, 1872-12-01
A QUEER STORY.
Al, U21egitinaste Som c7 the First Ea-
pc1eon Secluded i12 tfae Rocky Moux1-

peleou SeCls1Heu Hi Ehe 1k0ct1y Noun
tul11ss
From tie T7rgin;a city 1ionta,aian
Borne on the tidal wave Of the great stampede
to Alder Gulch in the year 1864, unknown,
scarcely seen after arrival, and never ningling
With the busy, grasping gold hunters, was m
aged Frenchmen who went BY the name Of Louis
% Se gach to tbo ss q The a5 geeers gseaersa
tokened no thirst for the golden fortunes that
lay in his pathway; but seemed fixed in sadness
on space, Us if continually gazing back
through the vista Of memory to note each
scenes left behind. Aside from this sad,
silent dcmeanor, there was nothing remarkable
in his contour. At that time ho WAS perhaps a
man some IS years old !; his once black locks
we're now thickly sprinkled with the frosts Of
approaching age, and his step Was that of a man
Of 70, but still presented q certain firnness
that spoke OF sta1wart form and rugged con-
stitution. His head was deeply set in Lis shoul-
dors, and o grim Bcowl continually played over
his hard and wrinkled countenance. Dressed
crowd which then thronged the gulch, he ere.
nted no unusual remark, and his presence was
soon almost forgotten. Soon after his arrival
he sought q secluded nook on Daylight Gulch,
then nnprospected, and built himself Q cave IN
the hill, forming it's east bank. With what little
funds ho possessed, he laid in q supply Of vim
tcr's grub, cut and piled up in faont Of his
unique dwelling d store of wood, and, to our
knowledge, did not again visit Alder or Virginia
tor two naa ey
was recluse from choice, and too busy to caro-
how he lived, or wish to pry into his secrets tho
few who knew of his existence did not visit
or annoy him with questions. With the coming
OF the spring of 1866, he would occasionally find
his way down to the bustling camp, buy few
necessaries, and, without interchanging word
more than necessary In making his purchases.
again seek his retreat. In this way the old man
las lived since the fall Of 1864nearly nino
years-maintaining the while the came nom
communicative habits Us on his first arrival;
though he has been at times compelled to ask
for credit at the stores, assigning as reason
that he was out OF funds at present, but e1-
pected money soon. His requests were always
the least hesitation to grant them he would
quickly turn Oh his heel and stride away in. Of
Tended dignity. Always failing to pay
at the appointed or any other time,
he soon began to bo looked upon as
either gave him supplies or charged them to tho
county. Too proud to ask for aims, he would
sometimes, when out Of food, wait until beef
had been slaughtered, and then, ut midnight,
glide from his hut in search Of the refuse. We
terest, and have more than onco walked toward
his lone habitation for the purpose Of unravel-
ling the mystery with which he has surrounded
himself, but failed to accomplish our desire un-
til late in the afternoon of Sunday last. Pro-
vided with few dainties and flask of liquor
with which to inspire conversation, we mp
preached his miserable lair. Stopping
na,tsx Ut the aa7sa We aecoSted d.ntd Inn
and taking seat upon an uncouth chair told
first angry, then coldly dignifed, and Us ne we're
about losing hope Of successful interview, he
extended his hnnd toward Us. Tears came to
the old mans eyes, and in quiVering voice lie
S+1A go 1o.1~1
years, and no human being until you has taken
sufficient interest in me to Inquire Of my past
history. am getting to be an old man. andhaye
often wished that some one Chat could think
would believe me) to tell my story-a history Of
trouble, despair, feeling Of unapprcciation,
priration and exposure have added not d little
to hurry On death feel at any moment may
prostrato my pulsed frame. WhatI am now in
disposition, haye been from childhood, re-
nourlshment drew from my mothers breast
was pregnant with them all.
''From early childhood these principles werein-
cu1csted within ms. And when I grew to be
man {; cherished them, and enjoyed the sAtisfac-
tion Of knowing that all men were hypocrltee,
fal=e creatures Of circumstances master that
will fit the samo person for the pull
Betore tho Left g1ea y mother ahtaa 'aa neo ~0Ff
an intuitively what I am. I have q story, a
strange and curious one and for forty years
have had secret which WAS impaired to me by
my mother (the Holy Virgin bless her sainted
man went to tho corner Of his hut, and after
removing q considerable amount Of rubbish,
produced q small shect-iron box, some six
inches square, and from it took bundle Of
These papers wero given mo BY my mother at
the same time the secret was told me, to SUBJ
stantiate the truth Of the story Of my liie No
human being has ever heard from my mouth
any pnEt Of that story. My reason for keeping
if told, and dreaded the thought Of being
considered M impostor by the human
hyenas go thoroughly detested. But I
cannot expect to live much longer; and
though Deaths, to some, 11edusian terrors
time during my aimless life, feel now that be-
fore spring comes again will be in another
world. So if you wish to hear will tell you the
substance contained in these papers.
and the old man proceeded in substance as fol-
lows:
AT the battle Of Aspern, fought the 22d day
OF May, 1909, between the first Napoleon and the
Archduko Charles Of Austrin, the brilliant and
fiery Marshal LanneH was mortal1y wounded;
Wyrock Schon, situated between the village Of
EEsling and the Danube, and about six miles
from the latter. Marshal Lannes was the bosom
friend and favorite Of the Emperor Ma
p9leoQ, Auu u0 f1E&LEu t31o Tying HlafblAl
1T the house spoken Of immediately after
the battle and before the retreat OF
the French army. Wyrock schon had Z beautiful
daughter, who had just reached the consum-
mate bud Of womanhood. Napoleon saw her on
his first visit and became enamored with her
loneliness, and on the 9Th Of July following, af-
ter the brilliant victory Of Wagram, he went
again to the house Of schon, ostensibly for tho
purpose of thanking him for his care OF tho
dead Marshal, but as events will show, for the
real purpose Of ruining and Destroying schon's
% peassns gr III nor one Of easy Virtue; the HS family
was an Old and respected one, and traced it's
escutcheon back as far aa could the ancient
house Of Hapsburg. While at Schon's Napo-
leon became intimate with Marie, and is
it. wonder that the shmo brilhancy,
gubdued kings and captivated multitudes Of
soldiers, could not be withstood by poor Marie?
No. The daughter Of C@sars succumbed to his
demands, countenanced BY her Imperial father.
and only had the cloak Of an unlawful divorce to
Il. F,,J 81 nf