The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-05-21
p I.
A PROPHECY

| P1erre clamOred Tor the story OF the
old witch and the horses; Marie begged
to hear about the white ducks and the
princess; Tomas, at the top Of his
lungs. demanded the episode OF the
mar who fell off the church steeple;
each child wished a particular tale,
| Half q dozen high, little French voices
ioated shrilly out into tho garden, on
a sunshiny morning Of 1870 from the
great entry of an old farm house IN
the valley under the Jura mountains.
The grandmother. sitting white-capped
in the center OF the hubbub, heard one
more willingly than the others, for not
only wa 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; It was
the grandmere's hour to anus the
children. And today they were all
| pleading at once for a story, clappinB
hands, jumping UP and down as II LIE
| depended on the choice. Suddenly, In
the excess Of enthusiasm, Tomas and
Francois and Pierre were in q heap,
spraying at her feet on the earth
floor of the entry.
Good children do not go so fast" and
she carefully sorted out the heat
You, Francois, D are too quick
you will finish by hurting yourself.
Stand here quiet, near me, ana listen
well" and, her arm about him, she
drew the boy close. ..ME-. .a
You will tell my tale, grandmere-
the tale OF Napoleon Comes !" he esked
eagerly, and the grandmother smiled;
1t 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 It in the work box. All
five watched ceremony, the method
| cal habit OF a lifetime. and little Marie
gave a trembling sigh as II ended. Only
| that sound broke the stiffness. and In
a moment the grandmother's voice be-
gan. 3
Francois, II you pinch your brother
you are not a good child, and cannot
listen to the story" she ~admonished.
BE quiet, then, and you hal hear how
the emperor came to this house, n
sat in the great room there--Na-
poleonl" a
The ave pairs Of eyes followed hers
as she glanced toward the door. Yes,
at that table he sat-" the gentle voice
went on, with his great officers about
| him. with their uniforms and bright
facings and gold buttons, n thei
swords clanktng as they walked, p
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 size and intensity, last
ened on hers, thrilled. a.
Eyes, Rrandmere, from the begin
ming" he said earnestly.
Smiling again, the grandmother be-
gan. You must know, my children,
that Il was on q day In the month OF
May, In the q 1913, that he came.
You, Lucie, and o Pierre, and Marie
Tomas. Francois was the older-not
quite 8 years old. The mother had gone
to care for your Aunt Lucie. who was
III, and I kept the house for your father.
1t was the year OF the great conscrip-
ton, when h ernperO took all the
men to fight. not only the strong ones
but the boys. and b old and tnfrm,
IL they might but drag themselves at
the tail of q regiment. So the few men
who were not under the nag were sore
ly needed by their families, for II was
necessary. * the women and children
were not to starve, that some should
stay to work in the fields. Your father
DE- oA LA0 AOWN - -
village OF VicQues.
zone morning q man appeared In the
| village and said that Napoleon would
pass this way within a few hours. No
one quite believed. yet there was ex-
element, and the people stoed about
I can see It as If II were yesterday
q half dozen horsemen clattered from
the turn OF the road UP there and gal
loped down the street and beyond. The
crowd stared Then every one talked
at once; there was q great confusion'
But al last q good old man, well known
to us all, raised his hand for silence,
and as we listened he told US thai prob
ably II was not h great army which
would pass through VicQueg, but only
Napoleon and his staff. We were not
on the road which led to Germany, and
the great army was hurrytng there:
1t was probable that the emperor
turned from his road to take the lists
of men and Of In the VII
lage."
mothers arm. "Comment?" she asked.
please. grand-mere. don't tell what
the old man said" Francois spoke. 1T
leon" The child's manner was i'm
petuous, but very winning. The old
woman felt the charm OF It /.
You are always aser, Francois
she said. Very well, then. Two young
men were placed down the road to
warn US. so that the men OF the place
might hide on the mountain to escape
being taken for soldiers. All that day
nothing happened, but the next morn
ing toward half past 10, as I prepared
the dinner. there was q sudden noise In
the street, and your father came in
my mother he said, Napoleon
comes uea.-. w
"Outside / heard the neighbors call
ing the same two words-Napoleon
comes'-one called It to another. II the
trumpet of the angel had sounded the
end Of the world. they could not have
had more fear. Then you father kissed
me. and kneeled and held you. Fran.
co.'s. and Tomas. In his arms, and
saw tears. but he war brave-but yes
Courage. little mothse.' he said, FOL
me and for the babies. Courage.
And at that your father. who wal
my little lad once, o know. my dears
had gone. and I stood with an ache
where my heart should have been. ant
for a moment I was stupid and coult
not think. Francois held TO my apron
and I lifted Tomas. What are yol
crying about, naughty grand mere?
asked Tomas. So I 4 dried the tears and
Francois began to say that he wa.
sleepy. I undressed him and the babI
and put them to bed for their nap II