The morning times., 1895-07-21

kind enough to indicate the one among us
which she prefers. We must promise not
to tenir rancune, for she cannot love all Of
u.s.
- oh, yes, indeed, lieutenant said she,
Il do love you all
That is impossible said l.
Well, good gentlemen" said Mere Car
dot, you had better draw lots, then there
can be no one Jealous.
Draw lots. IN what way and with
what?'
Then the sergeant said to me: If the
lieutenant permits l have suggestion to
make
Come, then, let us have your idea,'
said l.
we know that all the eggs in the can
teen have not been boiled hard. FOR there are
those which are reserved for the famous
bacon omelette of tomorrow. Let Mere
Cardot break these very carefully and only
just at the tip, so that the shells may re-
main almost intact.
" And afterward?'
'Afterward each of us shall write his
name on separate shell.
"And after that?'
After that every one shall thrust a
thin stick into the opening OF his eggshell
and hold it up above the trenches as l do
now
Saying this the sergeant stuck stick
into an egg and lifted up his arm. A ball
immediately shattered the shell into a
thousand pieces.
a. You see, they have their eyes about
them, these Spaniards, and also apreciseaim
They ireunder the sound OF music, too, for
you must all hear, / do, the 'SalutarlS
Hostioe. which is chanted i'll our cathedral
for commandments We viii range ourselves
in line each one shall hold up his eggshell
exposed to the fire of the dragons and he
papgr lnS q III he DrOc claimpd
the king for our Refine. Does this please
| your gracious vivandiere?'
| This promised game of chance tempted
| the superstitous nature OF the young girl
| and she consented to the arrangement.
| while the Mere Cardot was preparing for
! her omelette by carefully breaking each egg
| at its extreme point soldier presented HIM
! self. carrying a small parcel, which he said
was sent with compliments from the colonel.
| 1t was an Easter egg In white sugar-very
| ordinary looking one-not worth more than
! few sous.
Expose this one also to the massacre ;
| said Refine. with a disdainful laugh.
Wait little. child cried her mother,
| perhaps it tcontains surprise! Open itand
| look So Refine opened the sugared dainty.
| removed small piece OF pink wadding and
| exposed TO view superb pearl earrings.
q oh. how lovely they are! said she.
| Always gallant Mons the Colonel, cried
| the mother.
| "A few minutes after this incident seven
! egGsheIls rising at certain distances were
| to be seen upllftcd above the trench. Five
| of them Were struck down immediately
| There were now but two remaining; my
own and that OF Sergt. Ghesquiere.
My heart beat hard and fast for was
desperately in love and very anxious. At
| length the balls again came whistling near,
some were driven into the ground close by,
! but one ball carried off the last but one OF
! the two shells but the stick which sup
ported it ard this, alas, was mine!
| 1t would have been much better if il
had carried away my brains at the same
| time exclaimed.
THE sergeant took back his trophy to
the canteen without either evinCing JOY
| or enthusiasm, / must acknowledge, while
the young girls could not conceal their
| delight that luck had favored the object
of her affections and she was not too bash
full to cover her hero with kisses.
I'VE were all surprised at the attitude
of the sergeant: he seemed quite stupefied
| and incomprehe rs ibe. Would you be-
heve that he even laughed al the naive and
sincere manifestations of Reine's love?
| Hetook her blythe chin and witha patronIzing
air kissed her on her lips in return, thel
smiling turned Oh his heel and disappeared.
. Not very gallant, this young sergeant,
said one of our party.
" You must bear in mind that he is not
a Frenchman, said l.
In reality this conduct of Ghesqulere
filled my neart with hope and JOY, for l
seemed to guess-a supposition which was
confirmed later on-that after the sergeant
it was | whom K cine looked upon with the
greatest favor.
The poor little thing wept big tears of
wounded vanity / inveighed against the
sergeant heaping all sorts OF evil names
and abuse on his head and finally ended
in making my own declaration of love.
when GhesquieTe came back 10 the
canteen and saw Reine's chagrin and eX
preston Of remorse and regret came ove1
his features, and taking RENE by the hand
he led her gently away some distance
from the group.
I'VE looked on in wonder; his back was
! toward us, but the young girls race was
turned in our direction, and we saw thai
while he whispered something III her eaI
Reine's face became moved by different
emotions. Surprise-stupefactio action-incredu
| Itv: then smile, which changed into q
long fiji OF ringing laughter, after whicf
the couple chastely embraced each othel
and separated. What could the sergeant
have been communicating TO her? RENE
come back among us rather piteously, hel
exquisite little mouth rounded itself into
comical pout; she then placed the ear
rings-the colonel's gift-in her ears, anC
coming straight toward me, said:
How do YOU think | look III them
Am l pIetty?"
Yes, you are beautiful; but you would
be more so without those jewels.
"a lovers answer. Do you then really
| care for me-" asked she. We were il
Spain, and in Spain lovers talk with thel
eyes, and with my eyes l answered her
The following day ODonuelIs army
marched upon us. We were the con
auerors, but naturally there were man!
victims Sergt. GhesGuiere was wounded
in the shoulder and was carried to th'
| ambulance The first care OF the sur
geon-major was to order him to be un
dressed, TO which the sergeant strongly
resisted, and only yielded to superior
| force. II was then that the army learned
for the second time woman had served
in their rauksi
..The sergt virginie Ghesquiere was
the first female decorated with the Legior
of Honori" Chicago News.