Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-15
CHAPTER VIII.
A Peaceful Hour


The days and nights Of early September.
1870 were like perfect days and nights in
June when soft winds stir and the blue air
scintillates under the gemmed rays of the
SUM- The mornings were fresh and exouis
lite. the sunsets gorgeous, the midnight heay-
ems magnificent.
On the afternoon of the 13th Of Sentem-
Der, the day set by General Trochu for a
grand review Of the National and Mobile
guards, Bourke. returning from the city.
found Harewood writing his weekly
synopsis of the situation for the Boston
Tribune.
Hello" he said. looking up from his
desk easily, did YOU forward our mail mat
ter. Cecil?"
Bourke nodded and sat down on the bed.
Harewood. coat off, shirt sleeves rolled up.
relighted his pipe and continued writing.
When he had finished Bourke, lying on
the bed. was sleeping lightly, but he woke
as Harewood's chair scraped across the
floor.
Tired, Cecil?" asked Harewood.
"a little. walked from the Arc to the
Place de Ia Bastille."
"Whew!" exclaimed Hardwood. what
for. to see the review? Was 1t worth the
trouble!"
"Yes. There's bit Of excitement in the
city" yawned Bourke. sitting up. his eyes
still puckered by the light, his nair in dis
order
"That review" he continued, was sig
nifcant, Jim. I saw 100000 men in line
from the Arc to the Place dc Ia Bastilie, all
bawling the 'Marseillaise.' and all of them
nothing but National Guards and Mobiles
They made great deal of noise"
WAS it impressive" asked Harewood.
They made q great deal of noise," re-
peated Rourke.
"Oh!"
"Ihey are not regulars, Of course. don't
know what they can do. It was queer not
to see the uniforms everybody expected to
see in review in Paris-the cuirassiers.
you know-and the rest. The people are
acting foolishly. anyway. think. They're
stark mad over the new republic. They're
changing the names of the streets, too. The
Rue Bonaparte is now the Rue de Peuple.
the Place Royale is the Place de vosges-O.
the whole business is too childish--too
grotesque! Think of wasting time and
energy in such foolish occupations. with a
couple Of hundred thousand German soldiers
heaven knows how close to the gates!
Why, Jim, they have even scratched the i'm
perial N from the bridges. and the public
buildings. and have painted Liberty, Equal
ity, Fraternity over everything. Victor
Hugo and Edgar Quintet are dancing can
cans on the ramparts. hurling odes and lyrics
at the Prussians! Think how Moltke must
grin! But their crowning madness has just
been accomplished. In spite of the governor
of Paris and the minister of war. they have
decreed that all officers of Mobiles shall be
elected by their own soldiers! What fright
full Stupidity"
what became Of the Mobiles and Ma
tional Guard? Gone to the forts?'
"Some-the Mobiles. The others are scat
tered. They are to police the city and
ramparts. fancy we'n have a few here
soon. Today the sixty nine gates Of the
city and all the railroad tunnels have been
closed until the siege ends. They're estab-
fishing drawbridges over the moats. 1
tried to cable that, but the censor cut It
ont. BY the way, eighty odd words Of your
Tuesday dispatches were cut out, too. Don't
swear, jim"
Harew0od began to qualify the censor
with such energy that Bourke. unable to
control his laughter, went into his own room
and shut the door.
"Predestined IDIOT" muttered Harewood,
scowlfng at his manuscript. Now ! sup
pose he'll also cut this to suit his own de-
graded intelligence" He showed back his
chair and looked out Of the window, sulky.
impatient. little wrathful at Bourke's
amusement. For he cared a great deal
about his work. He labored faithfully to