The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-01-09

H1a-a.t' #a hirH u NJ .t--7#atN
/, "Whcn l tell you, yon will not be.
licve mo-
Never mind; tell us, all tho same.'
Willingly, but l feel the necessity OF
first declaring that my story is true in
every particular improbable MS 1t
seems. Artists alone will not be sur.
prised, particularly those who lived in
that period when the spirit OF fun and
irolic pervnded rlistliie, even in the
Mcst serious circumstances. IA
This conversation took place in tho
Nllted.mangSr Of the Hotel do Barbison,
among q lot OF students. =
Tho old artist who had lust spoken
placed himself astrido his chair, and
continued: NJ 4.
We'll, We had dined that evening with
Soricul. Poor fellow, he is now dead
There were only three OF us, e;orieul,
lie Poittcvin and myself. Sorieul was
the widest OF US all, and to say we had
dined Mt his house slgniiics-we were
all drunk. Lc Poittevin alone retained
his senses-a little cloudy, it is true;
still he knew what lie was doing. Ali
wewerc young, in those days. n.
Lying on the carpet in q little room
adjoining tho atelier, we discussed in
the most cxtravagnnt manner all kinds
oil improbable things. J,
Sorleul, flat on his back, his feet
rerched on the back Of chair, talked
about battles and the uniforms worn
during tho Empire. Suddenly getting
up, he went to q large wardrobe and
took down complete suit OF Hussar
uniform, dressed himself in it, then
tried to persuade lie Poitteyin to cos
tune himself as u grcnadier. When he
resisted We seized him, undressed him,
and forced him into IN immense uni.
form which completely swallowed him
up.
| disguised myself as n Cuirassier,
and Sorieul lnade.us execute some very
complicated manGuvres.
Then he exclaimed, "As We are now
soldiers, VIC must drink like soldiers p
4 punch was lighted, swallowed;
again and again the flames rose up from
the bowl of rum We sang the old
songs which the troopers OF the Grand
Army sang in ancient times.
Suddenly Lc Poittevin, who in spite
OF all this was still master OF himself,
made us sign to be silent; after listen
ing . moment, he said, in low voice,
Il am sure i hear some one walking in
the ateliern'
Sorieul got up as well as he could, and
and cried out; ga robber! what luck /"
and began to troll the Marseillaisc, 40
arms! To arms, yc bravew
We dashed to a panoply OF arms and
equipped ourselves according to our
uniforms. | had q kind of musket, with
q sabre; Le Poittevin a gigantic gun
with a bayonet; Sorieul not finding
what he wanted, seized a horse-pistol,
which he wildly ;gbrandished. Then
cautiously opening the door OF the ate
lier, the army entered the suspected
territory
When we were in tho midst oil this
vast room, encountered with easels, pic
lures, and strange, unexpected objects
OF furniture, Sorieul called halt and
said: II constitute myself General.
Let us hold council OF war. You
Cuirassiers, 60 and cut Off the retreat OF
the enemy, that is. Lock the door,
You Gronadicrs will be my escort"
1eXecuted the commanded movement,
then joined the troop that formed the
recommending party.
i was searching behind great
screen, lighted candle in my
hand, when q furious noise burst forth.
l durtcd out to find lie Poittevin had
stuck his bayonet into the. breast OF q
lay. figure, and Sorieul was trying to cut
off the head with his axe.
The mistake being recognized, the
general commanded, "Be more pru-
dent! y and again we commenced oper-
atoms.
z For twenty minutes at least we ran
sacked every corner and crevice OF the
atelier, without success. At last lie
Poittevin thought OF opening closet.
1t was dark and deep. thrust in my
arm, holding the light, but quickly re-
coiled; mana living, breathing man
was there, looking at me!
Immediately shut the door and Sc
cured it bytw turns OF the key; then
We held q new council OF war.
Opinions were very much divided.
sorieul wantcdto smoke out the robber,
Le Poittevin to take him by famine; l
proposed to blow him up with powder.
The advice of LIE Poittevin prevailed.
While he mounted guard with his gi-
.gantic gun, VIC ran off Tor the remain-
der of the punch and our pipes when
We installed ourselves before the locked
door and drank to the health OF the
prisoner.
Z Attn end OF half an hour Sorieul
said: "All the same, / would like to
see him nearer. Suppose We take him
by force" 3
|. cried, "Bravo!n Each one dashed
TO his arms,;the closet door was opened,
sorieul cooking his pistol-which was
not loaded--was the first to rush in, we
followed, bowling and yelling it was an
awful scrimmage in the dark, and after
five minutes OF friehtfnli struggling, we
brought out an old, dirty, ragged.look-
ing beggar with long white hair. 3,
We bound him hand and foot and
proceeded to question him. He would
not answer word. t5
Then Sorieul, full OF dignified drunk
enness, said: ".We must try this man,
and pass sentence upon; him. y I was
drunk the proposition seemed perfectly
natural e to me. Le3 sPoittovin was
charged whit the defense, and l to sustain
the accusation. He was condemned 10
death; only ono dissenting voice, that
OF his defender. We were going to sex-
ecute the sentence, when aserious scru-
plc came TO Sorieul. He said: This
man ought not 10 die without the con-
ISOLATION OF religion. Some one must 60
for n priest.
|: Ilobiected-sald,it was too late. ISori-
eul proposed that should3till 9 that OF.