The sun., 1903-12-13
A LETTER AND A RUMOR.
Capt. Hermont and the Sentine el
Who Abandoned His Post
During the Manoeuvses.

While his COMPANY, ranged IN II circle
around the ,ergeant Ina jor. were listen-
ing TO the orders before scattering 10 their
tularters, Capt. Hermont opened the Ietter
which the baggage master had just gwen
him.
lie recognized the shaky writing oil his
old mother, and with n smile prepared to
read IL tenderly--the advice and the Gus
tomary news, Take good care OF yourself
DO not stay out of doors too long in the
evening. My asthma IL better
But after the first lines his face hardened
and became the color OF ashes.
MY dear child" said the letter, you
must have courage, because these lines
are going to bring you great disappoint-
ment
little and not tell you all at once, but you
know that am hardly clever at writing.
And after all. perhaps my tenderness Tor
you makes me see things too darkiy, and
to believe that this marriage affects your
heart more than 1t really does.
"You will guess that it concerns Mile.
Claire Daussartel. You told me at your
last leave that you were sure OF her, and
that you only waited the end OF the great
manGuvres to send me to max the request;
"Well. my poor child, Mile. Dalssartei will
marry, the 18th of next month, young man
from Nancy a lawyer, believe. We are
not rich enough, you see, and We we're
wrong to lift our eyes 30 high
The words began to dance before the
eyes of the young captain, at the same
time cruel sadness gripped his heart.
Indifferent, the voice of the. sergeant
major continued the reading Of orders;
Lodging of commander in the castle.
OF Adjitant- Major at the priests house.
Wine so centimes per litre. Potatoes 10
centir1ss per kilOg.
The voice stopped.
"Can we dispersc, my Captain" asked the
Adjutsnt, going out from the circle,
What is it' Oh yes surely have them
disperse.'
Al a short command the company sepa-
rated. Mechanically Capt. Hermont fol-
lowed his horse, which tho orderly was
bringing from the stable. the address OF
which theQuartermaster had Just given hinl.
AThis time the tenth is In for guarding
the route, ron said Corporal Rabut on ar
irving with his squad at the last house
in the village. "Go make them stir Them
selves; the sentinels must be installed
half hour after arriving
Whose turn il it to be on duty? Ner-
noux's, eh? Then hurry up and brush your
clothes and you will place yourself at ihe
corner OF the house, l am going to give
you the instructions.
The guarding Of the village entrances
was indeed one of the great affairs Of the
manGuvres that year. The General-n-
Chief had especially ordered 1t; he wanted
each corps to guard its own entrance to
the cantonnent, so that an enemy vent
uring in il he had succeeded in getting
through the Lines seonr OF ,hs ssn3rss ~'o
And the chiefs of the corps we're watch.
ing. knowing that the General-in-C CHIEF
Was man to have them attached by
the opposing party on a fine night TO test
the execution Of their orders.
And as we have seen Corporal Rabut.
il his modest sphere, was also watchng.
H knew the Captain and did not care at
all, as he declared with conviction, to spend
eight days in Jail.
the service ard yer hard on himself, was
not more tender hearted toward others
nd never pardoned a mistake.
That day however, he did not visit,
rs he had been accustomed to do, the squads
Of his company. They did not see him
the soup and distribute to each cook his
part of the praise or blame. He did not
Join bis men, 81 he had done every day, ts
explain TO them the drill for The, morning
and to point out the mistakes made.
And In the afternoon he asked permis-
sion of the commander OF tho battalion
Ia he excused from dinner.
lodged had hardly seen him and told
their neighbors that their officer was hardly
himself up in his room.
What those hours were that h, passed
there, in this strange lodging, in the midst
Of the unfamiliar surroundings. all those
who have seen in their lives q dear dream
cherished for long time. only, to fall TO
pieces, will guess without trouble
Toward evening he went out his temples
throbbing with fever. 1t n ust have been
late. for all was quiet in the village, ex-
cepting for the confused noise that the
soldiers know we'll, which is made by the
hard breathing of thousands Of tired me men
wounded animal, seeking solitude anc
darkness All at once ;, a. he arrived %s s,os' a.
ran against Corporal Rabut himself, who
was struggling along the road, swearing
and who stopped confused on recognizing
the Captain.
What is this noise. corporal, and a
such an hour?" said he, his sense OF dut }
as chief bringing him to himself again
And your sentinel, where is he!"
The corporal was an excellent youth
incapable of lying. He explained tn
situation.
@My Captain, l understand. nothing
about it. placed Louveau as sentine
- ,bn <orpov ~ tho hnnae almost hal