Evening star., 1898-05-28

| piliiuihS, casting luminous shadows over
| quay and dock and long rows of polished
| siege guns lying on ear trucks below the
| ramparts. Other boats passed them clus-
| tered lights on bow and stern, rows of IL
I lumlnated windows and ports staining the
| dark waters with golden beams as they
| passed. The little waves danced along the
| wake. criss-crossed with green and crimson
streaks. distorting Ihe lantern reflections
| until the black water surgei under pol
| ished surface. shot TO its depth with jagged
trembling shafts of coloreI light.
| mat the sunboat Farcy. said Rourbe.
as a shadowy shape loomed up in mid
stream. She's got :. big gun aboard, but,
| to my thinking. the recoil must raise the
mischief with her plates"
Already the dark, endless facade of the
| Louvre appeared on the left, bridge after
| b:idge spanned the river. bright with fls
| icons OF gas lamps, until Il black bulk
! suiged up before than. crowned with clus-
| tered pinnacles, lighted only by the stars.
| 1t was the Cite. Their voyage had come to
| its end. AS they climbed the steps Of the
/ quay below the Palais de Justice away in
the south ball of fire sped up into the
/ SKY ana burst. spraying the night with
I vermilion stars.
! What's that signal?' muttered Rourke.
| Inc distant report o. cannon confirmed
| the answer that the news5oys were shout
| ing along the boulevard: Extra, The
| orleans railway blown ND between Abicn
| and Athis! The PrIssians have reached the
forest of Senart, Extra"
| Harewood bought L papar and stood read
ing 1t under a gas jet. while on every side
| an increasing tumult arose from the crowd
| ed sidewalks as rocket after rookie. WEirred
| up into the night and tie dull thunder NUT
tered from the forts of the west In the
glare of the ligHted .nop windows black
| masses of people gathered, gesticula.in ting
blocking the street, lingering in knots un-
DER the gas lamps. Wncre some boulevard
| orator alternately read from newspaper
| and harangued his neiglbors Hoarse
| voices with the sinister intonation of al. rm
| bells dominated the deeper hum of the
sster. Extra. Extra.''-every discordant
| cry rang out harsh and tense, vibra ting
with the malice of prophecy.
Its true said Hardwood soberly
| road near Athis.''
| lie handed the journal to Bourke, adding:
| Iherel IL De the devil TO pay in the streets
| tonight We mind to stay here and dine
| at the Cafe Rouge. Whl, do you say?'
! Il told Iolette not 20 expect us" replied
Bourke. 80 it's all rlgnt. Come on.
! Ihey threaded their way through the
| crowd. crossed the street and traversed the
| Place St Michel, where Il jam of omni-
| buses and cabs hoDelrSsly mixed, blocked
| the passage of a battery of artillery In
| the black mass silhouettes of riders, tow
! erinS in their nigh saddles crossed and re-
| crossed the gaslit bridge; here a horses
! head tossed. sharply outlined; there the
! sim shape of cannon detached itself
! from the shadowy chaos.
As they pressed on up the hill of the St
Michel and entered the brightly lighted
! terrace of the Cafe Rouge, cuirassers were
passing through the boulevard ST. Ger
nam, SabeIs, casques and polished armor
SHINING, crlmsoned with mirrored reAec-
uons from the flaming torches borne by
single cavaliers. A trumpCter rode by
! trooper carrying gudon, staff in stirrup
followed, then, all alone, came a general,
somber face Shadowed, gi,ded sash
| chapeau and epaulettes glittering with
woven gold. Under his cooked hat his
dreamy eyes looked out into the glare uI-
dazzied- He saw neither torch nor shadow
nor the steel blades OF swords-he the mys-
| tic, the oracle of vagueness, the apostle of
mysteIy-this Breton governor of Paris
Gen. Trcchu.
So he passed with his armored troop. a
remnant of ancient pageantry, a Breton of
embiazoned chronicles. silent vagus-eysd
dreaming dreams of chivalry and paradise
ana the blessed sainte whose filmy veil was
stiie!d of God for the innocent
when the last squadron had trampled
past and was blotted ont in the darkness
Bourke. followed by Hardwood entered
the Cafe Rouge and found seats at a table
! between soldier OF he National Guard
/ and one of Franchetti's scouts.
Ihe latter was taunting the National
Guardsnan with the Indiscipline of his
battalion; the guardsman answered sulk-
NY, and sawed away at his steak washing
huge moutffuls down with goblets of red
Vine
You and your major. eh?" sneered the
scout. Tell me. my friend, since when
! has battalion of the National Guard
| boasted a major? I leave it to these two
gentlemen here he turned and nodded at
Eourke and Harewood-''I leave it to these
| gentlernen n If II Is possible for National
| Guard battalion to have a major unless it's
| a company of fantoches,'
'Fantoche yourself" shouted the guards
| man. stung TO fury by the taunt: ..iet me
| tell you that Major Flourens Is major be-