New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-11-02

bs penltent. He spoke Of the tsnPtations
OF Paris, the gaming table, and what net
He gave up bis daily visits to the capital.
he seemed to apply himself to stady.
Shortly AFTER this tho neighborhood was
alarmed by reports of night robberies on
the roads. Men marked and armed plum
dered travellers and even broke into houses.
"The police on the alert. One nieht
an old brother officer knocked ut my friends
door. It was late; the veteran Che was q
cripple, BY the way. like myself, strange
coincideRce) was ia bed. He came dowH
in haste, when bis servant told hinn that hi.
old frieHd; wounded and bleeding, sought
an asylum beneath his rosk The wound
however, was slight. The guest had been
attacked and robbed on the road. The
next morning the proper authority Of thu
town was sent for. The plundered mae
described his loss-soms billets of Eve
hundred francs in q book on which was
embroidered bis name and ceronet (he was
vicount). The guest stayed to dinner.
Late in the afternoon the soH locked in.
The guest started to see him; my friend no.
ticed his paleness. Shortly after, HRder
pretence Of faintness, the guest retired to
his room and sent for his host. Ny friend,
said he, can you do me favor? &c to
the magistrate and recall the evidence l
have given
"Impossible,' said the host; "what crOt-
Chef is this p
"The guest shuddered. 'Peste!' said he,
q do not wish in my old days to be hard on
others. Who knows how the robber may
have been tempted and who knows what
relations he may have-honest men whom
his crime would degrade forever! Good
heaVensl if detected, it is the galleysp
"'And what then!-the robber knew
what he braved.'
".But did his father know it p cried the
guest.
"'A light broke in upon my unhappy
| eomrade in arms; he caught his guest by
| the hand. You turned pale at my sons
sight-where did you ever see him before?
Speak?'
"Last night, on the road to Paris. The
mask slipped aside. Call back my evil
dence.'
"'You are mistaken, said my friend
calmly; 4 saw my son in his bed, aud
blessed him before went to uy own
az will believe you said the guest, and
never shall my hasty suspicion pass my
lips; but recall the evidence.
The guest returned to Paris before dusk.
The father eonversed with the son on the
subject Of his studies; be followed him to
his room, waited till he was in bed and
then was about to retire, when the youth
said:
"Father, you have forgotten your bles-
sing.
dThe father went and laid his hand on
the boys head and prayed. He was
credulous-fathers are! He was per-
shaded his friend had been deceived. He
retired to rest and fell asleep. He awoke,
suddenly, in the middle OF the night, and
felt q here quote his words), j felt
said he, las if voice had awake ned
me, saying, rise and search.
rose at snce, struck light, and went to
my sons room. The door was locked. |
knocked once, twice, thrice-no answer.
dared not call aloud, lest should rouse
the servants. went down the stairs;
opened the back door; l passed TO the sta
Bile; my horse was there--not my sons
horse. My horse neighed; II was old, like
myself-my old charger at Mount st. Jean
L stole back; crept into the shadow of the
wall by my sons door, and exinguished
the light. felt as if 1 were thief my
self.u la.
Brother" interrupted my mother under
her breath, aspeak in your own words,
not in this wTetched fathers. l know not
why, but it would shock me less"
The captain nodded. ..t
Before daybreak my friend heard the
back door open gently; foot assembled the
stairs; a key grated in the door of the
room close at hand; the father glided
through the dark into that chamber, I'M
seen, behind his son.
"He heard the olink Of the Undertook;
light spread over the room, but he had
time to place himself behind the window
curtain, which was close at hand. The
figure before him stood a moment or so
motionless, and seemed to listen for it
turned to the right, to the left its Visage
covered with the black, hideous mask
which is worn at carnivals Slowly the
mask was removed. Could that be his SON
the son of brave man? 1t was pale and
ghasly with cowardly fears; the base
drops stood on the brow; the eye was
haggard and blood-shot. He looked like
coward looks when death stands before
him.
"The youth walked or rather skulked to
the secretary, unlocked it. opened a drawer,
placed within it the contents of his pockets
and his trightful mask; the father approach
ed softly, looked over his shoulders, and
saw in the drawer the pocket-book en-
broidered with his friends name. Mean
while the son took out his pistols, knocked
them cautiously, and was about to secrete
them when his father arrested his arm.
'Robber, the use of these is yet to come
"The sons knees smote together; an ex-
clamation for mercy burst from his lips; but
when recovering the mere shock OF his das-
tard nerves, he perceived it was not the
grip of some hi7eling of the law, but a
fathers hand that clutohed his arm, the vile !
audacity that knows fear only from bodily
cause, none from awe or shame, returned to
him. -E a l-a 80 !. al.ss.s lsgai "
"'Tusb sir said he; waste not time in
reproaches, for fear the gens-d'arme are
on my track. i. II is we'll that you are here;
you can swear that have net spent the
night at home. finland me, old mani
have these witnesses yet to secrete, and he
pointed TO the garments wet and drab-
bled with the mub of the road. He had
hardly spoken when the walls shook; there
was a heavy chatter Of hoofs ringing on tne
pavement without.
"'They come, cried the son. fOH, do
tard Save your son from the galleysp
"'The gslieys, the galleysr cried the
father, staggering back Is 1t tfue-he
said the gaiieysr
There was loud knocking at the gate
The gens-d'arme surrounded the house.
Open in the name Of the law No an,
swer came no door was opened. Some of
the gens-darme rode to the rear of the
house where there was the stableyard.
From the window OF The sons the, sudden
blaze Of torches and the shadowy forms of