Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-23
Have you been up NIL night?" asked
the boy.
Eyes; but It has been short, very
short Sleep again, my chicken. 1t is
yet early"
And he went out to fetch more fuel.
CHAPTER ".
BLESSED is HE THAT pEr.rEyErH.

silce the Gay DeTofe. neld his head
high, talked in full, sonorous voice
and ate greedily of all the viands offer
ed him. AT his side was basin of
soup, from which he took a deep draft
now and again as he watched the fin
gers of the German, who sat on the
mud floor before him mendng the bot.
tom of a chair.
Presently he looked out, where. in
the afternoon sunshine, q few half
grown ostriches might be seen wander
ing listlessly about, and then he locked
In again at the little whitewashed
room and at Lyndull, who sat in the
doorway looking ut a book. Then he
raised his chin and tried to adjust an
imaginary shirt collar. Finding none,
he smoothed the little gray fringe at
the back of his head and began:
you are q student of history. l per-
ceive, my friend, from the study of
these volumes that lie scattered about
this apartment This fact has been
made evident to me-
"Well-a little-perhaps-it may be-"
said the German meekly.
Being a student of history, then"
said Bonaparte. raising himself loftily,
you will doubtless have heard of my
great. of my celebrated, kinsman, Ma
poleon Bonaparte?'
Eyes, yes,' said the German, look
ing up.
Il. SIR" said Bonaparte, was born n,
this hour on an April afternoon three
and fifty years ago. The nurse. sir
she was the same who attended whcr
the Duke of Sutherland was born
brought me to my mother There Is
only one name for this child she said.
He has the nose of his great kinsman,'
and so Eonaparte Blenlins became my
name Bonapartes Blenliins. Yes, SIR"
said Bonaparte, there is stream on
my maternal side that connects me
with stream on his maternal side."
The German made sound of aston
tshment.
'The connection. said Bonaparte,
as one which could. not be easily COM
pretended by one unaccustomed to the
study of aristocratie pedigrees, but the
connection Is close.1
us it pessible?' said the German,
pausing IN Isis wasks with much interest
and establishment. Napoleon an Irish.
man."
"Tes.' said Bonaparte, ION the moth
ers side, and that is how we are re-
lated. There wasn't man to beat
him." said Bonaparte, stretching him
self, mot Il man. except the Duke of
Wellington. And It's strange coinci-
dence." added Bonaparte. bending for
ward, but he was connection of
mine. His nephew, the Duke of We'll
lington's nephew, married cousin of
mine. She was a woman! See her ut
one of the court balls-amber satin,
daisies in her hair! Worth going a
hundred miles to look at her! Often
seen her there myself. slr!"
The German moved the leather
thongs in and out and thought of the
strange vicissitudes of human life
which might bring the kinsmen Of
dukes and emperors to his humble
ROOM
Bonaparte appeared lost among old
memories.
"Ah, that Duke of wellington's
nephewE he broke forth suddenly.
"Many's the joke I've had with him.
Often came TO visit me at Bonaparte
Hall. Grand place had then-park,
conservatory, servants. He had only
one fault that Duke of Wellington's
nephew" said Bonaparte. observing
that the German was deeply interested
in every word. HE was coward,
what you might call coward. You've
never been in Russia, suppose?" said
Bonaparte, fixing his crosswise looking
eyes on the Germans face.
mo, no. said the old man humbly.
France, England. Germany little in
this country-it is all have travelled"
81, my friend" said Bonaparte, "have
been In every country in the world and
speak every civilized language except
ing only. Dutch and German. 1 wrote
book of my travels-noteworthy Incl
dents. Publisher got it--cheated me
out of 1t. Great rascals. those publish
ers! Upon one occasion the Duke Of
Wellington's nephew and We're trav-
cling in Russia. All of a sudden one
of the horses dropped down dead as n
doornail. There we were-cold night
snow four feet thick-great forest-one
horse not being able to move sledge-
night coming on-wolves.,
"'Spree!' says the Duke of yelling
toms nephew.
Spree, do you call itY says 1. Look
OUT
There, sticking out under bush.
was nothing less than the nose of n
bear. The Duke of Wellingtons neph-
ew was up a tree like shot. stood
quietly on the ground. as cool rs |
am this moment. loaded my gun and
climbed up the tree. There was only
one bough.
".Bon.' said the Duke of yelling
toms nephew, you'd better sit in
'front.'
",All right said l.. but keep your
gun ready There are more coming
He'd got his face buried in my back.
How many are there? said he.
-Four said l.
"'How many are there nowY said
he.