Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-12-28

Gus deeds ia the suburbs, at the head
OF the Enfants Perdus, as n may
believe, they surpassed all belief. Nine.
Dutailly listened to his enormities
with complaisance. Dutailly had diff
Guilty In resisting his desire to believe
them. Gertrude was entirely indiffer-
ent. AS to the meek little clerk, small
er than usual In his Owe large coat,
afflicted besides with a cold In his head,
he seemed completely crushed by the
~nelghborhood OF this great fellow, who
made no attempt to hide his scorn for
Brichaut.
/ invented n pretext for leaving i'm
mediately after the coffee weary OF
the Boosting OF this Gascon, TO whom |
thought / was bidding adleu forever.
In this ] was deceived. however. The
following Sunday found him In the
same place; Thursday also; finally his
plate was laid at all u meals. The
captain had conquered Nine. Dutailly
by his good humor and that almost
tender courtesy to which no woman OF
her age is insensible; he had won NJ.
Dutallly by the interest he seemed to
take In the military operations Of the
Temps. Anatole, whose cold steadily
grew worse, yisibly lost ground at
every repast.
His discredit was especially notice
able after the Bourget affair, In which
the poor fellow bravely did his duty.
and came back to US wounded In the
arm. lie told us the details Of the en-
gagement-of the death of Baroche,
killed beside him, the retreat and the
melancholy end Of this heroic combat
with such lamentable discouragements
that had he not feared to offend his
host the captain woul have tainted
him with being a deserter n a cow
ard. lie ~insinuated as much, and with
- a. --nA - NLaA 10
the Enfants Perdus had been there the
affair would have taken a different
turn, Then, warming with his subject,
he worked Dutailly up to a high pitch
of enthusiasm by outlining a plan of
escape through the besieging lines.
Meanwhile, poor Inundated Anatole
was suffering from his still bleeding
wound, unheeded by any save Ger
trude and me.
The next day q fever compelled Bri-
caut to keep his bed, and he was abb
sent from our repasts for several
weeks. The captain now boldly estab-
lished his ~pretensions to Gertrude's
hand, and the attitude OF her parents
was not discouraging. ON the day
that Anatole reJoined us. Conyalescent
and thinner than ever, It seemed to me
that the girls eyes were red, and /
fancied that there had been Il skirmish
between her and her mother, the latter
being more infatuated than ever with
her R%obillard. ] decided hat It was
time to interfere In the interests OF the
poor children. 1t was the last Sunday
IN the year, and we naturally spoke OF
New Years, which we were to ceic-
hratc together.
"By the way, my dear Mime. Du-
tally" exclaimed the captain, II must
prepare a surprise for your New Years
gift"
which gave me the idea of preparing
one, too.
On New Years day Dutaiily re-
Ceivcd us with open arms. The STRAIT
cgist OF the Temps had just whipped
Prince Charles IN the ncighborhood Of
I~,yrcuX, after having deCoyed him there
by a sham retreat; the engagement was
one or the most beautiful feats OF arms
OF modern times.
For his gift, Anatole brought n rab-
BIT caught with n snare In the devas-
tated isle of st. Denis. AS for the cap
tain, he presented Nine. Dutailly with
n large bag OF sugared Chestnuts m a
German helmet.
Madame" he said, smiling, 1T only
depended upon myself 10 be able 10
offer you the owner OF this helmet"
What" exclaimed the worthy lady,
did you kill him?"
"In order to be able to offer you this
bonbon box, which, If | do say il, is not
the door OF every one
viii spare the reader the narrative
OF the adventure, OF which no detail
was omitted. Hidden in a cask, he had
waylaid the wearcr OF the helmet, an
isolated sentinel, and in n hand to haud
struggle he had strangled him, not
wishing to attract attention by the use
Of a revolver. oh, q mean Anatole's
poor little tame rabbit, strangled, too.
looked beside this glorious trophy
as for me-" / remarked, Il would
attempt to rival the captain, but J
have my little surprise, too. 1t has not
come yet, and If YOU are willing we Will
dine without waiting for it,"
We took our places at the table, aud
the repast was 81 say one. A porEcr
had been bled for the occasion, and the
pudding was n great success. va
were at the coffee and were lighting
our cigars when a domestic informed
us that an artillery man had Just
brought my gift into the salon. We
went ut once into the room, where we
found the object lying on the table,
wrapped up In glazed paper and tied
with a blue ribbon.
what is it?" inquired Mime. Du-
tally, curiously.
Don't examine it too closely, ma
1t is n she'll"
"A she'll"
"Dutailly has several times ex-
pressed n wish to have a shell, n real
one, so at my request, a friend of mine
has sent me this one, which was
picked up on the field OF Akron, where
it forgot to explode in falling" While
speaking, | united the blue ribbon, tore
off the paper, and the shell lay exposed,
black and menacing.
II am delighted" said Dutailly. Il
will have a clock for my office made of
But" objected Nine. Dutailly, anx-
what If it is loaded?"
REST easy on that point / replied.
1T was agreed with my friend that 1t
should be sent empty. Here is his let
| opened a letter that been stuck
on the side of the object, and was
about to read 1t aloud; but, at the first
inc, my face must have expressed sur
hen anxiety, for every n ex-
What is the matter?"
Mon Dieu! / haye-but listen" I
read aloud:
pear Friend: Here is the shell you
asked for. 1t has been impossible for
20 find an artilleryman who knew
lpW TO unload IL. Have II carried to
he gunsmith's, Passage de rOpera. and
le VIII do the work for you. Use the
greatest precaution, however. Avoid
he slightest shock or friction; the
weight Of a sheet OF paper might cause
t TO explode
Take it away" shrieked Nine. Du-
ally. ut is frightful! Such q thing
n my salon!"
.,NVhy, OF course" l exclaimed,
stretching out my hands.
Don't you touch IT."
az will have the artilleryman take It
away, them" l replied.