The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-02-11
suspecting husband! She had twenty
lovers TO my knowledge, and he never

SsA1spSStiHs HusDdAu: one nau twenty
knew it, p : = =. !: =.
II had scarcely finished speaking, when
STRIPPING soldier quilted his comrades
and advanced toward me-. His face was
as white as.a sheet. His emotion was so
great that he trembled as he walked
with his saber Gathering ut his heels
When he reached our table, he glared at
me for moment with wild yet indie
cisiye eyes, and then raised his hand to
strike me. There was a hurried move
diers around leaped upon him and held
ms hand. he struggled for moment,
then was calm. Still gazing ut me, he
said, in a choking voice:
She is my mother
I'm a moment l realized the hideous in
suit had offered him. / tinglcd with
shame. What could have possessed me
ticer or. gentleman would ever speak i'll of
WOman-least of all in public.
Let him go! | cried to the soldiers
rose, removed my cap, and, bowling
said: 80
position"
cat this moment the whistle of the ap-
preaching train was heard. My friend
grasped my arm and dragged me to the
for Lille. VIZ ''"'
As soon as 1 could do so, I fastened
to the general commanding our division.
told him all. AS you may imagine, he
reprimanded me severely.
What: said he, AN officer of your
rank to. babble thus in public, like Il raw
BOY just out of the military school? 1t
is the fault of the war department They
should not promote men so young as you
to positions of Importance
Il privately thought that if l had been
a general, the affair would have been
the same. But l so richly merited his
severe language that l did not reply.
| propose to doY
There is but one course open to me,
general ! replied. 4 have grievously
offended this young man. l have there
fore placed myself at his disposition. We
must fight
| cannot go upon the field with a private
soldier
General, you must allow me to say
that there are certain insults so grave
that military usage must yield to them
Grant me permission to do this
But | cannOt-I have no right to do
"Then telegraph the minister of war
:. .Ht,, Wil / refuse fuss 10 ~, ~ ,u
"Cl IL tudl Uc tuc CdSc, L SUdll
notify, George de Ferisset, and we will
fight in Belgium
Then you desert?'
Yes, general, I will desert, and then
| return for my punishment l have once
dlshonored myself in publicly insulting
a woman; I shall not again do so in re-
fusing satisfaction to her son.
The generals perplexity and anger be-
gan to pass away; he seemed moved. He
strobe up and down the room for some
| moments, and finally, turning to me- said:
Be it so: DO as you will. Bear in
mind, though that I know nothing of
this affai r-this conversation has not tax
Ell place
Il thanked him, and repaired to my
quarters. That evening De Ferisset's sec
onds arrived. They were civilians, as
were also the two friends whom named
to arrange matters with them. The
weapon chosen was the sword; the hour,
3, o'clock the following morning; the
place, little village just within the Bel
that night, for had determined to offer
but sight defense
AT the appointed hour the next day
we were there. 1t was raw, drizzly
morning, and the mud was ankle deep.
De Ferisset appeared in uniform. One
OF my seconds remarked that he, like
the rest Of us, should have come as a
civilian. He replied that he had been
lnsulted as man and soldier, and that
| reparation was due to him as such. l
made sign to my second, and he did not
insist.
I'VE took our places. 1t was a curious
spectacle-a private soldier in his uniform
facing his superior officer in mufti
The swords were crossed The wor!
was given. l watched his face with u
feverish curiosity. In his eyes there was
| the same glare of the day before, the
same indecision. Suddenly a strange
smile appeared upon his lips-the smile of
a broken heart-a smile | shall never for
get though | live hundred years. Quick
as a flash, he abandoned his guard, and
grasplng my sword with his left hand, he
hurled himself upon. it. 1t ran him
through the body. Uttering hoarse cry
ne fell backwards; bloody foam tinged
his pale lips. A convulsive shudder ran
oyer his body-another-then a groan.
listened with horror to his story. He
noticed my looks. but went doggedly on
"Of course had not killed him had
even resolved not to defend myself; and l
mitted a crime. When / think of that
poor boy-loyal to his mother. bad though
she Was-slain in the first flush of youth,
l feel like an assassin. And think of
that wretched mother! How she must
mourn her brave boys fall!'
1t was growing late; the people were
pouring out of the cafes concerts. Nov
ana then passerby would hum over the
latest comic song. Strange contrast! The
1Ollles OF the song mingled with the words
OF the somber drama just unroled befor,
me. Gustaye walked on by my side, with
bent. head, crushed by the weight of his
| tragic story.
And still the Champs Elysees swarmeG
with people. Around lis was the intense
life of summer night in frivolous Paris
| On the avenue were innumerable car
riages, and all around gayly dressed
loungers on the iron chairs.
AS my eye: roamed over them, 1 saw
one group, the center of which was d
woman Of As, but still very beautiful
She was dressed richly and taStefuily
and bore in her hand bouquet which!
a Sinking dandy had just presented tc
| her. L could not repreSS an exclamation
Gustave followed my eyes.
"What!' he cried, lit cannot be shc?'
Ferisset." Adapted for the Argonaut
from the French of Albert Delpit.
The Artist and His Work.
The life of painter, above all of a
portrait-painter, is one long succession OF
such problems, varying with the nature
of the subject in kind and degree of diff
Guilty. 1t follows naturally that his pro
cesses must vary. too, requiring Longer
or shorter time in the working-out, fol
which no infallible rule will serve him
In mechanical labor the rate of the ma
chimes pulse may be gagged with GER
tainty, the moment of completion accu
rately fixed beforehand. But it is not sc
in art. There, all depends upon condi
tons that seem to be hourly changing
The mood of the artist; his distrust of the
scheme attempted, or his entire confidence