The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-07-11

almost unh&rmed, grazed only by some
few of the balls. The flash of fire was
not so fleet as the swiftness Of her
love, and on his breast she threw her
self and flung her arms about him and
turned her head backward with her
T. 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 We're gliding from about
his neck and her shot limbs were sink
ing to the earth as he caught her up
where she had dropped to his feet.
80 God! 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.
"Chut! 1t is the powder and ball Of
France! That does not hurt. If it was
an Arbico's bullet, now! But wait!
Here is the marshal's order. He sus-.
ponds your sentence. I have told him
all. You are safe-do you hear-you
are safe! How he looks! Is he grieved
to live? 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-
pny 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
in that moment, when her life was bro
ken down like wounded birds and
the shots had pierced through from her
shoulder to her bosom, 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
it in our hands every hour, we soldiers,
and toss it in change for a draft of
wine. Lay me down on the ground-at
your feet-so! I shall live longest that
way, and I have so much to tell. How
they crowd around me! They are sor-
~ 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-
BILE gentleness as she had hidden him,
hung over her, leaning her head against
his arm and watching in paralyzed
horror the helplessness of the culver
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 child!'' 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
fate! Such nobility, such sacrifice,
such love"
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.
''Chut! We are comrades, and YOU
are brave man. l would do the same
for any Of my spahis. Look you, l
never heard of your arrest till l heard,
too, of your sentence. They will tell
you how I did i'll 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
not? fair face, a brave face! 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 order!''
Something of the old thrill of jealous
dread and hate quivered through the
words, but the purer, nobler nature
vanquished it. She smiled up in his
eyes, needless Of the tumult round
them.
"You will be happy. That is we'll.
Look you, it is nothing that l did. l
would have done it for any one of nv
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 grieve for
it. My men are good to me- They will
feel such regret and remorse, but do
not let them. l 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, IL have been happy
all my days, like bird, like a kitten,
like foal, just from being young and
taking no thought. 1 should have had
to suffer if I had to live It is much
best as it is''-
Her voice failed her when she had
spoken the heroic words. Loss of blood