The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-09-19

tho BlIl impressed with awe.
Francois suddenly stood erect and
stretched out his arm as II to hold a
sword. Rise Chevalier Francois
-beaupre. one day Marshal OF France
under another Napoleon" he repeat
Cd dramatically. Those were the
words the Emperor said"
CHAPTER XXX
The Story Again.
The girl. her face lifted to him.
looked bewildered. Il don't under.
stand"
The visionary eyes stared at her
uncertainty. Il have never told this
thing" he said In q 10 wtone.
Ah-out It's only me-" begged ths
girl.
Only you. Mademoiselle." His
voice went on as II rejecting aloud.
1t IL the guiding star Of my lie
that story; yet l may tell THE
paused-''t0 only you"
Again the girl Quivered, feeling the
intensity. mistaking its meaninU Il
should be glad IL you would tell It,"
sho spoke almost in a whisper, but
Francois, floating backward on q
strong tide to those old beloved days,
did not notice.
In his mind was the memory of the
great entry OF the farmhouse, ana
the children providing shout the
grandmother, and the gentle old voice,
now gone into sileOcey which had
told the tale. The sunshine lay in
patches ON the floor, the breese stoss-
ed the red and yellow tulips In the
garden, and through the open door
ne saw his mother move about the
kitchen getting dinner ready before
the father should come In from tho
fields. All the early life. long dia.
solved In the past, materialixsd be-.
fore him, and his heart ached with
q longing to speak Of them. to relieve
thus the pressure OF the cyowdins
thoughts Of home
1T may seem simple AFFAIR to
you, Mademoiselle-I can not tell
that. It has affected my life. The
way of 1t was this: Napoleon march
ed to Germany In the year 1913, and
passed with his star through our
village The house of my father was
the largest In the village, and II was
chosen to be. for an hour, the en-
peror's headquarters, and the en-
peror held council Of war, he and
his generals, there. /, . child Of three,
was sleeping In q room which opened
from the great room, and / wakened
with the sound Of voices, and ran
In, unnoticed, for they we're all bent
over the table, looking at the maps
and lists Of the mayor-and I pulled
at the sword Of Marshal Ney. And
the marshal, turning quickly. knock
Cd me over. I cried out. and my
grandmother ran to me. and / have
often heard her tell how she peeped
from the door under the shoulder Of
the big sentry who would not let her
pass, and how she saw . young gen.
eral pick me up and set me on my
feet, and how all the great omcers
laughed when he said that the sword
was In contest between Marshal Ney
and me. And how, then, the young
general suggested that, to settle the
point amicably, the marshal should
draw his sword, and give me the &C
colade-the blow Of knighting. And
20, Mademoiselle, to shorten the tale,
It was not the marshal. but the ON
peror himself who chose to do II. he
made me kneel before hm,E-a baby
and he struck my shoulder the blow
of the accolade. and said the words
which I have told you"
Rise Chevalier Francois Beau
pre-. one day q marshal Of France un-
der another Bonaparte,'" he cried,
thrilled through with the words which
he repeated.
The girl leaning forward, watched
him; with q gasp she spoke. Then
that IL why you are really Chevalier
Beaupre! Did the emperor have the
right TOTO knight your"
But yes, Mademoiselle," Francois
answered with decision. II have stu
died the question, and believe that
the accolade-the knighting-was al
ways right Of the monarchs OF
France. disused, perhaps At times. but
yet held In sbeyance, . right. MY
family did not agree with me. NY
father, who was very practical.
thought that 1t was mere joke OF the
emperor's--or N not q joke, then Q
caprice which carried no weight But
the seigneur-the General Gourgaud,
who was one Of Napoleon's onicers,
and others, Mademoiselle. believe -
I do. And to my mind It 10 impos.
sible that the emperors word should
carry no weight. There has never
lived on earth q man Of 20 enormous
a force. and even the smallest acta
ordained. then, that q little child Of
of his were history. II the emueroI
the people. . peasant. should ~ .
noble-why, Il was we'll within Hi
power--lt was done And ] I'm tha'
Il AnIIA ~ \. q
80" tcensInusd.) 49,