Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1914-02-27
CHAPTER /.
The Prophecy.

voices foated shrilly out into the gar
den, OF q s%unshiny morning OF 1926
from the great entry of an old farm
house in the valley under the Jura
mountains. The grandmother, sitting
uninterrupted In the center OF the hub
bub, heard one more willingly than the
others, for not only was Francois heI
best loved, but also the story he asked
for was the story she liked to tell.
Smiling. the grandmother began:
you must know, my children, that II
was on a day in the month of May, In
h year 1913, that he came. o
Lucie, and you, Pierre, and Marie
were not born, only Francois and
Tomas. Francois was the older--not
quite three years Did. The mother had
gone to care for your Aurt Lucie, who
was Ill, I'M l kept the house for your
father. 1t was the year of the great
conscription, when the emperor tool
all the men to fight, not only the
strong ones. but the boys, and the old
and infrm, If they might but drag
themselves 1t the tail of a regiment.
So the few men who were not under
the flag were sorely needed by their
A0AnAlACb, " ~ Wdb AeCCoSdiy II SiS
ome and children were not to
etarve, that some should stay tc work
In the fields. Your father was of the
few who had escaped in our village OF
vicques.
"One morning a man appeared In
the village and said hat Napoleon
would pass this way within a few
hours.
Outside / heard the neighbors call
Ing the same two words-'Napoleon
comes-one called 1t to another. If
h trumpet of the angel sounded the
end Of the world, they could not have
had nor fear. Then your father
kissed me. and kneeled and held you,
Francois, and Tomas, In his arms, and
! saw tears. hut he was braye-but
9 Courage. little mother he said,
ffor me and for the babies Courage
And at that your father, who was
my little lad once, you know, my dears,
had gone, and l stood with an ache
where my heart should have been. and
for a moment / was stupid INT could
not think.
A / stood so, like a blow there was
q rush OF g%alloping horses In a shower
Of noise down the street, and my
heart stopped. for the horses drew up
at this house. So that l was still in
the middle Of the door when the door
opened.
1T opened, that door there, and
against the light l saw men crowding
In the entry. They wore uniforms Of
bright colors. and swords hung at their
sides. and on their heads were hats
with trimmings Of gold. Then / saw
Napoleon. With a step toward me
he spoke In = kind voice, half smiling.
Madame he said. will you let us
use this room and this table for an
houri You shall not be disturbed in
your work
Il made my courtesy to these great
gentlemen az ! had been taught, and l
found myself saying quite easily to his
majesty the emperor. az easily as II I
talked to Monsieur lie Cure, to whom
was accustomed. that he was vel
come; that / would serve him gladly
lf he wished to command me. And
then I left them. l went into the
kitchen and began to get dinner, but
I Wal 20 dAxed that l could not seem
70 make the soup as usual. When,
suddenly. ! heard a child cry. and with
no thought then but of my babies. l
lew to the door OF the great room and
stood looking. for ! could not pass the
sentinel
Among the officers In their uni
forms there lay on the fioor little Fran
coiG IN his night.dress. and all the Of
Acers looked at him and laughed. The
child. sleeping In the farther room,
had walked At the voices and had
climbed down from his crib and tod
died out to see The glitter of the uni
forms must have pleased him, and as
they al bent Owe the papers on the
table he had pulled At the sword OF
ono whom l afterward knew to be the
great Marshal Ney. He wore q dark
coat all heavy with gold lace, my chill
drsn. and white p~antaloons and high
shining black boots, and ACROSS his
6roast . scarlet ribbon. He sat next
the emperor. Tho marshal. turning
sharply ct the tug. knocked the little
one was then Francois cried
out.
Napoleon himself who spoke a. |
peered under the sentinel's arm. He
shook his finger At his ofncer.
Marshal, Marshal. he cried. are
you not too quick to overthrow 70
young . soldier. % full OF love for
axms3'
The emperor seemed to Joke, for
he laughed : little. yet there wa =
sound In his voice ~ II some part was
serious. He turned sharply to the
mayor. What ID the child's name?'
Tho mayor was our friend and
knew the babies. Francois Beaupre.
sire he answered tremblingly.
THE emperor gave q short nod.
Make him kneel,' he said. Marshal,
your sword.
was still for a moment, and all
the officers up silent, and then
the emperor took the marshal's sword
and struck the baby's shoulder a light
blow with the fiat Of it.
Rise Chevalier Francois Beaupre,'
he said clearly, and In the pause he
added, with q look In his eyes As II
sne gAxed forward: Some day, per-
iaps. = marshal of France under an
sther Bonaparte.s"
CHAPTER IL.
Th Stranger.
On N afternoon in July In the year
- 1lA R~HN>~sr A~s-- 49, -~o- ia