The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1892-03-10

Of giving way to emotions which the,
had been commanded to restrain.
Suddenly there was a great noise In
the street, the rattle of drums, the clat
ter of hoofs of squadron of cavalry
cries, insults-then IL all died away.
Suzanne" said the Prince. srousine
from his seeming torpor, those ar
Commune prisoners going before tn,
Chief of Executive Power. They viii
certainly be shot I should lie TO know
their names"
Alas, my husband, whom can
ask?"
Run to the Prefecture, fly; no mattel
how, but get the names for me, l bea
of your
1T is q sick mans caprice" she
thought, as she few to obey his orders
Presently she came back radiant; she
had the names.
Ten of the men had been taken, mus
ket in hand, and would be shot within
twenty-four hours.
Their names! their namesr' said the
Prince, with feverish impotence and
a il impressed by Presentiment.
suzanne read: The Rossel battalion.
Louis X-,Jean Armand 2,
and then she came TO the name OF
Julien Nasty"
"Julienr' cried the Prince. II knew
itr'
Then To his wife.
Suzanne, put everything in move
ment to save Julien Nasty. Raise me
up and will try to write
ITO ask for the pardon of one of
those wretches, George, is an insult 10
humanity"
No, Suzanne, no. He tried to give
his life for me and must pay my debt
of gratitude"
HE? Saved you? An incendiary9
Impossibler'
Il beg you, help; will explain; but
| must write"
And the Prince traced with unsteady
hand these touching lines, addressed to
Marshal de MacMahon:
81 hasten to beg yyu to sweeten the
bitterness of my last moments by
granting me the pardon of Julien
Nasty. l was long in the same ship
with him; his antecedents are good; IL
he was found gun in hand it was only
because Of an excusable insanity born
Of his despair at being conquered You
will not stain your honor in saving
him, since he who implores the favor is
dying from wounds received in doing
his duty. PRINCE De KERNoRSAs."
He handed this letter to his wife and
fell back on his pillow, never to rise
from it again.
His limbs were crushed, and. because
Of recent privations, gangrene promptly
declared itself, leaving no hope, and
preventing the attempt 1T an smputa-
ton, which would have been useless.
The Princes letter was carried to the
Marshal, while Suzanne watched by
her husbands couch, weeping and pray
ing, and convinced that he must die.
He bore up bravely and told his wife
in broken accents the story Of the gen.
erous conduct of the cabin boy of the
Equinox.
Suzanne, at first violently embittersd
against all the insurgents, thought this
Julien responsible for half the horron
of the Commune, and would not hear
Of him with patience. But the dying
Prince was gifted with such moving
eloquence that Suzanne began to think
pardon possible, and to interest herself
in the man. She even felt Q sort of
to see him; perhaps to con-
tribute to the safety Of his soul.
That night was long and full Of an
guish. Julien Masly's lot preoccupisd
the Prince and from time to time he
sighed: The answer! the answer"
I'VE cann~t have IL before morning,
my love: be ralm, and rest"
He did not insist. His breathing was
becoming troubled and irregular, and
n the same time feeble.
Bv-snd-by he said: What time, Su-
Eanne?"
Not quite seven, my love"
The door opened and Suzanne sprsnG
up to take q letter from IN orderly,
who presented il with q salute
PITY! o, God, pity" sighed the dying |
man.
George! 'Tis the answer cried the |
Princess, running TO the bedside with |
he letter. =" It's the Narshal's an
'wer, and-yes, IL II pardon for Julien
Nasty! George, look mp! Answer
The Prince de Kermornas did not look |
,p, nor did he answer. He had gone to |
-ejoin his ancestors among the heroes.
How did the Princess survive that |
ireadful time? She never knew. /
Never was despair deeper; for some days
her reason was in danger.
She was taken back to Brittany. to
her children. She refused TO see them. /
But ut last reason returned to the poor
brain; she could once more look upon
he little ones To whom abe must show
he path of honor, and remembering /
Ter duty, she wished to live.