The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-02

What long time ago II all sesms-half
lifetime, monsieur" sain my old friend
Philipe ALBERT, the ex dragon. as he
stood before Brsset's picture In the
salon Of 1894. Eyes. that Is Gravelotte--I
was there. Is the picture like It.? Oh, 10
doubt The artist knows-I cannot tell
mad to fight, not look about.
You want an aneodote of our troop,
monsieurs Well, you shall have one.
You may tako ii that we We're picked
men. Ihere.was but one youngster among
us, and to us old mustaches his beardless
face seemed strange. Ah,. .he was hand
some. with the beauty du diable, fairly
tall and very slim. He had a caustio ton
que, and nothing pleased him better than
10 uss IL on us. bis comrades. in such a
manner that we feared him and left him
10 himself. How 1t was we could not tell,
but Leon st. Paul carried every thing
before him. Did one of us offer attention
to pretty grsette merely pour passer 10
temps, Leon would cut him out and cover
him In his retreat with confusion. This,
In truth, was bad enough whom the intent
was merely 10 amuse oneself, but, saere,
IT Is hard To bear when man was in
earnest as Ioor Cambert was with
Nam 'selle Marie Emmanuel the
vivandiero.
IA good creature, that Marie. We were
devoted to her to u man, but she reserved
her smiles for Leon, and II l must say
what think. the utmost recesses of her
heart for monsieur le docteur.
u Poor Marie! Nj. Vendome thought
nothing OF her.
"Chmbert hated Leon and would often
say while stroking mis- thick, black beard
'lhis young ccckerel crows too loud,
monsieurs. We must cut his comb for
him..
There are plenty of Prussan combs
for cutting, Corporal Cambert,' our SER
CANT would reply. Let US carve them,
my friend, tefore We practice on each
other. Who knowsY ae added thought
fully on one occasion. The time may
come when we shall none Of us have the
neart for growing.
'Ah. vel the campaign was In its in.
fancy then and France. like "A bride wEo
decks herself for her nuptials. had gone
cut TO espDuse the god Cf war. little
dreaming what the children OF her mar
riage bed would be. But TO my story,
monsieur. 1t was the eve of Grayelotte,
and Cambert, moody as usual, came
across leon trilling with Marie, the VIVIAN
ulere He found her smiling into tao
youth : handsome beardless face, and in
burst OF sarcasm unusual with him
for monsieur will understand that he had
no Rreat command of language. except for
sursing-he said TO her. Nam 'selle Marie
Emmanuel, if you would have us con-
tnue to be Jour slaves, at least give Us a
man for rival.
4" lie ms face turped scarlet. Man or
boy, he answered, Il will wager my silver
rosary, blessed by the holy father himself, I
against that beard of yours, of which you
think so much, that L ride before you
iato the fight when next we charge the
p.ussians,
Agreed replied Cambert lightly.
Have the goodness To acc pit my assur-
arc mademoiseile, that l shall present
you with a silver rosary in little time
" Marie shall have the rosary, but she
shall also have your beard To stuff pill
low for her favorite poodle. answered
Leon, and then. looking daggers at each
other they parted.
9Th ,morrow was the Cay Of Gravelotte
and we heard tnat we were to charge the
blue tunics and drive them out of ths
plantation of hop vines behind which
they lay conc Aaitsd.
''Ah, this is work for men, grunted
Cambert, as he looked TO the left, on
winch side rode Leon, with myself next
in line.
"'Lo1k TO your beard. Cambert' an
swered Leon, laughing scornfully. You
~ | never carry II into another light.
The word was given, and of we " ent.
Tell you a OFT III What shall l say! Ony
that the air was thick with n mist which
smelled of sulphur and that n swarm Of
bees from hell itself seemed bLzzing
round our ears.
"Pingl We were not half way across
the space which irtervened between our
starting point and thoss green roas of
hop vines. each one masking blue coated
Prussian, when l got it! My right arm
was stung by one OF those bees and the
hone shattered. transferred NV sabre to-
my left hand and let the reins fall on the
neck OF my gray mare. On she went, her
head down, her neck etretched out, her
nose To the ground.
"'God of War !'lI said To myself Had
ft only been my left arm some Prnssian
should pay for this! / was thinking of
myself. OF course, for IL is not good or
agreeable 10 onarge Prussians with one
arm useless, but saw what pas 'ed near
mel saw very well, though the gray
mist seemed turning rad.
."NoIng Loon was the next. a bullet
struck him. Ee!ow the breast just atove
the belt. n little tn the side-a disagree
aDle spot that Strike yourself with your
LIST, monsieur, so-Just there. and YOU
will know what | mean. ] heard him
groiA1 % .Iosnsn and saw him throw out
bot his HANDS into the air. Then 1 knew
wnat had happened.
In anotLer instant he wonld fall back
ward over bis horses launches and lie
on the ground with a Prussian bullet in
his intervals ana his comrades horses
tramping the beauty in his young face.
On went, the blood trickling down on
TO my addle, my teeth Rritting together
anta pretty strong resolve IN my soul
To SEQ mere prussian' fluid very soon.
Holy VIrginv Jean Joseph Cam
herts voice reached me through the
screaming and the Kissing OF the bullets.
he was speaking grimly. Courage, com
rido, ho said; 'yol win your wager, for
you ride fore me toward the eneIny's
linD. And. monsieur it was so Leon
D. Paul had been eau Int "a he Tell, and
Law scross he sad 1ls II his rival, supported
by his leIt arm
"What followed then? You must pic
turs IL fnr Joursclf, Tor l cannot SOM
OF Us never rpnc0cd the hop vines. some
never returned, but those VINO left us had