The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-01-27
A CRUST OF BREAD.

The young Due de Hardimont was in
| AK, in Savoy, for the treatment of his
| famous mare, Perichole, used up since tho
cold she had taken at the Derby. He was
| finishing luncheon, when, casting Il care
| less glance at the paper, he read the news
| OF tho disaster of Rcichshoffen.
He drained his glass of chartrcusc,
| flung his napkin on the restaurant table,
| and gave his valet orders to pack. Two
| hours later he took the Paris express and
on arriving fastened to the recruiting
office and enlisted.
In spite of having led from 10 to 25
| life of dissipation, remembering that
Engucrraud dc Hardimont had died OF the
plague in Tunis on the same day lis st.
| Louis; that Jean de Hardimont had con-
| mandcd the Grandcs compagnics under
| Du Guesclin, and that Francois Henri de
| Hardimont was killed at Fontenay, charg
| ing with the Maison-Rouge, tho young
| duke on learning that battle had been
| lost by tho French on French soil felt his
| blood rush TO his head and experienced the
| hideous impression of blow in the face.
Thus it was that early in November Of
1870, having returned to Paris with his
regiment belonging to the VinOy corps,
Henri de Hardimont, fusiliGer in the Third
Of the Second and member of the Jockey,
was on guard with his company before
the redoubt of the Hautes Bruyeres, a
hastily fortified position, protected by tho
guns of the Bicctre fort.
1t was an i'll looking spot-a road plant
ed with saplings, cut up by muddy ruts
crossing the leprous fields of the suburb,
and ON this roadside an abandoned tavern,
q cabaret with arborS, where the soldiers
had established their post. There had
been fighting here few days before The
grapeshot had broken in two some Of tho
srindling trees, all of which bore on their
bark the white scars of the shot. AS for
the house, the look Of it made one shud
der. The roof had ca, led in under shell,
and the reddish walls seemed smearcd
with blood. The overturned summer
houses; the Quilted shooting gallery; the
swing with its wet ropes creaking in tho
wind, and the signs near the door scratch
ed by bullets" a bsinth,' ''VermCth,"
'Wine at 60 Confines a Liter''-which
framed a dead rabbit, painted above two
billiard cues tied crosswise by ribbon
everything recalled with cruel irony tho
popular amuscments of bygone Sundays,
and over all this an ugly winter sky, COW
erred with rolling, lcaden clouds - low,
angry, hateful.
At the tavern door tho young duke
stood motionlcss, his chasscpot slung over
his shoulder, his KEPT showed down on his
eyes, his nuulbed hands in the pockets of
his red trousers, shivcring under his
sheepskin. Yielding himself up to his
sombcr rcycrie, the soldier of defeat gaZcd
with hcartbroken eyes at the slopes, half
hidden in fog, whence rose every second
minute with sullen detonation the white
Ball of smoke of a Krupp gun.
Suddenly he discovered he was hungry.
Kneeling, he drew from his haversack,
lying against the wall near by, big
hunch of army bread. Having lost his
knife, he used his teeth and took bite.
But few mouthfuls were enough. The
bread was hard and bitter. There would
DO no fresh supply till tomorrow, if then.
Allons! soldering was not all play. And
unfortunately at this moment suddenly
he was wildly reminded of what he used
to call his hygienic breakfasts, when ON
the morning following n supper of n heat
ing nature he used to seat himself near a
ground floor window of the Cafe Anglais
and order, mon Dicu! the lightcst farc-a
chop, an asparagus Omelet-and tho wait
or, knowing bis habits, cautiously I'M
corkcd u slim bottle of old Leoville COM
fortably lying in its basket
Good old daysl He would never, never
get used to this pauper's fare. And in
moment of impatience the young man
tossed the rest of his bread into the mud.
At the same instant n soldier stepped
out of tho tavern. STOPPING, he picked
the bread up, walked short distance,
wiped it on his sleeve and began devour-
ing it grcedily. Henri dc Hardimont, al
ready ashamed of his fastidousncss, looked
pityingly at tho poor devil who showed
such good appetite. He was long,
lank, i'll built young fellow, with fever
J I.llowed. GIGS md hOsnjtal beard and so