Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-04-19
THE LIE TONY TOLD.

Il IL IL AlAA IL OAN - - " AA-@@s
I had known jacques de Keroualles
at Fontainebleau years before the war,
and when he was brought into my little
field hospital amid the luxuriant vine
Yards of Marty Seine, only few
miles from the edge Of the great forest,
he recognized me at once. 1t was early
morning Indeed the dawn had scarce
come, and the river below us was pearly
gray in the growing light, as rivers are
before sunrise.
"L'Anglais," he cried joyously, for
De Keroualles was a merry soul. He
raised his blood stained hand in little
CAV salute. I make no doubt he had
fought bravely and in a manner worthy
of the old blood in his veins. He was wet
through and covered with dirt The
battle had taken place on the previous
afternoon, and the wounded were conse-
quently allowed to lie out on the fields
the whole night. Gle petit jeune
homme, he added, eve meet again. "
Then he tainted, with the smile on
his lips. It is only i'll books that men
die different from what they have lived.
It did not take me long to look at this
gay youths wound, cutting away his
English made linen, slicing the cloth OF
his rough uniform of private soldier
of the Army of the Seine-a mere band
of volunteers despite their grand name.
I knew a seminariste in it-not yet Or
dained a priest-who fought brayely
through it, although he lacked the
strength to hold his rifle straight with
out a support.
saw at once that the career OF
Jacques de Keroualles was nearly over.
Suddenly it all came back to me
Fontainebleau and the happy, careless,
reckless life in the old town where the
very paving stones are saturated with
history and worn by the tread of chose
that made it. Jacques do Keroualles;
Tony, vicomte de Muy; Raoul de Kol-
les, and half a dozen others harum
scarum fellows who made life one long
laugh.
How often had we shouted the one
line chorus in the Rue de France as the
slow morning crept up the sky behind
the palace!
rose from the wounded mans side
and went out to the veranda of the villa
converted into temporary field hospi-
tai A cavalry officer in the gay blue
uniform of his immortal regiment, with
a short, fur trimmed cape thrown care
lessly back from the shoulder, stood
modify looking down over the vine
Yards. He turned at the sound Of my
footsteps and shook hands gravely.
looked hard at him. 1t was Tony dc
Muy-a grizzled, hard faced soldier.
"Well?'' he asked. He looked into
my face sharply and made grimace.
"You need say nothing. I see from
your face.
He threw away half burnt cigarette
and resumed his attitude of gloomy re-
aectiyeness. had known him a young
man few years earlier, and glancing
at him wondered whether I looked as
middle aged as that.
'"The devil take all womenP' he sud.
denly exclaimed with his absurd French
vivacity and stamped his spurred heel
on the tessellated pavement. "The
devil take al women, mon ami. "
f'He will have as many as he cal
MANAGE suggested, for I was young
in those days. and the little wound
still carry had a smart in it yet.
"You remember my sister," Tony
said CURLY, and nodded. We had all
been in love with Mile. de Muy, and
she had managed in some way to keeI
Us all in hand at once. She was fresh
from convent, where, it seems, these
little arts must be acquired. The
''botte" that gave ne my own hurt
was, by the way, learned there. So fai
as Jacques de Keroualles had been con
eerned, however, we had always known
that it was serious matter.
"Before the war, :" Tony de Muy wen
on, 'tthey were engaged. Then Jacques
Joined the army. What else could he
do? As for me, had always been il
it, as you know. 1t is for our country
and Jacques was among the first. 1t il
for our poor France that some of ui
fight for these Napoleons. -
He turned and looked into the din
soom where the cots were ranged il
ranks-head and foot the length of the
floor.
s'He thinks that she has kept he
word" he said, and I wondered how {
few years. service could have hardened
him.
"And?", -
fsAnd she is fancee Ito some Italian
count-some scum of Rome-wht
doubtless wears high heeled boots ant
paints his face, as have seen them. "
In his heat he spoke too loudly, ant
Jacques de KeEoualles. lying in tina
quiet room, recognized the voice, though
he could not possibly have distinguish
ed the words.
NIs that thou, Tony?" called out tn
CHEEKY voice from within. 1t was i'm
possible to realize that these were tn
tones of dying man. have seen tw
die laughing, both Frenchmen.
eyes" answered the pan by N.
side.
We entered the room together. D
Keroualles smiled when he saw as sid
by side, Tony dc Muy towering aboy'
me.
''Ah," he cried, sit is like oil
timesp'
[ made shift to smile, but the white
look was already about his lips wish
ed that I could get away.
'See You. Tony" he said, with sud
den change to gravity which had al
ways been characteristic of him. Eng
fish people, and there are always fey
living at Fontainebleau, thought D
Keroualles very French. "See you, tn
good God wants me. What will you
We must be satisfied
Tony held his lip with his teeth an
made no answer.
eff could have seen Renee mu1
INJURED the dying man, with a wistfU
look at me. In books men invariabl
seem to die satisfied. In my experienc
they have always wanted something
could not give them.
''The young man looks grave, :" b
said. "Ah, yes. know. We were t
have been married, mon ami; that
all''
Then he lay still for minute or So