The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-02-20

"Parbleu, in Morsbronn! Can't you
hear the orchestra, zim-bam-zim The
Prussians are playing their Wagner
music for us. Here. swallow this, How
do you feel now?"
SLEEPY Did you say a day or two
doctor?"
81 said a week or two-perhaps
longer. III look in this evening II
I'm not up to my chin in amputations.
Take these every hour II in pain. Go
to sleep, my SON."
As lay there on my long, cushioned
chair, burning with that Unsuitable
thirst which, to thoroughly appreciate
one must be wounded, the door opened
and Turco soldier came into the
room and advanced toward me on tip
toe.
beckoned him, and the tall,
bronzed fellow came up, smiling show
ing his snowy pointed teeth under a
crisp beard
water, Mustapha," ! motioned with
stiffened lips, and the good fellow un-
slung his blue water-bottle and set 1t
to my burning mouth.
"Mercl mon brave!" l said. MAY
you dwell in Paradise with All, the
fourth Caliph, the Lion of God!"
The Turco stared, muttered the TEX
bir in a low voice, bent and kissed
my hands.
Were you once an officer of our
African battalions ?" he asked, in the
Arab tongue.
"Sous-ofIicier Of spahi cavalry l
said, smiling. And you are Kabyle
mountaineer from Constantine, see"
1T is true as | recite the fatha," >"
cried the great fellow. beaming on me.
The music of his long-forgotten
tongue refreshed me; old scenes and
memories OF the camp at Oran, the
never-to-b -be.forgotten cavalry with the
scarlet cloaks, rushed on me thick and
fast; incidents. trivial matters Of the
bazaars, faces of comrades dead, came
to me in flashes. My eyes grew moist,
my throat swelled, / whimpered:
Give me a drink, in Gods name!"
Again he held up the blue water
bottle. After a moment | said: rs it
a battle or a bousculade? But | need
not ask: the cannon tell me enough.
Are they storming the heights, Mus
tapha?"
"Macache comprendir," said the sol
der, dropping into patois. There is
much noise. but we Turcos are here in
Morsbronn, and we have seen nothing
but sparrows."
Are you detailed to look after me?"
He said he was, and l informed him
that l needed nobody; that it was
much more important for everybody
that he should rejoin his battalion in
the street below, where even now l
could hear the Algerian bugles blow
ing a silvery sonnerie-"Garde a
vous!"
81 am Salah Ben-Ahmed, a mara
bout of the Third Turcos," he said,
proudly Have l my inspectors per-
mission to go?"
Go, Salah Ben-Ahmed, the mara
bout" said ], laughing.
The soldier stiffened to attention;
his bronzed hand flew to his scarlet
fez, and, Salute! o my Inspector"
he cried, generously, and was gone at
a bound.
l had been lying there motionless
for an hour, my head on my hand,
sniveling, when there came a knock
at the door and hastily buttoned my
shirt to the throat, threw
a tunic over my shoulders, and cried.
Come I'M"
A trick of memory and perhaps of
physical weakness had driven from
my mind all recollection of the Count
ess de Vassart since had come to my
senses under the surgeons probe. But
at the touch of her fingers on the
door outside, l knew that it could be
nobody but my Countess.
She entered noiselessly, bearing a
bowl of broth and some bread; but
when she saw me sitting there with
ayes and nose all red and swollen from
she set the bowl on table
and nurrled 10 my Slue.
What is it? Is the pain 80 dread
'ul ?" she whispered.
"No-oh no. Pm only a fool, and
quite hungry, madame"
She brought the broth and bread |
Ind a glass of the most exquisite wine
ever tasted--a wine that seemed to |
brighten the whole room with its
liquid sunshine.
"Do you know where you are?" she
lsked, gravely.
"Oh yes-in Morsbronn."
"And in whose house, monsieur"
'T don't know" glanced instinc-
lively at the tarnished coronet on the
anopy above the bed DO you know,
Iadame la Comtesse?"
These are euuipped with wheels and