The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1916-06-01
The Colonel's
Corvalescence
By ALAN HINSDALE

''' i""tIODr, Il man or forty, was
wounded and instead OF being sent 10
hospital was left for want Of trans.
portatiOn at q chateau bv the WAY
The lady who owned the place directed
that he be placed in one OF her best
rooms and at once assumed his care
Fortunately for both, the lighting did
not come near the chateau, and the
colonel was left 20 recover, his wants
being supplied by the lady. q spinster
named Remercier.
Mile. Remercier was some five wears
! younger than IAtrUbe, and spiuStars
usually preserve their youthful appear.
ance longer than their married sisters
Al any rate this is liable to be the case
with unmarried women who have no
cares or troubles. The coloners nurse
was still handsome woman.
There was long period of Gonzales.
cence. during which the colonel was
unable To lpin his command Milo
Remercicr read 10 him. chattcd with
him, fed him. indeed made his convo.
ieScence delightful. Every morning she
gathered rowcrS from her garden. car
rled them Ia his room and arranged
them In vase of Dresden china with
her own hands. Many % the delicacies
prepared for him 10 eat She cookcd
with her own hands. No matter what |
tiihe OF day he called for anything he
Needed the lady responded and ALWAYS |
with a sympathetic smile.
IN time l.atrohc spent a portion of |
the day in an easy chair: then nearly
all the day there; then he was able tn
walk about his room and finally 10 60
downstairs. He was chatting 10 rr,
pack to the front, though loath to leave
MS luAurlouS abode and especially his
fair hostess.
ohe morning in June he was sitting
on the terrace with Mile. Remerciar
ne sun shone brightly. and delicious
perfume came from the roses growing
beside the terrace. Conversation turn.
ed upon the school Of St Cyr. from
which the colonel had been graduated
a sublieutcnant into the army.
l VISITED st Cyr when but seven.
teen years old" said madamoiseIle. 81
Fan conceive of 10 place so enthraHinc
10 girl of that age as a military acod.
envy. The young men in uniform are
lar more Respondent than those in
'lVlilan dress. There are the martial ,
music, the military ceremonies. every.
ming to turn Il girls head"
And | remember" added the colo. :
iel, how we Youngsters delighted I'm
making love to the girls who visited i
It. Cyr. Lovemaking had not the Il
meaning that it has for older men. 1t u
vas what the Americans call flirting.
We thought nothing of telling a girl
We loved her. and the girls thought
othing Of pretending to reciprocate -
We enjoyed the sentiment without hay II
ne to fret about the responsibilities. Z,
hen We had made love to one girl u
re were ready Tor another. And when q,
hey had gone We returned TO our stud. II
IS as free mentally as before they had II
Dme" :
Your picture may be true with re n,
Dect to the young men," said the lady. IA
ana In most cases perhaps with re- fl,
ara TO the girls. In my case il was n,
Herent. In one Of these young mill. II
ry students | met that which was III
lie most serious episode of my life &c
e made love to me simply for the W
enjoyment of the sentiment tn
las, 1t was far more than that to me! an
hat is why have never married" al!
The brute! exclaimed the colonel.
NO; he was simply young and did
It realize the danger to me Of what ,
was doing" pr
Perhaps he did realize 1t in time, TO M,
8 cost. | confess that there was one le,
my affairs that stood by me for &C
any years | could not shake 1t of. tn,
zen today. after twenty years, 1 see nj,
my dreams that young face and an
ass again That soft band" ms
'Ald why did you, after discovering sic
1t you really loved her. not seek her tbs
II" be,
'Ah, that would have served In
lerica, where they marry for love,
not in France, where parents ar. "a
lge marriages for their children" thy
w no was the girl
If l remember correctly she was the 81
lighter Of a gentleman OF fortune. a n
ng in one of the provinces Her ket
ne was HOrtense"- He was stall ade
he had forgotten her surname.
Would you know her again, do you
pose, after not seeing her for TWEEN r
years." Cor
That | could not say" cas
lie. Remercier arose and went into ms,
house. Presently she returned tom
u Iiiiiia lure palllllils' Whlch she met
ded to the colonel. He looked at m 8
or a few moments as though It
light back some vague memory:
suddenly he turned his eyes upon T.
in a sort of wonder. bav
Where did you get this;' he asked Ira
have had it ever since the origi- do
visited st. Cyr twenty years ago" ,nsu
he colonelS steady gaze gradually
aled to him that the miniature
a likeness of Mile. Remercier at a.,
nteen.
Iortense" he exclaimed
Ienrir' was the low reply.
hen the colonel went back to the e''
( he returned a married man. In
!, had not duty called him he
Ia NOT have raturnad Ha WOO varv VIC