Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-07-04

OF proposing marriage, and suffered
untold pangs IL any one paid court TO
ner. AT first she laughed at me, but In
Few days seemed TO think my offer
not unworthy OF consideration. and for
my own part the fact that she was
quite ten years older than I'm nowise
changed the color OF my resolution.
had a fair field. The marked prefer
ence she showed for me sent the little
prince and Breitenstein into the bill
hard room half an hour after dinner.
whittier old Brelsewitz also betook
himself TO watch them play and swal-
low countless goblets OF mulled claret.
The charm OF our delightful tete-a-
tete goes without saying. but II was
too exquisite TO last. One morning the
marQuise tripped up TO Breisewitz and
myself as we sat in the breakfast room
slipping our cafe au lait" and held out
letter. IL was from her lawyer at
Lille. Important business relating TO
her property there demanded her i'm
mediate presence. She drove that Aft
ernoon to Amiens TO obtain from our
general II pass through the lines and.
returning 1T dusk. announced her de-
parture FOR Lille the next morning.
Never had she appeared more gracious
and amiable rs hostess than that day
at dinner. which l thought would new
er end and was glad when old Prosper
appeared with the coffee and Breise-
witz and the others went up stairs to
their everlasting billiards
AS soon as we were alone ! drew a
low stool close to her chair and. taking
her slim white hand in mine. poured in-
10 her ear 4 succession Of those well
worn platitudcs that seem so full OF
meaning To Us at the time we utter
them. / cannot recall-and there is un-
ailoyed pleasure in the thought-a hun
drcdth part of the nonsense | talked
that night. My wife i'm the sight Of
heaven. she should Ice 50 after the war
in the sight Of men. My father could
not refuse tlc prayer OF son who
came back to him with the cross OF
iron aud thc credit attaching to honor
able mention iu general orders.
Letting her hands rest on my shoul-
derS. she told me that she. too. saw but
one path iu life. the one She would
travel at my side. My country should
Ice her country. my people her people.
and 50 on. She only made one stipula-
tiOn. that she bc allowed To come to
France for a six weeks visit every sec
ond year. Rising, She went TO the
piano and. after preluding moment.
broke of into n charming little valSe
Of her own composition. l do not know
It's real name. nor am sure IL had one.
but rs she always played II when she
and q har D1,-.rs- M.
part IL was known in the regiment rs
la NalSc dcs AdleuX." Kottenkamn
had heard il. and SO had the other fel-
low. ana the one that came after him.
But, pShawi what was the use OF going
into thatF Ii was being played FOR me,
for me alone. and the sounds seemed
To get into the marrow OF my bones
and minEle with H.
Not until the small hours did my
charmer and / separate. Taking tiny
watch from her belt. she glanced at 1t.
Mon ami, IL is sweet 20 listen 10 YOU.
but the journey 10 Lille is long and 1
but poor. weak little woman. Au
revoir! Her head rested on my shoul-
der an instant while our lips met.
when. breaking from me before real
A~@NR " nat AsANl AbllDtlNAA. Slt WI gone.
| drew M armchair TO the window and
lighted Il final cigar, watching the biv-
Ouac fires beyond Fleurus. where our
"Feldwache" lay To their arms. I was
happy
The next morning | rode next her
carriage on its way TO the French lines.
taking with me a trumpeter and ser
geant carrying a white handkerchief
tied to the end of lance as n flag OF
truce. \ stan officer OF the French
met her at the OutpOsts. He turned
out TO be an old acquaintance, as she
told me, and | looked at him with en-
vious eyes as he took my place beside
the carriage and trotted along, chat
ting with her. on their way to the
quarter general"
We dined n little earlier that night at
the chateau, but a game OF cards, bac-
carat or macao, AS the Germans and
Italians call it, kept us up till past
midnight \ long ride in cold weather
and couple of bottles of wine at the
end OF il are worth all the sleeping po-
tiOns in the world. and my head hardly
touched the pillow that night before |
was asleep. | must have slept three or
four hours when found myself sitting
upright in bed. One, two. three shots
fired in rapid succession not Il quarter
of mile from the house and then a
volley. The sounds seemed to come
from the direction of Magny-le- Grand.
In an instant | had sprung out of bed
to light candles and tumble into my
clothes. Running TO the door l Stun
bled against my "BurSche." Max. only
half dressed. carrying my sword in one
hand and my boots I'm the other. His
eyes were starting out of his head
Herr Lieutenant. sic kommen?' he
gasped.
who's coming, idiot?" l asked.
Die Franzosen, Herr Lieutenant;
die FranZoscn."
'Well. let them come" said l little
angrily to steady him. Aren't we
ready for them, YOU donkeyY
BY this time the whole chateau was
in an uproar Lights flew from room
to room. and there was a great rushing
of feet on the stairwayS. Through the
open door | caught n glimpse OF old
BreisewitZ plunging down the stairs
fOnr at a timp Nbila mn KING fro M l..