Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1910-02-01
Mile Fourchette
BY EDOUARD ROD


] hHONN nNW W SET IflllluN 10 love.
above all things. he walked under the
enchanted window several times
/ day but the madonna did not appear.
! The window stood closed and dumb
| He was soon in the depths of sad
ness and this uncertainty Increased
/ IT, Had she been offended by his very
| platoniC ana even timid faithfulness?
| Not even tiny kiss had been
risked TO the wings OF the breeze
Was she III? lie could not give up
without betraying his souis secret.
the secret SO greedily and jeal-
ously cherished II was at this
time that he told the story just heard
at mess.
] Grave events followed. which gave
the army's interests different turn.
| The sky darkened. There was talk
OF war with Germany and suddenly H.
burst forth. But the young man was
unwilling to go into future black
with dangers without the consolation
OF n hope, and took up more daring
search for the whereabouts Of the
lovely creature. whose idealized fea.
lures were. after all. so little known.
IL was In vain.
He wrote her touching. deferential
little letter. confident and icspairing
by turn. in which he spoke enthusias-
tlcally OF the coming victories and
the triumphal return. and in which he
swore AN eternal love.
Two days later he left for the front.
sadly In spite of the cheers greeting
his brilliant regiment. Mile. -Four.
chette had not replied.
A whole city's imagination is prompt
to enlarge upon or clothe the simplest
facts grotesquely. II had made the
legend of Mile. Fourchette up out
OF whole cloth. Really no one could
be simpler or more natural than Herr
GabeIs daughter, who was III at the
time OF their arrival, and so had
stayed indoors. AS the young officer.
whose face and bearing were scarce
ly OF a sort To be displeasing TO "A
young girl of taste, passed in the de-
serted street. she had CHANGED 10
open the curtains In the hope OF less
ening her boredom. She had the
weakness To look out each day at the
same hour when he passed. until she
was summoned to the bedside of
sick aunt. This was why she disap-
peared. Albert Desroy's letter had
reached her at her aunt's house In
the country, and when she returned
she showed II to her father and
asked: What would you have done.
father, If ! had been with you when
this letter came? Would you have
accepted M. Destroys hand for me?"
The pofessor said:
My child, of course / couldl not,
doubt the sincerity of a soldier ut 80
solemn time, yet | should have
hesitated. am old and almost at the
end of my usefulness To repulse the
young man. to willfully leave you
without support, would have been
selfish and imprpdent in a father. but
to say yes at such time would have
been quite as grave. | think | should
have said: My daughter. Mr.. Destroy
goes to the front tonight, and In two
days, poor little bride, you may be
widowed. DO what your heart com
mands!"
| 49, hdNt idlu manu-
in his" the young girl answered, soft
ly, 'foI | love him"
nany months have gone by. Our
armies are disbanded or taken pris-
oners. Paris has been besieged Mile.
Fourchette. whose father had died In
the midst of these disasters, had
| Qnnn IN KaanfUghar.
suffered in the journey thousand
vicissitudes. Who Is this young wom-
an In black wandering to the Russian
| frontier? Because she has not de-
SPARED. through the long months
without news of her lieutenant, her
irrevocably pledged heart has had
strength. The day has come-blessed
day-when news OF Destroy tells her
he is pris oner at Prussian fortress.
Ignorant that he is beloved. he hopes
to touch her by the tale OF his great
misfortunes. One evening when he
was talking with some comrades he
spoke OF France-La Belle France
the more beloved as she was the
more unfortunate-this cherished sub
ject in their hours OF hardship-and
some one announced that lady
wished TO speak with the young Off
Ger. The men looked at one another
In amazement and withdrew as Mile.
Fourchette entered under escort.
When he called his friends back and
| presented the fiancee, soon to be
the bride, who had come from France,
the soldiers were a-tremble with 10y
at the sight of this beautiful young
woman, adored. clad in black, ex-
quisite. vivid image OF the mourned
land of their birth.
The Comma In Law
The comma Is very important
item, and. II omitted. the reading mat.
| ter cuts queer capers AS an instance