The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1903-04-30
UNDER TWO FLAGS

But On a fete dayi And you VIII.
love pleasure and grace 1t 50 we'll
"Ouf! I have had 20 much of 1t.
said the little one contemptuously
at is SO tame to me. Clouds of dust
scurry Of horses, fanfare of trumpets
thunder Of drums and all for nothing
Bahl 1 have been In q dozen battles
land l am not likely to care mucl
for q sham fight"
NAY. she is unjust to herself" mur
INJURED Leon Ramon. "She gave mp tn,
fete to do this mercy-it has been {
great one. She is more generous thar
she wifi ever allow. Here, Cigarette
look at these scarlet rosebuds; they ar,
Nike your bright cheeks. Will yot
have them? | have nothing else tt
give"
"Rosebudsw echoed Cigarette. with
supreme scorn. "Rosebuds for me?
know no rose but the red Of the tri
color, and l could not tell a weed from
a flower. Besides, I told Miou-Mator
Just now, If my children do as | tel
them, they will not take a leaf or q
peachstone from this grande dame
how does she call herself ?-Mme. Co
roma d'Amague"
Cecil looked up quickly. why hotT'
Cigarette flashed on him her brilliant
brown eyes with q FIRE that amazed
him.
Because we are soldiers, not pau
pers. And 1t is not for the silver
pheasants. who have done nothing to
deserve their life but lain In nests of
cotton wool, and eaten grain that
others sow and shell for them, and
spread their shining plumage In a sun
that never clouds above their heads,
to insult, with the insolence Of their
pity and their charity the heroes Of
France who perish as they have lived.
for their country and their flag"
Cecil laughed slightly, but he an
swered with a certain annoyance:
"There is no 'insolence' here; no ques-
ton Of it. The princess desired to of
Ter some gift to the soldiers of Algiers.
suggested to her that to Increase the
scant comforts of the hospital and
gladden. the weary eyes Of sick men
with beauties that the executive never
dreams of bestowing would be the
most merciful and acceptable mode Of
exercising her kindness. If blame there
be In the matter, It is NINE"
In defending the generosity Of what
be knew to be d genuine and sincere
wish to crafty his comrades he be-
trayed what he did not intend to have
fevealed-namely, the conversation that
had passed between himself and the
Spanish princess. Cigarette caught at
the inference with the q~uickness of her
flghtnInglike thought.
"Oh-he! 30 1t is shew
There was d whole world Of empha-
Sis. scorn. meaning. wrath. comprehen-
sion and irony In the four monosylla-
bles. The dying man looked al her
with languid wonder.
"She? Who? What story goes with
these rosesT'
None" said Cecil. with the same in
Election Of annoyance In his voice.
"None whatever. A generous thought
fulness for our common necessities as
soldiers
"Oufr' interrupted Cigarette before
his phrase was one-third finished. "Tbe
stalled mare will not 80 with the wild
coursers. An aristocrat mdy live with
us. but he win always cling to his old
order. This Is the story that runs with
the roses Miladi was languidly inso-
lent over some ivory chessmen, and
Corporal Victor thought 1t divine be-
cause languor lind insolence are the
twin gods Of the noblesse. Miladi.
knowing no gods but those two. wor-
ships them and sends to the soldiers Of
love. fruits and wines that day after
day are set on her table to be touched.
II tasted at all. with a butter1y's sip,
and Corporal Victor finds this a char
ity sublime-to give what costs moth
ing and scatter a few crumbs out frorI
the ~profusion Of a life Of waste and in
diligence! And ! say that II my chill.
lren are of my fashion OF thinking
they will choke like dogs dying of
thirst father than slase their threats
with aims cast to them as II they were
beggarsP'
With which Cigarette lit her pipe and
hurried away. uer wrath was hot and
her heart heavy within her. She had
given up her whole fete day to wait on
the anguish and to soothe the solitude
cf his friend lying dying there. and her
reward had peer to hear him speah Of
this nristocrat's donations, thut cost
her nothing but the trouble Of a few
words Of command to her household. as
though they were the sanity charities
of some angel from heaven. In tina
moment she could have shot him dead
herself without a seconds thought.
you have vexed her. Victor" said
Leon Ramon as she was lost to sight
through the doors of the great desolatt
chamber.
Il hope not. l do not know how" an
swered Cecil. ut is impossible to fol
low the windings Of her Maynard ca
prices-a child. q soldier. a dancer, q
brigand. a spoiled beauty. a mischier.
BUS gamin. How Is n to treat sucil
y little fagot of opposites?"
The other smiled.
"Ah. you do not know the little one