The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1896-12-22

saICA1Ju = y =
/ il-.l,T ms ozrcaz ssiid Wen opened, the knee
bent, the point Of the compass at the
proper height. This adventure amused
him-he was going to belabor an impe-
rial conscript, and this oonscript who
had resisted him, corporal of the Pry-
taneum. he was going to send him to
the infrmary for week at least, but
not until he had taught him a lesson.
He had done it before, during the last
season, and they had not expected him,
the little bourgeois whom he had bella
bored as he was going to belabor this
one--they had not expected him to live.
One-two-threel' counted the Sec
onds, and our weapons crossed, he at
lacking me.
Well done, conscript, well done,
and parriedl You have been in the hall
before But, behold, a stroke you have
never heard Of Heed it well-I recon-
mend III I parted it as easily as the
Others
$50 cried my adversary, little
astonished-'so but I'll give you a
fourth. You are a novice by no means.
Now parry this, my garcon, parry it if
you CANT And he came at me again. /
obeyed, ana following up my momen-
tary advantage responded quickly with
hasty feint and forward thrust.
All, hzss sou haze to1ehed mel he
cried You have wounded me-you
have And all atonce, without another
word, the corporal threw up his arms,
his weapon fell from his hand, red
foam frothed from his mouth, and be
dropped upon the floor, dead. The COM
pass had buried itself in his breast to
the tying.
Describe to You that moment? Mol I
cannot. remember it only as one re-
members the horrors of dream. There
was noise, there was confusion, heat
ed wrangle between the seconds = a
wrangle that would have ended in an
other struggle but for the rest of the
witnesses and theneoessity for hurrying
to quarters After that no more. The
blood had mounted to my brain, my
head whirled, and swooned away.
"When | returned to myself, I was
alone in the Cafe Tnrc. Alone9 No, for
extended beside the door. bolted from
the outside, the corporal slept his last
Sleep All, that handsome and martial
figure that an hour ago had laughed at
death, the death that had taken him at
30 years of age and for the sake of a
foolish schoolboy's quarrel.
II was afraid. His wide open eyes
made---asslEis;s :er nd 7 got upon my
knees beside him; serving, with culver
ing fingers, to keep them closed. My
childhood's prayers came back to me,
and | recited them, some vague and
wild idea of atonement revolving in my
brain, while the DE profundis CLAIMANT
ad to, Domino, rolled from my lips like
dirge. Above us-and how often, in
moments supreme, as this, similar tri-
f1es catch and fix the attentioni-I no.
ticed that the blood had spattered upon
the wall beside the body, tattooing from
head to foot the figure Of grotesque
kaiserlich that grenadier Of the Old
Guard was in the act of piercing with
his bayonet; also that more red drops
were falling from a wounded heart
pinned to the corner of the frame, across
which ran the motto, I love JosephineP
And on my knees beside the dead con-
tinued my lugubrious prayer, DE pro-
funds CLAIMANT ad to, Domino A quar-
ter Of an hour more of it and would
have been mad.
Happily at this juncture the door
opened. 1t was the sergeant in command,
an ampute from Egypt, followed by a
file Of cadets under arms, behind them
litter.
g Garry j. !, .--is the officer. naAtienr
| ing to the b0;:ssg nl9ssnsss which I knelt,
carry it to the infrmary. AS for you,
conscript, come with me at once to the
governor. And, turning upon his heel,
the officer went out again, evidently ex-
pecting me to follow him.
Keep up thy heart, conscripti' my
second murmured as passed him-he
had returned with the others. Keep up
thy heart Sacre bleu. but thou hast no
reason to reproach thyselfP
mo reason to reproach myself when
even then / was walking in the wake Of
that funeral litter. that CHASTITY burden,
through the darkness of the night, the
courts white with snow, and to the cab
met of the man who was to judge ME for
my deedi No, truly, had naught with
which to reproach myself
''The governor, to whom they were
conducting me, was the general of the
division, certain Baron Bellavene, a
grognard, as they already designated
the conquerors who had planted the
flag of revolution at the four corners Of
the Europe coalisee, and who had left a
leg at Radstadt. He was seated as we en-
tered the hall in the immediate circle
of the lamplight. late as it was-the
clocks Of the city had just sounded g.
engaged in wIsssisss - sorting over q
mountain Of reports and papers piled
upon the table before him.
1.-THE conscript, M. lie generalr said
the sergeant briefly. He is here by or
der.
i" Very we'll, replied the general.
Wait in the other room. and you, he
continued, suddenly turning the shade
of the argand till the rays fell directly
upon my face-'you regard mel
SIN the meantime the walk through
the biting atmosphere of the night had,
in measure, brought me to my senses
The bloody apparition of the Cafe Turo
was effaced from my thoughts. I was
unfortunate, but not criminal, and I
saw myself in the fullness of my right
before the judge who was to pronounce
upon my deed. ! raised my eyes to the
general as he had commanded.
Tell me the truth, said he. you
insulted the corporal?'
NO.
g You struck him?'
No; was not able.
But you threatened him?'
Yes; he called me a poltroon.'
And you killed him-with COM
pass?'
g Yes, but he also had compass
We were fighting honorably.
But you fenced better than her
Yes, but it was not my fault.
"'How old are your
Sixteen years.
Have you parents?
GA mother only.
"'Your father?'
"'Killed at Austerlitz. He was tc
have been captain.
"'Do you know what awaits your
Perhaps
"'And repentY'
No, my general
What! cried the general. Not re-
pent in the face of the court martial, the
nlatoon IF ayaeutianp'