Waterbury Democrat., 1901-06-05
- . - v v s " UNDER TWO FLAGS
By aouIDA."

shrill cry pierced the air:
 srTait in the name of Francew
 Dismounted, breathless, staggering, with her arms flung upward and her face bloodless with fear, Cigarette ap- peared upon the ridge of rising ground. The cry of command pealed out upon the silence in the voice that the army of Africa loved as the voice of their little one. And the cry came too late. The volley was fired, the crash of sound thrilled across the words that bade them pause, the heavy smoke rolled out upon the air. the death that was doomed was dealt.
 But beyond the smoke cloud he stag gered slightly and then stood erect still, almost unharmed, grazed only by some few of the balls. The flash of fire was not so fleet as the swiftness of her five, and on his breast she threw her self and flung her arms about him and turned her head backward with her old dauntless, sunlit smile as the balls pierced her bosom and broke her limbs and were turned away by that shield of warm young life from him.
 Her arms were gliding from about
  ing to the earth as he caught her up where she had dropped to his feet.
 70 Godl My child, they have killed your
 He suffered more as the cry broke from him than if the bullets had brought him that death which he saw at one glance had stricken down for ever all the glory of her childhood, all the gladness of her youth.
 She laughed, all the clear, imperious arch laughter of her sunniest hours unchanged.
 "Chutl It is the powder and ball of Francei That does not hurt. If it was an Arbico's bullet, now! But waiti Here Is the marshaPs order. He sus- bends your sentence. I have told him all. You are safe-do you hear-you are safei How he looks! Is he grieyed to lfve2 Here is the order. The gener- al must have it. No; not out of my hand till the general sees it. Fetch him, some of you-fetch him to me-"
 "Great heaven, you have given your life for miner'
 The words broke from him in an ag- ony as he held her upward against his heart, himself so blind, so stunned, with the sudden recall from death to life and with the sacrifice whereby life was thus brought to him that he could scarce see her face, scarce hear her voice, but only dimly, incredulously, terribly, knew in some vague sense that she was dying and dying thus for him.
 She smiled up in his eyes, while even fn that moment, when her life was bro- ken down like wounded birds and the shots had pierced through from her shoulder to her bosom, a hot, scarlet flush came over her cheeks as she felt his touch and rested on his heart.
 "A life What is it to give? We hold 1t in our hands every hour. we soldiers, and toss it in change for draft of wine. Lay me down on the ground-at your feet-soI shall live longest that way, and have so much to tell. How they crowd around mel They are sor- ry they fired. That is foolish. They were only doing their duty, and they could not hear me in time"
 He. laying her down with unspeaka- ble gentleness as she had bidden him,
 
 his arm and watching in paralyZed horror the helplessness of the quiver- ing limbs. the slow flowing of the blood beneath the cross that shone where that young, heroic heart so soon would beat no more.
 "Oh, my child. my chi1dp' he moaned as the full might and meaning of this devotion which had saved him at such cost rushed on him. What am I worth that you should perish for me? Better thousand times have left me to my fatel Such nobility, such sacrifice, such loYeH'
 The hot color flushed her face once more. She was strong to the last to conceal that passion for which she was still content to perish in her youth.
 -ChutI We are comrades, and you are brave man. would do the same for any of my spahis. Look you, I never heard of your arrest till heard, too, of your sentence. They will tell you how did it-I have not time. The marshal gave his word you shall be saved. There is no fear. That is your friend who bends over me. here; is it not2 A fair face, brave faceI You will go back to your land, you will live among your own people, and she-she will love you now-now she knows you are of her orderr'
 Something of the old thrill of jealous dread and hate quivered through the words. but the purer, noBler nature yanquished it. She smiled up in his eyes, needless of the tumult round them.
 You will be happy That is well. Look you, it is nothing that I did. I would have done it for any one of my soldiers. And for this"- She touched the blood flowing from her side with the old bright brave smile. "It was an accident. They must not grieye for it. My men are good to me. They will feel such regret and remorse, but do not let them I am glad to die. If the shots had not come to me. they would have gone to him. and he has been un- happy so long and borne wrong so pa tiently he has earned the right to live and enjoy. Now, I-I lave been happy all my days, like a bird, like kitten. like foal, just from being young and m xhou0h< cborfI< hax I, ,ad