The record-union., 1897-08-08

Seventh Lights, officer or man, who
doesn't know, poor Laura, and love
her.
Then hevtouched her lightly on her
shoulder, and said:
Nov, my child, say a word to the
Lieutenant who is standing there. Just
a little nod ofsyour head
She looked -vacantly at me. and be-
took herselfFagain to her dominos.
/ 'Ah!' saidvhe, she's a little put out
to-day because of the rain Luckily
she never catches cold, and they say
mad people. are never i'll. At the Ber-
esina, and throughout the retreat from
Moscow, she always went bareheaded.
Go on, my child, play away, and don't
trouble yourself about us. Do just as
you like, Laurette."
She took the hand he had laid on her
shoulder, black, wrinlxled hand, and
lifted it timidly to her lips and kissed
it like slave. 1t made my heart ache
tossee it, and I called out Immediately:
Come, Major, let us get on, or the
night will be upon US before we reach
Bethune''
The rain fell heavily. We were ST.
the old fellow would take off his shake
to wipe the perspiration from his fore
mead. All of sudden he began tell
ing mean interminable story of a cam
paign he had once gone through with
Marshal Massena in SPAIN in which
his regiment, formed in square. had
beaten off three successive charges of
cavalry. | could not listen to it, al
though he entered into a long disouisi-
ton to prove the superiority ofinfantry
over cavalry. At last the night cams
down upon US, the mud became thick
er and deeper, and not howell of even
the humblest kind was to be seen near
the road. We stopped at last under
a dead tree, the only one near the high
road, and he at once began to tend his
mule, and I did what I could for NV
| horse. Then he looked into the cart
as tenderly as mother looks into the
cradle of her infant and I heard him
say: There, my child, put that mat
around your feet and try to go to
sleep"
Turing to me, he added, ''That's all
! right She hasn't had a drop of rain
inside" and then placing some straw
under the cart we craWled on to it to
get out of the rain, and he produced
| loa1 OF bread, which he shared between
U.S.
II m sorry I can't give you anything
better for supper, but it's not so bad as
| the steak of horse, cooked with powder
instead Of salt, that we had to eat in
Russia. 1 always manage to have
something little better for her, and
| she likes to- have her meals by herself;
for she can't bear a man to come near
her since that affair of the letter.
AS he finished speaking we heard her
sigh and say: ''Take away the bullet;
take the bullet out of my head"
[ started UP, but he made me sit
down again. "Sit still, sit STILL" said
| he, that's nothing. She has said that
all her life. for she always believes
| she feels the bullet in her brain. 1t is
the only sign she ever gives of all the
suffering she has gone through; and
a dear, sweet creature she is.'
I listened sadly to this without speak
ing, and then I calculated that no
less than eighteen years had elapsed
since 1897, during all of which period
this drama had been daily enacted, and
1 unused ON the character of the man
seated beside me. At last could
stand it no longer, and turning sud
denly to him, and seizing his hand, I
shook it warmly.
You're a downright worthy fellow"
said L
And why?' replied he, with an as
tonished air. you mean because of the
poor girl there? Don't you see it is my
duty?'' Then he Went off into another
| nh 10
ing early we reached the little ugly
town of Bethune, where everything was
in the greatest confusion, for boot and
saddle had just been sounded, and the
inhabitants were already beginning to
store away the white flag to make room
for the tricolor. Drums were beating
| the assembly, the Cent Gardes were
mastering, the squadrons of the mount
ed body guard were forming around
the carriage of the Princess, and the
streets were filled with the soldiery and
the baggage wagons. The sight of my
own regiment made me forget my old
companion ON the march, and joining
my squadron I lost sight of his little
cart in the crowd. Alas! never saw
him again
Often and often had I wondered what
had become of him, but I had stupidity
forgotten to ask his name, and such
inquiries as I could make had not re-
| suited In obtaining any information