surprise,
then anxiety, when every one cried;
What's the matter7'
Great Heavensl--I have Listen,
and I read:
4 DEAR FRIExDs Here Is the bomb.shell .you
desired. But have been unable to find an artillery
man who knows how to unload 1t. Send II to the
armorer in the Passage de p0pera, who will fix 1t
for you perfectly. But warn you to take great
preceutions not the least shock, not the faintest
fricticn fcr II YOU strike 1t with even sheet Of
uaper IL will exDlOde. Yours. As ever. R ytF