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Show LINK BY LINK. A THBILLLINO BTOBY OP" THE PBAHOO-PBUSSIAN WAE. UV JIAUltlCU J.KUKAND. OHAITEU VII. 'LA OLOIIlKl" J7SIIE sound of wnr was throughout A tho land. Franco know hor peril und vainly strovo ngalnst it. Ncnror nnd nonror ovory day camo tho foo; sterner, cruolor nnd moro despor-ato despor-ato grow tho warfare. From vlllago and hamlot and town, tho demand for rocrults brought ovor fresh supplies; terrornnd war darkonod many a homo, crushed many n hoart; ovorywhoro tho dread of ill closo lit hand nnd soon to fall. Within a dny's march of Paris, n tropp of sotdlors hnd Mmltod urid wore gathorod round a. tnblo in front of tho nuborgo smoking, drinking and chut-tlng chut-tlng with tho mercurial cnrolossnoss that generally chnructorUos tho sons of Mars'. "Wo shnll bo in to-morrow," said ono. "And warm work wo shnll. havo," muttorod nnothor. "So much tho hotter; you nro not going to shirk It now, nro you?" "It Is not of tho work I think," tho man nnswored sadly "not yot of myself my-self a man can dlo but onco but thoro nro my wlfo and tho llttlo ones." Tho words east n shndow of gloom over many careless faces In tho laughing laugh-ing group. "Truo for them It Is bad," thoy murmured, nnd thought endly of tho qulot homos, nnd tho rosy facos, and thoprotty childish voices that might ask In vutn for sight or sound of asoldl?r-fathor asoldl?r-fathor ero nnothor sun hnd sot. Ono mnn stood uloof and apart from nil under the thick shrouding boughs of a grent pear tree Now and thon ho looked at tho group ns thoy tossed off tholr wine, or laughed nnd Joked with guy nnd airy bulloonory. "Thoy can onjoyl" ho thought, nnd n bitter wondor nnd disdain corpt Into his heart, for llfo to hlra was bo unspeakably un-speakably snd und dcsolato a thing, that It sooraod n marvel that thoso of lighter brains nnd hoarts could find nmusbment of forgotfulnoss In such an hour ns this. "You nro bad company to-night, l'lorro," snld ono of tho soldiers. "Will you not Join usP you may not hnvQtho chnnco much longer," "So much tho bettor for mo," ho said sternly, turning neither his gano nor hts stop toward them. "Havo you fallen out with llfo already, al-ready, or hns your sweothcart Jilted you?'' laughed a smlwnrt young soldier, sol-dier, with tho down of manhood senrco grown on his chin, nnd a laughing boyUh fueo that hnd loft a sad blank In tho homo clrclo from whence It had been drawn. j".My mCalw uro no i-oncera of youi," was tho soniowjuit iloreo ro-tort. ro-tort. "Utcu f,o dteli, no, You tuko vory good cmho no ono oUo but yourself shall kno'v aught of thorn," returned tho other. "Don't trouble l'lorro," chimed in tho voice of .no mnn who had given htm tho Invitation to Join them. "Cost un drolo, amis c't un bo bravo." , "Ho hnd need lo bo tho ouoto innko uj for tho othor,'.' muttered tho young I 1 I ! I I soldier. "A dullor fellow I never camo across." "Ho hns dono good work, though, and hhrTtetlcssncss is something to marvol at. Tho other night ho fought thrco Prussians, single-handed, and cumo off with scarco a scratch himself." him-self." "Vontro blue huu no olso ovor dono tho samo?" "Doubtless; but this follow is an untrained un-trained recruit, nnd hns tho foolhardi-noss foolhardi-noss nnd coolness of perfect courage, nnd no moro foar of flro or regard of dnngor thnn If ho were bullet proof. Tho Colonel thinks vorv highly of him." "That moans promotion." "Ho doesn't want that only dan-gor." dan-gor." "Yes I've heard him otic for tho most ticklish of foraging parties; pauvro dlablol thoro's something underneath un-derneath It. all. Ho cnrrlos a honvy heart under that bold bravo faco if I mistuko not." "He is bod soldat to tho backbone I hopo tho bullots won't whlsh him off as quickly as ho scorns to doslro. Wo can ill spnro mon now." "Think you it will como to siogo?" "Dlou do dlou yes. Thoso cursod Gorman brutes aro hemming us in on ovory side" Tho tnlk grow grnvor, tho Jests loss boisterous, whllo tho man whom thoy discussed stood motlonloss In tho starlight, star-light, his musket rostlng against his shouldor, his eyes fixed on tho far-off walls of tho fair city so soon to bo tho proy of tho foo. Tho foarloss, dauntloss soldlor had boon through many a hot skirmish, had sorvod well, nnd learned quickly, and borno tho nrduous unremitting work of trying campaigns nnd close discipline with n cool, bravery that had won him both respect nnd liking from comrados and suporlors. Thoy did not qulto understand. Thoy could not qulto comprehend his moods of Bllonco his Btrango unsocial gravity gravi-ty his utter roticonco respoctlng his own past llfo, of which no ono know or could ascortuln anything. It hold somo mystery, 6omo sorrow, that thoy surmised; but of its nnturo ho novor spoke, und after a timo thoy ceased to inquire Tho nolso, tho clang, and tumult of war, tho ovor prcsont oxcltomont of dnngor, nil thc30 woro too constantly around und nbout them to allow of much lelsuro for speculation or gossip. Thoy accopt-od accopt-od him among tho frntornlty as ono of whom thoy could trust, honor and ro-spoct, ro-spoct, oven if no warmer feeling wero permitted, nnd for that ho was nlono to blurao, slnco mrallowcd of no closer clos-er approach to confldenco or regard than ho himself to'ught, and that was ns llttlo as woll Anight bo without ab-sbluto ab-sbluto offonso. J Times wcro tijrrlblo now in Frnncq. -fhd wRr fovc was 'at Its hefght.' Won grow drnnk with bloodshod a with wlnc Fiercest hatred to tho conqueror glowod in ovory breast, and each day tho hopos of victory grow falntor, tho dread con-quost con-quost sharper. And amidst nil tho turmoil and nnxloly nnd danger, ono man movod as though ho boro u charmed llfo, only saying to hlmaolf ; "Oh, that death woro possible!" llut though near often, It yot passed him by taking, with that strango fn-tallty fn-tallty that makes llfq at onco so striking strik-ing nnd so End, llvos boaido hlra, wound him llvos, loved, happy, young, hopoful, and yot loavlng his unharmed, to boar tho burden of a hlddon woo that haunted ovory hour of his existence A llfo of hurdship, discipline, suffering, suffer-ing, was his dally portion, but for all oxtornal discomfort ho carod but littlo, scarcely folt or noticed it. Hunger, weariness, conrso food, ccasoloss toll, tori'lblo danger, nil these lookod but trllles to oyos that had grown blind with ono hour's shuttered bliss, with tho ugony of a doubt that had turned lovo to nindness. Hut tho war-flro awoko In him nt last und becamo tho ono thing that kopt him from uttor dospalr. Sovoro campaigning, hot sklrmlshos and in-cossnnt in-cossnnt watchfulness, all tho domands on his timo and attention that each day rendered moro necessary, theso brought him oxcltomont, nnd gavo him tho uttor dlsrogurd and rockloss-noss rockloss-noss us to llfo and danger that awoko the Involuntary udmlratlon of his comrades. com-rades. l'lorro Loroux wus a man with tho born Instincts of n .soldlor, nnd hts previous qulot unuvontful llfo in no wny unfitted him for his prosont ox-porloucos. ox-porloucos. Its necessities called many Intent fncultlos into piny, and taught lilin tho two grout lopsons of llfo pattonco uttd enduranco; nnd this man, who but n fow months boforo hnd known no greater unxlaty than tho falluro of a crop or tho drought of a season, now boro privutlons ns c'ulmly, and risked death ns recklessly, as tho hnrdlost soldlor who had spont u Ufotlmo in tho sor-vieo sor-vieo of wnr nnd tho toll of camps. To-night, whon tho carousal was over, nnd tho soldlors slopt for tho fow brief hours that wero nlono permitted, per-mitted, ho stoo.1 as sonttnol over tho llttlo troop. Tho ulr was chilly thoro was no light, for moon and stars woro shrouded shroud-ed by gray huivy clouds. With onrs nlcrt, und oyos keen und shnrp ns long hnblt could muko them, ho paced to snd fro In that ceasoless Monotonous Monoton-ous round that is so woarlsomo oven to tho trained soldlor. Tho darkness deepened, und tho wind grow fiorcer. Into his brain stolo tho thoughts that could still so Incessantly torture and porplox him. Into his heart camo tho memory of that night whon tho woman wom-an ho loved had crouched nt his foot, and with tho pallor o( guilt on hor faco and yot tho donlnl of guilt on her lips, had prayed him to bellovo hor Innocent. In-nocent. Innocent! Ho nhnost laughed laugh-ed as ho thought of It A week-old wlfo would not Btoal nwny through tho midnight shudowel to tho presonco of any living mnn, who wns not bo-lovcd bo-lovcd by hor would not loavo hor husband's sldo and risk tho Interpretation Interpreta-tion that could not fall to bo put on hor doing bo, without somo terribly strong motlvo. And yot now, in tho silliness nnd Bllonco, nnd with tho shadow of closo peril bcsldo him, ho know ho loved hor as llorcoly, adoringly, passionately as ovor. Ho could not forgot or banish tho romom-branco romom-branco that hauntod him. Tho fovor-mist fovor-mist of pain that blinded his sonsos to ovory hardship and his oyes to ovory poril, woro yot not doop enough or donso enough to blind thom to this ono memory, to covor with oblivion this ono lovo. As ho paced to and fro in that monotonous mo-notonous march, ho bont his hond and a low groan cscapod his lips. .; "To forgotP" ho implored. "OIj Godl for ono hour to forgot!" In an Instant all thought of duty escaped him, tho vigilant eyes no longer swopt tho horizon, tho kcon oars grow deaf to all but tho dull, agonlzcn boating of a heart that folt it Would novor ngaln find rest or pcaco on tho earth's wldo face. Suddenly ho started and looked round. Alas for that trance of pain, that short forgot-fullness! forgot-fullness! Tho dull thud of horsosfoot camo loud and dUtlnct to hlsjfirs in tho shudow-play of night nnjfBwn ho saw tho flush of arms, nndrallo his alarm rang clarion clear thro.iiasjWit tno slumbering camp, ho know how vain tho warning wns. In nn Instant all was stir, bustle, confusion. With marvelous colority tho troops got undornrms, but tholr actions woro not rapid enough for tho churglng swoop of tho foo, who trobled tholr scanty numbors nnd boro down on thom .with nn oaglo's swoop. Tho hoofs of roaring chargers struck at thom on ovory sldo, tho clash of swords and crash of shot and stool filled all tho air. It was a conlllct sharp and short, a conflict hand to hand, breast to broast ,ovor which tho morning broke gray, nnd silvery, nnd boautlful, as though in mockery of tho bruto passions pas-sions and tho murdorous follies of num. v f Tho struggle was brief. Outnum.-berod Outnum.-berod six to ono, thoro was llttlo doubt of how it must ond. Escapo or victory victo-ry woro nllko impossible Tho Prussians Prus-sians woro victors oro tho day was an hour old. Tho prisoners of wnr humiliated; disarmed, furious as trapped beasts woro handod over to a dotnehtnent of tho Prussian corps. Tholr ultlmnto fato was not yot doeldod upon. Tho victory of Sedan had led to its evacuation, evacua-tion, nnd tho llavarlnn and Prussian corps woro marching rapidly toward Purls. Tho conquerors woro oxultnnt tho fato of war seemed certain now. All Paris was in revolt, confusion and oxcltomont reigned ovorywhoro. In military circles but ono issuo Boomed Boom-ed possible, nnd though "Guorro out-tranco"was out-tranco"was still in ovory Fronchmnn'B mouth, tho Gorman nrmlos treated it as a moro mattor of time Tho Improvised nnd Kopubllcnn armies of France, drawn from nil sources, and In ninny cases untrnlnod and undlsclpllnod, might cortujnly convert tho war of arms into ono of slego, but with Motz and Sedan in tholr hands, and tho flower of tho Fronch nrmy, olthor klllod or prisoners, prison-ers, tho Prussians might woll bo confident, con-fident, nnd treat tholr onomy's dofl-nnco dofl-nnco as moro bravado. Plorro Loroux had boon sovoroly wounded. Unconscious of all that was passing uround him, ho lay throughout through-out tho long weary day. Pain hold him powerless, his strong framo lay bruised bruis-ed nnd Btrlckon, his oyes woro closed, ns If load weighed down their lids. Unfnmlllur volcos sounded in his oars, but ho had no consciousness of tholr words. Weak with loss of blood, dizzy diz-zy and faint with tho oxhaustlon of long fasting und incessant fatigue, bo ho lay, wondering dimly If death was at hund now tho Uonlh ho had prayed for so long. If his captors had beon ns raorclloss as ho desired, nnothor dawn would novor havo grootcd his earthly sight; but with a certain rough kindness and compnsslon thoy hud tonded his vunds, nnd when consciousness ro-l ro-l od, and fovor at Inst loft him, ho found himsolt In nn nmbulnnco-wugon in a part of tho country totally now und strango to him. Wlfti sonso and fooling enmo buck tho romombrunco of his fato. Ho wus a prlsonor. Houbtloss his captors woro about to tako him to their own land; stray words ho caught hero und thoro, all pecmed to point to this as conclusive. Ho glnncod round tho straw lined vehicle as It Jolted over tho rough unovon roads. Four othor flguros woro stretched thoro Hko him- fj solf. Now and thon a moan of pain M escaped thom. Ono ho rocognlzod as W tho gay young eoldler who had laughed laugh-ed and JOBtod at tho wlno tavorn the ovonlng boforo that sharp and short, oncountor with ho onoray, whoso ro- t suits had boon so disastrous. "It is you, thon, Poupard, is it?" ho i snld languidly. "Aro you hurt?" j "Should I bo hero else?" gruntod ' tho othor ungraciously. "Devil tnkot ' thoso brutos, thoy havo crushed ovory- 2 bono In myliodyj vorylly bollovo." f- "How wnsitP' 'Plorro nskod languidly. languid-ly. ." "It was ono of tholr horses; tho-hoofs tho-hoofs struck mo down. I was dragged, out from undor tho nnlmal aftorward, bo thoy say. A shot had klllod htm, and ho foil on mo. Damo! why did ho-not ho-not kill mo outright? 'Twould bo. hotter than to bo maimed for llfo, as I. . H assurodly shall bo now." " Plorro slghod wearily. Perhaps hot thought thoro woro worso things to-enduro to-enduro ovon than to bo maimed for llfo. . "Aro thoy taking us to tholr owrt S cursod country, think you?" domanded. U Poupard prosontly. 8 "Icnnnotsay. I do not oven ro- ' member how long I havo boon hero. " It sooms an ago slnco that skirmish."' : "'Tls but a day and a night; and, -,, by tho way, that romlnds mo how: ' ! camo It you woro so lalo In giving- J in tho alarm? Our captain ls 'S furious. Ho blames tho wholo dlsus- ""Tfl tor to you." JS Plorro's faco flushed dooply beneath. , i Its pallor of pain. "Is that truo?" ho said, florcoly. "Mon Dloul Yes. liavo you ovor- known mo lie?" . "I gavo tho warning instantly. v Thoy soom to havo stolon up like shadows. I cannot toll how thoy ' camo so suddenly and quickly." j "Thoy aro In lenguo with tho fiend himself, I bollovo," growled tho othor, j foroclously. "Will tholr luck novor- JM end?" "It scorns not." -.' 3 "And wo so nenr Paris," contlnuod " J$ Poupard discontentedly, "but u day's- march, and they will bo looking out- L for us". Holnl but It In hard." fcjj "Tho fortUno of wnr," murmured, ."few Pierre. "Our turn may como yot." 1 jfl "Thoro la a chnnco of cscnpo, per- J M haps," whispered Poupard, rostlossly; 9 "thoy nro all so sure, It might bo oasy I m to surpriso them one night. Whoro. f M aro tho 6thors?" 1 M "I do not know. Hush, hero comes- 4 M a troopor," 3 ( "Lay your plans moro cautiously, S B messieurs," said a volco besldo thom, X tho volco of tho Uhlan whoso approach 'iMl thoy had notlcod; "vo understand lCi French as well ao you bore" Hi Consternation depicted Itself on mmL Poupard'a face, from thnt timo. --JBB ho lay ' sllontly on tho straw, med- P itating his plans In his own mind & and moro convinced than over that hl 'ttt foos wore in longuo with tho powers ot R dnrknoss, since notions, movements ffl und lunguago woro nllko known U jf thom. Ho wondered if his thoughts ' S ovor escaped that socrot csplonago. i M As dnys passed on, however, tho J wild plans of escapo which ho had 1 n formed grow moro opparontly hopo- ' SI less. Food was scanty, his wounds- H nnd bruises tormented him moro and II more Tho way was long nnd tho 13 wenthor torrlble Hardships nnd H privations woakoned his. framo nnd damponod his nrdor. Ho wus scpa- 9 rated from his companions after those rash overheard words, and In sllonco ' 9. and solltudo ho Buffered now, till cour- n ngo forsook and misery crushed him- . I "I shall dlo soon," ho said to him- 1 self, and his words soomod as if thoy t W woro to bo spoedily vorlflod. a Ho and Plorro Leroux woro in tho i m hospital ward togothor a small l IM onough place, oxtemporlzod from. f f shoor necosslty, as many of tho sol- ', R dlors woro too prostrutod by hungor. ' 1 and fovor, nnd wounds, to proceed any k H further. ' l Gontlo-volccd womon, somo highly ? 3 born nnd dollcntoly nurturod, flitted to- ;' W and fro In thoso droury wurds minis- a M torlng angels to the poor broken- V tff hoartod sufforors, who thoy tondod ffi with untiring patience 1 Ono morning ono of tho sisterhood 1 I enmo quietly up to Plorro's sldo as ho' f B lay weak and fovorlsh on his narrow V I bed. "Your friend dlod Inst night," ', 1 Bho said, gently. "Ho bndo mo give- ( $ you this lottor, with tho ro-paost that i if if ovor opporunlty offors you will give I It it to his mothor. Ho was from your j, i 1 own part of Normandy, 1 bollovo." t ifi Plorro took tho loiter from her hand t 1 In sllonco, thon turned his fuco to tho M wall and slghod. I m "Evon ho dies," ho cried, In tho- fl depth of hlu dosolato hoart, "shull I, Si 1 to whom llfo is hateful, alono bo I ' 9 Bpared ?" Si ffl TO BE CONTINUED. , 1 |