Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-02-13

forced them TO live UOgebn6r IOr Gne Ulmo
being; then, treasured as to his prestige
he put on his most formidable voice and
with the pose of gendarme examining
legal document asked: "Where do you
come from? Where are you going'"
"Why come from Paris. 1t Is no fun
there any more II you could see the
boulevards! It's really sad! All my friends
are gone, and the theaters are all closed
The communist staff officers are the swells
Just now, and they are so dirty! Such
caps, such boards, such faces-its ridicu-
lous! If had had to stay among that lot,
should have died. have little box of
house at Longjumeau, regular little
nest, not very big, you know, but very
pretty, and am going there to wait for
better days"
"There is only one obstacle to this plan,
madame, which is that l shall not allow
you to pass.
She looked at the captain in astonish-
ment. Probably no man had ever dared
to speak to her in such tone before, and,
not understanding such rough injunc-
ton, she looked about to see whether help
was possibly to be found among the rest
of US.
The lieutenant looked rather indiffer-
emily, enthusiastically, as one whose
mind and thoughts were elsewhere. He
was no ally.
Behind him was the second lieutenant.
He was smoking with his usual impss-
siveness. Neither did his large, round
eyes give promise Of help.
was in the background, and I admit
that was looking at her with all my
eyes. don't know whether she noticed
this, but she raised her voice:
"What, you won't let me passf Do you
know that you are extremely impertinent,
sir? Are you going to be as rude as the
communist commanding La Porte d 1talie
"a person whom would not let into my
stable for fear of soiling it, and who forced
me to .parley with him for half an hour?
was obliged to be polite and make the
gentleman S conquest, and finally tanned
him so thoroughly that he insisted on
treating me to glass of horrible ourrant
brandy"
How disgusting"
"Come! am sure you are going to let
me off cheaper!"
And she gave him a glance which would
have softened tiger.
The captain never flinched, but replied:
Madame, when orders are that no one Is
to pass no one passes. If Nine. Theirs
herself was to appear, should turn her
back"
1 am convinced that he was thinking of
the advertising woodcut in the shops Of La
Redingote Grise, which represents con-
script stopping Napoleon and telling him
he couldn't pass If he were the little cor
poral himself.
She looked at me again. This time I
made heroic resolve and burned my
bridges behind me. Time was precious,
and had to force the situation. came
forward and pretended to suddenly recog-
nize her.
''What, is that you? You heree" And
climbing into the truck fell into her arms
and kissed her vigorously. How Willingly
| I acted my comedy, and how natural !
| must have been in the part! She scream.
cd, but whispered, "Silence, and you'll
| get through"
You may imagine that brave littlo
woman who was not afraid of bursting
shells was not going to faint because an
officer of dragons, whom she had never
laid eyes on before, kissed her without
warning. So she threw herself bravely
into the part, and I felt two soft arms
about my neck, while her lips touched my
| forehead.
turned to the captain, slightly upset.
II have known this lady for years, and
I can answer for her as for myself.
trust, captain, that you will now allow
her to pass and will even give her an es-
cort of ten dragons. This will allow her
to reach Longjumeau without further
trouble and will afford you, in addition,
| means of verifying her Identity"
| The captain, after much persuasion,
| agreed and feared for moment that
| for greater security he intended to accom-
pany the ten dragons himself. Luckily
reminded him in time that his trousers
had been with the army of the Loire. The
lieutenant would have been unwilling to
compromise himself by appearing in COM
pany with such good looking person; the
second lieutenant would have been obliged
to stop smoking, which would have vexed
him greatly-in short, the command OF
the escort was left to me.
placed five dragons in front Of the
truck and five behind, and set forth In
triumph with my prisoner.
She Is snatching away my pen and de-
claring that tho rest Of the story does not
concern the public. And, after all, she is
perhaps right, for 1t is already ancient his
tory.-Translated From the French Fol-
Short Stories