Jeanne's Bravery

Félix Labardie had been a Freuch tirour in the great war of 1870, and I liked notbing bettet in theevening tha to sit and listen to hisstories of tho terrible time when Franoe lay gaping and bleeding. One eveuiug we bad been silently smoking for some timo when he said, "Did I ever toll yon, monsieur, how I feil into the hands of the Germans and ont again'r" "No, " 1 said. "I thought the Germans shot all the guerrillas tney oaught. " "They lot me go f ree, monsieur, " he said, with a grim laugh. "It may soera incredible, monsieur, but Jeanne yonder held tho life of royalty on her finger tips." "I should like very muoh to hear the story, " I said. "Certainly, monsiour, and if mon sieur think.s wuat was done was wrong he must escui-e a womao in love. "Af ter Sedan, monsieur, a meeting was called in onr village, and 80 of us enrolled ourselves as a oompany o: Francs-tireurs We feit we could do more for Franco as irregnlars than sorving uuder incompetent generáis. We were well armed, and a brave and skillful old veteran ooinmanded ns. As the Germans were in forcu arouud Metz, wo marched in that direction and mado our beadquarters in the huls behiud a village cal led Pency, about three leagues from the fortress. It was in Penoy Jeanne liveel, and from the first moment I saw hor, monsieur, Isaid tomyself, '11 fortune is kind, Félix, that girl shall be your wifé. ' Her father was the rciller of Pency, and the accursed Uhlans had almost rnined him. They were very bitter against tho invaders, and my profession made me find favor in her eyes. Before we had beon at Pency a inonth we had plightcd our troth, on the nnderatauding that we should not marry until France was rid of the enemy. ' 'Smal l as our band was, we made ourselvos a terror to the marauding Uhlans, ihauka to the generalship of old Montb'.'ii. Jeanne was invaluablo to us. She wan all eyes and ears, and Montbon caüod her the 'head of tho intelligenoe department' of our band. I usod tomeet ber evory evening, when it was possible, in a little cave I had discovered, which, having no outlets, was proof against surprise. "We staid three months at Pency, and then tbe place became too hot for ns, and we prepared to leave for a vilage sonae leagues to the south. I feil nto the hands of the Bavarians the very evening before we were to leave Pency. "Jeanne declares to this day, and I believe rigbtly, that I was betrayed by a villager, a yonng fellow named Odean, who balieved the Virgin bad intended Feaune for bis wife, and who was ever avage whon she refnsed hira. But be ;hat as it may, monsieur, I was seized at dusk that evening as I was on my way to meet Jeanue, aud taken so com)letely by surprise that I had not the east chance of dofending myself or tryng to escapo, and, worse than all, was aken with the rifle in my hand. " 'Youaroan assassin, ' said thestoat ittle offlcer in command in barbarous french. 'Yon shall be shot. Where are 'our companions?' "But I jirofessed not to understaud. 1 was afraid of being shot on the spot. ?hare was ïnuch of the exocutioner and ittlo of the jndge in those daya, mciiieur. "Much tú my relief, my anus were round behind me, and we set out for :he hamlet where the Crown Prinoe i'redorick had his headquarters. "As Fortune would have it, Jeanne met us on he road. Monsieur wonld uppose that Jeanne isa quiet little woman, but monsieur has not seen her boroughly aronsed. She was roused ben, monsieur. She flung herself on me and tried to release me. Then she eized the bayonet of a Bavarian, and f I had not begged her for my sake to e calm she wonld have fought the whole party single handed. Then she feil to beseeching them, for she could speak Gemían well, but they only laughed at her and drove her off with foul words. My beart was like lead theu, monsieur. But I did not know Jeanne. "I was taken bofore the prince's adjutaut, wbo promised me liberty if 1 woma netray my cornpatnots. Bnt I feigned sttipidity, aud wheu he found that I would teil uothing he ordered me to be shot at 5 the next morning. 'We give you till then, ' he said, 'to find yonr tonguo. You'IJ be dumb enough after. ' And he laughed. "I was bouiid liko a log, ïuousienr, aud thrown into a hut aud brut:illy kickcd. My tboughts were not pleasant all this time. I lay thinking of Jeanne, whom I shonld uever see again, picturiug that, ■womanliko, she would go homo and weep in her helplessness and despair. But 1 ciicl not know her then. She was worldug for me with all the energy and wit of a woman. Jeanue, Jeanne, ma petite, come here. " Jeaune canie to the door. "Come and teil monsienr how you saved me, ma petite. " Ablush overspread Jeanne's features. "What, that foolish story agaiu?" "Certainly ïiyc foolish, " Iinterposed. I "I shouH deetn it a kindness if yon ! wonld obligo rae." "If monsieur wishes it, and monsieur will allow ma, I will get myknitting. " "Certainly, " I said. "When I saw him carried off, " Jeaune begim as soon as shewas seated, j "I was in despair, for I knew what his i fate wonld be. And fcben the good Virgin pnt an idea into my head, and I prayed to her to give me the strength and onnning to carry it out There had been a sharp fight. a week before, aud I knew Jacques Pellot had possessed hiinself of sonie Germán uniforma that he had taken from the dead. So I demanded them from him and threatened him till he produced them. A sous lieutenant'8 uniform fitted me nicely, and aftor outting off my hair and concealing a pistol and dagger in my Iranio I hurried away. I crept along cautiously when I neared the enemy'a lines, for my plan was to get through tho sentries without being challenger!. When I heard the pickets, I dipped on tho gromid and crawled like snake. And yet 1 was nearly canght. A Germán officer was leauing against a tree, and I alinost touchcd him. I lay still without breathing audibly for a long time - how long I caiinot say - until he moved away. Then, once inside tho lines, I rose np and hastened to the prinoe's headquarters. I prayed for courage and then walked up to the door. I trembled so that I could hardly speak. Fortunately tbe officer did not observe my agitation. " 'Take me to his highnessinstantly, ' I said in my best Germán. 'Important dispatohes. ' " 'Who from?' he began. " 'To bis highness instantly, ' I said boldly, but my knees shook under me. "He looked at me closely in the dim light, and I feit ready to faint. Then without a word ho took me to the prince's room. 'Important dispatches, ' he said, knocking aud showing me in. " 'From wboru?' asked the prince. " 'In private, may it please yonr highness,' I stammered, bnt feeling that 1 wonld not leave ■without Felix's life or anothor for it. " 'Retire and leave us, Haupt, ' said the prinoe, and the officer, closing the door behind him, obeyed. " 'And aow,' said the prince kindly. 'Yon look palo and ill, sir. What ie yonr name?' "The key was in the door, and Iturned it swiftly. 'And now, ' I said, pulling out my pistol and pointing it ful) at his face - my hand did not even tremble at that supreme moment - 'your highness, ' I said rapidly, 'if you cal) out, you are a dead man. ' "Ah, he was a Germán, but he was so brave, so brave! He did not even wince, but be looked straight into my eyes and smiïed. " 'Ah,' he said lightly, 'a stratagem! Who aro yon, and what do you want?' " 'Monsieur Ie prinoe,' I said, 'I 'am the danghter of the miller of Penoy. My lover, Felix Larondie, was taken by your men tonigbt as a Franc-tireur. If he is not already dead, he is condemned. I want his life or - you lose yours, monsieur. ' " ' A woman !' he said. ' Wel 1 done, ' and he smiled, and the pistol almost dropped from my hand with the pity of it till I thought of Felix. 'I know nothing of this, my good woman. No, bat stay. Here are some papers Elberfeld has left for mo to sign. Ah, here it is. Felix Larondie, peasant, taken with arms. To be shot at 5 a. m. ' " 'He shall not die, yonr highness, or' - I con ld not threaten him with words, but my pistol was steady. " 'Bnt he is an assassin. ' " 'No, ' I cried, 'he is a soldier, though he does not wear the uniform. Imagine, your highness,' I said, 'if 1 ehould have dared so rnuch for a murderer. ' " 'But he has fought as a Franctireur, not as a soldier. ' " 'What of that, monsieur? And if be bad not fonght far France in bor hour I would Fpurn him trom me. He must go free, yonr highness, if yon valué your life. ' " 'My life ia in the hands of God, mademoiselle, ' he said, lifting his eyes to mina 'Threats do not move me, but you are a brave woman. ' "And then my courage left me, monsieur, and I dropped the pistol and flung myself Bobbing at his feet and beseecbed and entreated him. And he raised me, monsieur, and made me drink wino and teil bim all the story. Ah, but he was brave and a true gentleman I And when I had told him all he said, 'He shall be pardoned, ' adding, with a smile, 'Snch a devoted woman must not go husbandless. ' And then I feil to weeping again, monsieur, and kissed his band and tried to thank him. And he took me to Felix, and he was released. I fluug myself on Felix and cut his borjds myself, and we tbanked ;he prince together. We women don't find out if men are worth it till afterward, monsieur, " with a sly look at aer husband. "Three days later an orderly carne with a bracelet from his highness, and on it was engravod, 'To a brave and devoted Frenchwoman. ' See, I wear it stilL "Ah, monsieur, wo wept when that noble prinoe died, and the great dootor could not save him. We sent a wreath, and I presumed to write to the empress. She is a worthy daughter of yonr quoen, monsieur. She sent me a letter written with lier own hand. She was wortby of that true and brave man, her husband. "-