The Washington herald., 1910-07-07
CHAPTER I.


TOMS name was Antoine Marcel, but
he was never called by it but once in
his life. and that was at his BAPTISM
when he was eight days old.
He had shock of black hair and
snub nose, and the tan and freckles on
his face were an inch thick, but he had
q pair Of black eyes so soft and bright
and appealing that they might have be-
Ionged TO one OF the hours Of Paradise
His wide mouth was full Of sharp, white
teeth. and when he smiled. which was
very often, his smile began with his
black eyes and ended with his white
teeth
At ten years of age Toni was a COM
plete man OF the world-of his world,
that is. This consisted Of a gay, sunny
little old garrison town, Bienville by
name. in the south Of France.
He had his friends, his FOES, HIS lady
love, and also he had arranged his plan
OF life He knew himself TO be the most
fortunate person IN all BienvIlle. In the
first place, his mother. Nine. Marcel,
kept the only candy shop in the town,
and Toni. being the only child of his
mother. and she widow, enjoyed all
the advantages of this envied position.
He had no father such as other boys
had-Paul Verney. for example, the advo-
Gates son-to make him go to school
when he would rather lie on his stomach
in the meadow down by the river and
watch the butterflies dancing IN the sun
cd the foolish bumblebees stumbling
like drunkards among the clover bios
sons
Paul Verney was his best friend; that
IS, except jacques. Toni. owing TO his
exceptional position as the only son Of
the house Of Marcel. candy manufacturer,
would have had no lack OF friends among
boys of his own age. but he was afraid
Of other boys, except Paul Verney. This
was pure cowardice on Toni's part, be-
cause. although short for his age, he
was Well built. and had as good legs
and arms and was as well able TO take
care of himself as any boy in Blenville.
Paul Verney was pink-cheeked. clean,
well set Up boy. two years older than
Toni, and as industrious as Toni was
idle, as anxious TO learn as Toni was
determined not to learn, as honest with
his father the lawyer. as Toni was
INSCRIPTIONS with his mother about the
amount Of candy he consumed, and as
full Of quiet courage with other boys as
Toni was an arTant and shameless pol
troon about some things. Toni was
classed as a bad boy, and Poul Verney
as good boy. yet the two formed
one OF those strange kinships OF the soul
which are stronger than blood Ees and
last as long as life itself.
Toni. being of a shrewd and discern
ing mind, realized that Paul Verney
would have loved him just as much II
Nine. Marcel had not kept a candy
shop, and this differentiated him from
all the other boys In Bienvllle, and al
though Paul often severely reprobated
Toni and occasionally gave him kicks
and Guns, which Toni could have re
scented but did not, he had no fear what
ever OF Paul.
Tonrs other friend, Jacques. was a
soldier. Jacques was about three inches
high and was made Of tin. He had
once been a very smart soldier, with
red trousers and an imposing shake. and
a musket as big as himself. but the
paint had been worn of the trousers
and shake long ago; and as for The
musket. only the butt remained. Jacque:
lived in Toni's pocket and he was even
more intimate with him that with Pau
VeTney. There were seasons when Pau
Verney's kicks and cuffs caused a TEN
porary estrangement from him on Tonfi
part. but there was never any estrange
ment between Toni and Jacques. Jacques
never demonstrated with Toni nevel
contradicted him, never wanted am
share Of the candy which Toni abstracted
under his mothers nose and ran down b
the meadow 10 MUNICH. There were sOml
things Toni could say to Jacques that h
could not say 10 any human being II
the world, not even TO Paul Verney, anC
Jacques never showed the least surpris,
OF disgust 1t is a great thing to hav,
a perfectly complaisant unvaFying frienC
always close 10 one, and such was JAG
ques TO Toni
Toni had heard something about tn
war which occurred a long time ago
when soldiers went a great way off from
Bienville to a place called Russia, wher
II was very cold. IN Tonrs mind
Jacques had been TO that place, ant
that was where he lost the red paint OF
HIS trousers. and the black paint OF
his shake, ard the barrel of his mus
ket. Toni had a way Of talking L
Jacques. and imagined that Jacque
talked back TO him, a notion which
when Toni repeated what Jacques ha'
said 10 him, Paul Verney thought quit
ridiculous. Jacques told Toni lon
stories about that cold place Gale
Russia Toni knew that there wa
another place, very hot. called Algeria
and Jacques had been there, too, JAG
ques had been everywhere that the sol
diers had been, and he told Toni lon
tales about these places In the summe
nights. when Toni was in his little be
under the roof, with the stars peepin
in roguishly at the window and Mmt
Marcers tongue and knitting needle
claeking steadily down stairs at tn
open door OF the shop. And on winte
days. when Toni left home for sehoe
and changed his mind and went snow
balling instead, Jacques encouraged hiI
by telling him that il was very like Rus
STA.
Toni also found another use for JaC
ques When he wished TO say thing
which HIS mother occasionally and proI
erly cuffed him for. he could talk It a
out with Jacques. This seemed supreme
" absurd TO Paul Verney and the othe
boys in the neighborhood, notably n