St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-05-10
INDICATED.

When NJ. de Bossue returned to the
court in France he was most coldly re-
ceived The king refused to see him, and
the kings courtiers were quite uncivil
At his sweetheart's house, in the Rue
des 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 hin, and none accorded
him the explanation 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 a 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 long,
disfguring scar told where a saber had
cut deep.
He left the mirror and sat down de-
jectedly. II am grown ugly" he said
land poor, and therefore they shun
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
Vaudreuil, But all this. he told him
self, "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 COM
ing-he, too, is gone, for | have sold
him No 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
hand-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 discomfort
ed with his work M. lie Comte de la
Puysaye returned to France and to the
court. He gained prestige at Mines
de Boufess', De Chauvelni's, De Sur
CERES and Luxembourg asked new
service of the king. and solicited 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 way2"
His face clouded when he heard the
story, for he was a brave man himself
"a coward" he cried "Impossibler'
But. yes, said his informer. 1--WE
repeat only what the reports said-re-
ports which were sent to the king d.
rect. M. 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 cowardl" cried the count
"He must have changed greatly, then
May not these reports have been false?"
"Well, the marshal himself - and
80 on. La Puysaye heard the story re-
peated score of times, and found that
the mention of Bossue's name brought
forth only curses or reproaches. He
ended by renouncing him.
But, )" he said to himself one day,
81 cant forget him. loved him well,
and believe | love him still Very
well, | shall allow myself this little &C.
centricity-that of loving dishonored
wretch. Bossue remains my friend and
of all the world | alone shall recall him
with something other than disdain. "
He hung the dead mans portrait on
his wall once more. But the portrait
was an old one and no longer resem-
bled anybody La Puysaye discontent-
ed, wished for some other souvenir
something which Bossue had used. He
thought of the horse Where is he
now2 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-a
curious beast, of dark yellowish color,
the product of q cross between a 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 it,
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, Bossues 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
name and those eyes dark, cold. clear
and fixed, that made one uneasy
"Strange ANIMAL" thought La Puy.
saye
He had it fed, groomed and saddled
and set out for Paris at rather halt
ing gallop Much fatigued, he arrived
at length But tired as he was there
was to be little rest for him. A note
from the bureau of war awaited him,
informing him that his request for q
regiment had been granted; that il
was to be known as the Grenadiers Puy.
save. and that ha mnsf inin Il nnar Fri