Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-02-21

possible to approach them.
Footsteps sounded behind us. L,
quickly about. A patrolman,
had heard the shouts ard the
sounds of the scuf1e, came running
toward us from the direction Of
Broadway.
The aSsailant suddenly loosened his
hold upon the Prussian, and gave him
a violent push toward the side of the
building. Turning his haggard head
about, he beheld the approach of the
policeman. Without a word he darted
into the interesting street and van
ished.
Stop, stop!' shouted the patrolman.
He gave pursuit, but it was a fruit
less chase. The fleeing man eluded
him, and his footsteps died away into
the night.
Gritf-Salm staggered to his feet,
painting for breath. At first L thought
that he Iron Cross had been wenched
from his neck, but l saw that he was
still holding it triumphantly in bis
hand.
The patrolman returned for an ex-
PLANTATION, but Griff had none to make.
The assault, he declared was utterly
unprovoked. He had not the slightest
knowledge of the man who had at
tackled him.
| led him back to his lodgings. The
old man was dazed and perturbed. He
muttered incoherent words to himself.
WASN'T that a curious affair."" he
exclaimed. What does it mean?
What does it mean?"
He was lost in perpleXity. AS he
placed his foot on the stairway he
suddenly turned as though struck by
a thought.
Gould it be he?" he murmured.
Gould it be who?' l asked, curl
ously.
Griff did not answer. He shook his
head and slowly mounted the stair
way, sunk in thought.
For some days thereafter, whenever
l met him he seemed uneasy and il
low spirits. l could not tell whether
he had seen aught of his assailant, for
he would not say.
1 classed the occurrence as one of
the many unaccOuntable ones that we
meet with through life, and eventual
ly dismissed it from my mind. But
the affair was suddenly and uneX-
pectedly to be recalled to my atten-
ton.
One day, after about three weeks,
l was wandering through that neigh
borhood of poverty in the vicinity of
East Broadway. My eyes happened
to fall upon a man who was gazing
into the window of a dingy shop. l
recognized him on the instant as tie
one who had pursued us on that night.
Almost uncOnsciously | stepped up
to him and placed my hand upon his
arm. He turned about and regarded
me. His expression showed that he
did not recollect me.
$50 it is you" / observed, looking
almost in pity upon his gaunt features.
He looked at me q~uestioninGly.
ct is you who assaulted my friend
the other night" l repeated, sternly.
Oh" he said, quietly. He took his
Identification calmly, almost indiffer-
emily.
"What are you about to do?" ne
asked. "Have me arrested?"
He spoke in German.
"Can you offer any explanation of
your conduct?" l asked, curiously. 1
was beginning to think that perhaps
his mind might be affected through
trials or suffering.
"An explanations" he repeated,
quickly. eyes, that I can. Naturally,
you think me a thief and a brute.
If you knew my story you would
change your mind"
"Win you tell me this story?" l
asked.
He hesitated for a moment. 1.-The
world has treated me very unjustly,"
he said, glOomily. "YOur friend,
whose name 1 have forgotten, but
whose face l shall remember as long
as 1 live, has wrOnged me deeply.
After some further parley he com
to accompany me into a neigh
boring coffee house. He told me this
81 am" said he, a veteran of the
French and German war: l was with
that wing of the army that, after
Sedan, advanced upon Paris and CON-
pleted the iron ring of the besiegers.
It was a hard winter. We were busy
throwing up intrenchments and re-
the sorties of the French.
"The regiment to which l belonged
was encamped on the edge of a wood.
Long broken, disorderly fields stretch
ed irregularly over to the city, writes
in the New York Recorder. In
the twilight we could see dim shapes
sinking about the fields like great
black worms. These were Wretches
driven by hunger from the city to
grub, at the risk of death, for the
hidden in careless hollows
IN the fields.
"One night our spies brought in
word hat another sortie was to be
expected. We made our preparations
Objects were very dim on the
fields, for a thin film covered the sky.
One Of the distant forts growled for
moment, and lit up the rugged plain
distinctly and the bridges and out
works of Paris.
"Tn that Su6dan flash 70 oauoh+