The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-09-24

Alixe's postscript were final. "Pietro
sends his love" A subsconscious
reasoning made him certain that
Pletro would not have come into such
ter: that the three lines Of writ
ing just before the battle could
not have held another mans name,
II they had been written to the
ma whom h owed. Very dimly,
very surely the Prince concluded these
things; and then he lowered his cigar,
and his gray dull eyes came down from
the ceiling and rested, kindly on the
radlant face. You are right, my
friend. 1t was an exquisite thought Of
your ~lady-love to put this other
weapon. this bright sword of happi-
ness into your hand, to fight with to-
morrow. Non Dieu, we will reward
her by sending her back a marslaIs
baton by you; a marshals baton to-
morrow. Francois! How would it
sound, par eXemple, to say Madame Ia
Marechale'? ?"
The list from Francois eyes was like
q lamp.
My Prince-Sire-there are three
things have desired all my life, all
great things, but of them that one
the baton of a marshal-is the least.
Ii | might win her love-I have said;
If might help put you in Napoleon's
place and shout Wv lnEmpereur' for
you on the throne of France; if L
might fulfil the emperor's prophecy
and be not a marshal some day n
longer but a marshal Of your empire
1t Is asking much of one lifetime, above
all Tor a man born a peasant, is it not?
Yet of those three wishes one wonder
fu1lment has come to me'-and he
grlpped his letter closer-'and once, l
believe tomorrow brings. Before to-
night'-his great eyes were
lifted toward the ceiling Of the room,
and in them was the rapt look of the
child Of the farm houSe in the Jura, q
look of q seer Of visions, a look that
caught at the Princes nerves. and made
him draw a breath quickly. Something
slowly, and the words came with a
power, as If his personality
were a medium. that before tomorrow
the officers who stand about you
hail you emperor over the body
of q man who lies before YOU
In the silence, the princes watch
could be heard ticking. Francois
shivered violently.
"Ugh!' he said, his teeth chatter
1t gives me a crise de merits.
trick of vision seeing. do not
1t, and yet at times it seizes me.
as l ANA man who has dared ask
TIRES enormous wishes OF the good
fairies; who holds one of them in his
lifted the letter-'who sees
another in easy reach. and who," he
smiled brilliantly, who will be we'll
content without the third, my prince,
first two being his" He shivered
again. Is the night raw? 1t is as if
l were in a raw this coldness." he
said. looking about with a disturbed
yet my life is just beginning"
Inc prince rose and tossed his cigar
10 the fireplace. 1T is simply that you
are tired. Francois he said in the
tranquil tones which no peril disturbed.
The nerves of US all are stretched and
yours are the finest strung. Go to
bed and at daylight you will be warm
enough. with the work that awaits us.
Sleep well-good night. my friend"
Later. IN the darkness of his cham
ger. Prince Louis lay awake. his i'm
filled with the mar whose
dramatic personality appealed to him
lew had ever lone. He thought of
MS own life. according to his lights
not q bad life, radically strong and
radically gentle, yet complicated, alb
normal from its start, with many
AaooWs and nan stains: then Of the
cTFsta! -clearness Of this others, with
MS three wishes in which he trusted
As simply as a. child would trust to the
-a1f2s- 4 small almost tender stole
the mask-like features in tbe
@aE mere Is no doubt but the girl
F.l marry the marquis" he reflected.
q an glad l left him his hope and
happiness. a vision Of Francois
D7AIle1 Q rose before him.
= man fights better So" the prince
aloud. and. his own sad ]
ness forgotten in another mans low
~ fell asleep.