The Ely miner., 1899-03-08
BOSSue'S VindiCatiOn
How g Charger Sustained His Dead
Masters Honor

WHEN NJ. de Bossue R. returned to to
coldly received. The king refused to
see him and the kings courtiers were
quite uncivil. At his sweetheart's s
house, in the Rue des Saints Peres, the
door was closed in his face. He was
filled with astonishment and grief, both
of which were increased when he went
to see his friends. All looked askance
at him, few deigned even to speak to
him, and none accorded him the eXpla-
nation he sought.
Too proud to question strangers, and
Yet sensitive enough to suffer keenly
under the treatment he had received, he
went to his room to brood alone.
There was mirror here, and in this
he surveyed himself. The hardships of
war had deprived him of his good looks;
his face was drawn and haggard, his
skin wrinkled; his eyes were dull and
sad; while across his left cheek a long,
disfguring scar told where saber had
cut deep.
He left the mirror and sat down de-
jectedly. 81 am grown ugly" he said,
''and poor, and therefore they shun
me- He thought of his life, offered to
his country and to glory; of his hard
campaign in America and the Indies;
of the famous battles in which he had
done his part under Montcalm and Vau-
dreuil-"but all this he told himself,
has been in vain. The king, my love,
my friends, they are none of them left
to me. The only faithful one of them
all-my horse, who used to- lick my
hand and neigh gladly at my coming
he, too, is gone, for 1 have sold him.
No one-nothing is left to mel"
One black thought was succeeded by
another, and his gloom and melancholy
increased till life seemed but burden
to be got rid of. He was a man of
promptitude and decision, and, having
come to this conclusion, he did not pro-
crastinate. His pistol lay ready to- his
Eand-one shot and the deed was done.
At court they said IN. de Bossue had
the fever Weeks and months passed,
and they spoke of him no more.
But there remained to Bossue an old
time friend. After serving in Spain for
some ten years, and growing discon-
tented with his work, NJ. lie Comte de la
Puysaye returned to France and to the
court. He gained prestige at Mesdames
de Bufess', de Chauvelins de Surgere's S
and Luxembourg asked new service
of the king, and solicited regiment.
He called himself friend of Bossue's.
Poor fellow!" he said; "only 30 years
old. What could have made him leave
US in that way?"
His face clouded when he heard the
story, for he was brave man himself.
a coward!" he cried; 'impossible!"
''But yes!" said his informer; 1--WE re-
peat only what the reports said-re-
ports which were sent to the king di-
rect. NJ de Bossue, it seems, disliked
the enemy too greatly-so much so, in
fact, that he could never bring himself
to approach him."
"Bossue a coward!" cried the count /;
she must have changed greatly, then.
May not those reports have been false p
well. the marshal himself" and so
on. La Puysaye heard the story re-
peated a score of times, and found that
fbe mention of Bossue's name brought
forth only curses or reproaches. He
ended by renouncing him.
But" he said to himself one Gay, 81
can't forget him. loved him well, and
believe L love him still. Very well, !
shall allow myself this little eccen-
tricity-that of loving a dishonored
wretch. Bossue remains my friend,
ant of all the world l alone shall recall