Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-11-21
one to the other with sort of smiling

| one TO Lne OIner Will sOrI OF Smlllng
contempt.
"And so," said the commandant, in
the same tone; $50, single-hsnded,
Monsieur Dumas-I think you said that
was your name-you propose to force
me to do this? You see that we are
four"
| The young man saw that matters
| were coming to a crisis, and took a
prompt resolution. He stepped back,
pulled his double-barreled pistols from
his pockets, and presented them at the
startled party. d" You are four, gentle
men," he said. "But we are five. If
that order be not signed in five sec
onds, give you my word of honor will
blow your brains out, beginning with
the commandant's therel"
He owned he felt little nervous, but
| he was determined.
"Take care" he went on 81 mean
what I say. I am going to count. One
|-two-three-"
| At this critical moment a side door
was flung open, and lady flung herself
among them in paroxysm of alarm.
"Agreel agreei' ~ she cried. "Oh,
| this is another revolt of the negroes
Think of my poor father and mother,
| whom they murdered in st. Domingo ~
Alexandra owned that the lady's mis-
take was excusable, considering his
own natural tint (deepened by violent
browning from the sun), and the pecu-
liar character of hair and voice. But
we may wonder at the insensibility to
ridicule which could prompt him to set
down such a jest at his own expense.
The truth was, he was so filled with van
| ity, that all the nicer senses became
| blunted, and he was even unconscious
| of the roars of laughter these foolish
condolences produced. The Command
| ant could not resist the entreaties of
| his wife. Alexandra declared that he
had infinite respect for the lady, but
entreated her husband to send her away,
and let the men finish the business.
| The poor Commandant protested that
his selfrespect must be respected. He
could not decently yield to single man.
| Alexandra then offered to sign a paper,
extorted at "the mouth of the pistol
barrel" COR wonld you PREFER" he
added, "that should fetch two or three
of my companions, SO that you should
seem to have yielded to a more respect
able force?'' The Commandant ac-
cepted this proposal, and Alexandra
let him, bluntly declaring that no ad-
vantage must be taken of the delay or
he would return and "blow all their
brains out" and that the whole party
must give their parole of honor that
they would remain exactly as they
| were.
"Yes, yes," cried the lady. Alexan-
DIRE made her a low bow, but declared
| that it was not her parole that he
wanted. The Commandant gave what
was required of him, and Alexandra
hurrying away, speedily returned with
| |, oF h IL
| in the court. Opening the window he
called to them, and bade them inform
| the gentlemen insi ie that they were
ready to fire on them at the first signal;
an appeal answered by the significant
sound of the cooking of guns. The
| Commandant understood, and, going to
his desk, wrote a formal order.
| After this the rest was comparatively
easy. The magazine was broken open,
carts were procured and loaded, and at
about 5 o'clock they were outside the
| town. Dumas was SO exhausted that he
sank down on the grass, under hedge,
and fell asleep. Reused up presently,
| he started on his journey, and by
o'clock reached Villers-Cotterets, where
| they found the supper ready, which
had been ordered the evening before.
After .iovial meal they set out once
more, and by 3 o'clock in the morning
| were close to Paris, at the posthouse
| whence they had started. At 9 he had
presented himself with his powder at
the Hotel de Vile, having triumph.
antly accomplished the daring exploit
he had undertaken.
When Alexandra told this adventure
there was many a shrug of the shoulders
and loud scofing laugh; such ro
nance as this was not thought worth
serious refutation, as coming from sc
amusing and notorious gasconader-
an uncomplimentary appreciation which
he owed to the incurable vanity which
always made him set his own figure in
the most effective and dramatic posi-
tions. But the story is perfectly true
abating some harmless exaggeration
1t is to be found set forth in modest
official report addressed to La Fayette
! published by his direction in the Moni
teur of Aug. 9, 1880, and signed by Du
mas and the friends who assisted him il
the expedition. The names of the va
rious officers whom he forced to submit
to him are given at length. When the
memoirs were published, in 1858, the
son of the Commandant, Liniers, did
indeed, come forward with an indig
nant PROCLAMATION" to clear the mem
ory of his father, who was then dead
but his testimony, Tor he was actually
present at the scene in the Command
ants cabinet, only confirms Dumas &C
count. The purport of the sons lettel
is merely this: that the town was al
ready ripe for revolt before Dumas ar
rival, and that when the latter returned
with his friends, these were assumed t.
be chiefs of the National Guard, al
ready known to be disaffected. II
short, that the officer yielded not t.
Dumas, but to an overpowering fore
behind him. His son describes Duma
as parading his pistols, and menacini
the Commandant, but declares that tn
presence of the four officers armed, ant
intimidated, was fiction of the novel
ist. He admits, however, that he him
/ self and the Secretary-with Madam
) de Liniers-were present. On tn
: whole, the adventure may be accepte'
in all faith, and reflects credit on tn
great raconteur.-AH the Year Round.
r ALICE OSWALD, the young America
/ governess, who committed suicide il
England, was followed to her grave by