Tombstone epitaph., 1915-04-18

 then They said that no one could have read the lines. acted the part. in. carnated the majesty and the soul of him, as did l. And why? Because was the emperor; his soul was mine, his voice."
 I've often heard people say. even nowadays. that you look like him" said Latour-Michel.
 The passion of my life! Why. up in my quarters. sometimes, still put on the bicorne hat. the boots, the long cloak; and then his spirit"
 Jacques" said Latour- Michel, call ing his comrade by his first name. as he did occasionally. what do those other fellows out there know about Napoleon? They're brave. They're good Frenchmen. good patriots; but it devolves on us to make Napoleon's spirit live again-to evoke, as you have said, the immortal shade. And if | die. here" Ther was a pause. an instant of in- describable silence. and then. through | the overpowering stiffness of this place where Napoleon slept. there came a reyerberation of distant thun- ! der
 The cannon, hear the cannon!" | Grenadier Mere cried. The thunder was repeated | "Adjutant, Adjutant, It's the can non," the grenadier cried as he | stepped in front of his ancient friends | chair.
 It seemed as if bullet, or a piece of ! shrapnel, or a shell from those very | cannon that were roaring now, had stricken the grenadier where he stood. | For. stricken and petrified. he was looking at this old, old friend of his and the friend was sitting there dead. | Adjutant LatourMichel. more than hundred years old. the man who had seen Napoleon. had died there at the very side of the place where the em- peror slept.
 After that first moment or two of stupefaction the grenadier did a very peculiar thing. He was still looking at the dead cen tenarian, and he spoke to him as if he could hear; spoke softly, but seriously as though he expected an answer; spoke smilingly and coaxingly.
 Art thou-art thou. perchance." he | asked, gone to summon him?" To summon whom? The temerity of Mere
 Then, as he stood there in the gloom. that hope of theirs came back to him. no longer nebulous, but vivid and wild
 Just now Latour- Michel had spoken of the emperors spirit as being awake and near Just now Latour- Michel had spoken of death; and here he was dead. Were there not many things in the world that ordinary people did not understand?
 Mere tore open the greatcoat of his friend, tore open the shirt, put his hand on the heart. The heart was still.
 He heard a step in the corridor be yond the crypt. There entered care taker, very old, who held his lanterr aloft and saw Mere standing there.
 Good evening. NJ Mere" he said They still advance." | The caretaker saw the rolling chail and the still form in 1t. It was not al all surprising to find these two com rades here at any hour of the day ol night.
 And NJ. Latour.Michel how is he?' the caretaker asked. addressing ths form in the chair.
 Said Mere softly:
 He sleeps"
 The caretaker went away after { cursory tour. Mere turned to his friend and whispered:
 Thou sleepest? Not so. my com rade! And thou, thou-oh. Napoleon,
 Then there occurred a very strange and beautiful thing. His old brain wa shaky, perhaps. and his old nerves un strung; but he had a vision.
 It was as if from the great sarcopha gus of Finland granite there had com' a wrath. scarcely perceptible at first ii the dim light, then clearer and cleare as it mounted and took form. until h. was looking at Napoleon himself.
 Mere was stricken with awe ant nameless rapture.
 The emperor was gazing with in domitabie eyes out over a far-fluni battlefield, where flags tossed in tn, van of charging regiments. where car non roared and filled the air witt smoke, and cavalry thundered witt sabers drawn.
 "Vive la France!" cried the Grena [ dier Mere in a strangled voice. r At the cry. the enemy broke an
 fled.
 "Vive la FranceI" 5 The grenadier heard the echo of hi
 own voice, felt the pounding of hi ] heart. Sheer emotion made him veal Excitement overwhelmed him; but hi
 arteries were liquid fire. ' Napoleon lives." he stammeret
 He saves the country. Grenade f Mere! Present. my emperor, G - carry the word to General Joffrei Gu 9 Oui,
 "Oh, God!" cried the grenadier. wh ] had dropped his monologue for SUI
 plication. Your help, and our arm - moves forward this night to victory. t
 deliverance, following the immorts y shade of NapoleoD!" y W Joseph Dubois was doing courie