Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-12-07
THE LITTLE
MADEMOlSELLE.
A SAD END TO AN
AFFAIR OF LOVE.

me what she knew of little Lieutenant
Yves Barnabe de Pelven, whose chum
/ had been at St Cyr and whom had
never seen after we left the college.
1t was in 1871. Our regiment was
then at the village of =, a few
miles from the provisional frontier.
The town lay in the midst of IA forest
and had been partly destroyed during
the war. We lived in wooden barracks
that had been built by the Germans
Not far away was the line of black
and white posts that marked the pro-
visional frontier, and 1t was one of our
pastimes to ride out to them. The
young officers dreamed of nothing but
the chance of provoking frontier con-
tiict. Some made targets of the point
ed helmets found and brought in by
the peasants, arranging matters so as
to be seen by the German Sentinels;
others galloped wildly across the line
and back again.
One of them, however, Yves de Pei
ven de Kerdec, took no share In these
pleasantries When he was asked to
join in, he would shrug his shoulders
softly and murmur, "Childishness"
He was left to do as he pleased. No
one cared. Only after awhile we dis
covered that he was accustomed to
take long solitary rides at night and in
a direction that did not lead to France!
We began to watch him more from GU
riosity than from suspicion. | my
self, | confess. was drawn toward him
by this original and mysterious mode
of existence.
He was then a slight, blond, pale
youth, feminine of features, all nerve
and muscle tireless fearless, silent.
He was liked by the men, although
they were trifie jealous of that indie
Unable superiority which marked his
breeding. Some of the old veterans of
swarthy skin and voice loved him in
spite of his refinement They called
him mile. de Pelven," or 1.-The little
mademoiselle."
With five years of service to his cred
it he had still the air of young con-
script. His voice was gentle. | never
heard him yell or curse the men or
horses. At 10 he had received deco
ration for distinguished bravery at Re-
Zonville.
He had his lodgings outside of town
in solitary cottage, surrounded by
rOsebushes and cedars he and his
dogs Finaud and Tigresse, great
Dane and q little striped bulldog. His
horses were two long, slender Anglo
Arabs.
We gossiped not little about the
lieutenant, his mode of life and his
character; we discussed his fortune
and the employment of his time out
side Of the service, for, besides his reg
ular appearance twice a day at mess,
he took part in none of our entertain
ments He was often seen alone, gal
Looping his horses over the green mead
ows of the Saone. He rode in some of
the impromptu races, winning often,
but without pride, without eXultation,
taking the things as part of the trade.
He never touched cards. His horses
his dogs, seemed his sole distraction
At times he disappeared for week OF
so and on returning would say, My
father was down to see me-" 1t was
known that he had a father, an old
man living in Bretagne. Yves spoke
of him only on those days.
The self isolation of the boy was
somewhat of a mystery to us. Each
one explained in his own way the sin
gular comrade, "the little mademoi
selle," For some Pelven was the son
of Galcian princess and Knight OF
Malta, which was not impossible, il
being the usage since the days of Lou
is XIV to accord that title to French
gentlemen having contracted marital
alliance in Austria. In fact, Austrian
decorations had been seen in his room
That, at least, was affirmed by some
of the indiscreet ones who had pene
trated the great chamber where he was
wont to dig on his strategy during
the warm hours of day. A singular
room it was-at once salon, library an(
saddlery, the refuge of thinker ant
the handy shop of a soldier, but it's in
terror, i'll spite of the weapons, wa.
rather feminine, and this struck the in
ferior officers who were accustomed t.
visit it with their reports. There wer,
always fresh flowers in his room, ant
one day, when some inqusitive spri
explored the pockets of his Goldman. ,
which he had cast off during a fencn.
bout, they discovered a golden locke
on which sparkled a strange little dia
mond wing. They did not succeed IL
opening it,
HE is sentimentalist," Comman
dant st. Perle would say "and tn
proof is that when one passes his cot
tage in the evening one hears hin
playing the adagio of Beethoven
sonata in a fiat, the sonata of monk
and priests"
One morning my husband, the car
tain, came in very much worried.
questioned him. No answer. He drov
away In his phaeton as soon as breal
fast was over with several other off
GERS. lie returned at O'Clock alOn,
having left the others at the club. At
or dinner he held a conference with til
fencing master and the chief armore
then St perle, his friend, came an
called him below his window. | hear
him order the Landau with the bi