The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-08-26
THE CHOICE OF TWO.
BY GERALD WHITING.


with the carriage Oh al Olu ooluiSi W."
could still swing the lance or SABRE
though he had left, the army some sew
en- years or more. The sun was aglo"
in the cloudless sky, and the neat was
oppressive. Behind, the range or mis-
rose blue-green in the distance. From
the road came merry jingle OF har-
ness bells and then a cloud OF DUST
and then wagon, drawn by two oXen'
rumbled up the incline. The driver
nodded pleasantly to Lorry.
"You have heard the news, master
he said. mo? Well, l can't stop, pue
here's a newspaper. Read that" And
with another nod, he whipped up MS
faded cattle and passed on
The blacksmith sat down on pencn
and leisurely unfolded the paper When
he had read few lines his face DARK
ened. and he rose to his feet. HIS Wlle
came out at this moment. She was
comedy dame, with cheeks as rudy as
the apples in her orchard They looked
at each other for few minutes WIN
out speaking.
Annette" said Lorry at last, crum-
ping up the newspaper in his strong
hand 81 have been reading the De
bate"
His wife gave little start, but
quickly recovered.
mo ill news of Pierre, surely?" SAID
she.
mo. no." answered her husband;
"no need to be alarmed, Pierre is all
right SO far as l know. But the Ger
mans are at their old tricks. Not con-
tent with conquering, they must insult
as well. You remember my remark
ing that I had seen three or four fel-
lows rolling ADout the village In the
uniform of French soldiers, and won
dered how they came to be there, ana
what they were doing away from the
regiment? Well, the secret Is out
They have elected to be subjects OF the
emperor at Berlin And to think that
we should be outraged by the presence
of such renegades! They are no long
er Alsatians, but German wolves
"What can you expect, Felix! IL Is
not altogether the fault of these poor
fellows" remarked Annette. ITO be
sent to Algeria-think how far. And
the lads grow sick for home"
"Hush!" said Lorry, checking her
with a peremptory gesture; you do
not understand You have grown SO
accustomed to the women folk mere
abouts that you have come down 10
their level, and think as they DO l
fell Won these men are towards and
traitors. and if | thought our Pierre
was capable of such infamy, as sure as
nv name is Lorry, sometime trooper
in the cavalry of France, would drive
my sword through his body"
He walked quickly into the house.
and Annette followed him. He no
ticed the flush on her cheek, and felt
abashed, he hardly knew why. Per-
haps he had spoken too roughly
"Bah, | am a. fool to worry about
such things, he said, laughingly AS
If it is at all likely! So, so; Will
take a little walk to calm myself" He
put on his hat and went out.
She waited till he was gone, and
then got her work-hasket and sat down
mt the window, as was her custom OF
an afternoon. The sun shone full anc
bright on the cornfeld; there was the
path winding away to it, In curves o.
dazzling white; and lower down, the
village church, with the burial GROUND
nesting by its side, and the sheer
drowsily browsing under the shadow
of the trees.
"They may be traitors" she thought
remembering her husbands words
"but their mothers must rejoice to SCI
them again"
And she sighed, thinking of the da,
her own boy left home, alert and trim
with his rifle on his shoulder. Onl.
two years ago, yet 1T seemed an age
The tears started to her eyes. 1t wa
we'll for Lorry to talk, but when woul
Pierre return to her.
Suddenly the needle dropped fror
her hand, and she trembled in he
chair. She heard the garden gat
swing back on its hinges. But tn
dog did not bark, though the intrude
must have passed close to his kenne
Mother"
She sprang up with cry. He wa
standing in the doorway, his hal
rumpled. his gay uniform soiled wit
dust; pallid, sbamefaced, more like
criminal than a soldier. She guesse
what had happened. The wretched la
had returned with the rest, and ha
been prowling about the place all da
not daring to enter while his fatht
was there. She would fain have chide
him. but had not the courage. In ia