The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-10-19
A Son OF the
Regiment
He Was Adopted From the
Battlefield.
By +. A. MICHEL

In the summer 81 1870 a lady was
sitting on the piazza Of a chateau on
| the eastern border OF France. han re
elining in an easy chair, her feet on a
luxurious rug A nurse was rundlnr
a baby on The lawn, where the lady
could keep her child under her eye.
suddenly distant boom broke IA
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 disluictiug m
mors This first low groWl from the
dogs of war spoke volumes Nine.
| Chcrbolez puled. In twlnkling IL 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 10 you think II is, Pierce
called madame. knowing only too well
without asking.
II think ii Is the Prussians, madame
Last evening heard at the store that
they were advancing a great army.
we must prepare to move, Can ali
the servants, that we may begin pack
ing such articles as we may take
away"
The packing commenced. but was
never finished. Not an hour had elapsed
when two armies began TO fire shot and
shell mt each other the Cherbolc2 cha
seau 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 Il distant relative Of Nine.
Chcrbolez, or, rather of her husband.
who was killed IN the war Gustav
Cherboiez claimed the estate. 1t was
known that Nine, CherDolcz was dead
Her body had been found in the ruin
cd 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
Frcnchmcn and Germans had been
thrown into trenches dug on the Cher
bole2 grounds. Quite likely the body
of little Armand Cherbolez, who had
been heir prospective TO tho property,
had been treated like othei mangled
remains.
Gustav Cherbole2 was granted pos
session of the property by the courts. |
He repaired the chateau and went
there to live. lie was a good manager, |
and in the course Of ten or fifteen |
years had largely increased the value
Of his estate. When his daughter
Fanchctte was ready to be introduced |
to the world as young lady her par
ents gave fete champetre on the
grounds o. the chateau. On the very |
spot where little Armand had been
trundlcd, on that summer day when
the French and Germans fought, there
Nile. Fanchette danced
Then came the matter Of providing
the heircss for she was an only child
and would inherit n fine estatc-with n
husband. Like all men who have nc.
cumulated property by careful man
agement, NJ Cherbolez was bent on
adding to it by every possible means.
Neighbors Of his, the De In Tours, pos
sessed wealth, and their only son,
Jules, would inherit IT NJ Chcrbolez
visited NJ. de la Tour and proposed
marriage between their children
An arrangement was made by which
Jules and Fanchettc were betrotbed.
The Cherbolcz estate was on the
and French troops were sta
toned in the neighborhood Among
them was young lieutenant named
Victor Martin. He and Fanchctte met
at ball given by the officers OF his
regiment, and he was nftcrward in
vlted TO the chateau. IT WIS soon after
Fanchette's betrothnl to young De la
Tour that these meetings occurred and
resulted in an attach meut between her
and Victor Martin.
Had 1t not been for this meeting with
he young soldier FanChette might have
married De IN Tour without any
lualms. Rut now all was changed
She and he had been brought together
IT their betrotbal. ana She had found
him much improved But he was not
Victor Martin. Unfortunately for the
overs, Victor had neither family nor
ortune He was fine fellow and, not
that in his childhood he
lad not associated with persons of
firth, seemed 70 be to the manner born
lie stood high with his companions IN
rms, and bright future Tas before
i'm. II was understood that he had !
lain Of some sort on the government
Ut Of this he never spoke, being, It
'as supposed. sensitive about H. II q
'as known however. that he received Y
Is appointment 10 the military school y
~. Cyr az recognition Of some
.rvice or incident.
Fanchette kept the attachment he. h
a "