The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-01-04
CHAPTER ".
BLESSED is HE THAT BELIEvETH

the Deu. ne udu WOuueTluiiy TeSiSeu
since the day before, held his head
high. talked in full. sonorous voice
and ate greedily Of all the yiands Offer
ed him. At his side was basin Of
soup. from which he took deep draft
now and again as he watched the fin
gers of the German. who sat on the
mud floor before him mending the bot
tom of chair.
Presently he looked out. where, in
the afternoon sunshine, few half
grown ostriches might be seen wander
ing listlessly about. and then he looked
II again at the little whitewashed
room and at Lyndall, who sat in the
doorway looking at 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 a student of history, 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-i may be-"
said the German meekly.
Being student Of history. then"
said Bonaparte. raising himself loftily,
you will doubtless have heard of my
great. of my, celebrated, kinsman, Ma
poleon Bonaparte"
"Yes, yes" said the German, look
ing up. .E,
II, sir" said Bonaparte, WAS born at
this hour on an April afternoon three
and fifty years ago. The nurse, sir
she was the same who attended when
Che 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 Hnyaparte Blenkins became my
Blenkins. Yes, SIR"
said Bonaparte, there is a stream on
my maternal side that connects me
with a stream on his maternal side"
The German made a sound of aston
ishment. >.'
1.-THE connection" said Bonaparte,
sis one which could not be easily COM
pretended by one unaccustomed to the
study of aristocratic pedigrees, but the
connection is close"
rs it possible?" said the German,
pausing in his work with much interest
and establishment. Napoleon an Irish
manE'
Yes" said Bonaparte, ION the moth
er's side, and that is how we are re-
lated There wasn't man to beat
him." said Bonaparte, stretching him
self, mot a 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 Wei
lington's nephew, married cousin Of
mine She was a woman! See her at
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, sir!'
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
nephewv' he broke forth suddenly.
,, "Many's the joke I've had with him.
Often came to visit me at Bonaparte
Hall. Grand place l 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
Il, my friend" said Bonaparte, have
been in every country in the world and
speak every civilized language except
ing only Dutch and German. l wrote
book Of my travels-noteworthy incl
dents. Publisher got it-cheated me
out of it. Great rascals, those publish
ers! Upon one occasion the Duke Of
Wellington's nephew and were trav-
cling in Russia. All Of sudden one
of the horses dropped down dead as a
doornail. There we were-cold night
snow four feet thick-great forest-one
horse not being able to move sledge-
night coming on-wolves.
"'Spreey says the Duke Of yelling
toms nephew.
"'Spree, do you call itY says 1. Look
out ....
There, sticking out under a bush,
was nothing less than the nose Of a
bear. The Duke of Wellington's neph-
ew was up tree like a shot. stood
quietly on the ground. as cool as l
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 1, but keep your
gun ready. There are more coming
He'd got his face buried in my back.
"'How many are thereY said he.
-Four said l.
"'How many are there nowY said
he.
Eight said I.
"'How many are there nowY said