The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-30

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entrance to the chateau, and you rsay fan
cy what joy there was when La mere and
| the pretty Agnes found out who was the
elderly pigeon merchant who had brought
| the birds for the kitchen. Such informa-
| ton as Eustase obtained he wrote and put
| in Quill and attached It to the pigeon, and
| think mademoiselle herself carried 1t to
the upper window Of the chateau and let
| Ii fly, and the bird winged her way right
| over the forest. And now Eustase said TO
| Agnes, "You have won for me tho cross
| and my epaulcts." But just then they
heard a shot.
That evening Girls Lapin came to my
| place and told him about his son and he
could hardly believe me. And as we were
| talking together in n low voice we heard
the sound of military party-tramp,
tramp, tramp-and behold there came
along at the double an armed guard of
Prussians with prisoner in the middle
Of them, his hands tied behind him, rs
pale as death, with a strange glazed look
in the eyes. "That is poor fellow whom
they have caught sending messages to our
army 10y carrier pigeon, heaven bless
him." somebody said. And at that Girls
Lapin staggered forward and threw him
self among the soldiers with loud cry,
while the prisoner turned his head. "Mon
pere, " he cried, springing toward him as
well as he could, but the soldiers urged
him along with their hayonets and drove
away Girls Lapin with blows, and he fell
backward among us more dead than alive.
Itwas terrible! The young man was to
be shot. The countess and Mile. Agnes
were to be sent out of France. The pigeon
which had been shot had told the whole
story. That evening Girls Lapin came to
see me. tried to comfort him, but he
bade me hold my tongue, for that knew
nothing about the matter. "That might
be-" said, "but know this much-that
il / knew the traitor who had betrayed
him would do my best to strangle him
with these two hands OF mine" At this
Girls Lapin dashed at me, tearing the wrap
per from Lis brawny throat. "Do you say
sop Then strangle me, for am the traitorv'
He had shot the pigeon and had taken
it to the Prussians and sold it for 80 francs
with the little burden it carried. "Yes,
have sold my sons life,' he groaned.
"Well, am going away-I am going to
take charge of mademoiselle and my wife.
They need never know" looking at me
flercely. "No," said, "they need never
know-nor anybody else, for that matter.
/ should not betray you" "You will not
betray me-" repeated Girls Lapin, "but
you will not touch hands upon that.
"No," said drawing back, 81 will not. +"
At that his mood changed and he flung
himself into the operating chair and bade
me light my lamp and shave his beard. In
n new country he would be new man.
And indeed he looked u new man with
his gray beard taken off and his hair short
ened-a much youhger man, for his hair
was still black, or only spcckled with gray.
When / had finished, he muffied up his
face saying with n bitter laugh that 1t
would not do to take u chill. And now,"
he said, II am promised ten minutes with
my son. 1t will be pleasant interview,
don't you Think" with hollow laugh
that made my blood run cold "And before
daylight tomorrow" he continued, 81
shall DC far away from here and we shall
never meet ngain. Will you not touch
hands?" my FRIEND" said, "may
heaven forgive You, but cannot take your
hand" And Girls Lapin turned away and
WAS lost to sight in the darkness.
4 slept soundly enough that night, for
whatever peoples troubles may be one
must work and work brings the need of
rcposc, but just before daybrcak 1 was
aroused by the soldiers who were billctcd
upon me turning out. 1 got up to see
what was the matter, when n sergeant,
catching sight OF me, made signs to me in
n rough, authoritative way to take up
spade and follow him. 1 turned sick at
what was going to happen, but these were
people not bc trined with, and L marched
away to the forest with the rest.
1t was i'm this little clearing, monsieur,
where the firing party was drawn up, with
H,vtI 81 fn
standing before them. / flung myself
down on the ground and buried my face
in the moss, and the yollcy rang out
loud and clear And then the firing party
marched OFF, and i was left with the ser
gcant, who WAS carelcssly pacing up and
down, and who motioned TO me to dig the
grave. But first l went up to the body to
close tho eyes that were staring wildly,
with fancy some little consciousness
still left in them. But the face was quite
different from what cxpectcd-with the
marks of my own razor upon it, and n
cash that l made in my agitation the night
before! 1t was the face of Girls Lapin.
Alb, how l pressed his hand, and / fancied
that the numbcd fingers fccbly returned
the pressure! His crime was cxpiatcd he
might rest I'm peace. And, ma fol- i should
like TO lie here myself, with the sound of
the ax i'm the distance and the wood pi
geons cooling. But that is all folly, for
when we are dead, what matters!
Mind do not believe for moment
that the young man thought that he had
left his father tn die. He could not think
IL possible that they should shoot one man
for another. Nor would they have done so
but for the ruse Of Girls Lapin in having
his well known heard taken off. But,
anyhow, the young man escaped, ard the
guard did not recognize the change. And
perhaps he docs not know to this day, for
when the war was over none could say
what had become of Girls IApin. And /
also held my peace, for thought that such
would I've the wish Of my old comrade.
But M. Eustasc got his epaulets, after
all, and i'm the end lc comtc gave his per-
mission that he should marry Mile Agnes.
And madame who was at first very angry,
was aftcrwGrd rcconclctl, and when she
dictl-both she and lc comtc are now
dcad--shc left the bulk of her fortune to
the young couple. And 80 the little Eus-
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