Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-04-16
.MISOELLANROUs.
The Three Hrnohbaoks.

Tho following amusing and seemingly in
credible narrative We extract from "a late
French publication. 1t is neatly told, and
will be read with interest:
Three brothers, all humpbacked, and all
accurately alike in appearance, lived at Be-
sarc6r. One Of them killed man in chance
medley, but not being taken on the moment,
the prosecutors could only swear that one of
the three brothers had dono the deed. Rath-
er than put an innocent ,g1an to death, the
judge let the guilty one escape, but to avoid
further Inconvenience of the kind, he ban
ished all from the province. One settled in
Paris, became rich, and married the others,
after nearly starving in England, returned
and paid visit to their fortunate brother
The master of the house was abroad when
they knocked, and the poor wife was troubled
more than little by the visit. My hus>
band is very jealous" said she to them while
she was giving them something to to eat
''IOu must go to the farthest quarter of the
town, and never come here again; but I'll
make your brother look to your wants."-
While She was speaking she heard her hus-
bands knock, and cried out, Follow me, if
you value your lives"
She ordered the servant not to open the
door till she should return. and then conveyed
the brothers down the stairs and locked them
into the cellar. Her husband scoided for
being kept out so long, but good dinner re-
stored him to good humor, and at night he
went out to pay visit.
The wife then went down to the cellar, and
there found the two poor brothers dead, one
lying here, the other there. What was to be
done? She sent for strong Auvergnat,
brought him down stairs, showed him one
corpse, which she had previously taken out
OF the cellar, and promised him Louis dor
on his return, after having thrown it into the
Seine. lie made no scruple about the mat
ter, but popped the body into the sack, took
it to the bridge, and shook it into the river
Returning for his reward, the wife disputed
his claim, as the body was still lying out side
the cellar door. Here the stupefied man w
what he firmly believed to be the corpse lie
had thrown from the bridge, and, resigu!ng
himself to destiny, he got it into his sack and
went through the ceremony the second time
Coming back, he was terrified and enragcd by
finding the twice drowned corpse Knocking 1t
his own door. care these your tricks, mas
ter?' said he. ''hh, Monsieur Ghost! clever
as you are, I'll settle you the third trial"
So saying, he forced the poor husband into
the sack, carried him 10 the Same scot and
effected the third discharge This time he
| returned in triumph, for the wife, ignorant CT
her husbands fate. ard having no more
corpses to remove paid him twice what she
had coveEanted, aud gave him a glass Of inc
INFO the bargain.
"Your good health, madame" said he :
''you are better than your promise, but earn
ed it. found the humpbacked rogue or his
ghost knocking at the door after had thrown
him in for the second time"
ooh, wretch % cried the poor woman, oyou
have drowned my husband 2"
While she was screaming and he standing
in amaze, the gend' armes entered secured
both and sent them to prison. Next day they
were brought before the magistrate OF the
quarter and examined. Tic poor wife con-
cealed nothing; the Auvergnat was not call
ed on for an explanation; and while both
were awaiting sentence Of death the three
brothers, in full liIe but with very pale faces,
were ushered into the room Some fisher
MOI stationed near the bridge had saved the
three. The unmarried mon had been only
dead drunk in the cellar, and the submcrsion,
and the consequent pulling and hauling and
ejectment of wine and water, had recovered
them from their drunken lethargy before the
naturs! time. On their first appearance be-
tore the magistrate, they could give no OK
PLANTATION of their visit to the river, and the
husband had no idea of the cause of his be.
ing seized on; hut his wife's explanation
made all clear.
The king bearing of the strange adven-
tire, settled pension on the rnmarI ed men.
but they were not to dwell within fifty miles
OF Paris, and the married man was not Jealous
for year and day after his seizure and es-
cape from the river.