The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-11-10
GAS how ~
"With my sword. shall do syou the

= : = = ~ : =
GAS howr
"with my sword. i shall do you the
honor to meet You tomorrow" y
"An honor which, being a man OF
sense, I must beg to decline. You don't
kill your adversaries, Monsieur de Bar
dine; you murder them. Have you for
gotten your duel with Monsieur de Lii
lar, which took place, am told, with
out witnessesi While he was off his
guard, you treacherously struck him
through the heart. The prospect Of a
similar catastrophe is certainly by no
means enticing."
| With an instructive movement, ii. de
Bardine's neighbors drew of.
~ admire such virtuous indignation"
sneered the major. at especially be-
comes ron, Monsieur Darien-
what infamy are you going to cast
in my teeth p exclaimed the gentleman
addressed.
aOh, very httIe--a mere trifle-sim-
ply, that while Monsieur de Bardine
kills his friends, you only ,dishonor
yours. Monsieur Simon, whose house,
table, and purse are yours, has pretty
|
"Major," cried another Juror, "you're
q villainp ~
"Pardon me, my dear Monsieur Cal
fat, let us cali things by their proper
names. The only villain amongst us, /
believe, is the man who himself set fire
to his house, six months after having
| insured it at treble its value in four
offices, whose directors were foolish
enough to pay the money without max
ing sufficient inquiry" a.s1 o.
A stified groan escaped from NJ. Cal
fats lips as he covered his face with his
hands. "Who are you that you thus
dare to constitute our judgeP asked
another, looking fercely at Vernon.
"Who am. /, Monster Peron! simply
one who can appreciate your very rare
dexterity in holding court-cards in your
hand, and making the dice turn up as
you please" ~ ..-.t
NJ. Peron gave an involuntary start,
and thenceforward held his peace. The
scene, aided by the darkness of ap-
preaching night, had now assumed a
terrific aspect. The voice of the major
rang in the ears Of eleven pale, trcm-
bling men, with cold metallic distinct
ness, as if each word inflicted blow.
At length Vernon burst into q strange
sharp Kissing laugh. "Well, my honor
able colleagues" he exclaimed, "dOes
this poor Pierre Granger still appear to
you unworthy Of the slightest pityf /
grant you, he has committed fault,
and fault which you would not have
committed in his place. He has not
had your cleverness in masking his tur-
pitude with show Of virtue-that was
his real crime. Now, if after having
killed his wife, he had paid Handsomely
for masses to be said for her repose-I
he had purchased a, bnrialgr1%n%o sn hee %s%ory a
seanseifuI square white marble monu-
ment, with a fowery epitaph on it in
gold ietters-why, then we should all
have shed tears Of sympathy, and euio-
gized Pierre Granger as the model of
tender husband. Don't you agree with
me, Monsieur Norbec !"
NJ. Norbec started as if he had re-
ceived an electric shock. at is falsew
he murmured. 81 did not poison Eliza;
she died of pulmonary consumption"
"True," said the major; you re,
mind me of circumstance when
had nearly forgotten. Madame Nor
bee, who possessed o large fortune
in her own right, died without issue
five months after she had made you her
sole legatee." -,
Then the major was silent. They
were now in total darkness. Suddenly
came the sharp click of pistol, and the
obscurity was for moment frightened
by n fash, but there was no report-the
weapon had missed fire. The major
burst into a long and loud fit of laugh
ter. Charming! delightful! All, my
dear sir" he exclaimed, addressing the
foreman, "you were the only honest man
of the party; and see how, to oblige me,
Won have made an attempt on my per-
son which places you on an honorable
level with Pierre Granger" Then, hav-
ing rang the bell, he called for candles,
and when they were brought, he said !:
"Come, gentlemen, suppose you don't
want to sleep here; let lis make haste
and finish our business"
Ten minutes afterwards the foreman
handed in the issue paper-a verdict OF
not guilty-and Pierre Granger was dis
charged amid the misses and excavations
of the crowd, who, indeed, were pre-
vented only by strong military force
from assaulting both judge and jury.
Major Vernon coolly walked up to the
dock, and passing his arm under that OF
Pierre Granger, went out with him
through side-door.
From that hour neither the one nor
the other was ever seen again in the
country. That night there was'a terri
fic thunder storm; the ripe harvest was
beaten down by hailstOnes as large as
pigeons eggs, and flash of lightning
striking the steeple Of the old ivy-cov-
cred church tore down its gilded cross !
This strange story was related to me
one day last year by q convict in the in
firmary of the prison at Toulon. | give
it verbatim from his lips; and as was
leaving the building the sergeant who
accompanied me, said, $50, sir, you have
been listening to the wonderful rhodo-
montades of Number l9,75Sf'
"What do You meant This history
s'Is'false from beginning to end. No.
1878 is an atrocious criminal, who was
sent to the galleys for life, and who,
during the last few months, has given
evident proofs of mental alteration.
His monomania consists chiefly in tell
ing stories toprove that all judges and
jurors are rogues and Williams. He was
himself found guilty, by most respect
able and upright jury, of having rob
bed and tried to- murder Major Ver-
nor. He is now about to be placed in o
lunatic asylum, 80 that YOU will proba-
bly, be the last visitor who will hear his
curious inventions"
"And who is Major Vernorp
) "a brave old half-pay officer, who has
lived at Toulon beloved and respected
during the last twelve years. You win
probably see him to-day, smoking his
Havana cigar, after the table-dhote
dinner at the Grown Hotel" IT
j.
From tho Clarfsbure Telegraph
Oil Struck In Clarksburg--Capt. Lew.
1Er a. Darfah. 3t
w. - .--,t;6ad IN Gpoxv that ranfain