The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1899-02-07

NACA tue ilkliE IdflSlduS G0LeTeu
they were greeted with shouts of Joy.
They delivered their papers to the en-
envy. They were given wine to drink
that their tongues might be loosened.
The large boy amused them by his odd
language and his lowwit. They laughed
boisterously. repeating his express
sions, fairly rolling in the Partisan
mire that was thus brought to them.
Little Stenne would have liked 10
talk, too, TO show that he was not
stupid, but something seemed to choke
him. In front of him, standing apart
from the others, was an old Prussiau
who seemed to be trying to read his
thoughts, as the soldiers eyes never
left his face. There were tenderness
and reproach in the gaze, as If the man
had boy about Stenne's age, and as
10 be weuld have said:
II would rather die than see my
Eon IN snch business!" aH
The poor boy felt as If a hand
elutehed his heart so that ii could no
longer beat. To escape from his tongue
he drank a great deal of wine. Soon
everything seemed TO be going round
and round. In the distance he heard
his companion ridicule the national
guard, mimicking their drill and GO
ing through other droliery. At last the
boy lowered his voice, the officers clus-
tered around him and their faces be-
came serious. The wretch was about
TO forewarn them of the attack to be
made that night. Stenne suddenly re-
siized what was going on and called
out:
mot thstl Not that."
The large boy replied with loud
laugh and went on. Before he had fin
ished al the officers were on their feet.
One of them showed the door to the
boys and exclaimed:
Leave at once"
Once outside. the boys began TO run
TO get back as soon as possible. Their
sacks were filed with potatoes which
the Prussians had given them; they
passed the French post without being
moiested- There everything was be-
ing got in readiness for the night at
tack. Troops arrived silently and
iuassed themselves behind the bank.
How happy the old sergeant seemed as
he placed his men!- When the boys
passed he recognized them and smiled
kindly AT them. E u'
Oh. how that smile hurt little Stenne!
He wanted to cry out:
Don't go down there; you have been
betrayed"
The older boy had said to him: "It
you tell we shall be shot," so he was
afraid. On reaching the city they went
into deserted house to divide their
money. This was honestly done. and
when little Stenne heard his gold pieces
rEttling in his blouse and thought of
the games and galoche in store for him
his crime did not seem so very serious.
But when he was alone, poor child!
When the large boy had left him out
eide his door, then his pockets began to
feel heavy, and the hand which held his
heart frightened its grasp. Paris no
longer seemed the same place. People
passing looked hard at him, as if they
knew where he had been. He heard
the word spy" in the noises of the
street, in the beating of the drums
along the canal. He entered the house.
and WAS glad that his father had not
yet returned. He went at once to his
room and hid the crowns, which were
SO heavy. under his pillow.
His father had never seemed so kind
, and so cheerful as on this particular
evening.
Encouragingnew from the provinces
had been received, things looked
brighter. While eating his supper, the
old soldier looked at his gun hanging
on the wall, and said to Stenne, with
bis honest laugh: Hey, my boy, how
you would fight the Prussians if you
were only big enough" -
About eight o'clock they were startled
by the sound of cannon. THAT is at
Auberrillers; they are fighting at
Bourget," said the good man, who
knew the names of all the forts. Little
stenne grew pale, aud, pretending to he
tired. went to bed, but not to sleep.
The eannonade continued. The boy
pictured to himself the French soldiers
going at night to surprise the Prussians
and falling into an ambuscade. He
thought of the sergeant who had smiled
upon him, and saw him stretched out
dead in the snow, and many, many
others with him. The price of all this
blood was hidden there under his pill
low, and it was he, the son Of a soldier.
who He stified his sobs. He
heard his father walking about in the
next room, and. at last, open a window.
Down below in the square the call to
arms was sounded, and a regiment was
forming to march to the scene of the
firing. 1t was a battle, then; the mis-
cradle boy could no longer restrain his
sobs.
What is the natter" asked Pere
Stcnne, going into the room. The child
cid out of bed and threw himself at his
fathers feet. At the motion the
crowns rolled out on the floor. i,
what is this? Have you been steal
iug?" said the old man in trembling
voice.
Then, in breath, little Stenne told
him tina; he had been to the Prussian
camp. and that they had given him the
money. As he talked his heart grew
lighter, and he felt comforted. His ia