The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-21
The Little Soldier
From the French of Guy de Maupas,on, :. =.

FROM he french of Guy de Maupnssopt;
World. we
Every Sunday the moment they werAf...
the two little soldiers set out. Altar L.,
the barracks they turned to the rich. -
through Courbevoie with long, quick s,aa.
as though they were on march than
slowly they followed the dusty biobr.0
which leads on to Bezons.
Under their stiff, high shakos their f.,..
looked like mere nothlnRs-two hollow les 1.S'
Breton faces. simple. with an elmost o Hss,s
$50 simplicity, end with blue ewes VIII iIt,I'
were gentle and quiet, "Nca
IN arriving at the first clumn NJ fro.
ehAs size or Bezons Luc le SAnidas a,,.-1
SUNDAY cut switch of hazel and neaIaS y
DARK from IL gently, thinking meantime q
the folk at home le q
jean herderen carried the nrovisio,.
lucy FOUND the two bricks which thev ~
, way nla In the thicket and they kinder
IttIe nre OF branches, over which tboa
roasted their blood pudding at the end IIsy
oayonet. And when they had eaten ,b.a
breakfast they remained seated side bv s,1'
upon the grass, saying nothing their 80
legs stretched out besides the ponnias ~ y.
held. And the leather of their shskos sus
the brass OF their buttons glittered in n.y.
ardent sun 0N Ill Sls
About midday they looked from TINA :.
s1nle III the direction Of the village n
Dezons, because the girl with the COW wa,
coming. She passed them every SUNDAY ~
her way to milk. 0' \"
1hey never talked about her. They vo..
gag 70 see her, without understanding wbV
Sne was big, with red hair, burned nv ~,
neat OF sunny days, great, sturdy wencS
OF the environs Of Paris. '"'u
,Once finding them seated in the sam.
place she said: '0uis
"Good morning. You two are alvav,
here, aren't youW
Luc lie Sanides, the holder. stammara5.
I'VE come to rest" wi
She went on, but came back soon with
painful OF milk; she stopped and said:
like home" VIII 'A'N
with her instructive feeling that thsv
were OF Che same peasant race as she hains
nerselt also far away from home, perhaps
she nao OWNED and touched the spot.
..G men sne went away, calling back
"Good-by till next Sunday"
Ihey thought of her all the week: several
times they even spoke Of her. Next Sundap
she sat down with them for a little lonoa,
tax and all three seated side by side. thel,
eyes lost In the distance, olasping their
knees IN their hands, told the small doin0s
the minute details Of their life in the Vii
lagos where they had been born, while owe,
there the cow, seeing that the milk-man
had stopped on her way, stretched on,
toward her its heavy head and gave long
10" to call her back. The girls presencs
sharpened the wits Of the two little Breton
soldiers and they chartered like two birds
But on Thursday Luc Ie Sanides asked
Tor leave-a thing which had never han.
pened before, and he did not return until
IL O'Clock at night.
Jean racked his brain and felt uneasy al
his companion going out in this way. and
when he set OF with Jean on their Sunday
walk his manner was very queer. quiet
restless and quite changed. Kerderen did
not understand, but he vaguely suspected
something.
Before long the girl appeared. As on
every Sunday, they watched her coming.
When she was quite near, Luo rose and
made Two steps forward, she put her milk
pail on the ground, and kissed him. She
Kissed him passionately. throwing her arms
about his neck, without noticing Jean. with.
out remembering that he was there, with.
out even seeing him.
And he sat there desperate, he the poor
Jean, so desperate that he did not un Ter
stand. his soul quite overwhelmed, his
heart bursting, lot yet expressing it all to
himself.
Then the girl seated herself beside Luc,
and they began - chatter.
They kissed one another again before they
separated, and the girl went off after hav-
ing thrown Jean friendly "good evening"
and smile which was full of meaning
To-day she no longer thought of Offering
him any milk.
Inc two little soldiers sat side by side,
motionl IS as usual, silent and calm, their
placid faces oetraying nothing of ali which
troubled their hearts. The sun fell on
them. Sometimes the COW lowed, looking
at them from afar.
AT their usual hour they rose to 20 back
Luc cutn switch. Jean carried the empty
bottle. lis {. urhed it to the wine-seller at
Bee MS. Then Ihey strolled out upon the
orldse, aud, as they did every Sunday, they
stopped several minutes In the middle to
watch che water flowing
Jean leaned, leaned more and more, over
ths Iron railing, as though be
saw IN the current something
which attracted him. .Luc said;
Are you trying TO drink" Just as be
uttered the last word Jeans head over.
balanced his body, his legs described circle
in the air. and the lissle blue and red soldier
fell in lump, entered the water and disap'
peared.
Luc, his throat paralyzed with fear, tried
70 shout Further down he saw something
move; then tie head of his comrade rose to
the surface and disappeared.
Further still he again saw hand, single
hand which issued from the stream and then
plunged back. That was all.
The bRrgemen who ran I'D did not lind
the body that day.