Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-15

last, IT ole! All, you say that!
 He laughed a little as he looked up at her.
 Not exactly that, but something as foolish, perhaps. Are you a witch, my pretty oneg
 1 Whoever doubted it, except you? I can put two and two together and read men, though don't read the alphabet. I So you mean to disobey the Hawk to- night? I like you for that. But listen here-did you ever hear them talk of MarquiSe?"
 .No.'
 ..Parbleuv' swore the vivandiere in her wrath. "You look on at bamboula as if it were only a bear cub dancing and can only give one Yes and .No,' as if one were drummer boy. Bah! Are those your Paris courtesies?" ?" Forgive me. my pretty one! thought you called yourself our com rade and would have no fine manners.' There is no knowing how to please you.''
 "The marquis was what you are l hawk among carrion crows, a gentle man in the ranks. How Handsome he 1 was! Nobody ever knew his real name, l but they thought he was of Austrian breed, and we called hil Marquise be- l cause he was so womanish white in ! his skin and so dainty in all his ways. l Just like you! Marquise could fight 1 fight like hundred s-and-pouf- how proud he was! Very much like you altogether! Now, one day some | thing went wrong in the exercise To +< II but they thought he was, and an adju- tant struck him-fick, fack like that across the face with riding switch. Marquise had his bayonet fixed, and before he knew what was up, crash the blade went through the breastbone and out at the spine, and the adjutant fell as dead as 8 cat, with the blood spouting out like a fountain. T dome of a great race that never took insult without giving back death,' was all that NIarquise said when they seized him and brought him to Judgment, and he would never say of what race that was. They shot him-ah, ah, discipline must be kept--and saw him, with five great wounds in his chest and his beau tiful golden hair all soiled with the sand and the powder, lying there by the open grave that they threw him into as if he were offal, and we never knew more of him than that''
 Cigarettes radiant laugh had died, and her careless voice had sunk over the latter words. Then, grave still, she leaned her brown, bright face near CT down from her oval hole in the wall.
 Now" she whispered very low, If you mutiny once they will shoot you just like Marquise, and you will die just as silent, like him."
 .sWell," he answered her slowly, "why not? Death is no great terror. I risk 1t every day for the sake of a common soldiers rations. Why should not chance it for the sake and in the de fense of my hoDor"
 "Bah! Men sell their honor for their daily bread all the world overw said Cigarette, with the satire that had tre- ble raciness from the slang in which she clothed it. "But it is not you alone. See here, one example Det on your part. and half your regiment will mutiny too. It is bitter work to obey the Black Hawk, and if you give the signal of revolt three parts of your comrades will join you. Now, what will that end in, eh?'' .se
 tTell me-you are a soldier yourself, you say"
 t'Yes, am soldierp said Cigarette between her tight set teeth, "and will tell you one thing have seen. I have seen soldiers mutiny, squadron Of them, because they hated their chief and loved two of their noncommis stoned officers, and have seen the end of it all-a few hundred men, blind and drunk with despair, at bay against as many thousands, and walled in with four lines of steel and artillery and fired on from score of cannon mouths-vollcy on volley, like the thun- der-till not one living man was left, and there was only a shapeless, heay- ing, moaning mass, with the black smoke over all. That is what have seen. You will not make me see it again? They would rise at your bid ding and they would be moved down like corn. You will not ?''
 Never! I give you my word"
 The promise was from his heart. He would have endured any indignity, any outrage, rather than have drawn into ruin, through him, the fiery, fearless, untutored lives of the men who marched, and slept, and rode and fought, and lay in the light of the picket fires, and swept down through the hot sandstorms on to the desert foe by his side. Cigarette stretched out her hand to him stretched it out with a frank, winning, childlike, sol dierlike grace.
 That's right! You are true sol dier.''
 He bent over the hand she held out to his in the courtesy natural with him to all her sex and touched it lightly with his lips.
 'Thank you, my little comrade,' he said simply, with the graver thought still on him that her relation and her entreaty had evoked "You have given me 9 lesson that shall not be quick to forget"
 Cigarette colored hotly at the grave, graceful, distant salute, so cold and so courteous, which was offered her in lieu of the rude and boisterous famil- iarities to which she was accustomed and drew her hand away with what |