Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-02-03
Count Carpl and Lis Daughter
[Original.l

river ana IS only lao miles from Paris.
Very naturally the French on one side
and the Germans on the other have
done good deal Of fortifying, and each
Keeps considerable force either on
the border or within short distance.
One morning Francois Villiers, a
young French lieutenant of artillery,
was inspecting the guns on fort near
Nancy when white haired old gen
tleman very carefully dressed, with a
young lady hanging affectionately to
his arm, strolled toward the lieutenant
and watched him while he made his I'M
spection.
'M'sieu," said the old man, Il very
much like to inquire what you do
Then, turning to the girl, he said in
Italian, Blanca, ask him what he is
doing" The girl proceeded to tell the
lieutenant that her father had been a
soldier in bis younger days in the ItaI-
ian army and took an interest in the
changes in warfare especially in arms,
since forty years ago.
Villiers returned the bewitching
glance Signorina Blanca gave him and
proceeded to explain to her father the
manner of loading and firing the gun
and the kind of ammunition used. The
old man was greatly interested in and
profoundly astOnished at the wonderful
change in weapons since he had fought
against Garibaldi in 1860. ViIlierS
showed him other guns and various
ind Of ~ 4iIv, ;oIN
was new type. OF course the young
lady acted as interpreter. Villiers was
talking through her to the old man and
to her through his own and her eyes,
there being two distinct topics Of con-
versation, war and love- She laid her
soft hand on one Of the big guns, and
it was like the touch of kittens paw
Then she started back as if she had
handled a miniature volcano.
"Here comes the officer Of the day."
said Villiers suddenly. please walk
on, and | will join you after he has
passed. We are not permitted to give
any information on military matters to
any one.'
Tie young lady seemed to have diff
f1cu1ty in making her father under
stand the reason for the request He
evidently could not see why he should
not be given all the information above
board he desired. Whereupon Villiers
explained that the German govern
ment kept a swarm of spies busy all
the While trying to gain information of
the French Improvements in arms.
ammunition, movements of troops and
increase of Notifications. The old gem
tleman at this declined to accept any
further information and, being tired,
sat down on a bench His daughter,
not so sensitive, stroIled along the par
apet with the officer with a view to
seeing more interesting sights.
"Signorina," he said as soon as they
were out of hearing, 81 have been de-
lighted, thrilled, with your presence
here. May l not have the honor, the
exquisite pleasure, Of calling on you?"
MY father is very old fashioned"
she replied. "He will not consent to
my receiving any one who is not noble.
He always says Count Carpi's daugh-
ter must not associate with any but Of
her own kind"
Il must see you again. We are to
get in new kind of projectile tonight,
put in secretly that the Germans may
not get hold of it. Will you not induce
your father to come and examine it?"
Il will try" replied the girl, blushing
and hanging her head.
AT II o'clock that evening Count Car
p1 and his daughter were admitted into
the fort, being passed by the guard at
Lieutenant Villiers' order and witness
ed the storing Of thousands of shells.
Count Carpi was even furnished with
the fuse of one of them, being caution
ed by the lieutenant not to show it to
any one, since his giving it might cause
him to be shot for treason. The count
put his hand on his heart and declared
that he would sooner be shot himself
than permit any one to see it. By mid
night the work of storing the shells
was finished, and the count and his
daughter departed, the latter promis-
ing to communicate with Villiers at the
earliest opportunity.
The next morning Lieutenant Viii
Tiers was engaged with his guns on the
parapet when, looking out upon a
bridge, he saw an old man and girl
walking across toward German terri
tory. The pair were Count Carpi and
Blanca. The lieutenant smiled. The
pair proceeded to the headquarters OF
the officer in command of the district
and were admitted to his presence.
''Well, Bellona," said the officer,
what did you gather?"
eve learned from a simpleton about
the guns on the fort and last night wit
messed the storing Of a new kind of
shell just got in. Here is the fuse
used something lately devised-a won
derful invention"
He handed the fuse to the officer,
who glanced at it, then threw it ia bis
face.
''You old fool" he said, chat belongs
to an antique pattern of shell, and
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