The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-12-16

Is ali empty thing at best. <s,s. =.
Atlanta Constitution.
[BANCROCHE
His real name was Simon Martin, but
when child be fractured his hip, which
| accident had crippled him for life, and
| his comrades at school had nicknamet
him .Bancroche twisted leg). The name
| stuck to him. He was a fine fellow,
muscular, with broad shoulders, an open
face and clear eyes, More than one of
the pretty country girls would i've liked
to- know him, but he hardly addressed a
word to them, held buck by timidity and
shame of his poor leg. He never COM
tplained, aud when he watched his friends
dancing ut the fair, with their arms about
! their partners waists, he accepted his
position with the philosophy of country
| fatalist. But one day, he suffered the
sorrow of great disappointment. He
wanted to- serve in the army, but first
| must pass the examination with the 9th
ers. He marched limping along the road
with them, his hat ornamented with long
trl-colored ribbons which hoated in the
breeze, and sung at the top of his voice
with an animation which nude him for
get that he was not like the rest Of the
world. But his joy wns short.liyed,
limit for service; IS deformity of the
mp, pronounced the officer.
~ Is unfortunate, added the general;
WITHOUT that he would have made a
| splendid soldier -. ii,
Bancroche departed alone his heart full
OF sadness and feeling the flower of cour-
age and loyalty which had sprung up in
MN Wlther from lack Of notirishnient.
he reached the-farm where he was EN-
ployed without meeting anyone antl soinz
to the bed where he slept, he threw him.
self down and wept Internationally.
Some time after this &Banrrache was
employed on the farm of certain Benpit,
Welt-to-do farmer, who had very pref:
ty daughter named Mariette. Her white
teeth made q line of ivory behind two
rosy lips always parting in a smile. Her
ngure was dainty, her arms strong, her
feet untiriag; altogether she was the
picture of vigorous beauty. She might
have been Ceres of Rubens, in all the
strength and freshness of her 10 wears,
And, of course, Bancroche fell hadly in
love with her. She was not long in per-
ceiving her victory, and, as she was some
thing of coquette, she did ali she could
to encourage him. She was so good to
him, looked at him with eyes so sweet
and bright that the cripple was fred with
love and hope, letting himself dwell on
happy dreams of the future; i'll which he
saw himself departing. from the church
with Mariette, his wife, leaning on his
arm. He said many tender things to her,
and once, putting her mouth very close
to his ear, she had whispered: 'Bancro-
che, | love ynnp'
And after that, why not1 he had
cripple, bat he Invented thousand
reasons to persuade himself that this was
not an obstacle. In marrying one thinks
only of the qualities of the heart. He
h hsa fomf estt ssod bf family Red HI snd
was second to him in command at the
farm: All these things treasured him
and ne spoke to Benoit Of his hopes. To
his JOY, Benoit gave him his hand will
lingly and. said he would talk to his
daughter, who had just gone into the hay
field. Bancroche followed at a distance,
and himself unseen, watched the farmer
approach MAriette and address her in
low voice. Then. after moment he saw
ne her .t throw back her head with 2 peal Of
legs? And I would be Mime. Ban
croche? No! No! Mop
Poor Baneroche did not return until
evening, and then he took his place at
supper witleut noticing the sud looks of
Benoit, nor the naughty glances of Mari
cite, who was willing to be loved, but
d dagey 6h at h BE-, S,s cripple should have
= II understand, NJ. Benoit," he said, af-
ter supper; I'VE will say no more about it.
was wrong in forgetting my Leg" And
more than this he would not say, going
on with his work as usual, always brave,
sometimes sad, but never troubling eth
er father or daughter. And when; three
months after, Mariette married Sylvain
Gillet, proprietor Of the Cog. q Argent no.
tel, he assisted at the wedding and no
one noticed that his eyes were red
There was great excitement in the vii
lage of st. George. The Prussians were
coming. They had already occupied the
neighboring village. and twenty times an
hour each person looked anxiously down
the road to the forest, the direction from
winch the enemy was expected to come.
All the able-bodied men had gone to war,
trembled at the thought of being killed.
A. drinker and a braggart, deceitf,il and
wicked, he had made his wife terribly
unhappy, and Marietta, made wiser by
time, had often thought regretfuily Of
the honesty and Sweetness Of BAnrroehe.
Gillet knew that his tbwnspeoble looked
upon him lisnpprovihgly for remaining
50 quietly, at home, instead of going to
fight for his country, and he determined
to win, by one bold stroke, their appre-
citation and gratitude. So, taking a rife,
he hid hi mself in the bushes ut the road
side i'll the forest, and when the advance
guard passed he fired and killed one SOL
dier. The result of the deed was not
long delayed. Two hours afterward a
RUSSIAN battalion occupied the village
and the inhabitants, men and women.
were ordered to assemble in the public
square. In fairly plain French the COM
mandant addressed them:
=, One of you has shot one of our SOL
diers.' l. give you one hour to produce
the murderer. The village is surrounded
and no one can leave. If in an hour lie
assassin is not in my hands I will set
tre to your village at it's four corners.
Now 60 home. and at the first beat Of tho
drum come back here" = :.
Inc peasants turned away, asking each
other in frightened whispers who had
fired the shot. Bancroche entered fhe inn,
OF Cog d'Argent, and as soon as he saw
the white, fearful face of Gillet, he said,
brusquely:
1T was you"
interrupted him authoritatively: ~
Don't take the trouble to lie: it was
you."' -.~...srs - -. ~, ~ wac
Marietta and two or three others. who
heard his words, stopped in startled sur
prise. ~
What would they do to him if thew
knew ~ asked one. '
They would shoot him. And if they do
not know it they will burn the village"
All were silent. terrified, except Giilet
who cried, with chattering teeth:
I'm the name of the city, do not give
Wretch, would you have. us all
At this instant the drum sounded. .r
Listen, :" said Bancroche, rising, s'listcn
9 I moment 9, You, Sylvan Gillet. must
not die, for You have wife. But nei-
thers must the village be burned. / think
see way. Stay where. you are. Gillet.
and you others, swear to keep silent. i
will take care of the rest And they all
departed, leaving SGillet. ~z<"s - s.
WHO is jguilty?''' cried the officer, in
a terrible voice. :.