Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-06-14

the stiff and rather DortentouS being
that she had pictured him from Toms
description
And is this your first visit to Amer
ica?" she inquired at length.
Il feel already so much at home that
can hardly think il is my first, he re-
piled, and I am nearly decided to make
this my home. France is not, or ever
will be. the France she was
Then you are an imperalist? But we
have no emperOrS here.'
"Frenchmen are not like Americans;
they need the strong hand. The De
LislieS were Frenchmen generations be-
fore the first Napoleon left Corsica.
They were mOnarchiStS; but at present
there is still less hope for the king than
for the emperor. As for me, was with
Napoleon during the war with Ger
many, and l awe him much"
you knew Napoleon himself? DID
you like him
II owe him much repeated the
count. Il cannot criticiSe him. He
was "a great adventurer, and he con-
quered fortune for time"
But what did he do especially for
you9"
well" said the count, heSitating a
little. "he gave me the cross OF the
Legion, and he gave me my title. My
father was plain gentleman"
What had you done to win the
crosse"
The count smiled. Il was not great
soldier, he said, "but hal good luck.
Opportunities came In my way. You re-
member that Bazaine fought AT the bat
tle of GravelOtte. near Metz, on the
eighteenth of August"
OLYMPIA nodded And he shut him
self up I'M Metz the same night"
Yes: I see your are not ignorant Of
these things. Well, then, he wished to
send news To Mac MahOn. who was
somewhere 10 the west of us-it might
DE fiftv miles or il might be hundred.
10 was really a hundred, as 1t turned
out. for l found him at Rheims, and l
lost another thirty miles by wandering. "
You bore the dispatches from Ba-
zaine 10 MacMahon, them
Il did. and had an unpleasant time
of it. My first horse was killed; my
second was drowned; l was myself
wounded slightly in the leg and in the
arm with one thing and another. | was
three DAYS on the road. l reached
MacMahon'S camp on the twenty-Sec-
oud pretty tired. handed in my dis
patches Napoleon and the marshal
were ia the room together. Mae
MahOn questioned me. The dispatch
said that Ba-aine meant TO break
through the investing armies under
Prince Frederick and Albert Of SaXony
and gain ChalonS by a northern route.
| said that | did not believe he would
succeed. The enemy were too strong
and were constantly reinforced. Napo-
leon listened and kept his eyes on me.
what should we do, then, Mr. de
Lisle?" he asked me. ''March 10 save
Paris at once," 1 said. Napoleon
glanced at Mac MahOR and nodded. But,
as l learned later, the minister OF war
i'm Paris had sent orders 10 move on
Metz: MacMahOn heStated; Napoleon
who was III, would not decide, and In the
end. aS no doubt you remember, made
moiselle. We sent out for the MeuSe. 1t
was when that order was given that
France was defeated. Sedan was merely
the cOroliary.
And were YOU nj Sedan alSO?"
..Yes: | saw the end When Mac Mahou
GOT his wound 10 was still early in the
morning: be gave his command 10 Due
rot. tho was i'm his right senses, and
perceived that our only hope was TO
break through the westward and gain
Neziere>. But the French were doomed.
De Wmptfen. who had Oeen appointed
MacMahou'S contingent successor by or
ders from Paris. was mad enough TO not
Ouly c0untermand DucrOt'S orders, but
Co prepare To- pierce she enemy's lines TO
the eastward aud march for Metz. You
may imagine. madem0iSeiie, the CON
fusion. IL soon became CONSERVATION,
aud. with some, panic. Meanwhile the
Germans encircled u; from the sur
rounding hills their cannon played or
Us. couvergiug. We could do notning;
what we could we tried. In the morn
ing had. al Napoieon'S request, headed
our line nj Daigny. and held it for two
hours. and later, when DOuay at last
gave way before the Fifth and Eleventh
corpse at FlOring and we were all being
driven i'm upon our center, | joined IN
/
I believe it was there that l won the
cross At any rate, l was pretty badly
hurt there, and late in the afternoon,
while l lay inside the fortress, listening
Co the cannon and wondering il any one
would be- left alive by morning, the en-
peror came 10.
He looked ms If he had been wounded
90 death himself; and SO he had, though
not by sword or bullet. His heart and
spirit were broken. But he Sa,uted me
courteously, and said; we are ruined,
NJ. dc Leslie. am about 70 order the
white flag 90 be hoi>ted But | wish 20
say % you that il is not your fault that
France falls to-day You saw the rem
edv. aud urged il; You have also ex-
posed Your life ike a brave man. aud in
% manner Co effect the best results. You
nave done well aud | thank you. Ia an
hour shall cease 20 be emperor; mean
while. 'ct nae bestOw upon you what Is
lr NV power 20 bt>tOw. He then gave
me- the cross from his breast, and put In
mv haLd q folded paper-the patent OF
nobility. 4 have observed your con-
duct be said. and provided this rccos-
milton OF it. Had destiny been kind to
Ms You should have been great in
France"
1T was very nice of him" remarked
Olympia. No wonder you ike such a
man"
Il cntreated him TO 60 70 America, .
continued the count, land offered 10
undertake to bring him here. / said:
when these troubles are over France
will ask for you again. But he answered
that il was too late. France will never
forgive re this defeat, he said; and, be-
sides. am dying man. | once thought
there might be a future for me and had
taken steps to assure 10. But all that is
mast hone. I shall retire to England. d.
Won 90 To America, if you will, and seek