The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-04-08
'Good, papa! will obey" The lit
lie fellow choked down his sobs as he

''Good, papa! will obey" The lit
tie fellow choked down his sobs as he
spoke.
Tomorrow, them" said Captain
Arnheim, "we will see if thou hast the
cruelty to be the murderer of father and
brother, when one word would save
them. Ach Gott, only think! To have
their lives in thy hands alone!''
About midnight Jean was carried to
the place where his father and brother
were confined and left in the room with
them, the guard Withdrawing to the
outside, by orders of Capt. Arnheim.
The Prussian hoped everything from
this interview. The firmness of the
men would certainly weaken before the
tears and prayers of the child they were
going to leave alone in the world. The
Germans knew little of the peasants of
the Vosges. The very children there
suck in courage and resolution with the
mothers milk. 1t was cruel torture,
both to the father and sons. those last
hours of the night There were tears
and sobs, close embraces and broken
words of tenderness, but when the first
ray of daylight stole into the prison the
father lifted jeans head from his knee,
where the child had laid it to hide his
tears.
Remember, JEAN" he said, holding
his hand in tight pressure, remember
that thou holdest the honor of thy father
and brother. We are not afraid to die
now. but we would be afraid to live if
thou should turn traitor. The Prus-
slams must not have the papers. Better
have thy tongue cut out than speak"
81 will remember" the boy said, try
ing to speak calmly. "Yes, whatever
may happen, will not speak. They
cannot make me-"
A little after daylight the prisoners
were marched out to little green in
the center of the village and placed
with their backs against a high stone
wall. Twenty steps from them stood a
platoon of Prnssian soldiers ready for
the final signal. Around the green,
pressed back by the soldiers, were the
friends and neighbors of the doomed
men, weeping, wringing, their hands.
and exhausting themselves by futile
prayers to the stern officer. who did not
answer them by even glance. He
held little Jean tightly by the wrist. He
was about to make final effort to move
him. 5
Thou seest them?" waving his hand
toward the prisoners. They are thy
father and brother. In another minute
they win lie bleeding heap before thee
if thou dost not tell where the papers
are hidden. Thou nearest thy friends
pleading for their lives. Wilt thou
speakp"
Little Jeans "No" was almost maud
ible, and there was q look of frenzied
horror In his big black eyes which al
most startled the Prussian. The boy
was surely weakening.
present arms! Take aimr he shout
ed. 'Now, for the last time, wilt thou
speak, boyp"
A terrible expression of agony passed
over the boys convulsed face. A cry of
pain seemed choked in his throat. Capt
Arnheim bent forward to hear that con-
fession which he felt sure was coming.
Jean opened his mouth; a torrent of
blood poured out of it
The officer fell back, when a terrible
fact was revealed to him. The boy had
bitten off his tongue, so strong had
been the temptation to speak.
"FireT" shouted the officer, and Jean
fell fainting to the ground; at the same
moment his brother and father were
shot through the heart.
do not know why the boys life was
spared, but the Prussians left the Vosges
without harming him. He grew up
and is now a letter-carrier in the Vosges,
universally esteemed by the community
in which he lives.