San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-08-15

ther of the Young Soldier.
In the cemetery of Pere Lachaise, in
Paris, the remains of an old man were
committed to earth whose death recalls a
sad and romantic story of the war of twenty
years ago.
This was poor old Pere Delorme, who has
been for years one of the familiar figures
about the streets of Paris. Few persons
knew his history, for he rarely spoke to
any one.
He was, however, well known to the poor
quarter of Paris, where he resided entirely
alone in modest apartment. The old man
had a modest annuity, which enabled him
to live in comparative comfort, but he was
so benevolent that he frequently gave the
last few sous he possessed to the poor and
distressed who asked him for aid, and he
would then have to borrow a few francs
from the shopkeepers until he received the
next installment.
Although it was generally known in the
district that the old man mOurned an only
son who had been killed by the Prussians
during the war, but few knew the details
Of story from real life which would
eclipse many romance.
In the quiet little cemetery of Ste. Gene
We've DIES Bots you will find two graves side
by side. A headstone 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
Delorme.
At the time of the declaration of the
Franco-Germanw war the old man, Alphonse
DelOrme, was living quietly with his only
son Andre upon their little farm, situate
between Ste. Genevieve and Fleury. The
youth was but nineteen years of age, and
his mother having died in his infancy the
whole of the poor old mans affection was
conferred in the boy. When the dread war
cloud burst over France young Delorme,
who was youth of ardent, adventurous
spirit, determined to enter the army to de-
fend his country against the Prussians.
These were stirring times, and the corps
which young Andre joined was ordered to
she front. and the lad went away to the
frontier after bidding an affectiGnate adieu
to his father.
PARTING OF. THE LOVERS.
Andre had sweetheart, a beautiful
young girl of seventeen, who lived some
three miles from the house of his father
and he was allowed by special permission
of his colonel to 90 and bid her farewell
ere his regiment marched for the theater
of the war. The parting between the young
lovers was most affecting one, and An
dre's fiaDcee with her own hands placed a
rose, as tribute of her love, inside his
KEPT, as he gave her a final embrace before
starting off on starry midnight to rejoin
his regiment, which was under orders to
march at daybreak.
1t would be making the tale too long to
follow the fortunes of young Andre dur
ing the war, but suffice it to say that he
behaved with conspicuous bravery in sew
eral engagements. Victory however, rest
ed with the arms of the German troops,
and young Andre was MORALLY wounded
in fierce engagement near Choisy while
saving the life of wounded officer of his
regiment who had been attacked by half a
dozen Germans. He knew that his condi-
ton was hopeless-the regimental surgeon
told him so-and he determined to make
his way tn the house of bis fiancee, and to
bid her farewell before he died. The I'M
dertaking was dangerous one, for the
country was oyerrUn with Germans who
had entered Montlery and established a
camp near the residence of his sweetheart,
between Ste. Genevieve and Fleury.
Young Delorme knew the country we'll
and by the exercise of great caution man
aged to elude his foes. He painfully
dragged himself through the woods and
by paths known only to natives of that
part of France, and thus was able to reach
the home of his beloved unperceived. The
young girl, Jeanne Bernier, lived in a
pretty white farmhouse surrounded with
vineyards, with aspacious yard in front
MELANCHOLY TRAGEDY.
On the eve of hot autumn day the dy-
ing soldier arrived at the gate with his
uniform blood stained, torn and covered
with dust, and his wan features rigid with
pain. Poor Andre knew he had not many
hours to live, for the blood was again be-
ginning to flow from the wound where the
fOeman's bullet had pierced his breast He
could not open the door, so he broke the
glass in one of the windows. and raising it
quietly, entered the house and made his
way to the room where he knew he would
find his fiancee. On opening the door,
what was his horror to find Jaenne strug-
Cling, terrified, in the arms of a Prussian
officer. Andre, maddened with rage,
braced himself up and fired his loaded re-
volver at the cowardly assailant of the
young girl, who rolled over dead on the
floor with bullet in his heart.
The young lovers had barely time to EN-.
brace each other when body of Prussian
soldiers, who had heard the report of the
firearms, burst into the house and entered
the room. When they saw the French
uniform and their dead officer lying on the
floor, they dragged the dying soldier from
the arms of the almost fainting girl, anC
taking him outside placed him roughly
against the wall for instant execution. Il
was in vain that Jeanne pleaded will
Andres captors to let him die in peace
The soldiers pushed her aside and file o
rifiemen were drawn up who leveled thei
guns at the figure of the dying soldie
whose life blood WAS yelling forth ave