The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-03-16
INDICATED.

When Nj. de Bossue returned to the
court in France he was most coldly re-
ceiyed The king refused to see him, and
the king e courtiers We're quite uncivil
AT his sweetheart house in the Rue
DIES Saints Peres, the door was closed in
his face He was filled with astonish-
ment and grief both of which were in
creased when he went to see his friends
All looked askance at him, few deigned
even to speak to him. and none accorded
him the explanation he sought
Too proud to question strangers and
vet sensitive enough to suffer keenly
under the treatment he had received,
he went to his room to brood alone.
There was IA mirror here. and in this
ne 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 duh and
sad while across his left cheek a long
disfiguring scar told where a saber had
cut deep
He left the mirror and sat down de
jectpdly II am grown ugly. he said
and poor and therefore they shnn
me He thought of his life, offered to
his country and to glory, of his hard
campaigns in America and the Indies
of the famous battles in which he had
done his part under Montcalm and
Naudreuil But all this, he told him
a. l.;
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 com
ing-he. too, is gone, for have sold
him No nothing is left to me-
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 pre-
crastinate His pistol lay ready to his
hand-one shot and the deed was done
AT court they said m. 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 discomfort
ed with his work NJ lie Comte de la
Puysaye returned to France and to the
court He gained prestige at Mines
de Boufless De Chauyelni 8, De Sur
CERES and Luxembourg asked new
service of the king and solicited a regi-
ment He called himself a friend of
Bossue Poor fellow he said.
"Only 80 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 "Impossiblel =
But yes said his informer. I'VE
repeat 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 n coward T. cried the count
He must have changed greatly. then.
May not these reports have been false?'
We'll. the marshal himself - and
SO on La Puysaye heard the story re-
peated score of times. and found that
the mention of Bossues name brought
forth only curses or reproaches He
ended by renouncing him.
But. he said to himself one day.
al can forget him loved him well,
and | believe | love him still Very
,,,u | .bn11 =, Il..,,, ,nv.o1f HI, I;++lc ma
eentricity--that of loving a dishonored
wretch Bossue remains my friend, and
of all the world alone shall recall him
with something other than disdain.
He hung the dead man : portrait on
his wall once more But the portrait
was an old one and no longer resem-
bIed anybody LA Puysaye, discomfort
ed wished for some other souvenir
something which Bossue had used He
thought of the horse where is he
now? They tell me that he sold him
That horse carried poor Bossue for ten
years | must find him
Once. while his friend still served
with him he had seen the horse IA
curious beast of dark yellowish color
the product of cross between Span
ish barb and an Indian pony. He was
able to furnish descriptions of the ami
NAL to certain men whom he sent in
search Of il
The men were away three months
One day La Puysaye received notice
that horse answering to the descrip
ton given had been found in field in
Artois He went to the place and
bought the animal at once 1t was in
deed, Bossue extraordinary beast the
friend of his friend old and thin worn
by the hard service before the pillow and
the i'll treatment of the farm hands
There were the white legs. still fine as
those Of racer the long black tail and
nane and those eyes dark, cold. clear
and fixed that made one uneasy
Strange animal Thought La Puy
mye
He had il fed grooIned and saddled
and sci ont for Paris at Il rather halt
ing gallop Much tatigued he arrived
at length Bnt tired az he was there
was to be little rest for him A note
from the bureau OF war awaited him.
Informing him that has request for
regiment had been granted that il
was TO be known as the Grenadiers Puy
'aye. and that he must join ii near Fri
bourg as soon as possible Taking hard
~ time for the writing OF letter and
the saying of an adi,D. he departed for
that place md gratifying his own wish