The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-03-19

Hortense and upbraid her for her insinoer-
ityY How could he do SO when he had
hardly respected himself In reading the let
ter unaddressed to him?
Each moment that he thought Of the
faithlessness Of Hortense augmented his
anger and caused desperate craving for
action. The next morning he Informed
Constant s. Co. that he must retire from
his office, as 1t was bis intention to join
the ranks of the French army as private
soldier.
MY dear Lemoine," said Henri Con-
slant, "this Is simply quixotie. The war
is not one Of self defense, but one Of ambi-
tbon."
Louis was resolute, however, in his plan
Of action.
"Well," sighed Henri Constant, "if you
are decided, there's an end. We must give
you years leave, though goodness knows
how Ye shall conduct the business without
Louis smiled bitterly.
In the last year of the empire, as In the
final days of the previous one, haste and
precipitation took the place Of care and
caution. The soldiers were rushed through
their drills with as little attention as was
applied to their kits, the one objeotin view
being that Of having large army to take
the field as soon as war should have been
declared. The provisions indispensable for
the campaign were considered as duly sup
piled on the strength Of those official re-
turns which were accepted as unimpeach-
able, the supplies Of the ammunition itself
being almost taken as matter OF course
All this was too soon realized before the
fatal month Of August had but little more
than half run its course, each day bringing
the outnumbered Frenchmen nearer to
their doom in the disastrous year Of 1870
The defeats of Gravelotte and Recon-
vile had compelled the retreat Of the forces
into Metz, leaving many Of the wounded
to the promiscuousa attention of the victors.
Without asserting that they were worse
cared for than were those wounded on the
conquering side, 1t is certain that the
French soldiers who were left on the field
had q very bad time Of it. In the crowded
shelters which were improvised as hospi-
tails the dangers that were not the least
terrible arose from gangrene and py@mia,
and the symptoms of those fatal develop
ments quickly doomed their sufferers to
tho inferno Ger which might have been
written the dread warning, Abandon
hope, all ye that enter here"
Among this crowd of the doomed victims
Of the lust Of empire and tho pride of
power were two French soldiers hurried In
with the rest. One had suffered amputa-
ton Of both his legs; the other had been
the victim of breast confusion, caused
from the fragments of an exploding shell,
and was In peril from the shock rather
than from the gravity of the effects Of the
wound, which could not be considered Sc
rious.
In any case he had been brought to that
pesthouse hastily and improperly, for there
was no sign Of gangrene or blood poison
ing in his symptoms.
As the former rolled his head from side
to side upon the straw spread over the
earth of the shed where he lay, his eyes
fell upon the form of his neighbor.
"Heavens!' he exclaimed. Am 1 mad9
Louis Lemoine, for he you must be, how do
l find you comrade in this accursed
place."
For moment the other was struck ST.
lent in his establishment.
under such a cloud of misery? What you
revealed to me made life uncomfortable, and
the day after you left mo volunteered in
the service to which ! had already supplied
o substitute. WANTED to de-"
The heaving chest of Jules, who was
past all physical suffering, betrayed
mental torture
Louis" he stammered, forgive me. I
shall soon have to plead for pardon else
where l was envious of all your good
fortune. felt that but for you Hortense
might be mine. When I saw you SO safe
and prosperous and happy, tho devil got
possession Of my heart. went away and
wrote the letter which I showed you. 1t
was not written by Hortense. used one
of her notes to me to copy her writing. 1t
was forgery"
AS II suddenly electrified, Louis sprang
from the straw with the impulse of venge-
ance in his soul. But as he looked at the
poor, dying wretch, who was of the same
blood as his, compassion conquered anger,
and STOPPING down no kissed him and
whispered, ~ forgive"
1t was only in time The excitement
had exhaused the little strength of the
moribund soldier who sank down in his
wretched bed, closing his life with peni-
tence and confusion. Like dreaming
man, Louis loft this Walhalla Of misery,
where the heroes changed their shouts for
vaterland and Ia patrie to dying groans
and shrieks of agony. No one took much
account Of those hopeless men, and thus
Louis emerged from the place unnoticed
and mixed with others who were prisoners
like himself, wounded and hors de COM
bat, awaiting the outcome of events which
they could no longer influence If all had
such heavy grief at heart as he had, heaven
help theml
More than year had passed when Nine.
Dupuis and her daughter returned to Porls
to find their home wrecked during the rule
of the commune and at last to put them
selves in communication with their own
countrymeh. They had heard from Henri
Constant, in reply to their inquiry, that
Louis had joined the army, but tho disor-
ders of the year had prevented any further
communication with him.
~ regret, ladies'" said Henri Constant,
"that we have no news of Lemoine. He
was missing after Gravelotte, and fear
that he must have been left upon the field
OF battle
AS Hortense heard the words that DOOM
cd her life, the color left her cheek and
she would have swooned on the floor had
she not been caught in the arms Of Louis,
who entered that moment
"Ah, Louis" she said "where have you
been and why is it that you have kept 81
lent so long timer
Dearest" he whispered, at is secret
of the dead. M. Constant" he went OH,
II have been double prisoner held by
illness and the enemy. have exceeded
my leave, am afraid. but I won't as5
for another until am married. SPAR
Moments, I