Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-12-14
the RED FLAG.
CONTINUED.

ing but lies yesterday-told her that
you were in your own bed, i'll with
a cold. Don't undeceive her. She is
SO happy, poor soul, nursing her first
baby. Yet, even in the midst of hel
new happiness, she was full Of anxiety
about you"
Il will be careful said Kathleen
II think / am getting used to sorrow
/ ought to be able to hide it."
She Obeyed Madame Schubert in every
particular, and came back in less than
an hour, fresh and bright in her clean
cotton gown and black silk apron, her
lovely hair brushed to silky softness,
and coiled in smooth chignon at the
back OF her head. She smiled as she
kissed Rose She sat beside the bed
and rocked the baby on her knees, and
talked to him, and cooed at him, try
ing to awaken some faint ray Of in
telligence in the little pink face, which
seemed to the mother to be full of
soul.
DO you think he has grown?" asked
Rose fondly.
Il think he is wonderfully improved
since the day before yesterday" an
sWered Kathleen.
'Improvedr' Rose felt inclined to re-
sent the word. Could there be room
for improvement i'll a being SO per-
feet as that child had been from the
very first hour of his life? But Kath-
leen had vague memories Of an unlove-
ly redneSS and SpOttinesS in the in
fant's earliest idea of complexion, and
the soft rosy tints of today seemed
to her a marked advance in baby's de-
yelopment.
Rose lay with her face turned to-
wards her sister, her hand in Kath-
leen's hand, perfectly happy. Happy
in the fulnesS of her love, albeit fort
still answered fort with sullen thun-
der, and cannon and mitrailleuse,
chassepot and revolver, still made dead
ly music in the streets. There was
peace here for Rose Durand in the mar
row circle OF home. She had suffered
all anxieties about the outside world
to be lulled to rest by Madame Schu-
berts cheerful assurances. And then,
since the birth of the Commune, Paris
had grown accustomed to the sound
of bOmbardment, to the smoke of can
non. Polichinelle had made his jokes,
the merry -go-rOunds had revolved the
barrel-organs, flies and drums had
sounded cheerily in the Champs Ely
sees, albeit Versailles was bombarding
Paris. The roar of guns, the noise and
havoc of war, had become the every.
day sounds of the city. Rose, lying
in her curtained bed, windows closed
and mutfied, hardly knew that the guns
today sounded louder and nearer.
philip will go no more to the barri-
cades," she told Kathleen. He was
wounded in the shoulder yesterday
very slight wound, praise to Heaven!
but enough to prevent his fighting any
more"
Kathleen heard with shudder, re-
Numbering that file of prisoners, with
fettered limbs and downcast eyes, pale,
despairing, submissive. She had heard
people say that all who had carried
arms against the republic would be
served thus. PASSES pas les armS!'
The phrase was familiar enough now.
A short shift and your back against
wall citizen, your waistcoat open,
SO! and eight muzzies pointed at your
heart.
Where is CASTOR" said Rose pres
emily. "Maman Schubert said he was
1T the office all yesterday. His news
per is to be revived now that Paris
is more tranquil, she told me. Are You
glad of that Kathleen? l hope he
will not preach revolution any more.
We have had enough of Commune"
Eyes, enough-more than enough"
said Kathleen, her pale lips quivering
as she turned away her head.
III that day the sisters spent togeth
er, Kathleen deyoting herself to Rose
and the baby, smiling upon bOth speak
ing hopeful words; but after dark,
when Rose had fallen asleep, Kathleen
stole away from the sick room just as
Madame Schubert re-entered, after hay
ing attended to her own home affairs.
Before Madame Schubert had time to
ask her a question, Kathleen was gone.
She ran up to her own room, put on
her neat little bonnet and shawl, her
thick black veil, and then back to
those terrible streets, to the sitting
smoke, the glare of the cOntiag grafton,
the tramp of soldiery, the cry of
STAND, or | fire!"
The struggle was over in the center
of Paris. The insurgents had retired
to Pere Lachaise, Menilmontant, Belle
vile, the Buttes Chaumont. The huge
storehouses of Villette filed half the
sky with lurid fame, across which
flashed the swift white light of the can
non. The Hotel de Vile stood sharply
out against the sky of fame and moon
light-a ruin, grand as any wreck
of Roman greatness; airy columns,
fairy arches, doorways without rooms,
spectral corridors, cornices of delicate
uacery; and, above all, unharmed, in
big golden capitals, the legend, 'Liber'
ty! Equality! Fraternityr'
And still roars the demoniac thunder
of the cannon. Mon rtre, from its
superior height, rain death and de
struction upon Belleyl and La Ro
ouette. Belleville and la Roquette re
ply with mitrailleuse md shell.
ANY newS-any Lews of Colonel
Serizier?" Kathleen asks of Il grouI
of women at street-corner.
But they do not even know wh'
Serizier is. They are full of theil
own troubles, their own fears. On
of these weeps for husband whom sh
aall Id