The record-union., 1897-08-08
hand and let him go. How hard it all
WAS to beart"

The evident emotion of the old officer
when he reached this point in his mar
rative compelled him to pause, and
when he resumed it, after an interval
Of few minutes, it was in a some
what incoherent strain in which a sort
of running commentary was muttered
to himself on-the changing phases of his
story.
Il called up the Second Lieutenant on
to the quarterback and gave him his
orders. Since we are ordered to turn
butchers and executioners, launch the
first cutter without delay. Put that
woman into her, and row straight away
from the ship until you hear the report
of six muskets; then turn about and
return. -
Here he muttered to himself: "Obey
a mere scrap of paper like that-for
that was ali it really wasi / must have
been possessed by some foul fiend:
saw that unhappy young man kneel
down and kiss her knees and feet when
the sailors approached her, and l or
dered them to separate them Oh. God,
see it all now!"
He stopped short suddenly in front
of me-
Il tell you, I was like a madman.
Separate them!' 1 cried, for we are all
a set of scoundrels. The Republic is
dead. Directors Directory. they are
nothing but vermin. See what these
villains of lawyers have forced me to
do. If I had but the five wretches here
| would shoot them every one. l swear
L would as the heavens are above mel
I w ioc Il owl
IDENTIFY thinking 1 had lost my wits, but
what did 1 care for them or for my
life? Not SO much as for this rain that
is falling on me now"
#
When the old officer had told me this
much he became convuIsed with emo
ton, and the tears rolled down his
weather. beaten cheeks Then he be-
gan again
Il dare say you've never seen a ship
in your life, and don't know the poop
from the stem?"
j was obliged to confess my ignorance,
and he gave me long description of
each, adding with regard to the former,
1t is there man is placed when he is
ordered to be shot,
Il understand said I "he tumbles
into the sea, and there is no more
trouble
He made no direct answer to this re-
mark, but began by telling about the
number of boats a. corvette generally
carries, and their several positions on
the deck, and thus he insensibly glided
back to the subject which evidently oc-
cupied all his thoughts.
The sailors carried Laura off into a
Dared boat before she had time to
cry out or speak to me, but it is aston
ishing what a set of fools there are in
the world who always manage to do
what they are ordered in the wrong
way. Poor, poor Laural The officer in
command of the boat was actually fool
enough to row away straight in front
of the ship, and, as for me, I had call
culated ON the night concealing the
work we were about, totally forgetting
that the flash of the muskets must nat
urally light up the scene. Well, to
cut it short, from the boat she saw
her husband fall, shot dead, into the
seal
More like a dumb animal than any
thing else, Laura was brought ON
board the ship. She trembled all over
as if she were afraid of every one who
came near her, and thus she has ever
since remained. You may call her what
you Like, am idiot, am imbecile, or a
madwoman, and all ] have ever heard
her say since is, Take the ball away;
take it away, out of my head
Cam you wonder that l have de-
voted my life to the fulfillment of the
promise 1 made to that poor murdered
lad, and that my conscience has ordered
me to cherish and take care of poor
Laura SO long as I am spared on this
earth? When l returned to France
claimed my rank in the army, having
taken dislike to the sea, because had
shed innocent blood there; and when
the arrangements had been carried out,
1 obtained leave of absence and left
with Laura for her old home, intending
to leave her with her family. Unhap-
PLY, 1 found that her mother was dead
and what do you think her sisters said
to me? They proposed to- put her in
the madIhouse at Charenton, and
turned my back on them, and have
ever since taken care of her myself. .
rs she inside there, then?" asked I,
pointing to the cart.
Certainly she is; and you may see
her if you like" and he called to the
mule to stop.
The weary mule stopped readily
enough, and my companion drew aside
the tarpaulin and began to arrange the
straw at the bottom of the cart, while
I looked in and saw a very painful
sow two anOJ~Y7oo ono hI11p oxypS
beautifully shaped, but apparently out
of all proportion to the rest of the
countenance. The head was perfectly
formed and covered with a world OF
lovely light hair, but the forehead was
flushed as he had described, while the
rest of the face looked like a corpse.
She was nestled down in the straw, ex-
cept her knees, upon which she was en-
gagged in playing dominos She looked
up at us, trembled all over, then smiled
family at her old protector, and recon-
menced her game. She seemed as if
she was playing with her right hand
against her left.
1T is a month and more that she has
played that game" the Major observed
"and perhaps she will continue to do
so for some time longer, and then per-
haps she will take up backgammon, or
something like it. 1t is extraordinary,
isn't it?" and he replaced the oilskin
on his shake, which the wind and rain
had somewhat disarranged
Poor Laura" 1 replied, "you are in
deed lost to this world" and then ]
held out my hand to her, which she
took mechanically, with the ghost of a
smile. l observed with astonishment
that she had two splendid diamond
rings on her fingers. The Major no
ticed that my eyes were fixed on the
trinkets, and he said, with a certain