Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-12-29
ASTORYOF BLOOD.
ny NJ. e. BRADDoN.
CHATTER Yl.-coNrINuEp.

to eat his breakfast In days gone by. The
more temperate and respectable of the revo-
lutionary party loved TO assemble here. The
fare was frugal, but there was a debauch OF
oratory; and, in the midst OF ali the talk,
the gestculations, the prophecies, the
threatenings and denunciations, Suzon wa.
as the Goddess of Liberty, the Muse OF
Revolution. the Egera Of the gatter. She
had read of Theroigne de Merlcourt, OF
Madame Roland, and she fancied herself
something between the two. She talked as
boldly, as loudly us the loudest of her Gus
toners. She felt that she could mount the
scaifold and lay her, neck under the fatal
knife without tlinching.
Never had she looked haHdsomer than in
these days of fever and commoton. Some
times she twisted scarlet handkerchief
round her raven hair, and those black eyes
of hers flashed and danced and sparkled UNI
der the Phrygian cap of Liberty. Her neat
black gown fitted her Spelte figure to per
lection. Her energy, her yivacity, her in
dustry were ipeXhaustible. Her hands
were as the hands OF Briareus for
serving the patr OTIS with their coffee, their
rolls and bvttcr Her gay voce sounded
above the ouer voices in the 1ncIee Of wit
and patriotism. She sang as she went 10
on her patrons; and her song was always
the newest ballad with which the ballad
mongers were undermining the government
the "LillbullerO" of the hour.
"Je sails lie plan de Trochu,
Plan plan, plan, plan, pan!'
Sometimes in a moment of exaltatol,
her customers would call for staye Of the
'Marseillaise" or the "Ca ica," and then
the clnk of cups and saucers and knives
and forks upon the tables was like the clash
of swords.
But, tempting as these morning assem-
blieS of the patriotic and the idle might be
to man of Gastons temperament, he never
crossed the threshold of SuZon MichePs
shop. He passed her door twice day, or
oftener, on his way to and from the news
paper office; he heard the chorus of voices
inside, but he never entered the shop. lie
had feeling that loyalty to Kathleen for
babe him to hold any commune with Suzon.
And what need had he TO take his cup Of
coffee from a shOpkeeper's hand when the
faithful wife was waiting for him in her
bower on the third story, watching the little
brass cOffee-pot simmering upon handful
of charcoal? One could not be too sparing
of fire in these days, though one were ever
so sure that the Russians must retire from
the enemy's soil before winter began in
real earnest. The elements would fight l. p
on the side Of the besipged. That vast
army shivering yonder under canvas, must
beat retreat at double-quick time before
Jack Frost.
1t was on one of the clear gray afternoons
of October that CASTOR stood resting upon
his gun, at his post on the rampant of the
fort, gazing with dreamy eyes upon land
scape of poetic beauty the deep rich color
ing OF the autumn subdued into perfect
harmony by the tender mists which shad-
owed without conctaling wood and river,
vineyard and field, while far off in the dim
ness of the horizon his fancy conjured up
the dark swarm of Prussian helmets, black
ening the edge of the landscape The atmos-
phere was full of peace, and the silence of
this lonely outpost was broken only by the
Qlti UiUe Of the sentries and the chime of
distant churchc,ocks. A good place for a
poet to brood upon the creations Of his
fancy, or for a journalist to hatch leading
article.
While CASTOR stood at ease, with his eyes
wandering far afed towards the distant
foe, and his fances straying still further in
day-drcam of universal peace, liberty, art
for arts sake, and all the impossibilties of
the socialists Utopia, a sound of strdent
laughter, of deep bass voices and nasal treb-
les, broke like volley of musketry through
the stiffness Of the soft gray atmosphere,
ard presently half a dozen kepiS, or National
Guard, considerably the worse for e petit
bIelL came staggering along the rampar;,
escorting young woman, whose scarlet
headgear shone in the distance like a spot
Of flame.
1t was Madame Michel, with the little red
kerchief twisted coquettishly round her
sleek black hair She wore a tight cloth
jacket, frogged q ld militdire, over her
black gown, the skirt of which was short
enough to show an arched instep and q
neat ankle. She had put on half-virile,
half-soldierly GSr, in honor Of the times
and her walk, her look, her manner were
already prophetic Of the coming petroleuse.
She came along the rampant with her
patriots, who were pointing out The merits
and faults of the Notifications, explaining,
showing her this and that staggering, brag-
ging, abusing Bismarck and his Pandours,
singing snatches Of patriotic verse. She was
close to CASTOR before she recognised him.
Then their eyes met suddenly, his re-
turning from the far distance, hers STARING
intently. Recognition came in flash, and
the rich carnaton of her cheek faded to an
almost deadly pallor.
"What, is it you, Citoyen Mortemar, SO
far from the Rue Git lie Cpur? What, are
you too in the National Guard? I thought SO
devoted a husband would have found an ex-
cuse from service. l thought you would be
lying at the feet of your English-Irish wife
all day, like Paul and Virginia in their far
of island"
1.-THE nation cannot spare even lovers, u
answered CASTOR lightly. Hector had ia
leave Andromache; and my Andromache
woald despse husband who did less than
his duty. So far our duties have been light
enough, and give no ground for boasting."
"But let them come on, those Uhlans,
those 0Tcdins, those" here came string
Of double barrelled substantive adjectlves
and adjective substantives, too familiar aft
erwards in lie Pere Dachenc-''let them
conner growled the wine-soaked patriot,
"and we will give them-''crc nom! what is
there which we will not give themY'
And then the tipsy patriots retired to al
angle OF the fertilization, and began II play
the intellectual game OF bouclton, forgetful