Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-07-14
A Son of the
Regiment
He Was Adopted From the
Battlefield.
By P. A. mitchell

In the summer of 1870 a lady was
sitting on the piazza Of chateau on
the eastern border Of France, half re-
clining In an easy chair, her feet on a
luxurious rug A nurse was trundllng
a baby on the lawn, where the lady
could keep her child under her eye.
Suddenly distant boom broke in
upon her peaceful surroundings, In the
country at that time In France one did
not get news very promptly, but from
the capital had come disquieting ru'
mors. This first low growl from the
dogs of war spoke volumes. Nine.
Cherbolez paled. In twinkling 1t was
revealed to her that at any moment she
might be In the midst of tramping men,
or, worse on battlefield.
A gardener who was trimming some
plants, hearing the sound. stopped and
listened.
"What do you think 1t is, PierreT
called madame, knowing only too well
without asking.
81 think 1t Is the Prussians, madame
Last evening heard at the store that
they were advancing-a great army"
I'VE must prepare to move. Call all
the servants, that we may begin pack
ing such articles as we may take
away"
The packing commenced, but was
Aniuhnd Not hntnr hnd nj n n1n1
when two armies began to Gre shot and
shell at each other, the Cherbolez cha
teau being midway between them
When the firing began madame was In
the chateau experimenting the pack
ing, the nurse was still trundling the
baby. Madame never left her home
alive, and as for the others, they were
shot down or borne down by tramping
men.
When the Prussians, after capturing
the French capital, marched back to
Germany distant relative of Nine.
Cherbolez, or, rather, Of her husband,
who was killed In the war, Gustav
Cherbolez, claimed the estate. 1t was
known that Nine Cherbolez was dead.
Her body had been found In the ruin
ed old chateau. What had become of
the body Of her only child no one
knew. Caught between two opposing
armies, there was no expectation that
It had survived. Bodies of dead
Frenchmen and Germans had been
thrown into trenches dug on the Cher
bolez grounds. Quite likely the body
of little Armand Cherbolez, who had
been heir prospective to the property,
had been treated like other mangled
remains.
Gustav Cherbolez was granted pos
session Of the property by the courts
He repaired the chateau and went
there to live. He was a good manager,
and In the course of ten or fifteen
years had largely increased the value
of his estate. When his daughter
Fanchette was ready to be introduced
to the world as a young lady her par
ents gave fete champetre on the
grounds OF the chateau. On the very
spot where little Armand had been
trundled, on that summer day when
the French and Germans fought. there
Mile. Fanchette danced.
Then came the matter OF providing
the helress-for she was an only child
and would inherit fine estate-with a
husband. like all men who have ac-
cumulated property by careful man
agement, NJ. Cherbolez was bent on
adding to It by every possible means
Neighbors Of his, the De la Tours, pos
sessed wealth, and their only son,
Jules, would inherit IT, NJ. Cherbolez
visited NJ de Ia Tour and proposed n
marriage between their children
An arrangement was made by which |
Jules and Fanchette we're betrothed
The CherbOlez estate was on the |
frontier, and French troops were sta |
toned In the neighborhood Among |
them was n young lieutenant named |
Victor Martin. He and Fanchette met |
at ball given by the officers Of his
regiment, and he was afterward In |
vlted to the chateau. II was soon after
Fanchette's betrothal to young De Ia
Tour that these meetings occurred and |
resulted I'm an attachment between her
and Victor Martin.
Had II not been for this meeting with |
the young soldier Fanchette might have
married De In Tour without any |
qualms. But now all was changed |
She and he had been brought together
Mt their betrothal, and she had found
him much improved. But he was not
Victor Martin. Unfortunately for the
lovers. Victor had neither family nor
fortune. He was fine fellow and, not
withstanding that In his childhood he
had not associated with persons Of
birth, seemed 10 be TO the manner born.
He stood high with his companions In
arms, and bright future was before
him. II was understood that he had
claim Of some sort on the government,
but OF this he never spoke, being, It
was supposed, sensitive about It. IL
was known, however, that he received
his appointment 10 the military school
at st. Cyr as recognition OF some
service or incident.
Fanchette kept the attachment be.
tween her and Victor Martin from her
parents for awhile because II would
avail nothing to reveal It. II gradually
became known, but so long as II did
not interfere with the marriage that
had been arranged for her II was not
considered Of great importance. W0.
men in France were not expected 10
AIx..l.