The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-01-27
fr-M-tlEnt his shonlder blades stooa or

~ N'h S't, Viz lCllOWy W ttll
his mouth full
could have been Of use to you, would not
have thrown it away"
There's 10 harm DONE" replied the
soldier Pm net so particular"
"All the same, " said the gentleman, sit
was stupid of ne, and l am sorry fer it
But you ustn't carry away Rad oEin.
ion Of me- and us have some good cCrnac
in my flask Iar5aeu! Wen drain it to
gcthcr.
The man had finished eating The duke
ard he drank swallow. The ucquaint
ancc Was an accomplished fact.
And your Ean:c:"
"Hardimont, replied the duke, sup,
pressing title and particle. And you?''
Jean Victor. I've only lately been
transferred to This company. I'm Just
out of the ambulance. WAS wounded al
Chatillon. All, was well off at the hos
pital What good horse meat broth they
give you there! But it was only IA scratch.
The major sigICd my dismissal, and here
am The starving begins again, for,
believe mo if you like, comradc, I've been
hungry all my born days"
The speech startled the voluptuary, who
had surprised himself n moment before,
regrctting the cuisine Of the Cafe Anglais.
T he duke gazcd at his companion in hor
ror stricken amaZcment. The soldier
smiled awkwardly, showing his w0lfish
teeth, white in the midst of his earthly
face, and as if he understood that a con
fidcnco was expected of him. Held, he
said, suddenly c@asing to "thCc" and
thou" his comratlc, guessing him to be
rich ard Fortunate hold, let us walk up
and down Il bit to war2i our foot, and
fill tell you things ycu probably never
keard before My name is Jcan-Victor
.-Jean-Vi:tor, and nothing further, for
| am foundling My only happy men,
cries are those of my earliest childhood,
in the hospice. Tho sheets We're white
OIL our little beds in the dormitory, VIC
played under big trees in the garden, and
| there was CEe sister, quite young, as pale
! as wax taper-shc was dying of con-
sumption-whoSc pet / was. l liked to
walk with her better than to play with
the other children, because she used to
press me against her skirt and put her
thin, hot hand on my brow. But mt II,
after my first communion, the wretched-
ness began.
"The administration had put me out to
| apprenticeship at chair seater's of the
Faubourg St. Jacques. It's no trade ut
| all, you know-out of the question to
make ones living at it; the proof of that
| Ia that usually the patron could only Sc
| cure as apprentices the poor wretches from
| the blind school. There is where began
to starve. The master and his wife-thcy
| were aftcrward murdered-wCre terrible
misers, and the brcad-you got bit cut
| off for you at each meal-staid under lock
and key the rest of the time. And in the
| evening, at supper, you should have seen
/ the missis, in her frowsy black cap, serv-
| ing out the soup to us and hcaying sigh
| every time she dipped the ladlc into the
turcen. The two other apprentices from
| the blind asylum were less miserable than
| |. They got no more than l but, at least,
they couldn't see the rcproachful glare of
the old witch as she held out my plate to
| Eie-and the worst was l already had my
| huge appetite Was it any fault of mine?
l starved there rs apprentice for three years
three ycurS!-you can learn the trade in
month, but the administration can't
| know everything and doesn't suspect that
the children arc being exploited. All, you
are surprised to see me pick bread up out
of the mud! I'm used to it, I've picked
many n crust out of the garbage heaps,
!
soak all night in my washbowl. Some
times there were finds, to bc sure, half
nibbled buns from schoolboys' baskcts-l
| used to hang around the schools when on
errands. And, then, when the apprentice
ship was over, there was the trade that,
| rs told you, doesn't half feed its man
| Oh, 1 tried other things, l warrant you
| put my heart into my work. I've been
shopboy, mason's boy, floor polishcr-
| God knows what! Bah! One day the
work would give out, the next I'D lose my
| place In short, l never ate my fill-thIn-
| der, what fortunes I've felt passing n bak-
cry! Luckily for ne, at such moments !
always remembered the good sister ut the
| hosIicc who SO often told me TO be honest,
and thought | felt her hot hand Oh my
| forehead. Finally, at Is, l enlisted. You
! know as we'll as i the trooper gets rarely
! enough Now-it's almost laugEablC--
here come siege and faminc You see, |
wasn't lying just now when told you
I'd always been hungry"
The young duke was good hearted. Tic
| terrible confession, made by fellow nan,
| by soldier whose uniform made him his
| equal, moved him deeply Fortunately
| for his clubman reputation for sang frcid
| the night W ind dried III his eyes something
| that threatened to dim them. jean Vic
tor" he said, ''if we both survive this ter
rjblc war, We :hall meet agcin, and l hope
| to be of Sonic Use to you. But for the
| present, as there Is no baker on tho out
pests but the corporal, and as my ratiCn
of bread is twice the size of my appetite,
| YOU as conradc must share with MO
| That's settled"
Tic two men shook hands heartily;
I Al eli 4 Z. ~
were worn out by long hours ard constant
skirmishing, they ru-cntercd the tavern
where dozen soldiers were lying C;i
| straw. Throwing themselves down sid"
| by side they sank into !; heavy sleep.
Toward midnight Jean Victor awoke
hungry probably The wind had swert
away the clouds, and "a mConbcam, slip
! ping through Il hole in the roof, lay On tie
fair hair of the young duke, slumhcring
like Endyniun Still overcome at his
comrades kindness Jean Victor was gaz
ing at him with half admiration, when
| the sergeant opened the door and called
tho five men whose turn it was to rrlicN e
the scntincls of the OUTPOST. The duke
was among them, but ko did not wake
| when mis- Fame was called.
Hardimunt!" repeated the sergeant
"If you've no objection, sergeant, said
Jean Victor, rising, III take his place
He is sleeping so well, ard hes my COM
radc."
'As you please"
And when the five men were gone the
snoring began again.
UoIf an hrur Inter shots hastv and roar
at hand were heard. In Il second every
man was on his feet. The soldiers left the
tavern stopping cautiously, their fingers
nm their tr;ronrS ,cCriuy down tho ,o,d
white in tho roonliuLt
,tRnt What tine Is its Iw,s on dirty
tonight" said the duke
Some one 1eplird. Jean Victor went in