The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-09
A WAR ROMANCE.
One of the Tragedies Resulting From the
Invasion of France.

One of the Tragedies Resulting From the
Invasion of France.
In the cemetery of Pere-la-Chaise this
week the remains of an old man were COM
mitted 10 earth whose death recalls sad
and romantic story of the war of twenty
years ago, says Paris journal. This was
poor old Pere Delorme, who has been for
years one of the familiar figures about the
streets of Paris. He usually looked so sad
and melancholy that people often asked
who ne was and what was the source of his
trouble.
In the quiet little cemetery Of Saint Gene
We've des Bots you will find two graves side
by side. A headstnne at the top of one
bears the name Andre Delorme, and a SEN
tence in French intimating that he died for
his country. That marks the spot where lie
the remains of the only son Of poor Pere
Del0rme.
At the time of the declaration of the
Franco-German war the old man, Alphonse
DelOrme, was living quietly with his only
son, Andre, upon their little farm situated
between st. Geneyieve and Fleury. The
youth was but 10 years of age. and, his
mother having died in his infancy, the whole
OF The poor old mans affection WAS eentered
in the boy. When the dread war-cloud
burst over France young Delerme. who was
a youth of ardent, adventurous spirit, de-
termined to enter the army 10 defend his
country.
Andre had a sweetheart, a beautiful young
girl of II, who lived some three miles from
the house of his father, and he was allowed,
by special permission of his Colonel, to go
and bid her farewell ere his regiment
marched for the theater OF war. The part
ing between the young lovers was most
affecting one, and Andres fiancee with her
own hands placed rose as a tribute of her
love inside his KEPT as lie gave her final
embrace before he started off on starry
midnight 10 rejoiD his regiment, which was
under orders to march at daybreak.
Young Andre was MORALLY wounded In
fierce engagement near Choisy while saving
the life of a wounded Ufficerof his regiment.
He knew that his condition was hopeless
the regimental surgeon told him so-and he
determined to make his way to the house of
his iiamcee, and to bid her farewell before
he died. The undertaking was dangerous
one, for the country was OVerrun with Ger
mans, who had entered Montlery and estab-
lished a camp near the residence of his
sweetheart, between Saint GeneYieve and
Fleury. However, young Delorme knew the
country well, and by the exercise of great
caution managed to elude the foes.
On the eve oil hot autumn day the dying
soldier arrived at the gate with his uniform
blOod-stained, torn aud covered with dust,
ana his wan features rigid with pain. Poor
Andre knew he mad not many hours to live,
for the blood was again beginning to flow
from the wound where the fOeman's bullet
had pierced his breast. He could not open
the door, so lie broke the glass in one of the
windows, and raising it quietly, entered { he
house and made his way TO the room where
he knew ne would find his tiancee. On open
ing the door, what was his horror to find
jeanne struggling terrified in the arms of an
officer, whose Object il was notdifiicult to de-
deriRne. Andre, maddened with rage, braced
himself up aud fired bis loaded revolver at the
cowardly aSSailant of the girl, who rolled
over dead on the floor with bullet through
his heart. The young lovers had barely
time to embrace each other when body of
soldiers, who had heard the report of the
firearms, burst into the house and entered
the room. When they saw the French uni
form and their dead officer lying on the
floor they dragged the dying soldier from
the arms of the almost fainting girl, and,
taking him outside, placed him roughly
against the wall for Instant execution. 1t
was in vain that Jeanne pleaded with
Andres captors TO let him die in peace; the
soldiers pushed her aside and a file OF rifle
men were drawn up, who leyeied their guns
at the figure Of the dying soldier, whose
his ,ravel-stained uniform and drip
ping on the ground. With a SUI
prelue effort the youth Strengthened
his back against the wall, and dehantly
facing his foes, exclaimed, Il die for my
country and my tiancee." While the men
were making ready to fire Jeanne crept
closer ana closer, and when she saw the
lips of the man in charge of the firing party
about to give the fatal order she rushed in
with outstretched arms, as il to shield her
lover, and when the smoke cleared away
there were two cOrpses on the ground, each
pierced with several bullets.
The lovers were buried side by side in
two graves in the little cemetery of Saint
Geneyieve des Bots with tombstone at the
head of each. The young girls grave bore
sentence in French intimating that she
had been killed by the enemy" and on the
anniversary of the death of herself and her
lover the youths and maidens of the adj
iacent villages cover their graves with
ftowarS