Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-06-22

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shall speak once more, but for the last
time. And I shall say to you, what l
have always said, THE emperor is very
tired tonight When l shall have said
that, I will be at the point of death and
you about to be vanquished.
The soldier ceased speaking. The m
peror slept on, but dreamed no more.
A few days after while reviewing his
old guard the emperor remarked a new
recruit. He wondered and asked who
the soldier was.
"Why, you know him, sire; he
brought me a line signed by your hand
begging me to accept him in my regi-
ment.
The emperor, upset, approached the
soldier.
$50 you are called L'Etoile?"
The soldier bowed his head as though
to say yes.
"Why do you not say yes? You can
speak"
The soldier shook his head, meaning
no. The emperor remembered, and, as
if dreaming, murmured:
"You are mute?"
The soldier bowed his head-yes. And
the emperor passed ca and once more
asked himself if he were not dreaming.
The soldier, L'Etoile, fought like a
lion on the battlefields. He could never
be an officer, but be was made a cheva-
lier of the order of the Legion of Honor
and never was a cross more deservedly
worn. Every time the emperor passed
him he would say:
"Good day, L'Etoile."
And be would continue his way, hap
py to see L'Etoile still dumb, for he re-
membered the words of the little lead
soldier.
"When l shall speak, l will be at the
point of death and you about to be van
quished."
After victory, then defeat!
The emperor leaves for the island Of
Elba. He takes L'Etoile with him.
L'Etoile is always mute.
The emperor thinks Of returning to
France. He returns. He has hardly
landed before he sends for L'Etoile and
speaks to him. L'Etoile remains silent.
And, confident, Napoleon crosses
France and reascends his throne.
But now the allies begin to wage war
against him. He, without being discon-
certed, raises armies, fights every day
always brave, always defeated, but
hopeful for the future, for L'Etoile has
not yet spoken.
But in the midst of his losses Napo-
leon wonders if L'Etoile has not been
false to him.
No; he has not been untrue.
Waterloo! Behold, WATERLOO
The battle is fierce. The last square
alone now remains. The emperor, from
an elevation, looks over the plain. With
a fieldglass he looks for L'Etoile. AND
now he sees him. The grenadier il
fighting desperately.
Suddenly he falls, struck by a bullet
The emperor, pale as a corpse, dropl
his glass and comes down.
L'Etoile is about to speak. Will hi
speak?
He imagines he will hear the voice O.
L'Etoile in his ear as he did at Brienne
and that he will see perched on a pebbl'
by his side a tiny lead soldier.
The emperor neither hears nor see
anything.
His courage returns.
Who knows? Maybe everything j
not yet over? L'Etoile may not be fatal
ly wounded.
And with a confident air the empero,
surveys the horizon.
The litters carried by ambulance
now pass before him. They slowly ant
sadly wend their way by tens, twenties
thirties-
And suddenly in one of them tn
emperor recognizes L'Etoile.
Like a mailman he %dismounts, leav
ing his astonished marshals, and quick,
reaches the wounded soldier, whom b
finds pale and rigid as death.
"Poor L'Etoile!' said the emperor.
Then, addressing the surgeon:
"Did he speak"
"No, sire, he is mute"
The emperor breathes again. Blu
now he hears a broken voice comm
from the corpse Of L'Etoile:
"The emperor is very tired tonight,
says the voice.
And for the first time in his life tn
emperor faints.
4
At st. Helena, Napoleon plays, as Q
> yore, with his little lead soldiers. A
before, he drills and leads them to i'm
aginary victories.
He sometimes listens, hoping that on
Of them will speak, saluting him, as i
the past, by the sweet name Of emperor
But the little lead soldiers are silent
Never again will they speak.
L'Etoile is dead. The emperor
: fallen. The little lead soldiers vii
speak no more. From the French Fo
. Chicago Times Herald.
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