Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-05-20
CHAPTER I.
A pROPHECY

princess; TOmaS at M top OF ms
lungs. demanded the episode of the
each child wished a particular tale.
Half a dozen high, little French voices
floated shrilly out into the garden, on
a sunshiny morning of 1920 from the
great entry of an old farm house in
the valley under the Jura mountains.
in the center of the hubbub. heard one
more willingly than the others. for not
only was Francois her best loved. but
also the story he asked for was the
story she liked to tell.
In the large kitchen beyond the open
door the sun lay in patches on the
bare. scrubbed floor. and the mother
moved swiftly. getting dinner ready
against IL o'clock, when the father
should come in from the fields: 1T was
the grandmere's hour to amuse the
children. And today they were all
pleading at once for a story, clapping
hands. jumping up and down as If life
depended on the choice. Suddenly, In
the excess Of enthusiasm, Tomas and
Francois and Pierre were in q heap.
sprawling at her feet on the earth
floor of the entry.
Stop. stop" said the granmother;;
Good children do not go so fast" and
You. Francois, o are too quick
you will finish by hurting yourself.
| Stand here quiet, near me, and listen
| WELL" and, her arm about him, she
drew the boy close.
You will tell my tale. grandmere1,
the tale Of Napoleon Comes :" he asked
| eagerly, and the grandmother smiled;
it was what she wished to tell.
And now. with the faces Of the chill
| dren turned toward her. h pushed the
big horn-framed glasses up on her
brow, buried her knitting needles deep
in scarlet wool. and folding her work
! carefully, laid 1t in the work box. All
five watched ceremony, the methodi-
cal habit Of a lifetime, and little Marie
gave a trembling sigh as 1t ended. Only
| that sound broke the stiffness, n In
a moment the grandmother's voice be-
| gan.
FRANCOIS, il you pinch your brother
you are not a good child, n cannot
listen to the story" h admonished.
BE quiet, then, and you shall hear how
the emperor came to this house. and
sat in the great room there-Na-
poleon!"
as she glanced toward the o Yes.
at that table he sat-" h gentle voice
went on, with his great officers about
him, with their uniforms and bright
! facings and gold buttons, n their
swords clanking as they walked, and
their three-cornered hats. waving
plumes. on their heads. But tiens-I
must go back[I must tell 1t rightly,
the story of Napoleon" AT the name
the grandmother's head seemed to lift,
| and dignity was in her manner The
| boy against her arm, his brown eyes,
of IN size and Intensity, 1ast-
ened on hers. thrilled.
Yes. grandmere, from h begin
ming" he said earnestly.
Smiling again. h grandmother be-
gan. You must know, my children,
| that 1t was on a day in he month OF
May, in the year 1919. that he came.
You, Lucie. and you Pierre. and Marie
were not born. only Francois and
Tomas. Francois was the older-not
| quite 8 years old. The mother had gone
| to care for your Aunt Lucie. who was
i'll, and I kept the house for your father.
It was the year of h great conscrip-
ton. when he emperor took all the
men to fight, not only the strong ones,
but the boys. and the old and infirm,
IL they might but drag themselves at
| the tail of q regiment. So the few men
who were not under the flag were sore
ly needed by their families. for 1t was
necessary. II the women and children
were not to starve. that some mould
was Of h few who had ESCAPED In ouE
village Of VicQues.
.One morning q man appeared In the
village and said that Napoleon would
pass this way within a few hours. Nc
one quite believed, yet there was x
element, and the people stood about
c~hattering, restless, when suddenly
I can see it as IL It were yesterday
q half dozen horsemen clattered IRON
the turn of the road up there and gal
loped down the street and beyond Inc
crowd stared. Then every one talkec
at once: there was q great confusion
But at last q good old man, we'll known
to us all. raised his hand for silence
and as we listened he told US that prob.
ably It was not the great army which
would pass through vicQues. but onI1
Napoleon and his staff. We were no
on the road which led to Germany, ant
the great army waS hurrying there
It was probable that the emperor
turned from his road to take the list
Of men and Of resources In the VII
lage." !.
"Please. grand-mere. don't tell wha
the old man SAID" Francois spoke. II
10 so long before you come to Napo
leon" The child's name was i'm
petuous: but very winning. The oil
woman felt the charm OF 1t.
she said. very well. then. Two youn
men were placed down the road I
warn US. 20 that the men OF the plac
might hide ON the mountain to escap
~ being taken for soldiers. All that da
nothing happened. but the next morn
ing toward half past 10. as I prepare
the street, ana your father came In.
NY mother, no said. Napoleo
comes.
"Outside I heard the neighbore cal
ing the same two worda-sNapoleo
comeoe-one calleG it to another. lf u
nd sc the world. they could not hay
6An moresfeaT. Then your father kiose
me- and knoelod and held you. Fran
ooln. and Tomas. IN hi1 rmo and
0w teaxa. but he was brAve-6ut ~