, 1886-08-08
A DISPATCH BEARER.

Woman, old DIR. Landry was saying to
us, is the most incomprehensible of all Gods
creatures. She was apparently created to
humiliate the pride that man naturally
takes in his ability to reason. Listen and
/ will relate you something hat occurred
fifteen year ago.
Toward the emo OF March 1870, Comte
de Brassey, whose chateau Is only ten
minutes walk from here, on the hill,
sent for me. Early left a widower, the
comte had abstained from marrying again
In order to devote his entire time to
the education Of his only daughter, Their
ese.
On my arrival the comte received me
with a detected air.
my poor DOCTOR" said he, 4you sec be-
fore you one Of the most wretched of men.
You know that l have been to Therese the
most affectionate of fathers and ths most
devoted of friends. Well, here is my re-
wardl'
And he handed me a letter. | can repeat
1t word for word, as 1t remains craven in
my memory:
my BELOVED FATHEE:-I am about to
cause you intense suffering, but 1 am your
daughter and 1 should be unworthy OF
you were / to seek to conceal what l now
disclose.
II feel drawn toward God In n way l
can not resist, and have decided to devote
my life to Him. 1t was the wish of my
dear sainted mother, and the Lord has
designed to inspire me with the will to
carry out her desires.
II therefore beg you to give your con-
sent to my becoming a Carmelite nun.
Our short separation here will no doubt
be painful, but the prayers of the wife in
heaven and those OF the daughter on earth
will render certain our reunion hereafter
among the elect, where we will love each
other, world without end. THEREsE."
"And what was your reply, my dear
Confer
al answered that | would never be a
party to carrying out such a scheme. and
that would use all the authority which
the law gave me as a father to prevent its
consummation; that on coming of age she
could do as she pleased"
"Your daughter, my dear Comte, has
fallen in love with religion and a religious
life for want of any other object upon
which to expend her affection. Do not an
tagonize her ideas, and leave her unmo-
Tested with this love, which can have no
earthly contamination. and which can not
entirely satisfy n handsome and intelli-
gent girl like Therese whose heart is as
yet unaffected"
=
The war broke out. II grief over his
daughters resolution had not greatly
aged him the comte, who had been a cap
tain of lancers in his youth, would have
again sought service. The accounts OF our
successive disasters were, however, not
calculated to excite his enthusiasm.
One day the German cavalry made its
| apnoaranra A oanodrAa ~ ITh1a,a -
tered themselves upon us inc secured the
surrounding country. The commander
and five officers were lodged in the chat
eau.
ON morning about 10 O'Clock | arrived
on my round OF visits. The comte had
evacuated the ground door for the benefit
of the enemy and k refuge In the first
story. the weather had been exceed
ingly mild for a few days md / found him
reading in his arm chair near an open
window.
The Prussian officers had finished break
fast and had had a table placed before the
veranda, at the foot Of the flight of steps
leading to the lawn, on which coffee and
liqueuers had been set, and were smoking
their cigars. ! could hear them chatting
and laughing.
Therese came in hurriedly.
"Ahi mon Dieui Old Bridant, the head
gamekeeper, has told me that the Uhlans
have captured a poor fellow in the woods,
whom they have bound and are bringing
here"
While she was speaking two cavalry
men came through the principal entrance
driving before them, with their wooden
lances, n man with his hands tied behind
him, with "A halter, one end of which one
OF his capture kept firm hold OF.
His trousers were stuffed into his hunt
ing boots, which were covered with mud;
he wore a PEASANTS vest OF coarse cloth; a
whistle hung from a cord thrown over his
shoulder, and a cap was pulled well dow
over his eyes.
His face was hidden by the cap, but he
was evidently n we'll built had, with a
broad chest, and with that erect bearing
which had no doubt been acquired while
wearing a uniform.
An officer rose and listened to the re-
port of one Of the soldiers, He then pulled
off the prisoners cap. l stifed an excla-
nation of surprise and stepped back from
the window.
"PierreT | muttered.
"What Pierrei" asked the comte.
"Pierre Brissac, my god-son and nephew,
according TO Brittany customs. How I'M
f%ortunate.p
NJ. de Brassey and his daughter watched
the scene with great interest.
He, Pierre, hxed his great black eyes on
the fellow who had taken off his cap. With
his close-cut hair, his peculiar figure, and
his dark mustache, there was no mistak-
ing him.
"You are n soldier said the officer, "or
an escaped prisoner, or a franc-tireur who
is playing the spy, or a bearer of dis
patches"
He shrugged his shoulders. They had
pushed him forward, and he was stand
ing before the table. The others, while
slipping their coffee, examined him at
tentively. The cavalryman had dis
mounted.
Thu major said something in German,
and the men searched him thoroughly.
He smiled.
-What are you laughing at? You won't
laugh much when you are stood up
against the wall before a firing party"
al am laughing because you see spies
everywhere. ! am the son OF a widow and
consequently was not drafted into the
army. / was ordered by your people to
drive some cattle fifteen leagues from
where | live to the corps of Prince Fred
erick Charles. have made a long detour
In order TO visit a friend OF mine who
lives three leagues from here, at Yer
plain"
"You must have TIE order. them"
"Do you take me for an IDIOT II l had
fallen In with the franc-tireurs with that
order on my person, 1 should have been
shot as one OF your spies"
"True, but not having 1t now we will
shoot you as one of theirs"
He again shrugged his shoulders.
"You are very brave" interrupted a cap
tain. Afor one who did not have courage