Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-05-17

ID CtdtnNidn tUtlfth fVullA ultA cltVutIA
to them as he fattled Ills horse over the
broad space In front Of the Theatre Francois.
The pavement before the cafeswas crowded
with the usual %loungers, smoking, talking,
drinking, OILY the talk and the laughter
was louder than usual, the crowd was densef;
the air was full of electricity.
"A victoryt' shouted the driver, looking
found at his fare, and cracking his whip
ferociously, "a gfeat victory MEeMabon
has made mIncemeat Of those Prtissiah
dogsl'
"a victory, and on our w~edding-dayP' ex-
claimed Kathleen ~joyously; and then the
sweet sensitive face elouded suddenly, and
she said, '"There can be no victory without
soldiefs slain; Many hearts Of wives and
mothers will Be mOirniig t5+day amidst all
this joyousness. o CASTOR, how thankful |
ought to be that you were past the age for
servicer'
True, dearest, / am better of here than
with the Moblots; but If the National Guard
were called ont should have to shoulder
my Ihusket."
but not to leave Paris" said Kathleen,
nesting closer 10 him. land there can he nd
fighting in Paris"
Heaven forbid! No, love; one or tyt
Victories, and Prussia will give us whatevd
TERMS we ask. What can a herd Of Huri
and Vandals do AGAINST the fine HOWe.s, q
our army, the heroes Of Magenta and So.
ferino, the graybeards Of Alma and AZ
giersYp
/, TheB drove aloug the Hue vivienne. Tht
hatfo# street Sas all III c0mmotiun people
at the shop-doors, people at the upper @ih=
Jo..,. /. nahal Of ynipag a ClrilI mo ~
laughter and exclamation. But in the Place
de la Bourse, and on the boulevard beyond,
the excitement eliminated. 1t was the fever
Of Epson when the Derby has Just been
sor-the stir and timplt Of. boncsstsr at
The browning moment OF The Eeget, arid set
b deeper and stronger fever, for this had
the awfulness Of life and death.
Victory, yes; but whereP Which Of the
armies was it-MacMahon's or B~azaine's2
Or was it the two armies which had crushed
the, Prussian forces between them-which
had met and joined, Ike Two living walls,
deadly, inyincible, squeezing out the life o,
the enemy?
Every one was asking questions, every
one answering, stating, counter stating,
denying; but In this tumult OF statement
and cCunter-stateniebt there was adifficulty
In arriving NJ. any positive fact, except the
one all-iEspirlng facs that thete had been a
tremendous victory On the French Side:
Flags were flying at all the windows-fags
produced as " by enchantment; and here
came an open carriage. slowly through the
mob-tAe carriage OF afano1s opera-singer.
In an instant it was stopped, surrounded by
that surgiug sea OF humanity: and the Diva
stood up In het carriage at the entreaty---
nay, almost the commanded the public, 10
sing the 'Marseillaise." r.
The glorious fnely-trained voice rolled
out the soul-stirring words, the notes rising
bird-like and clear in the summer air, float-
Ing up to the SUMMER sky; and then fifty
thousand voices, the deep rough tones of an
excited populace, burst forth in the chorus,
like human thunder. Impossible to resist
the magnetism Of that passionate patriotism.
The eyes Of strong men grew dim, women
sobbed Historically. France, la belle France
she had BEEN in peril perhaps; yes, strong
though she was, there was never war with
out peril; but she was ~safe-safe, trium-
plant, glorious, with her foot upon the
enemy's neck. Alas, to think how the Gallo
cock crew and tapped his wings during that
one wild hourl
The bridal-party pushed their way into
the Restaurant C|hampeaux. Under the
glass roof, In the covered f1~ower-garden,
there was such d mob that 1t was very diff
cult to get a small table In d corner, and a
waiter who would cease from hurrying to
and fro to take an order from the new
corners. Every one was celebrating the vic
tory with good cheer of some kind. Cham
payne corks were flying, plates gathering,
spoons and forks j~ingling, and everywhere
rose the same din of voices.
Durand and Mortemar cOntriyed, by
strenuous exertions, to secure a bottle OF
champagne and another Of bordeaux, a
poulet grds and a ~Clateaubriand, some
fruit, cheese, salads and the wedding party
breakfasted merrily amidst the din, squeezed
together In their corner, stihingly hot under
the burning glass roof and In the crowded
atmosnhere. But who would not be happy
on a ~weddIng-uay, ana IN the nour or We
tory? They sat at the little table for more
than an hour, nearly half Of which time had
been wasted in waiting; and when they
went out again il seemed TO Durand's keen
eve as IL a change had come over the spirit
of the crowd outside. There were only
about half the people, and faces were graver
-Spklt lNNtH vi boNAtiNHN hAth mi tNNAi
perplexed and troubled; voices less loud
no more hats thrown into the air, no more
laughter.
The rest of the bridal-party were too much
absorbed in each other 20 note this change
in the public temper. The carriages were
waiting to take them TO the Buttes Chau-
mont, where Ii had been decided TO spend
the afternoon. They were to go back to a
dinner, which Madame Schubert and Rose
had planned between them, in Madame
Schubert's apartment, which was spacious
| and splendid in the eyes of the jewellers in
Git lie Cear. Dufand and Mortemar had
wished 10 give a dinner at some popular
| re~staurant-au Moulin Rouge, for instance
| but the women had set their faces against
| such extravaganza Rose argued that il was
| a sin to squander money on eating and
| drinking. She had heard that at such places
o ~nannleon was charged for a single dish. q
franc for a pear or q peach; yes, when
| peaches were TO be had for three or four
| sous at the street-corners. SO Maman Schu-
| bert and Rose had held grave consultations,
| and had gone marketing together on the
| eve of the wedding; and now, while they
| were driving merrily towards the Place de
la Bastille, the ddube a la Prorcncdie was
simmering slowly on the little charcoal
| stove in la Schubert's tiny kitchen. The
pettts fours from the confectioner's in the
| Rue du Bac were ready in the doll's-house
| larder, and the dinner-table was out with It's
| fruit and flowers and golden-crusted loaves
of finest bread, and bottles Of innocent
| Medoc, ready for the feast.
The excitement Of the good news pervaded
Paris. The Rue st. Antoine, the Place dc
In Bastille, were alive with idlers. They
drove by the long dreary Rue de la Roquette,
past the prison-walls, away TO Menilmon-
tant and Belleville, where the honest harm
less working population, the blue blouses
and white muslin caps, were all astir in the
sunshine-a seething crowd. There was a
| kind Of fair on the Boulevard, Saturday and
Sunday fair-swinys and roundabouts, and
a juggler or two-all merry In the white
August dust, under the hot blue sky.
They drove through narrow old streets on
the top of the hill-dusty, crowded, u N
wholesome, wretched dwellings "a truculent
rabble, blue blouses, white night caps, every
where; queer little wine-shops, queer little
eating-houses, an intolerable odOr Of petit
blcIe and dbsinthe suisse, q tumult Of
harsh voices-and so 70 the wonderful gar
| dens. the green valleys and Alpine crags
| the blue lakes and Swiss summer-nouses,