Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-03-08
ONE NIGHTS WORK.

true type of the gendarme, this Alcldes
Gastebois, of x. Good as good bread,
guileless as a child and just as justice! With
all this the figure of Hercules and a slave to
his duty and to his instructions.
He had served through 1879 as a brigadier
of cuirassiers, been left for dead in the midst
of the hop fields of Reichsoffen, and, cured
by the Prussians, had returned to France
when peace was declared to be passed into
the gendarmerie, thanks to his congo, free
from the slightest punishment.
Decorated with the medal, he had for long
time awaited promotion to the grade of mare
chal DIES logis, the marechalat of his hopes
and dreams. He was scarcely, they had
thought SO at least, well enough educated to
dictate proces-verbal; then they suspected
that his intelligence was little bounded; but
he was so gallant soldier, so honest a man,
that at last in IS, and when nearly 4Oyears
of age, he saw himself granted the double
stripe of silver and dispatched with four
other men to the Belgian frontier to watch
the contrabandists and assist with his strong
hand the custom house officers.
1t was happy day for him when he saw
himself installed in the little house that
served as barracks and stood at the end of
the village It had two chambers and a
room on the lower floor for an office, and he
was chef of the detachment. 1t was ideal
He waxed and twisted to sharper point than
ever the ends of his tremendous mustache,
and redoubled the zeal and punctuality of
his service
Before month had gone he was the terror
and bugbear of all the snugglers and their
trains of dogs taught to cross the lines with
laces and tobacco. In six months time he
had purged the entire country. One only of
Il 10 l. ,J To
battle by force of craft and skill his track
ings and constant sentries
There was a dweller in the village itself
certain Antoine Piou, as blonde and thin as
the marechal DIES logis was brown and heavy,
but very genteel with his curling hair, adroit
and cunning as monkey, and endowed with
lungs and legs of steel that permitted him to
laugh to scorn the stoutest horse in the cav
airy.
He and his ferocious bulldog Etranne-in
the pronunciation of the country Aytran-
glay-had more than once slipped through the
fingers, so to speak, of the brave Alcides and
his massive nag, and more than once Etranne,
that is, had left the print of his fangs in his
shoulder 1t was duel to the death between
the three and beautiful and lasting hate.
The one of them scorned with all the
strength and dlsdain of the colossus the eff
Terminate lean one whom he could have
crushed between his ten fingers; the other
disdained with all the scorn of a coxcomb
and a strutting dandy the stupid giant
whom he fooled so easily into believing that
bladders were lanterns, and, as if to round
off their detestation, both of them paid their
court to the same village maiden.
Nile. Adelaide Fournaim was her name,
and her parents, two worthy people, kept a
little cabaret very much frequented, almost
within sight of the post Of the gendarmerie
Laide, as she was called by every one, was a
beautiful girl, delicate and slender as bios
som, a sort of Marguerite pushed forth from
the stem of a corn flower. You should just
have seen her in her little apron tripping
back and forth to serve the Sunday dinners
of the gros bonnets of the neighborhood.
NJ LIE Marie himself, even, did not disdain
upon those days to take her by the chin and
compliment her on her eharining appearance.
Laide was not only beautiful but coquettish
and proud, and turned deaf ear to- the
country lads who would nave talked to her
of marriage ALL l mean but Antoine Piou,
the contrabandist and friend of her child
hood, with whom she had learned her cate
chism at M. LIE Cures knee and Alcides Gas
tebois, the handsome sous-officer and COM
mandant of tho gendarmerie
AS for big Alcides, he was, as have told
you, most seriously touched by Ladies' charms
and filed with the deep but mute admiration
of one upon new ground. From the little
table where he so often ate his modest repast
his big round eyes, round as Lotto balls, never
quilted her for a second as she came and
went, and his mustache quivered despite its
waxing as she said to him in her low, soft
voice:
'Bon jour, NJ. Alcides, and how are you
today2'
He had truly become mad about her; he
would have thrown himself into the fire for
her, and, more than that, had nearly forgot
ten the service and the exactions of discipline
for Ladies' sake. Love renders one blind,
they say, and Alcides neither saw nor took
account of the frequent presence of his enemy
in the Fournaim cabaret, though it was true
that whenever he appeared there Antoine de-
parted almost Immediately.
This, it seems to me, should have made him
reflect, but he was not of the country, you
see, and did not know that Laide and the
contrabandist had grown up together, that
he had been always with her, and was always
looked upon as her special gallant and still
walked and danced together on the evenings
of the ducasse under the elms of the village
green; and, last of all, that if they were not
betrothed lovers, it was because the father of
Laide would not give his consent.
No, Alcides knew none of this and as soon
as he could conquer his timidity sufficiently
declared his desire to marry-if she would
have him-at once. The young girl, in
wardly fattered, blushed deeply, but was
silent and seemed profoundly troubled
"And will you do this, mademoiselle?" con-
tinued Alcides; 81 love you so much; will
be good to you," and the marechal DIES logi4
trembling like a child, bent his tall figure
above the chair upon which she still sat and
without response.
"I-I do not know" she said at last; sit
would be best to speak to my father"
The father, approached that same evening,
did not hesitate at all. Selling in his own
rough palm the huge white glove that in
closed the hand of the gendarme, he cried out
delightedly:
spar e1emple! you ask me thata If I will
give you my Laide, good man like you?
Daniel NJ Alcides, three daughters, or six
daughters if you willard / had them to
give your
'But that" hazarded the lover, modestly,
shat would be contrary to law-Mlle. Laide
will answer"
A month later the wedding took place, and
in the evening, after repast at which the
whole village assisted, NJ. and Nine. Caste
bois departed for the little house Of the gen.
darmerie, wreathed and decorated like a
bower by the men of the detachment.
But at the very moment Of inclosing them
selves in the little chamber where Alcides
had accumulated for his best beloved all the
elegance and comfort that his fancy and his
purse could accomplish, word was brought
Lin that Antoine, that devil of an Antoine.
was crossing the line with a pack full Of to-
bacco.
"Whatl" roared Alcides, "a thousand mill
ion carabinesl but he chooges his time well,
the beggar"
''Bahl for once leave him alone" said
Laide; land it may not be Antoine after all"
The temptation was strong for the brave
soldier; he turned his eyes upon the little
white bed where Laide was already nesting
like a pigeon, and was on the point of
yielding.
"Eh bienl nor he stiffened himself reso-
lutely and moved away. ''Duty before every
ti,ippt Apt0ina haliavioO mo r,arriad tbinlye