Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-06-10

"You viii DO a soldier in my old
guard.
Il am pleased, sire, bit what sm I &c
dof"
"vhat arc you to do?"
After a moments reflection Tho en-.
peror says;
Eight hut gay nothing"
''Sirc, " replies the lead soldier, "I
will fight and mover speak. But / wish
60 warn yen that, when about to die, |
shall speuk onco mere, but for the last
time. Aud l shall say to you, what l
have always said, The emperor is very
tired tonight. When l shall have said
that, l will be- mt tho point Of death and
you about 10 be vauquisbesl.
The soldier ceased speaking. The en-
poror slept on, but dreamed no more.
a few days after while reviewing his
old guard tho emperor remarked a new
recruit. He wondered and asked who
the soldier was.
"Why, you know him, sire; he
brought mo a line signed by your hand
begging mo to accept him in my regi-
ment."
The emperor, upset, approached tho
soldier.
$50 you arc called L'Etoileg"
The soldier Bowed his head rs though
TO say yes.
WHY do you not say yes? You can
speak"
The soldier shook his head, meaning
no. The emperor remembered, and, a.
If dreaming, murmured;
"Iou Hre mutey''
The soldier bowed his head-yes. And
the emperor passed on and once more
asked himself ii he were net dreaming.
The soldier, L'Etoile, fought like o
lion on the b%attlcfelds. He could never
be an officer, hut be was made a cheva-
lier Of the order OF the Legion CT Honor
and never was q cross more deservedly
worn. Every time tho emperor passed
him no would say:
GOOD day. L'Etoile."
And DO would continue his way, hap
py to sec L'Etoile still dumb, for ho re-
membered tho words Of the little lead
soldier.
"When | shall speak, l will be at the
point of death and you about to BIO van
pushed"
After victory. then defeatl
The emperor leaves for the island Of
Elba. He takes L'Etoile with him.
L'Etoilo is always mute.
Tho emperor thinks Of returning to
France. lie returns. He has hardly
landed before be sends for L'Etoile and
speaks to him. L'Etoile remains silent.
And, confident, Napoleon crosses
France and reascends his throne.
But now tho 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'Etoilo has
not yet spoken.
But in the midss OF his losses Eapo-
leon wonders If L'Etoile has not heep
false to him.
No; no has not been untrue.
Waterlooi Behold, Waterloo
The battle is fierce. The last square
alone now remains. The emperor, from
an elevation, looks over the plain. With
a ~ficldglass he looks for L'Etoile. And
now he sees him. Tho grenadier is
fighting desperately.
Suddenly he falls, struck ~ a bullet.
The emperor, pale as q corpse, drops
his glass and comes down.
L'Etoile is about to speak. Will he
speak?
He imagines no will hear the voice OF
L'Etoile in his ear as he did mt Erioune,
and that he viii see Icrched on q pebble
by his side a tiny lead soldier.
The emperor neither hears nor sees
anything.
His courage returns.
Who knows? Maybe everything is
not yet over? L'Etoilo may not DO fatal
ly wounded.
And with a confident mir tho emperor
surveys the horizon.
The litters carried by ambulances
now pass before him. They slowly and
sadly wend their way by tens, twenties,
thirties-
And suddenly in ono Of them the
emperor Il EUOlIe.
Like a mailman he dismounts, leav-
ing his astonished marshals, and quickly
reaches the wounded soldier, whom be
finds pale and rigid as death.
"Poor L'Etoile !" said the emperor.
Then, addressing the surgeon;
Ibid he spoali?"
"No, sire, he is mute"
The emperor broathes again. Bot
now no hears a broken voice coming
from the corpse Of L'Etoilo;
"Tho emperor is very tired tonight, 81
says the voice.
And for tho first time in his life the
emperor faints.
u . = = = =
At st. Helena. Napoleon plays, as of
yore, with his little lead soldiers. AS
before, no drills and leads them TO i'm
aginary victories.
He sometimes listens, hoping that one
of them will speak, saluting him, as in
the past, by the sweet name Of emperor.